Horst Hannig

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Horst Hannig
File:Horst Hannig.jpg
Born13 November 1921
Frankenstein, Lower Silesia, Poland
Died15 May 1943(1943-05-15) (aged 21)
near Rocquancourt, Normandy, German-occupied France
Buried
Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux German war cemetery, Lisieux, Normandy
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–1943
RankOberleutnant (posthumously)
UnitJG 54, JG 2 "Richthofen"
Commands held5./JG 54, 2./JG 2
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Horst Hannig (13 November 1921 – 15 May 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] Hannig is credited with 98 aerial victories claimed in over 350 combat missions. He was killed in action following combat with Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires on 15 May 1943.

Early life and career

Hannig was born on 13 November 1921 in Frankenstein, present-day Ząbkowice Śląskie, at the time in Lower Silesia. He was the son of a secretary of justice (Justizsekretär). After he graduated with his Abitur (diploma), Hannig joined the military service in the Luftwaffe as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet) in October 1939.[2] Hannig had a brother Walter who received the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 28 April 1943 as an observer with Aufklärungsgruppe (reconnaissance group) 4.(F)/14 of the Luftwaffe.[3]

Following flight training, he was posted to the 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz" (JG 54—54th fighter wing) in early 1941.[4] At the time, 6. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Franz Eckerle while II. Gruppe (2nd group), to which the Staffel was subordinated, was headed by Hauptmann Dietrich Hrabak.[5]

World War II

The German invasion of Poland had begun on 1 September 1939, and marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. In April 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 54 had fought in the invasion of Yugoslavia. Following the surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April 1941, while stationed at an airfield at Zemun near Belgrade, the Geschwader received orders on 3 May 1941 to turn over all Bf 109-Es so they could receive the new Bf 109-F variant. Transition training was completed at Airfield Stolp-Reitz in Pomerania. Following intensive training, the Geschwader was moved to airfields in Eastern Prussia.[6]

Hannig claimed his first aerial victory, a Tupolev SB-2, on the first day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941.[7] He achieved his first 30 victories up to November 1941. On 9 May 1942, Leutnant (second Lieutenant) Hannig was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) having flown over 200 operations and claiming 48 victories. He and Leutnant Hans Beißwenger received the Knight's Cross from General der Flieger Helmuth Förster at Siverskaya. On 21 July 1942 he claimed his 54th victory, a Petlyakov Pe-2 reconnaissance aircraft, near Lake Ilmen. It was JG 54 2,500th aerial victory.[8] On 7 October, Hauptmann Joachim Wandel, the commander of 5. Staffel was killed in action. In consequence, Hannig succeeded Wandel as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel the following day.[9]

Western Front and death

Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-4 of I./JG 2, flown by Leutnant Hannig, early 1943

On 27 January 1943, Hannig was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd fighter fing) based in France. He replaced Oberleutnant Christian Eickhoff who had been killed in action the day before. The Staffel was subordinated to I. Gruppe of JG 2 headed by Major Helmut-Felix Bolz.[10] While serving with 2. Staffel of JG 2, he claimed further eight aerial victories, including one four-engine United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber. On 16 February, the USAAF VIII Bomber Command attacked Saint-Nazaire. I. Gruppe claimed the destruction of five Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, including one shot down by Hannig northeast of Lannion. On 28 March, bombers of VIII Bomber Command escorted by Supermarine Spitfire fighters headed for Rouen. I. Gruppe claimed six aerial victories, including a Spitfire claimed by Hannig northwest of Fécamp. VIII Bomber Command targeted Antwerp on 4 April. Fighting this attack force, Hannig was credited with the destruction of a Spitfire shot down northeast of Cherbourg.[11] On 13 April, he claimed two further Spitfires shotdown southwest of Caen. Two days later he claimed a Hawker Typhoon fighter north-northwest of Goderville and another Spitfire on 16 April north-northwest of Saint-Valery-en-Caux.[12]

His grave at the Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux German war cemetery.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) targeted the Caen-Carpiquet Airdrome on 15 May 1943. Defending against this attack, elements of I. Gruppe intercepted the RAF fighters and claimed four aerial victories, two of which were not confirmed. Hannig was credited with the destruction of a Spitfire shot down east of Troarn, his 98th aerial victory.[13] In this engagement JG 3 lost four aircraft with three pilots killed in action, including Hannig.[14] He was shot down in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 0734—factory number) near the airfield at Rocquancourt.[15] His victor was Squadron Leader J. Charles leading Yellow Section of No. 611 Squadron. He had managed to bail out but his parachute failed to open.[16] Hannig was posthumously awarded the 364th Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 3 January 1944 and posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant (first Lieutenant). He was interred at the Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux German war cemetery.[17] He was succeeded by Oberleutnant Karl Haberland as commander of 2. Staffel.[10]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier and Spick, Hannig was credited with 98 aerial victories, 90 on the Eastern Front and 8 on the Western Front, claimed in over 350 combat missions.[4][18] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 97 aerial victory claims. This number includes 90 on the Eastern Front and 7 on the Western Front, including one four-engined bomber.[19]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 54251". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.[20]

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 10:05.[44]
  2. ^ This claim is not listed by Matthews and Foreman.[49]
  3. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54.[53]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  2. ^ Stockert 2013, p. 275.
  3. ^ a b Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 164.
  4. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 60.
  5. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 243.
  6. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 212.
  7. ^ Weal 2007, pp. 7–8.
  8. ^ Bergström et al. 2006, p. 100.
  9. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 140.
  10. ^ a b Prien et al. 2010, p. 438.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2010, pp. 432, 443.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2010, p. 443.
  13. ^ Prien et al. 2010, pp. 433, 443.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2010, p. 433.
  15. ^ Prien et al. 2010, p. 447.
  16. ^ Weal 2000, p. 100.
  17. ^ Stockert 2013, p. 276.
  18. ^ Spick 1996, p. 233.
  19. ^ Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 478–480.
  20. ^ Planquadrat.
  21. ^ Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 478.
  22. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 228.
  23. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003b, p. 235.
  24. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003b, p. 229.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2003b, p. 237.
  26. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003b, p. 231.
  27. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003b, p. 233.
  28. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 234.
  29. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 238.
  30. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 239.
  31. ^ Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 478–479.
  32. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2005, p. 220.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2005, p. 224.
  34. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2005, p. 222.
  35. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 223.
  36. ^ Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 479–480.
  37. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 144.
  38. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2006, p. 150.
  39. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 145.
  40. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 146.
  41. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 151.
  42. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2006, p. 147.
  43. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 152.
  44. ^ Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 479.
  45. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2006, p. 154.
  46. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2006, p. 148.
  47. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2006, p. 155.
  48. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 149.
  49. ^ a b Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 480.
  50. ^ a b Thomas 1997, p. 242.
  51. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 94.
  52. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 213.
  53. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 365.
  54. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 76.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  • Bergström, Christer; Dikov, Andrey; Antipov, Vlad; Sundin, Claes (2006). Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume 3, Everything for Stalingrad. Hamilton MT: Eagle Editions. ISBN 978-0-9761034-4-8.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Matthews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1942 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-68-7.
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