Reinhold Hoffmann

Reinhold Hoffmann
Born9 August 1921
Petersdorf, Germany
Died24 May 1944(1944-05-24) (aged 22)
Friesack, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch Luftwaffe
Service years?–1944
RankLeutnant (second lieutenant)
UnitJG 54
ConflictsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Reinhold Hoffmann (9 August 1921 – 24 May 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. On 24 May 1944, Hoffmann attempted an emergency landing at Friesack following aerial combat. His Focke-Wulf Fw 190 crashed, killing him instantly. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 28 January 1945. Depending on source, he was credited between 61 and 67 aerial victories, at least 58 of which on the Eastern Front.

Career

Hoffmann was born on 9 August 1921 in Petersdorf, now Piechowice in southwestern Poland, then in Province of Lower Silesia within the Weimar Republic.[1]

On 24 May 1944, Hoffmann was killed in action flying Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 680184—factory number), crashing 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) west of Friesack.[2] His aircraft somersaulted during the emergency landing.[3] Posthumously, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 28 January 1945.[4]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Hoffmann was credited with 67 aerial victories.[5] Spick lists him with 66 aerial victories, 60 on the Eastern Front and six heavy bombers on the Western Front, claimed in an unknown number of combat missions.[6] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 67 aerial victory claims. This number includes 64 claims on the Eastern Front and three heavy bombers on the Western Front.[7]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 54431". 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.[8]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Hoffmann 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 along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[9]
Eastern Front — July 1942 – 3 February 1943
1?[Note 1] 27 July 1942 19:05 Yak-1 southeast of Pola train station[10] 2 22 August 1942 06:11 Il-2 PQ 54431[11]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Belyov
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[12]
Eastern Front — 1 January – April 1944
53 6 April 1944 08:00 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 88364[13]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Selo 		56 17 April 1944 06:55 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 88883[13]
40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ostrov
54 8 April 1944 10:00 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 88883[13]
45 km (28 mi) southeast of Ostrov 		57 17 April 1944 06:59 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 88824[13]
40 km (25 mi) southeast of Ostrov
55 17 April 1944 06:53 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 88842[13]
30 km (19 mi) south-southeast of Ostrov 		58 21 April 1944 11:23 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 70644[13]
20 km (12 mi) west-southwest of Hungerburg
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[12]
Defense of the Reich — May 1944
59 19 May 1944 13:15 B-24 PQ 15 Ost FB[14]
south of Wittingen 		61 19 May 1944 13:31?[Note 2] B-24* PQ 15 Ost JB[15]
south of Wittingen
60 19 May 1944 13:18 B-24* PQ 15 Ost FB[15]
Nienburg

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Mathews and Foreman list this claim as Hoffmann's first aerial victory.[9] Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock express doubt whether this claim can clearly be attributed to Hoffmann.[10]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:21.[12]
  3. ^ According to Obermaier on 29 September 1943.[1]
  4. ^ According to Scherzer as Leutnant of the Reserves and pilot in the III./Jagdgeschwader 54.[20]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 135.
  2. ^ Prien et al. 2019, p. 458.
  3. ^ Weal 2001, p. 91.
  4. ^ Weal 2001, p. 120.
  5. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
  6. ^ Spick 1996, p. 239.
  7. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 537–538.
  8. ^ Planquadrat.
  9. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 537.
  10. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 147.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 149.
  12. ^ a b c Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 538.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2022, p. 478.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2019, p. 450.
  15. ^ a b Prien et al. 2019, p. 451.
  16. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 196.
  17. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 103.
  18. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 191.
  19. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 232.
  20. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 399.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/III—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/III—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-78-6.
  • Prien, Jochen; Balke, Ulf; Stemmer, Gerhard; Bock, Winfried (2019). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/V—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/V—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-942943-21-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/II—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/II—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-28-4.
  • 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.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 6. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-286-9.
  • Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
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