Kurt Ebener
Kurt Ebener (4 May 1920 – 7 May 1975) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Ebener was credited with 57 victories in 150 missions, 52 over the Eastern Front. Career Ebener was born on 4 May 1920 in Könitz, present-day a municipality of Unterwellenborn, at the time in Thuringia of the Weimar Republic. He volutunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe on 17 November 1939. Following completion of flight and fighter pilot training, was posted to 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) on 1 December 1941. The Staffel was subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 3 and based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim Airfield and preparing for deployment to Mediterranean theater. At the time, 4. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Walther Dahl while II. Gruppe was headed by Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Krahl. In early January 1942, II. Gruppe received orders to relocate to Sicily where the II. Fliegerkorps (2nd Air Corps) concentrated forces during the Siege of Malta. On 18 January, the first aircraft from