Hans Waldmann (fighter pilot)

Hans Dackel Waldmann (born 24 September 1922 in Braunschweig, killed in flying accident 18 March 1945 near Schwarzenbek, Holstein) was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

World War II

Hans Waldmann voluntarily joined the Luftwaffe in 1940. On 21 August 1942 Unteroffizier Waldmann was assigned to the 6./JG 52 on the Eastern front.

On 9 September 1942 Waldmann scored his first aerial victory, and thereafter managed to score rapidly. After 84 victories on 1 September 1943, Waldmann was promoted to Leutnant and assigned to ErgGr. Ost. Here he shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress.

He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after his 85th aerial victory. In late February 1944 he took command of 4./JG 52 as its Staffelkapitän. He was able to continue his success and claimed victories 98 to 125 by 31 May 1944.

In June 1944 his entire staffel was reassigned to 8./JG 3, now fighting against the Allied invasion forces. In August he shot down 7 enemy planes, including one B-24 and five P-47 Thunderbolts. In December 1944 he converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262. He was then transferred to 3./JG 7, flying now the ’’Stormbird’’. On 22 February 1945 he shot down two P-51 Mustangs.

Climbing in dense fog on 18 March 1945, he collided with his wingman, Leutnant Hans-Dieter Weihs, and crashed near Schwarzenbek south of Hamburg. He was killed in his Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1 "Yellow 3" (Wk. no. 170097). Waldmann...
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