| Johannes Trautloft | |
|---|---|
| 3 March 1912 — 11 January 1995 (aged 82) | |
 Hannes Trautloft |
|
| Place of birth | Groß-Obringen |
| Place of death | Bad Wiessee |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1932-1945(Luftwaffe), 1957-1970(Bundesluftwaffe) |
| Rank | Generalleutnant |
| Unit | JG 77, JG 51, JG 54 |
| Commands held | III. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Bad Wiessee is a Spa town on Lake Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77 Herz As {Ace of Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54 Grünherz (Green Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. /JG 51, JG 54 Grünherz |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War World War II |
| Awards | Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern Deutsches Kreuz im Gold Ritterkreuz |
Johannes "Hannes" Trautloft (3 March 1912 - 11 January 1995) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1932 until the end of the war and again from 1957-1970. Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54 Grünherz (Green Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and The Spanish Cross ( German: Spanienkreuz) was an award of Germany given by Adolf Hitler to Germans who participated in the Spanish Civil The German Cross (Deutsches Kreuz was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 16 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy Aircraft during aerial combat ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. He flew 560 combat sorties and was credited with 58 victories. He was regarded as a very competent leader, and much respected from those serving beneath him. He also was known as the father of JG 54. Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54 Grünherz (Green Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. [1]
Contents |
Early life and service in Spain
Hannes Trautloft was born in Groß-Obringen near Weimar in Thüringen. Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald,
On 7 April 1931, he began his pilot training at the Deutsche Verkehrfliegerschule (German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Schleißheim is a municipality in the district Wels-Land in the Austrian state of Oberösterreich. The course he and 29 other trainees attended was called Kameradschaft 31, abbreviated "K 31". Among the members of K 31 were men like Wolfgang Falck and Günther Lützow. Günther Lützow ( 4 September 1912 - 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe Fighter ace and a leader in the Trautloft graduated from the Deutsche Verkehrfliegerschule 19 February 1932. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. From K 31 Trautloft and 9 others were recommended for Sonderausbildung (special training). These 10 men were the privileged few and were allowed to attend fighter pilot training. [2] During this training, he spent four months in the Soviet Union, at the secret training facility Lipetsk. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Lipetsk (Ли́пецк is a city located in the Central Federal District of Russia. [3] Upon returning to Germany Trautloft was promoted to Leutnant. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Trautloft was one of six pilots sent aboard the Ursaramo to Cadiz to secretly aid General Franco. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of Cádiz ( Spanish:) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of the same name, a province which is one of eight Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid With them, the pilots had six crated Heinkel He 51 biplane fighters. The Heinkel He 51 was a German single-seat Biplane which was produced in a number of different versions [1]
The men and machines arrived in Spain on 7 August 1936. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Originally, they were intended to act as instructors, but the Spanish pilots struggled with learning to fly the He-51, so the German pilots soon took up combat duties. On 25 August Trautloft scored his first victory, shooting down a Republican Breguet XIX light bomber. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Five days later, shortly after scoring his second victory (a Potez 54), Trautloft was himself shot down, crash-landing in his aircraft coded 2-4. This was the first Luftwaffe pilot to be shot down in Spain. Trautloft escaped capture, however, and continued flying combat missions.
As the war dragged on, the Soviets sent better planes to aid the Republicans. The Second Spanish Republic was the system of government in Spain between April 14 1931, when King Alfonso XIII left the country Among these were the agile Polikarpov I-15 and Polikarpov I-16 fighters. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The He-51 proved no match for these new aircraft, and after pressure from the German pilots, four of the new prototype Bf-109V3 were dispatched to the theater. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Trautloft flew one of these new fighters, and scored a further three victories in Spain. Trautloft had the green heart symbolizing Thüringen painted on his plane. This symbol would later be the symbol of JG 54 once he assumed command. Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54 Grünherz (Green Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War.
World War II
Following his service in Spain, Trautloft held various Staffelkapitän positions, and at the outbreak of World War 2 on 1 September 1939 he was the commander of 2. Staffelkapitän is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank that is the equivalent of Royal Air Force / US Air Force Squadron Leader. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. /JG 77. Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77 Herz As {Ace of Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. [4] He commanded this squadron during the Invasion of Poland, in which he got one victory. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied Trautloft was promoted to Hauptmann and appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I. Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as Captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe ( German air force position that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air /JG 20 on 19 September. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I.
Trautloft got a further two victories during the Battle of France in May 1940. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On 4 July I. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples /JG 20 was redesignated III. /JG 51. Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders During the Battle of Britain Trautloft got a further two victories with JG 51, bringing his total to 10. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and In late August it was becoming apparent to the German High Command that the battle of Britain was not going as planned. A frustrated Göring relieved several Geschwaderkommodoren of their commands, and appointed younger, more aggressive men in their place. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Geschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position (not rank that is the equivalent of a Royal Air Force Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander [5] Adolf Galland was given command of JG 26 on 22 August, and Trautloft was given command of JG 54 on 25 August and promoted to Major. Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland ( 19 March 1912 9 February 1996) was a World War II German fighter Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter - wing of World War II. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54 Grünherz (Green Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country Trautloft flew over 120 combat sorties over the English Channel with JG 54, and the Geschwader earned a positive reputation among the German bomber crews. [1] During this period Trautloft scored three more victories, bringing his total to 13.
In 1941 the Geschwader saw action in the East. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. First JG 54 took part in the Balkans Campaign, then Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June. The Balkans Campaign was the Axis Powers ' invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. On 27 June Trautloft was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 20 confirmed victories and outstanding leadership. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia [1] On 4 December Trautloft ordered that all the aircraft of JG 54 would wear the Green Heart symbol of Thüringen that he himself had on his aircraft in Spain. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. From this date forth JG 54 became known as the Grünherz-Geschwader.
During 1942 and 1943 Trautloft proved a popular leader, and his tally rose to 58. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [6] On 6 July 1943 Trautloft was appointed as Jagdflieger Inspizient Ost, serving with the General der Jagdflieger office. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Inspector of Fighters ( German language: Inspekteur der Jagdflieger redesignated to General der Jagdflieger) was not a rank but a leading position within This position put him in overall charge as Inspector of all the Fighter aircraft units fighting on the Eastern Front. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign In November he became Inspekteur der Tagjäger, giving him overall responsibilities for all day-fighters.
In early 1945 Trautloft joined other high-ranking pilots in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt", protesting the squandering of the precious Luftwaffe fighters and pilots in high-loss operations like Operation Bodenplatte. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The Fighter Pilots Conspiracy Legend refers to the poorly documented verbal rebellion of the leading officers of the Luftwaffe against the incompetence of the Unternehmen Bodenplatte (German "Operation Baseplate" or "Operation Ground Plate" launched on January 1 1945, was an attempt by the Following this revolt Trautloft was relieved of his position and sent to command the 4 Flieger-Schule Division (4th Pilot School Division) in Strassburg. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région He spent the remainder of the war there. Trautloft ended the war as an Oberst.
After World War II
After the war Trautloft joined the new Bundesluftwaffe on 1 October 1957, now with the rank of Brigadegeneral. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank He served throughout the 1960s as Inspector General of the Bundesluftwaffe, and retired in 1970 as a Generalleutnant. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank He was an active member of many veteran organizations until his death on 11 January 1995 at Bad Wiessee. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Bad Wiessee is a Spa town on Lake Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany.
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d Jg54greenhearts.com
- ^ Kurt Braatz, pages 28-51
- ^ Luftwaffe.cz
- ^ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
- ^ Deighton, Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain, p. The following is a list of Flying aces of the Spanish Civil War. 182
- ^ His victories are listed in detail at Luftwaffe.cz.
- Bibliography
- Len Deighton (1977). Leonard Cyril Deighton (born February 18, 1929, Marylebone, London) is a British Historian, Cookery expert Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain, Pimlico. Fighter The True Story of the Battle of Britain (ISBN 1845951069 is a Second World War Military history book by English author Len Deighton (ISBN 0-7126-7423-3)
- Kurt Braatz (2005), Gott oder ein Flugzeug - Leben und Sterben des Jagdfliegers Günther Lützow. NeunundzwanzigSechs Verlag. ISBN 3-9807935-6-7
- External links
- Luftwaffe.cz bio of Hannes Trautloft
- JG54greenhearts.com bio of Hannes Trautloft
- Hannes Trautloft @ YouTube
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Major Martin Mettig |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz August 25, 1940 – July 5, 1943 |
Succeeded by Major Hubertus von Bonin |
| Preceded by Oberst Günther Lützow |
Commander of 4. Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54 Grünherz (Green Hearts was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hubertus von Bonin (born 3 August 1911 in Potsdam, killed in action 15 December 1943 near Gorodok) was a German Günther Lützow ( 4 September 1912 - 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe Fighter ace and a leader in the Fliegerschul-Division November 10, 1944 – May 8, 1945 |
Succeeded by none |
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