Hans-Joachim Kroschinski

Hans-Joachim Kroschinski (11 May 1920 – 7 January 1995) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

World War II Serving with 2./JG 54 Kroschinski gained his first known Soviet victory, a MiG-3 on 5 August 1942. He had a total of four by the end of 1942.

Ace-in-a-day? On 21 December 1944 in the Courland Pocket, Kroschinski may have become an "ace-in-a-day", when he claimed five Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers near Frauenburg, now Frombork in northern Poland. The authors Obermaier and Weal also state that Kroschinski claimed five Pe-2s that day. However, the authors Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock state that I. Gruppe pilots claimed five Pe-2s shot down, but only two by Kroschinski, two further by Feldwebel Johann Neidlinger and one by an unknown pilot.

Kroschinski was then shot down in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-9 (Werknummer 380360—factory number) in combat with Pe-2 bombers and Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters. Severely wounded, he managed to bail out at 09:05 southeast of Frauenburg. In this encounter, Kroschinski lost his eyesight and his right leg. During his convalescence on 17 April 1945, Kroschinki was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 76 aerial victories claimed, the last recipient of JG 54.

Later life Kroschinski died on 7 January 1985 at the age of in Eutin, West Germany.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kroschinski was credited with 76 aerial victories. The authors Heaton, Lewis, Olds and Schulze also list him with 76 aerial victories. Spick states that his 76 aerial victories were claimed in 360 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 74 aerial victories, plus two further unconfirmed claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 20732". 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 – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — June 1942 – 3 February 1943 1 5 August 1942 15:20 MiG-3 PQ 20732 northeast of Malaya Vishera 5 22 January 1943 08:50 Yak-1 PQ 10241 east-southeast of Shlisselburg 2 11 August 1942 14:28 Il-2 PQ 28172 west-northwest of Demyansk 6 23 January 1943 13:37 Il-2 PQ 00413 east of Pushkin 3 27 August 1942 11:48 Yak-1 PQ 46232 southeast of Zubtsov 7 23 January 1943 13:39 Il-2 PQ 00411 east of Pushkin 4 11 November 1942 08:33 P-40 PQ 10211 west of Volkhov 8 24 January 1943 09:48 La-5 PQ 10241 east-southeast of Shlisselburg – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 4 February – September 1943 9 11 February 1943 09:35 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00484 west of Tosno 24? 12 August 1943 13:39 unknown 10 14 February 1943 13:37? Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00254 west-southwest of Shlisselburg 25 20 August 1943 06:03 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 51743 southeast of Akhtyrka 11 23 February 1943 07:00? Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00254 west-southwest of Shlisselburg 26 21 August 1943 06:53 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51394 west-northwest of Grayvoron 12 24 February 1943 11:31 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 10151southeast of Shlisselburg 27 22 August 1943 06:15 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 51891 northwest of Kharkov 13 2 March 1943 11:18 MiG-3 PQ 36 Ost 01751 north of Leningrad 28 22 August 1943 06:17 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 51864 east of Bogodukhov 14 3 May 1943 15:21? LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00121 northwest of Pushkin 29 24 August 1943 07:36 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 41663 15 3 May 1943 15:30 LaGG-3? PQ 36 Ost 00123vicinity of Leningrad 30 24 August 1943 07:37 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 41664 16 8 June 1943 13:38 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 00331vicinity of Pushkin 31 24 August 1943 07:38 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 41662 17 13 July 1943 13:43 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63222 east of Orel 32 25 August 1943 17:56? La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51553northeast of Bogodukhov 18 16 July 1943 09:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 54179 northeast of Zhizdra 33 11 September 1943 14:29 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 34242 northeast of Seschtschinskaja 19 16 July 1943 09:47 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 54185 east-northeast of Zhizdra 34 11 September 1943 14:58 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 35873 west-southwest of Kirov 20 17 July 1943 06:34? La-5 PQ 35 Ost 54788 west-northwest of Bolkhov 35 12 September 1943 09:24 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 44142 southwest of Kirov 21 17 July 1943 13:30 LaGG-3 southwest of Bolkhov 36 14 September 1943 16:10? Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 26673 northeast of Moschna 22 19 July 1943 08:43 La-5 northwest of Kerenkowo 37 15 September 1943 13:42 Pe-2? PQ 35 Ost 35342 northwest of Yelnya 23 12 August 1943 07:40 La-5 east of Schipeilowka – 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — September – October 1943 38 24 September 1943 07:23 P-40 east of Sinyavino 40 16 October 1943 07:39 La-5 west of Gorki airfield 39 10 October 1943 12:55 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 07743 – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — December 1943 – January 1944 41 15 December 1943 12:32 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06178 45 6 January 1944 11:03 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 96663 42 23 December 1943 11:21 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06871 46 6 January 1944 11:04 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 96691 43 4 January 1944 11:40 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 06871 47 12 January 1944 14:42 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 06553 44 5 January 1944 12:30 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06884 – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — October – 21 December 1944 48 29 October 1944 13:34 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 27499south-southwest of Tukums 52 7 November 1944 14:25 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 17481 east of Libau 49 30 October 1944 11:05 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 17655 southeast of Libau 53 7 November 1944 14:26 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 17482 east of Libau 50 30 October 1944 14:40 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 17639 east-southeast of Libau 54 7 November 1944 14:27 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 17483 east of Libau 51 30 October 1944 14:47 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 17625 east-southeast of Libau According to Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock, Kroschinski claimed four undocumented aerial victories in November and December 1944. Mathews and Foreman list three claims of unknown type on 15 December 1944. #? 18 November 1944 Pe-2 ? 15 December 1944 unknown #? 18 November 1944 Pe-2 ? 15 December 1944 unknown # 23 November 1944 10:06 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 28117 southwest of Arensburg 65 21 December 1944 Pe-2 south of Frauenburg 62? 14 December 1944 Pe-2 66 21 December 1944 Pe-2 south of Frauenburg 63? 14 December 1944 Pe-2 ? 21 December 1944 Pe-2 south of Frauenburg 64? 14 December 1944 unknown ? 21 December 1944 Pe-2 south of Frauenburg ? 15 December 1944 unknown ? 21 December 1944 Pe-2 south of Frauenburg

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 11 October 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 27 October 1943 as Feldwebel in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 April 1945 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 54