Hans Döbrich
Born(1916-03-24)24 March 1916
Sonneberg, Saxe-Meiningen
Died6 April 1984(1984-04-06) (aged 68)
Vienna, Austria
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–1945
RankOberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit6./JG 5
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross
RelationsAlbin Döbrich (father)

Hans Friedrich Döbrich (24 March 1916 – 6 April 1984) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Hans Döbrich was credited with 65 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front.

Career

Döbrich was born on 24 March 1916 in Sonneberg, at the time in Saxe-Meiningen within the German Empire, present-day in Thuringia.[1] He was the fourth and youngest child of the Austrian sculptor Albin Döbrich and his wife Anna, neé Eckl. His he had an older brother Albin, and two older sisters, Josephine and Hertha.[2]

Döbrich, as a member of 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing), participated in battles on the northern flank of the Eastern Front in the Soviet Arctic. On 19 July 1942, he made a forced landing 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Murmashi Russia in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 10169—factory number) "Yellow 9" following aerial combat. Döbrich, who had been injured, walked back to his unit, returning on 26 July.[3]

Wounded in combat to end of war

On 16 July 1943, whilst flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20088), Döebrich was wounded by enemy fighters after downing two aircraft and was forced to bail out 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the Rybachy Peninsula into Petsamo Fjord, Finland.[4] He was rescued by a Kriegsmarine Minenräumboot (minesweeper) and taken ashore and then flown on a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch to a Luftwaffe hospital at Kirkenes. While hospitalized, he was awarded awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 September 1943. The presentation was made at the hospital by Generalmajor Ernst-August Roth, at the time Fliegerführer Nord.[5][6]

In December 1943, Döbrich was released from the Luftwaffe hospital in Kirkenes and spent Christmas with his family. Since he still hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, he spent most of 1944 in the Luftwaffe hospital 4/XVII in Vienna, interrupted by occasional visits to his family. In 1944, Döbrich was promoted to Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 November 1944.[7]

His total victory tally was at least 65 victories achieved in 248 missions, an additional 19 victories were unconfirmed. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Döbrich was credited with 65 aerial victories.[8] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 65 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[9]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 36 Ost 39172". 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.[10]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (exclamation mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mombeek, Mathews, and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 –[9]
Eastern Front and northern Norway, and Finland — 6 December 1941 – 31 December 1942
1 24 April 1942 09:22 Hurricane 1 km (0.62 mi) west of Murmansk[11][12] 23 21 August 1942 15:28 I-180 (Yak-7)[13][14]
2 29 April 1942 12:43 I-153 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Zapadnaya Litsa bight[12][15] 24 21 August 1942 15:33 Yak-1[13][14]
3 18 May 1942
—
 Hurricane 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Murmansk[16][17] 25 25 August 1942 15:27 P-40[14][18]
4 19 May 1942 09:23 Hurricane Murmashi[16][17] 26 2 September 1942 11:20 Yak-1[14][18]
5 19 May 1942 15:59 Hurricane 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Murmashi[16][17] 27 5 September 1942 08:28 P-40[14][18]
6 28 May 1942 12:18 Hurricane 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Kola[16][17] 28 8 September 1942 11:41 I-153[14][18] vicinity of Kola
7 28 May 1942 12:20 Hurricane 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Kola[16][17] 29 8 September 1942 15:01 Hurricane[14][18] vicinity of Kola
8 29 May 1942 23:15 Hurricane southeast of Eyna Guba[16][17] 30 9 September 1942 10:49 Hurricane[14][18] vicinity of Kola
9 30 May 1942 09:18 Hurricane Kola Bay[16][19] 31 9 September 1942 11:01 Hurricane[14][18] vicinity of Kola
10 2 June 1942
—
 Hurricane 35 km (22 mi) west of Murmansk[19][20] 32 15 September 1942 14:20 P-40[18][21]
11 13 June 1942 16:01 Hurricane 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Murmansk[19][20] 33 15 September 1942 14:32?[Note 1] Hurricane[18][21]
12 22 June 1942 22:36 Hurricane 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Kola[22][23] 34 19 September 1942 14:02 Hurricane[21][24]
13 23 June 1942 08:15 Hurricane 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Kola[22][23] 35 19 September 1942 14:05 Hurricane[21][24]
14 23 June 1942 15:33 Hurricane 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Kola[22][23] 36 22 September 1942 15:01?[Note 2] Hurricane[21][24] 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Murmashi
15 24 June 1942 07:00+ Hurricane 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Kola[22][23] 37 27 September 1942 11:44 P-40[21][24]
16 24 June 1942 07:00+ Hurricane 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Kola[22][23] 38 27 September 1942 11:51 P-40[21][24]
17 29 June 1942 10:58 Hurricane 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Shonguy[22][23] 39 27 September 1942 15:57 Yak-1[21][24]
18 30 June 1942 21:00+ P-40 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Pechenga airfield[22][23] 40 30 October 1942 12:15 P-40[24][25]
19 7 July 1942 17:00+ I-180 (Yak-7)[22] 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Kola[23] 41 30 October 1942 12:23 P-40[24][25]
20 7 August 1942 17:15 P-40[13][26] 42 30 October 1942 14:55 P-40[24][25]
21 7 August 1942 17:21 P-40[13][26] 43 5 November 1942 11:04 P-39[24]?[Note 3]
22 13 August 1942 17:21 P-40[13][26]
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 –[27]
Eastern Front and northern Norway, and Finland — 1 January – 16 July 1943
44 5 March 1943 16:30 Yak-1[28] Lake Tolwand[29] 55 5 June 1943 03:50?[Note 4] Hurricane[31][30]
45 10 March 1943 09:58?[Note 5] P-39[28] vicinity of Murmashi 56 5 June 1943 05:10?[Note 6] Hurricane[31][30]
46 10 March 1943 10:03 P-40[28][29] vicinity of Murmashi 57 5 June 1943 05:13?[Note 7] Hurricane[31][30]
47 12 March 1943 14:22 P-40[28] vicinity of Murmashi 58 15 June 1943 23:01 P-39[31][32]
48 12 March 1943 14:30 P-39[28] vicinity of Murmashi 59 15 June 1943 23:06 P-39[31][32]
49 23 March 1943 14:18 P-40[33] Shonguy[34] 60 20 June 1943 16:32 Hurricane[31] Kandalaksha[32]
50 23 March 1943 14:23 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 39172, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Murmansk[33][34] 61 21 June 1943 19:37 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 1723, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Rutschi[31][32]
—
 25 March 1943
—
 Il-2 62 21 June 1943 19:40 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 2711, 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Rutschi[31][32]
51 27 March 1943 14:02 P-40[33][34] 63 9 July 1943 04:42 Il-2[31][35]
52 28 March 1943 11:42 P-40[33][34] 64 16 July 1943
—
 P-40 west of Pechenga Bay[31][35]
53 3 June 1943 17:25?[Note 8] P-39[36] over sea[30] 65 16 July 1943
—
 P-40 west of Pechenga Bay[31][35]
54 5 June 1943 03:48?[Note 9] Hurricane[31][30]

Awards

Dates of rank

May 1942:Unteroffizier[37]
1 November 1942:Feldwebel[44]
1 August 1944:Leutnant (second lieutenant), war officer, effective as of 1 August 1944[37]
April 1945:Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)[37]

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 14:33.[21]
  2. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 15:00.[21]
  3. ↑ According to Mombeek, Mathews, and Foreman claimed as a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.[25][27]
  4. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 03:51.[30]
  5. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 09:59.[29]
  6. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 05:18.[30]
  7. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 05:19.[30]
  8. ↑ According to Mombeek, Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:35.[30][27]
  9. ↑ According to Mombeek claimed at 03:46.[30]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 101.
  2. ↑ Röll 2014, p. 13.
  3. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 435.
  4. ↑ Prien et al. 2012, p. 233.
  5. ↑ Mombeek 2010, pp. 35–36.
  6. ↑ Röll 2014, pp. 209–210.
  7. ↑ Röll 2014, p. 211.
  8. ↑ Zabecki 2014, p. 1617.
  9. 1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 228–229.
  10. ↑ Planquadrat.
  11. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 422.
  12. 1 2 Mombeek 2011, p. 259.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Prien et al. 2006, p. 428.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mombeek 2011, p. 265.
  15. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 423.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prien et al. 2006, p. 424.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mombeek 2011, p. 261.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prien et al. 2006, p. 429.
  19. 1 2 3 Mombeek 2011, p. 262.
  20. 1 2 Prien et al. 2006, p. 425.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mombeek 2011, p. 266.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Prien et al. 2006, p. 426.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mombeek 2011, p. 263.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Prien et al. 2006, p. 430.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Mombeek 2011, p. 267.
  26. 1 2 3 Mombeek 2011, p. 264.
  27. 1 2 3 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 229.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 Prien et al. 2012, p. 224.
  29. 1 2 3 Mombeek 2011, p. 268.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mombeek 2011, p. 270.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Prien et al. 2012, p. 227.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 Mombeek 2011, p. 271.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Mombeek 2011, p. 269.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2012, p. 225.
  35. 1 2 3 Mombeek 2011, p. 272.
  36. ↑ Prien et al. 2012, p. 226.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Röll 2014, p. 213.
  38. ↑ Röll 2014, p. 64.
  39. ↑ Röll 2014, p. 213141.
  40. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 67.
  41. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 88.
  42. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 275.
  43. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 162.
  44. ↑ Röll 2014, p. 142.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  • 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 (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
  • Mombeek, Eric (2010). Eismeerjäger—Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 5—Band 3 [Fighters in the Arctic Sea—The History of the 5th Fighter Wing—Volume 3]. Linkebeek, Belgium: ASBL, La Porte d'Hoves. ISBN 978-2-930546-02-5.
  • Mombeek, Eric (2011). Eismeerjäger—Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 5—Band 4 [Fighters in the Arctic Sea—The History of the 5th Fighter Wing—Volume 4]. Linkebeek, Belgium: ASBL, La Porte d'Hoves. ISBN 978-2-930546-05-6.
  • 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.
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