World War II Robert-Ludwig Becker (22 August 1911 – 26 February 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 44 aerial victories claimed in 165 combat missions, making him one of the more successful nocturnal fighter pilots in the Luftwaffe.

[Note 1] All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command.

In August 1939, he was again drafted into service and with Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG 26–26th Destroyer Wing), flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter during the Battle of France.

That day, he was killed in action on a daytime intercept mission against the United States Army Air Forces over the North Sea.

[Note 2] He graduated from a humanities-oriented Gymnasium in Dortmund, a secondary school, with his diploma (Abitur) at Easter 1930.

[Note 3] Becker also received training in instrument flight and handling an aircraft in adverse weather conditions.

Following further training at the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (German Institute for Glider Research), Becker was made the head flight instructor for gliding and an official expert witness.

On 25 August 1939, Becker was officially called into military service of the Luftwaffe, joining I. Gruppe (1st group) of Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG 26–26th Destroyer Wing) based in Dortmund.

[4] World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland.

[4] Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, RAF attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.

It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter.

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

(J) Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1–1st Night Fighter Wing), initially based at Düsseldorf and Gütersloh, and then to Arnhem-Deelen airfield where he was appointed technical officer.

The mission resulted in the loss of the aircraft near Winterswijk, while he and his radio operator managed to save themselves with the parachute.

It was also the first ground radar-controlled "Dunkle Nachtjagd" (DuNaJa—dark night fighting, without search lights) victory of the war.

[8][9] Becker and Staub were vectored to the target by Leutnant Hermann Diehl, a Luftwaffe communication officer who had begun experimenting with a Freya radar on Wangerooge in 1939.

[10] On 1 November 1940, Becker was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) of the Reserves and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1.

He was then transferred to the Erprobungsstelle für Nachtjagdverfahren, the testing ground for night fighting tactics at Werneuchen on 5 April 1941.

[13] Flying Dornier Do 215 B-5 "G9+OM" equipped with the FuG 202 Lichtenstein B/C radar, they tracked and claimed another Wellington bomber shot down.

On 12 August 1941, he, Staub and Wilhelm Gänsler in the air gunner position, intercepted and shot down the Avro Manchester bomber L7381 EM-R from No.

The Manchester was on a mission to Berlin and was the second airborne radar assisted aerial victory recorded.

In his recommendation, Lent emphasized Becker's contribution in the development of night fighter equipment and tactics as well as his strong philosophical roots in National Socialism.

The recommendation was seconded by Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Wilhelm von Friedberg, acting on behalf of the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander), and finally approved by Generalleutnant (lit.

[27] After he received this information, he and his radio operator Oberfeldwebel Staub took off in Bf 110 G-4 (Werknummer 4864—factory number) on a daylight intercept mission over the North Sea against the United States Army Air Forces bombers attacking Wilhelmshaven.