Hans-Joachim Birkner

Hans-Joachim Birkner (22 October 1921 – 14 December 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 117 aerial victories—that is, 117 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in 284 combat missions, becoming an "ace-in-a-day" on three separate occasions.

Born in Schönwalde, Birkner was trained as a fighter pilot and posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing) in 1943. Fighting on the Eastern Front, he claimed his first aerial victory on 1 October 1943. Following his 98th aerial victory, Birkner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944. On 1 October, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of JG 52. Two weeks later, he claimed his 100th aerial victory. Birkner was killed in a flight accident on 14 December at an airfield at Kraków.

Early life and career Birkner was born on 22 October 1921 at Schönwalde in East Prussia, at the time part of the Weimar Republic's Free State of Prussia. In the summer of 1943, Feldwebel Birkner had completed flight training and was posted to 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing), a squadron of III. Gruppe (3rd group). At the time, III. Gruppe was officially commanded by Major Günther Rall, occasionally replaced by either Oberleutnant Walter Krupinski on Oberleutnant Josef Haiböck.

World War II On Friday 1 September 1939 German forces had invaded Poland which marked the beginning of World War II, and in June 1941, Germany had invaded the Soviet Union which created the Eastern Front. In late September 1943, III. Gruppe of JG 52 was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G and fought in the Battle of the Caucasus and was based at Zaporizhia. In October, III. Gruppe flew combat missions over the right flank of the 1st Panzer Army and the left flank of 6th Army during the Battle of the Dnieper.

Eastern Front

Birkner claimed his first aerial victory on 1 October 1943 over a P-39 Airacobra in combat south-southwest of Bolschoj Tokmak. That day, III. Gruppe had claimed 17 aerial victories in an encounter with Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and their fighter escort. Birkner claimed his second aerial victory on 4 October over a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3. The following day he shot down a Lend-Lease Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber also referred to as a "Boston". On 9 October, he claimed another LaGG-3 fighter shot down followed by two further claims over LaGG-3 fighters on 11 October. On 19 October, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Kirovograd, present-day Kropyvnytskyi where they stayed until 31 October. Here Birkner claimed a LaGG-3 fighter on 21 October, two LaGG-3 fighters on 24 October, a Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter and another LaGG-3 fighter on 25 October, and an Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and another P-39 fighter on 29 October.

On 1 November, III. Gruppe was moved to Apostolove fighting in the combat area between Nikopol and Zaporizhzhia. Adverse whether conditions rendered the airfield unusable and the Gruppe temporarily used an airfield near Kirovograd from 12 to 20 November. By the end of 1943, Birkner had claimed 24 aerial victories in total. Over the next few months Birkner often flew as Rottenflieger (wing man) to the high scoring aces Günther Rall and Erich Hartmann, claiming many of his victories whilst flying with them. On 3 January 1944, Birkner claimed two LaGG-3 fighters shot down, taking his total to 26 aerial victories. The Gruppe moved to an airfield at Mala Vyska on 7 January where they stayed for three days.

On 10 January, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Novokrasne located approximately south-southwest of Novoukrainka. While based at Novokrasne, elements of III. Gruppe also operated from Ivanhorod (11 to 13 January), at Velyka Lepetykha (3 to 22 February), and Mykolaiv (2 to 23 February). Five days later, Birkner claimed five P-39 fighters shot down near Kirovograd, one of which was not confirmed. In April, he claimed a further 29 victories, including six in one day on 19 April making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time, taking his total to 60 aerial victories. Birkner received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 24 April. In May, he claimed 17 victories, including another "ace-in-a-day" achievement on 30 May.

III. Gruppe relocated to Roman on 1 June. On 3 June, Birkner claimed three Lavochkin aircraft shot down north of Iași. On 24 June, the United States Army Air Forces' (USAAF) Fifteenth Air Force attacked various targets in Romania with 377 bombers. A fraction of this attack force, consisting of 135 Consolidated B-24 Liberator and Lockheed P-38 Lightning and North American P-51 Mustang fighters, headed for the Ploiești oilfields. Defending against this attack, Birkner claimed a P-51 shot down, his 91st aerial victory. Birkner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 for 98 victories.

Squadron leader and death On 1 October 1944, Birkner was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel of JG 52. He thus succeeded Oberleutnant Hartmann who was transferred. At the time of this assignment, III. Gruppe was based in Warzyn Pierwszy, Poland. The airfield was located approximately west of Jędrzejów. The Gruppe was under the command of Hauptmann Wilhelm Batz and Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf had just taken over the JG 52 as Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander). On 8 October, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield near Lobellen, present-day Tushino located approximately east-southeast of Tilsit, present-day Sovetsk, on the south bank of the Memel, present day Neman River. Here, Birkner claimed an Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 October, his 100th aerial victory. He was the 95th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. Two days later on 16 October, he became an "ace-in-a-day" for the second time, claiming four LaGG fighters and a single Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.

The Gruppe moved to an airfield named Hasenfeld, also referred to as Jürgenfelde, located approximately south of Insterburg, present-day Chernyakhovsk, on 20 October where they stayed until 7 November. Here Birkner claimed five further aerial victories over LaGG fighters, one on 23 October, and two each on 25 and 27 October respectively. On 7 November, III. Gruppe again moved to the airfield at Warzyn Pierwszy. On 12 December, the Gruppe relocated to Krakau, present-day Kraków. Two days later, Birkner was killed in a flying accident when his Bf 109 G-14/U4 (Werknummer 510531—factory number) suffered engine failure during the landing approach at Krakau. Following his death, command of 9. Staffel was passed on to Hauptmann Otto-Karl Klemenz.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Birkner was credited with 117 aerial victories. Spick also lists Birkner with 117 aerial victories claimed in 284 combat missions. His victories were recorded over the Eastern Front and included one USAAF P-51 fighter. Included in his total are at least 15 Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmoviks. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Birkner was credited with 117 aerial victories. This figure includes 116 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and one over the Western Allies.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 34 Ost 58842". The Luftwaffe grid map 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 . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Eastern Front – 4 February – 31 December 1943 1 1 October 1943 10:25 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58842 south-southwest of Bolschoj Tokmak 13 29 October 1943 12:55 P-39? PQ 34 Ost 39362, northwest of Mishorin-Rog east of Mironovka 2 4 October 1943 09:07 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 58191 east-southeast of Zaporizhia 14 27 November 1943 09:05 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 49784 north-northwest of Nikopol 3 5 October 1943 08:58 Boston PQ 34 Ost 59582 south-southeast of Dnepropetrovsk 15 27 November 1943 14:20 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 47782 southwest of Bilozirka 4 9 October 1943 13:44 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 59732 southeast of Dnepropetrovsk 16 28 November 1943 08:45 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 48783 southwest of Bilozirka 5 11 October 1943 07:30 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 58182, east of Zaporizhia southeast of Zaporizhia 17 28 November 1943 13:47 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 48782 southwest of Bilozirka 6 11 October 1943 07:31 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 58182, east of Zaporizhia southeast of Zaporizhia 18 28 November 1943 14:35 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 48472 east of Nikopol 7 21 October 1943 07:40 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 39481vicinity of Pjatichatki 19 15 December 1943 12:00 P-39 northeast of Novgorodka 8 24 October 1943 09:35 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 58392 southeast of Zaporizhia 20 17 December 1943 13:52 P-39 south of Novgorodka 9 24 October 1943 09:36 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 58391 southeast of Zaporizhia 21 19 December 1943 12:07 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 48654 northwest of Bilozirka 10 25 October 1943 10:05 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 39462 east-southeast of Mironovka 22 19 December 1943 14:20 LaGG-3 north of Bolschoj Tokmak 11 25 October 1943 10:08 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 39483vicinity of Pjatichatki 23 19 December 1943 14:22 LaGG-3 west of Malaya-Tomatshka 12 29 October 1943 06:07 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 29524vicinity of Alekandrovka 24 20 December 1943 11:56 LaGG-3 south-southeast of Novo-Nikolayevka – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Eastern Front – 1 January – 14 December 1944 25 3 January 1944 12:05 LaGG PQ 34 Ost 38623 south of Apostolove 70♠ 30 May 1944 08:50 LaGG PQ 24 Ost 78599 northwest of Iași 26 3 January 1944 12:25 LaGG PQ 34 Ost 48114 north-northwest of Nikopol 71♠ 30 May 1944 14:40 P-39 PQ 78647 south of Tudora 27 9 January 1944 14:07 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 29374 west of Kirovohrad 72♠ 30 May 1944 14:43 P-39 PQ 78652 southeast of Tudora 28 15 January 1944 08:54 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 19491 west of Kirovohrad 73♠ 30 May 1944 19:10 P-39 PQ 78643 south of Tudora 29 15 January 1944 09:25 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 19493 west of Kirovohrad 74♠ 30 May 1944 19:13 P-39 PQ 78812 south of Iași 30 15 January 1944 12:15 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 19462 west-northwest of Kirovohrad 75 31 May 1944 10:31 LaGG PQ 78679 north of Iași 31 15 January 1944 12:21 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 29341 northwest of Kirovohrad 76 31 May 1944 10:36 LaGG PQ 78679 north of Iași ? 15 January 1944 P-39 77 31 May 1944 16:25 P-39 PQ 78676 north of Iași 32 15 April 1944 06:40 LaGG PQ 34 Ost 35262vicinity of Balaklava south of Sevastopol 78 3 June 1944 14:10 LaGG PQ 78733 northwest of Iași 33 15 April 1944 06:43 LaGG PQ 35254 west-southwest of Simferopol 79 3 June 1944 14:12 LaGG PQ 78733 northwest of Iași 34 15 April 1944 10:30 Il-2 PQ 35322Black Sea, northwest of Sevastopol 80 3 June 1944 14:14 LaGG PQ 78811 south of Iași 35 15 April 1944 10:32 LaGG PQ 35242Black Sea, south of Saky 81 4 June 1944 16:15 Il-2 m.H. PQ 78589 northwest of Iași 36 16 April 1944 13:03 Il-2 PQ 35361Black Sea, west of Sevastopol 82 4 June 1944 16:25 P-39 PQ 78723 west-northwest of Iași 37 16 April 1944 13:08 LaGG PQ 35132Black Sea, south of Euparorja 83 4 June 1944 16:40 P-39 PQ 78559 west-southwest of Tudora 38 18 April 1944 10:38 LaGG PQ 35823Black Sea, southeast of Sevastopol 84 4 June 1944 17:15 P-39 PQ 78595 northwest of Iași 39 18 April 1944 15:50 LaGG PQ 35442vicinity of Sevastopol 85 6 June 1944 17:24 P-39 PQ 78593 northwest of Iași 40 18 April 1944 16:05 LaGG PQ 35454 east of Sevastopol 86 8 June 1944 12:19 Pe-2? PQ 78687 41 18 April 1944 16:17 Il-2 vicinity of Sevastopol south of Sevastopol 87 8 June 1944 12:21 Pe-2? PQ 75685 42♠ 19 April 1944 10:40 LaGG PQ 35471 south of Sevastopol 88 8 June 1944 15:10 LaGG PQ 78586 northwest of Iași 43♠ 19 April 1944 10:43 LaGG PQ 35472 south of Sevastopol 89 8 June 1944 15:30 LaGG PQ 6899 44♠ 19 April 1944 10:44 LaGG vicinity of Sevastopol south of Sevastopol ? 8 June 1944 Il-2 45♠ 19 April 1944 15:35 LaGG vicinity of Sevastopol south of Sevastopol 90 14 June 1944 17:29 LaGG PQ 78547 west-northwest of Iași 46♠ 19 April 1944 15:50 LaGG vicinity of BalaklavaBlack Sea, south of Sevastopol 91 24 June 1944 09:56 P-51 PQ 65133Black Sea, south of Cape Takyl 47♠ 19 April 1944 15:51 LaGG vicinity of BalaklavaBlack Sea, south of Sevastopol 92 1 July 1944 10:57 LaGG PQ 85841Black Sea, southwest of Ol'ginka 48 22 April 1944 09:38 Boston PQ 25481 west of Yelnya 93 9 July 1944 09:57 Il-2 m.H. PQ 45462 49 22 April 1944 13:40 LaGG PQ 35712Black Sea, southwest of Sevastopol 94 20 July 1944 12:15 LaGG PQ 41569 north-northwest of Busk 50 23 April 1944 08:00 Pe-2 PQ 35331Black Sea, northwest of Sevastopol 95 20 July 1944 16:38 P-39 PQ 40141vicinity of Lviv 51 23 April 1944 10:50 Il-2 PQ 35481 southeast of Sevastopol 96 21 July 1944 16:50 LaGG PQ 30262 west of Lviv 52 23 April 1944 11:20 LaGG vicinity of Belbek 97 21 July 1944 16:55 LaGG PQ 30261 west of Lviv 53 24 April 1944 14:30 LaGG vicinity of Sevastopol south of Sevastopol 98 21 July 1944 17:22 Il-2 m.H. PQ 40154 east of Lviv 54 24 April 1944 15:35 Il-2 PQ 35391Black Sea, southwest of Sevastopol 99 14 October 1944 15:35 Il-2 m.H. PQ 16316 northwest of Timișoara 55 25 April 1944 07:33 LaGG vicinity of BalaklavaBlack Sea, south of Sevastopol 100♠ 16 October 1944 09:09 LaGG PQ 26767 southwest of Prahovo 56 25 April 1944 07:45 LaGG PQ 35332Black Sea, northwest of Sevastopol 101♠ 16 October 1944 09:10 LaGG PQ 26733 west of Prahovo 57 25 April 1944 07:58 P-39 PQ 35454 east of Sevastopol 102♠ 16 October 1944 14:15 LaGG PQ 25468 east of Turnu Severin 58 27 April 1944 10:55 LaGG north of Balaklava south of Sevastopol 103♠ 16 October 1944 14:32 LaGG PQ 25455Turnu Severin 59 27 April 1944 17:55 P-39 north of Balaklava south of Sevastopol 104♠ 16 October 1944 16:00 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35517 southeast of Turnu Severin 60 27 April 1944 18:10 P-39 PQ 35452 east of Sevastopol 105 17 October 1944 15:00 Pe-2 PQ 25356Turnu Severin 61 21 May 1944 09:46 P-39 PQ 78562 southwest of Tudora 106 18 October 1944 09:40 LaGG PQ 25632 southeast of Turnu Severin 62 22 May 1944 15:40 LaGG PQ 78792 southwest of Iași 107 18 October 1944 09:42 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25637 southeast of Turnu Severin 63 23 May 1944 16:02 LaGG PQ 68791 north of Piatra Neamț 108 18 October 1944 09:43 LaGG PQ 25639 southeast of Turnu Severin 64 23 May 1944 16:07 LaGG PQ 67183 southwest of Piatra Neamț 109 23 October 1944 14:00 LaGG PQ 25314 west of Orșova 65 28 May 1944 08:20 P-39 PQ 78811 south of Iași 110 25 October 1944 15:00 LaGG PQ 25586 east-southeast of Majdanpek 66 28 May 1944 08:55 LaGG PQ 78715 northeast of Iași 111 25 October 1944 15:02 LaGG PQ 25599 west-northwest of Prahovo 67 28 May 1944 12:20 P-39 PQ 78511 west of Tudora 112 27 October 1944 14:15 LaGG PQ 25529 northeast of Majdanpek 68 28 May 1944 17:40 P-39 PQ 68833north of Târgu Frumos 113 27 October 1944 14:23 LaGG PQ 25533 southwest of Turnu Severin 69 29 May 1944 13:25 P-39 PQ 78543 west-northwest of Iași According to Mathews and Foreman, aerial victories 114 to 117 were not documented. 114 14 December 1944 unknown 116 14 December 1944 unknown 115 14 December 1944 unknown

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 24 April 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52