Gerhard Hoffmann (pilot)

Gerhard Hoffmann (6 November 1919 – 17 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II credited with 130 shootdowns. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes).

Gerhard Hoffmann
Nickname(s)Fakken
Born(1919-11-06)6 November 1919
Nieden, Eastern Prussia
Died17 April 1945(1945-04-17) (aged 25)
near Breslau
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
RankLeutnant
UnitJG 52
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Unteroffizier Hoffmann was transferred to the 4./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) in June 1942 on the Eastern Front. After claiming multiple aerial victories throughout April and May 1943 over the Kuban bridgehead he claimed his 42nd shootdown on 30 May 1943. He was wounded on 25 September 1943 but later claimed his 100th shootdown on 16 March 1944 over Crimea, making him the 65th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[1]

His victory tally stood at 125 when he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 May 1944. He was transferred to the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe West at the end of April 1944 as a fighter pilot instructor and promoted to Leutnant. On 26. June 1944 his plane (Meserschmidt BF 109) crashed not far from Nitra, Slovakia. He was on his way from Cracau to Malacky - Kuchyňa (Slovakia), but because of the bad weather conditions he had to change his planned route and to land in Nitra where he wanted to refuel his plane. After this crash was his plane destroyed but Hoffmann was only lightly injured. He was put in command of the 4./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1 (EJG 1). He claimed 4 aerial victories in March 1945 at the Oder front with this Staffel and was made Staffelkapitän of the 11./JG 52. He shuttled an aircraft to Breslau on 11 April 1945. On that flight, he crashed his plane and died in the accident. The reasons for this crash remain unknown.[2]

Awards

Notes
  1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52.[5]

References

Citations
  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  2. Obermaier 1989, p. 135.
  3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 190.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 231.
  5. Scherzer 2007, p. 398.

Bibliography
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
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