Horst Hannig

Horst Hannig
Buried	German War Cemetery at St. Desir-de-Lisieux
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Rank	Oberleutnant
Unit	JG 54, JG 2 "Richthofen"
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Horst Hannig (13 November 1921 – 15 May 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Hannig is credited with 98 aerial victories claimed in 350 combat missions.

Horst Hannig was killed in action on 15 May 1943 against the Royal Air Force (RAF) operations that targeted Caen-Carpiquet Airdrome and Poix Airdrome. He was shot down by Squadron Leader J.Charles leading Yellow Section of No. 611 Squadron RAF, thus becoming the 1,000th aerial victory of the Biggin Hill Wing. 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.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class
• German Cross in Gold on 24 November 1941 as Leutnant in the II./JG 54
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 9 May 1942 as Leutnant and pilot of the 5./JG 54
  • 364th Oak Leaves on 3 January 1944 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 2./JG 2 "Richthofen"

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
• Helden der Wehrmacht III - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2007. ISBN 978-3-924309-82-4.