Friedrich Haas
Friedrich Haas | |
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Born | Dillenburg/Hesse, Germany | 20 January 1924
Died | 9 April 1945 Vienna, Austria | (aged 21)
Buried | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ‹See Tfd›![]() |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Rank | Leutnant (second lieutenant) |
Unit | JG 52 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards |
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Friedrich Haas (20 January 1924 – 9 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace from Dillenburg/Hesse, Germany and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Friedrich Haas was credited with 74 aerial victories all over the Eastern Front (World War II). Haas was shot down and killed in 1945 over Vienna, Austria.
Career
[edit]Haas was posted to 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in late 1943.[1] He flew on 385 combat missions,[2] scoring 74 kills over the subsequent year and a half.[3] Haas' squadron was often outnumbered and short on fuel at this late stage of the war.[4]
On 10 July, Haas made an emergency landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 163574—factory number) west of Stryi and sustained injuries.[5]
Squadron leader and death
[edit]On 1 February 1945, Haas succeeded Hauptmann Erich Hartmann as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 52. On 1 March, this Staffel was renamed and became the 5. Staffel of JG 52. At the same time, the former 5. Staffel was also renamed and became the 6. Staffel.[6][7] At the time, II. Gruppe was based at Veszprém in Hungary.[8]
Haas was shot down over Vienna on 9 April 1945 and, though he managed to bail out from his Bf 109 G at low altitude, he struck the vertical stabilizer and fell to his death.[9] He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) in April.[10][11][12] Haas was succeeded by Leutnant Paul Linxen as commander of 5. Staffel.[6] He is buried in Oberwölbling, Austria.[2]
Summary of career
[edit]Aerial victory claims
[edit]According to Barbas, Obermaier and Spick, Haas was credited with 74 aerial victories claimed in 385 combat missions.[13][14][15] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 50 aerial victory claims recorded on the Eastern Front.[16]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 66671". 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 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[17]
Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Haas an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Barbas, Mathews and Foreman.
| |||||||||
Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[18] Eastern Front — December 1943 | |||||||||
1 | 6 December 1943 | 10:33 | Yak-1 | northwest of Cape Tusla[19] | 2 | 29 December 1943 | 12:35 | P-39 | southeast of Kerch[20] |
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[16] Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944 | |||||||||
3 | 3 January 1944 | 08:26 | P-39 | PQ 66671[21] east of Kerch |
27 | 30 May 1944 | 14:53 | P-39 | vicinity of Huși[22] 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Iași |
4 | 12 January 1944 | 06:55 | P-39 | vicinity of Cape Tarchan[21] Adshim-Uschkai |
28 | 31 May 1944 | 06:41 | Il-2 | PQ 78681[22] 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Iași |
5 | 1 February 1944 | 14:58 | P-39 | vicinity of Cape Khroni[23] vicinity of Cape Khroni |
29 | 31 May 1944 | 06:53 | Il-2 | vicinity of Iași[22] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Iași |
6 | 7 April 1944 | 11:38 | Yak-7 | PQ 37892[24] 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Perekop |
30 | 31 May 1944 | 10:37 | Il-2 | vicinity of Iași[22] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Iași |
7 | 15 April 1944 | 06:41 | Il-2 | PQ 35481[25] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Sevastopol |
31 | 1 June 1944 | 13:36 | P-39 | vicinity of Iași[26] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Iași |
8 | 15 April 1944 | 06:43 | Yak-7 | PQ 35483[25] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Sevastopol |
32 | 2 June 1944 | 08:42 | P-39 | vicinity of Iași[26] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Iași |
9 | 15 April 1944 | 15:20 | Il-2 | PQ 35391[25] Black Sea, southwest of Sevastopol |
33 | 2 June 1944 | 15:41 | Yak-7 | vicinity of Iași[26] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Iași |
10 | 18 April 1944 | 10:38 | Il-2 | PQ 35444[25] vicinity of Sevastopol |
34 | 3 June 1944 | 18:38 | P-39 | vicinity of Cârpiţi[26] 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Iași |
11 | 19 April 1944 | 17:23 | Yak-7 | vicinity of Dzhankoi[25] 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Sevastopol |
35 | 4 June 1944 | 12:41 | Boston | vicinity of Abony[26] |
12 | 27 April 1944 | 17:52 | P-39 | PQ 35483[25] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Sevastopol |
36 | 16 October 1944 | 16:07 | Yak-11 | PQ 18891[27] 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Oradea |
13 | 4 May 1944 | 07:45 | Yak-7 | PQ 35363[28] Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Sevastopol |
37 | 18 October 1944 | 12:03 | Yak-11 | PQ 18814[27] 35 km (22 mi) south of Debrecen |
14 | 4 May 1944 | 07:48 | Yak-9 | vicinity of Belbek[28] Black Sea, 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Sevastopol |
38 | 19 October 1944 | 10:21 | La-5 | PQ 18444[29] 15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Debrecen |
15 | 6 May 1944 | 13:22 | Il-2 | vicinity of Belbek[28] vicinity of Sevastopol |
39 | 30 October 1944 | 14:09 | La-5 | PQ 08765[29] 20 km (12 mi) east of Szolnok |
16 | 6 May 1944 | 13:25 | Yak-7 | vicinity of Dzhankoi[28] 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Sevastopol |
40 | 1 November 1944 | 10:21 | Yak-9 | PQ 97263[29] east of Kecskemét |
17♠ | 7 May 1944 | 09:32 | Yak-7 | vicinity of Balaklava[28] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
41 | 23 November 1944 | 08:38 | Yak-9 | PQ 98436[30] vicinity of Atkár |
18♠ | 7 May 1944 | 09:36 | Il-2 | vicinity of Balaklava[28] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
42 | 23 November 1944 | 11:46 | Il-2 | PQ 8174[30] 30 km (19 mi) south-southeast of Miskolc |
19♠ | 7 May 1944 | 09:37?[Note 1] | Il-2 | PQ 35471[28] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
43 | 5 December 1944 | 08:57 | Yak-9 | PQ 98445[30] west of Tura |
20♠ | 7 May 1944 | 15:14 | Yak-7 | PQ 35612[28] Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
44 | 5 December 1944 | 09:00 | Il-2 | PQ 98454[30] 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Gyöngyös |
21♠ | 7 May 1944 | 15:20 | P-40 | PQ 35453[22] 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Sevastopol |
45 | 11 December 1944 | 09:58 | Yak-9 | PQ 98354[30] |
22 | 8 May 1944 | 10:46 | Yak-7 | vicinity of Balaklava[22] Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
46 | 11 December 1944 | 10:03 | Yak-9 | PQ 98355[30] 30 km (19 mi) north-northeast of Budapest |
23 | 8 May 1944 | 10:55 | Yak-7 | PQ 35392[22] Black Sea, southwest of Sevastopol |
47 | 20 December 1944 | 09:08 | Yak-9 | PQ 88848[30] vicinity of Seregélyes |
24 | 9 May 1944 | 11:33 | Yak-7 | PQ 35471[22] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
48 | 20 December 1944 | 09:11 | Yak-9 | PQ 87211[30] 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Dunaújváros |
25 | 9 May 1944 | 14:12 | Yak-7 | vicinity of Balaklava[22] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sevastopol |
49 | 21 December 1944 | 13:14 | Yak-9 | PQ 88844[30] vicinity of Seregélyes |
26 | 29 May 1944 | 08:43 | Pe-2 | PQ 87254[22] 15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Kishinev |
50 | 21 December 1944 | 13:14 | Yak-9 | PQ 88844[30] vicinity of Seregélyes |
Awards
[edit]- German Cross in Gold on 26 July 1944 as Unteroffizier in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52[31]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 April 1945 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52[32][33]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Weal 2007, p. 84.
- ^ a b deZeng IV, Henry L.; Stankey, Douglas G. "Career Summaries - Luftwaffe Officers 1935 - 1945" (PDF). ww2.dk. Michael Holm. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ Jacobs, Peter (2014). Aces of the Luftwaffe: The Jagdflieger in the Second World War. United Kingdom: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1848326897. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ Spick, Mike (24 March 2006). Aces of the Reich: The Making of a Luftwaffe Pilot. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1853676758. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ Barbas 2005, p. 321.
- ^ a b Barbas 2005, p. 286.
- ^ Weal 2007, p. 85.
- ^ Barbas 2005, pp. 194–195.
- ^ Barbas 2005, pp. 199, 325.
- ^ Schreier 1990, p. 183.
- ^ Mitcham 2021, p. 122.
- ^ Weal 2004, p. 118.
- ^ Barbas 2005, p. 200.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 124.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 237.
- ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 446–447.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 446.
- ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 394.
- ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 395.
- ^ a b Barbas 2005, p. 358.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barbas 2005, p. 366.
- ^ Barbas 2005, p. 359.
- ^ Barbas 2005, p. 362.
- ^ a b c d e f Barbas 2005, p. 364.
- ^ a b c d e Barbas 2005, p. 367.
- ^ a b Barbas 2005, p. 368.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Barbas 2005, p. 365.
- ^ a b c Barbas 2005, p. 369.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barbas 2005, p. 370.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 156.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 357.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 208.
Bibliography
[edit]- Barbas, Bernd (2005). Die Geschichte der II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of 2nd Group of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). ISBN 978-3-923457-71-7.
- Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (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.
- Mathews, 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.
- Mitcham, Samuel W. Jr. (2021). The Death of Hitler's War Machine. Manhattan, New York City: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-68451-138-9. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- 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.
- Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-05-5.
- 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.
- Schreier, Hans (1990). JG 52 Das erfolgreichste Jagdgeschwader des 2. Weltkriegs [JG 52 The Most Successful Fighter Wing of World War II] (in German). Berg am See: K. Vowinckel. ISBN 978-3-921655-66-5.
- Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
- Weal, John (2004). Jagdgeschwader 52: The Experten. Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 15. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-786-4.
- Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 76. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
- 1924 births
- 1945 deaths
- Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II
- German World War II flying aces
- Luftwaffe pilots
- Recipients of the Gold German Cross
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- World War II prisoners of war held by the Soviet Union
- Military personnel from Hesse
- Aviators killed by being shot down