Vinke was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He and his crew were shot down and killed in action on 26 February 1944, while on a search and rescue mission over the English Channel. He shot down 54 enemy aircraft, all at night. Vinke was the eighteenth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.
Vinke was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He and his crew were shot down and killed in action on 26 February 1944, while on a search and rescue mission over the English Channel. He shot down 54 enemy aircraft, all at night. Vinke was the eighteenth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.
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