Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was born on the 16 February 1922 at Stuttgart. He learned to fly on gliders as a member of a Nationalpolitische Lehranstalt at Potsdam in 1939. Schnaufer entered the Luftwaffe as a trainee officer-pilot on 15 November 1939. Following basic military training at Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 42 at Salzwedel, he underwent flying training at Flugzeugfuhrerschule A/B 3 at Guben. On 1 April 1941, Schnaufer was promoted to the rank of Leutnant while undergoing multi-engine flying training at Flugzeugfuhrerschule C at Alt-Lonnewitz. There followed eight weeks at Blindflugschule at Schwabisch Hall and 10 weeks at the Zerstörer-Schule at Wunstorf. Finally, Schnaufer was posted to the Nachtjagdschule 1, based at Schleissheim to learn the rudiments of the night-fighting art. In early November 1941, Schnaufer was posted to II./NJG 1, based at Stade near Hamburg. Leutnant Schnaufer was assigned to 5./NJG 1. On 15 January 1942, II./NJG 1 transferred to Saint-Trond in Belgium.

He recorded his 30th victory on the night of 8/9 October. Oberleutnant Schnaufer was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 42 victories on 31 December. He recorded his 50th victory, and IV./NJG 1’s 500th victory, on the night of 24/25 February 1944. Oblt. Heinz-W. Schnaufer Staffelkapitan of 12./NJG 1 is showing his 47th victory bar on the rudder of his Bf 110 G, at St. Trond in February 1944. On 1 March 1944, Schnaufer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 1, based at Leeuwarden in Holland. He shot down five enemy aircraft on the night of 24/25 May to record his 70th through 74th victories.Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer on 17 June, he shot down two RAF four-engine bombers to record his 79th and 80th victories. Schnaufer claimed four further RAF four-engine bombers shot down on the night of 21/22 June (81-84). Hauptmann Schnaufer was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 507) on 24 June for 84 victories.He was awarded the Schwertern (Nr 84) on 30 July, with his victory total at 89.

In September 1944, IV./NJG 1 retreated back into Germany, being stationed temporarily at Dusseldorf and Dortmund. Schnaufer achieved his 100th victory on 9 October 1944. He was awarded the Brillanten by Adolf Hitler on 16 October. Schnaufer, still only 22 years old, was appointed Kommodore of NJG 4, based at Gutersloh, on 4 November 1944. At the end of the year, his victory total stood at 106. In December, he was promoted to the rank of Major. Schnaufer's greatest one-off success came on 21 February 1945, when he shot down nine RAF four-engine bombers in the course of one day: two in the early hours of the morning (108-109) and a further seven, in 19 minutes, in the evening (110-116). Post-war research suggests that, in fact, his total that day was 10, one claim not having been acknowledged.

Hauptmann Schnaufer was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 507) on 24 June for 84 victories.The lorry had failed to observe right of way and entered the main road illegally. Heavy gas cylinders from the lorry fell on to Schnaufer's car, at least one of them hitting Schnaufer on the head. He died in hospital on 15 July 1950, two days after the accident. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was the top-scoring Nachtjager of World War 2. He was credited with 121 victories recorded in 164 combat missions. His victory total includes 114 four-engine bombers.

Victories: 121 Awards : Ehrenpokal (26 July 1943) / Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (16 August 1943) / Ritterkreuz (31 December 1943) Eichenlaub (24 June 1944) / Schwertern (30 July 1944) / Brillanten (16 October 1944) / Units : NJG 1, NJG 4.