His 47 nocturnal claims made him the twentyfourth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.

[1] All of his victories were claimed in Defense of the Reich missions, the majority at night against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command and three daytime claims, one over a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and two Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft.

Following the rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lütje joined the German Air Force in July 1957.

Lütje was born on 30 January 1918 in Abbesbüttel, at the time in the Province of Hanover, as part of the German Empire.

After graduation from school, Lütje joined the Luftwaffe on 1 November 1937 as a Fahnenjunker (cadet) and attended the Luftkriegsschule 2 in Berlin-Gatow.

[3] World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland.

[4] The Staffel then moved to Köln-Ostheim airfield, flying night-fighter missions during the Battle of France.

[2] Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.

Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers.

[10] Lütje claimed a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber shot down during a day time mission against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 4 March 1943.

In September 1943 he flew a number of combat missions out of the Netherlands claiming four aerial victories.

Fighting the Fifteenth Air Force he shot down two P-38 Lightnings—one of them by his radio operator with the MG 81Z—on 10 June 1944.

He and his wireless radio operator Oberfeldwebel (Sergeant) August Bogumil were wounded and had to make a forced landing.

Over Romania, Lütje was credited with six Vickers Wellington bombers and one Soviet Ilyushin Il-4 aircraft over the Black Sea during nocturnal combat missions.

Lütje was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of NJG 6 on 13 September 1944, succeeding Major Heinrich Griese.

[2] Following the Wiederbewaffnung (rearmament) of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lütje joined the German Air Force in July 1957.

[2] According Spick, Lütje was credited with 53 aerial victories, including two by day and 51 by night, claimed in approximately 150 combat missions.