Global InformationErich Hartmann information
Erich Hartmann | |
|---|---|
 Hartmann as a Luftwaffe Leutnant (1942–1944). | |
| Native name | Erich Alfred Hartmann |
| Nickname(s) | Bubi ("The Kid") Der Schwarze Teufel ("The Black Devil")[1] |
| Born | 19 April 1922 Weissach, Württemberg, Weimar Republic |
| Died | 20 September 1993 (aged 71) Weil im Schönbuch, Germany |
| Buried | New Cemetery, Weil im Schönbuch |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany (1940–45) West Germany (1956–70) |
| Service/ |  Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) German Air Force (Bundeswehr) |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 1956–1970 |
| Rank | Major (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr) |
| Unit | JG 52, JG 53 and JG 71 |
| Commands held | I./JG 52 and JG 71 |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds[2] |
| Other work | Civilian flight instructor |
Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare.[1] He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial combat on 825 separate occasions.[3] He was credited with shooting down a total of 352 Allied aircraft: 345 Soviet and 7 American while serving with the Luftwaffe. During his career, Hartmann was forced to crash-land his fighter 16 times after either mechanical failure or damage received from parts of enemy aircraft he had shot down; he was never shot down by direct enemy action.[3]
Hartmann, a pre-war glider pilot, joined the Luftwaffe in 1940 and completed his fighter pilot training in 1942. He was posted to the veteran Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on the Eastern Front and placed under the supervision of some of the Luftwaffe's most experienced fighter pilots. Under their guidance, Hartmann steadily developed his tactics.
On 29 October 1943, Hartmann was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for destroying 148 enemy aircraft and the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for destroying 202 enemy aircraft on 2 March 1944. Exactly four months later, he received the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves for shooting down 268 enemy aircraft. Ultimately, Hartmann earned the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on 25 August 1944 for 301 aerial victories. At the time of its presentation to Hartmann, this was Germany's highest military decoration.[Note 1]
Hartmann achieved his 352nd and last aerial victory at midday on 8 May 1945, hours before the German surrender. Along with the remainder of JG 52, he surrendered to United States Army forces and was turned over to the Red Army. In an attempt to pressure him into service with the Soviet-aligned East German National People's Army, he was tried on war crimes charges and convicted. Hartmann was initially sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, later increased to 25 years, and spent 10 years in Soviet prison camps and gulags until he was released in 1955. In 1997, the Russian Federation posthumously cleared him of all charges.
In 1956, Hartmann joined the newly established West German Air Force in the Bundeswehr, and became the first Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen". He was forced into retirement in 1970 for his opposition to the procurement of the F-104 Starfighter over safety concerns. In his later years, after his military career had ended, he became a civilian flight instructor. Hartmann died on 20 September 1993 at age 71.
- ^ a b Zabecki 2014, p. 586.
- ^ Fraschka 2002, p. 326.
- ^ a b Reynolds 1982, p. 132.
- ^ Williamson & Bujeiro 2004, pp. 3, 7.
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