World War II Manfred Meurer (8 September 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 65 aerial victories claimed in 130 combat missions making him the fifth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.

[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.

Meurer then served with Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76—76th Destroyer Wing), flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter.

The Knight's Cross (German: Ritterkreuz), and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Meurer and his crew were killed in action in a mid-air collision with a RAF bomber on the night of 21/22 January 1944.

He initially served with Flak-Regiment 6 (6th anti aircraft artillery regiment) of the Luftwaffe as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet).

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

Following the outbreak of war, Meurer was accepted for flight training and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 April 1940.

[5] 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.

[7] Meurer was credited with his first aerial victory on 26/27 March 1942, a Vickers Wellington bomber, claimed shot down at 00:10 approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) east of Wichmond.

[12] Meurer became an ace on the night of 10/11 September 1942 after having claimed a Wellington shot down at 00:06 in the vicinity 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) west of Bienen.

Three nights later, he claimed his sixth victory over an Avro Lancaster bomber at 03:26 about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) north of Apeldoorn.

[15] Credited with eight victories, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 19 December 1942.

This series of bombing attacks, dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr (5 March 1943 – 31 July 1943), caused heavy damage to German industry.

[22] On 12/13 March 1943, as RAF Bomber Command targeted the Krupp factory in Essen, Meurer claimed four aerial victories, two Halifax, one Lancaster, and one Wellington.

[32] Flying a specialized Junkers Ju 88 with GM-1 power boost, Meurer was credited with his 50th aerial victory over De Havilland Mosquito IV DZ458 from No.

Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing), replacing Hauptmann Rudolf Schoenert who was transferred.

[36] On the last night of August 1943, he claimed a Stirling bomber destroyed at 01:00 on 1 September in a vicinity 20 kilometres (12 miles) west-northwest of Berlin.

During the Battle of Berlin (18 November 1943 – 31 March 1944), the RAF also targeted other German cities to prevent the concentration of defences.

[46] On the night of 21/22 January 1944, he collided with the Lancaster W4852 LS-B, piloted by Flight Sergeant Robert Butler, roughly 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Magdeburg.

[48] Meurer had been credited with 65 nocturnal victories, including 40 four-engined bombers and two Mosquitos, claimed in 130 combat missions.