Ritterkreuzträger of Kampfflieger (Bomber Pilots)

During World War II, the Luftwaffe bomber pilots, operating primarily under the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe with units such as Kampfgeschwader, flew devastating missions in aircraft like the Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, and later the Heinkel He 177, employing tactics ranging from level bombing with high-altitude precision strikes to low-level terror raids and carpet bombing, enduring intense anti-aircraft flak and fighter interception while navigating extreme risks from enemy defenses, mechanical failures, and harsh operational conditions, often sustaining high casualty rates as the Luftwaffe's strategic bombing campaign sought to cripple enemy production and morale in support of broader Nazi objectives.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER

Generalleutnant Martin Harlinghausen (1902-1986), a Luftwaffe officer and the first Kampfflieger of the Luftwaffe to receive the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, was awarded it on 4 May 1940 while serving as Chef des Stabes of the X. Fliegerkorps, Luftwaffe, for his outstanding achievements as a staff officer and bomber pilot against shipping during the Norwegian Campaign, in which he personally sank 20 steamers with over 100,000 gross register tons. He subsequently received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 January 1941, again as Chef des Stabes of the X. Fliegerkorps, Luftwaffe, for continuing his record of destroying merchant vessels using the innovative tactic of attacking enemy ships broadside with bombs.

Source :
https://aerocorner.com/blog/german-bombers-ww2/