Hans Röhrig

Hans Roehrig (4 November 1919 – 13 July 1943) was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Roehrig was credited with 75 aerial victories, 56 of which on the Eastern Front and 19 on the Western Front in the Mediterranean theatre. In November 1942, Roehrig was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). Leading the unit during the campaigns in Tunisia and Sicily, he was shot down and killed in action on 13 July 1943 in the area of Syracuse.

Early life and career Roehrig was born on 4 November 1919 in Hindenburg in the Province of Upper Silesia, present-day Zabrze, Poland. He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe and after flight and fighter pilot training, Roehrig was posted to Erprobungsgruppe 210, an operational test unit flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110 in a fighter-bomber and ground-attack capacity. With this unit, he flew fighter-bomber missions over England during the Battle of Britain.

Fighter pilot career In early May 1941, Roehrig was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) and transferred to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). At the time, the Staffel was commanded by Hauptmann Werner Ursinus and subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 53 headed by Hauptmann Hans-Heinrich Brustellin. The Gruppe had just received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F variant and was based at Crécy-en-Ponthieu.

In preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, JG 53 arrived in Mannheim-Sandhofen on 8 June 1941 where the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul. On 12 June, the Geschwader began its relocation east, with I. Gruppe moving to Krzewica, located approximately west of Brest. Here, JG 53 was subordinated to Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) and was deployed on the right flank of Army Group Centre.

Following the German advance, the Gruppe reached an airfield at Hostynne on 30 June. Here on 4 July, Roehrig sustained minor injuries during a takeoff accident when his Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 6726—factory number) flipped over at the airfield. In support of the Panzer-Gruppe 1 (Panzer Group 1), I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Bila Tserkva, located approximately southwest of Kiev, on 21 July. Here on 25 July, Roehrig claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber. Roehrig claimed three further aerial victories during the Battle of Uman before the Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front on 7 August, returning to Mannheim-Sandhofen. There, the Gruppe was replenished and received factory new Bf 109 F-4 aircraft.

In December, I. Gruppe of JG 53 was moved to the Mediterranean theatre at Gela in Sicily. Here, Roehrig flew missions during the Siege of Malta but was unable to add any further victory during this time. In early May 1942, I. Gruppe handed its aircraft over to those units staying in Sicily and relocated to Schwäbisch Hall. There, the Gruppe was equipped with a full complement of factory new Bf 109 F-4.

Back on the Eastern Front In support of Case Blue, the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia, I. Gruppe of JG 53 began its relocation to the Eastern Front on 28 May 1942, arriving at Kursk that evening. Based at Kursk for the next three weeks, I. Gruppe supported the 4th Panzer Army in its drive towards Voronezh. The first combat missions were flown on 31 May in the vicinity northeast of Kursk. On 30 June 1942, Roehrig engaged in aerial combat with Soviet fighters east of Kshensky. In this engagement, his Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 10234—factory number) took a hit in the cabin, injuring Roehrig. On 6 August, Roehrig was shot down in his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13480) and sustained minor injuries. His victor may have been the Soviet ace Starshiy Leytenant Mikhail Baranov (183 IAP, 269 IAD) flying a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter. At that time, Roehrig was credited with 10 aerial victories. While descending in his parachute, he was shot at by Soviet fighters. On 20 September, Roehrig became an "ace-in-a-day" when he claimed five aerial victories.

On 28 September 1942, I. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Munich-Riem where they would be reequipped with the Bf 109 G-2 trop for redeployment in the Mediterranean theater. Roehrig was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 October 1942 for 51 aerial victories claimed.

Malta, North Africa and Sicily On 10 October, I. Gruppe of JG 53 moved to Comiso Airfield in Sicily. The following day, the Gruppe flew its first combat missions during the Siege of Malta. Flying a fighter escort mission on 12 October, Roehrig claimed two Supermarine Spitfire fighters shot down over Malta. These were the first claims of the Gruppe in this theater. When British forces launched the Second Battle of El Alamein on 23 October, elements of I. Gruppe of JG 53 were ordered to North Africa.

In November 1942, Roehrig was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel of JG 53. He replaced Oberleutnant Franz Götz who had been appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 53, a Gruppe to which 9. Staffel was subordinated. He successfully led the unit during the campaigns in Tunisia and Sicily. On 18 May 1943, Roehrig claimed a Lockheed P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter aircraft shot down northwest of Trapani. That day, the Western Allies had begun an air offensive in preparation for Operation Corkscrew, the invasion of Pantelleria, attacking airfields in Sicily and Sardinia. Returning from this attack, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-38 fighters from the 14th Fighter Group and Luftwaffe fighters from both Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) and III. Gruppe of JG 53, engaged in aerial combat. In this encounter, Luftwaffe pilots claimed eleven aerial victories for the loss of one Bf 109 shot down, the pilot escaping unhurt. The USAAF pilots claimed five Bf 109s shot down, further claiming to have damaged five other German aircraft, for the loss of four of their own, one pilot became a prisoner of war, one was killed in action and two were reported as missing in action.

On 9 July 1943, the Western Allies launched Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. In aerial combat with USAAF P-38 fighters from the 1st Fighter Group on 11 July, Roehrig claimed two P-38 aircraft shot down, his last two claims. He claimed his first P-38 of the day at 11:25 in a location south of Pachino, and a second P-38 at 13:15 southwest Catania.

Two days later on 13 July 1943, Roehrig led 9. Staffel of JG 53 on a fighter escort missions for Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft to drop Fallschirmjäger on the Catania plains. That day, he was last seen west of Augusta. Roehrig was shot down and killed in action in aerial combat by Supermarine Spitfire fighters in his Bf 109 G-4 trop (Werknummer 15063) in the area of Syracuse. Roehrig was succeeded by Oberleutnant Franz Barten as commander of 9. Staffel. Posthumously, Roehrig was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on 1 September 1943.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Roehrig was credited with 75 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 75 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of missions. This figure is made up of approximately 50 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, the remaining aerial victories were claimed over the Western Allies in the Meditareanean theater and includes one four-engine heavy bomber. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 74 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes 58 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and another 16 over the Western Allies, including one four-engined bomber.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4927". 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 – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 7 August 1941 1 25 July 1941 18:50 DB-3 3 3 August 1941 14:45 I-16 2 30 July 1941 13:40 I-153 northeast of Bila Tserkva 4 3 August 1941 14:50 V-11 (Il-2) east of Pervomaisk – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Eastern Front — 28 May – 27 September 1942 5 5 June 1942 12:40 I-61 (MiG-3) 32 11 September 1942 16:07 Pe-2 PQ 4927 east of Stalingrad 6 30 June 1942 10:40 Boston east of Kschen 33 12 September 1942 06:02? La-5 PQ 4941 southeast of Stalingrad 7 31 July 1942 13:58 Il-2 PQ 3915 northwest of Kalach 34 12 September 1942 16:50 La-5 PQ 4941 southeast of Stalingrad 8 31 July 1942 14:10 Il-2 PQ 3919vicinity of Kalach 35 12 September 1942 16:57 La-5 PQ 4929 east of Stalingrad 9 5 August 1942 11:24 MiG-1 PQ 38161 east-northeast of Kotelnikovo 36 13 September 1942 09:35 P-40 PQ 49164vicinity of Grebenka 10 6 August 1942 06:15 MiG-3 PQ 39891vicinity of Aksay 37 13 September 1942 15:46 LaGG-3 PQ 4941 southeast of Stalingrad 11 13 August 1942 10:12 LaGG-3 east of Stalingrad 38 14 September 1942 16:07? LaGG-3 PQ 49471 east of Stalingrad 12 20 August 1942 16:04 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 49592 south of Stalingrad 39 14 September 1942 16:48? LaGG-3 PQ 49472 east of Stalingrad 13 20 August 1942 16:07 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 49532 south of Stalingrad 40 18 September 1942 10:55 Il-2 PQ 4057 north-northeast of Stalingrad 14 21 August 1942 14:40 LaGG-3 PQ 4941 southeast of Stalingrad 41 18 September 1942 15:20 Yak-1 PQ 4913 north of Grebenka 15 22 August 1942 12:30 Pe-2 PQ 5913 east-northeast of Stalingrad 42 18 September 1942 15:29 Yak-1 PQ 4053 north of Grebenka 16 23 August 1942 12:20 MiG-1 PQ 4927 east of Stalingrad 43 19 September 1942 09:27 Yak-1 PQ 49132 north of Grebenka 17 24 August 1942 12:10 LaGG-3 PQ 4927 east of Stalingrad 44 19 September 1942 09:32? Yak-1 PQ 49132 north of Grebenka 18 28 August 1942 08:12? P-40 PQ 4943 east-southeast of Stalingrad 45 19 September 1942 09:33? Yak-1 PQ 49122 north of Gumrak 19 29 August 1942 09:17 MiG-1 PQ 3946 southwest of Bassargino 46 19 September 1942 13:55 Yak-1 PQ 49432 east of Stalingrad 20 2 September 1942 14:55 Il-2 PQ 4918vicinity of Bassargino 47♠ 20 September 1942 09:15 Yak-1 PQ 4913 north of Grebenka 21 4 September 1942 13:45 Il-2 PQ 4954 48♠ 20 September 1942 11:55 P-40 PQ 4943 east-southeast of Stalingrad 22 4 September 1942 13:50 Il-2 PQ 4956 49♠ 20 September 1942 12:15 LaGG-3 PQ 4929 east of Stalingrad 23 8 September 1942 11:55 Il-2 PQ 5933 east of Stalingrad 50♠ 20 September 1942 14:03? Yak-1 PQ 4945 southeast of Stalingrad 24 8 September 1942 16:40 Yak-1 PQ 4075 51♠ 20 September 1942 14:12? Yak-1 PQ 4943 east-southeast of Stalingrad 25 8 September 1942 17:10? U-2 PQ 5063 north of Pitomnik Airfield 52 22 September 1942 16:27 Yak-1 PQ 4922 east-northeast of Stalingrad 26 9 September 1942 10:50 Il-2 PQ 4055 north of Gumrak 53 23 September 1942 09:18 Yak-1 PQ 4078 north of Gumrak 27 9 September 1942 10:53 Il-2 PQ 4055 north of Gumrak 54 23 September 1942 09:21? Yak-1 PQ 4075 north of Gumrak 28 9 September 1942 17:45 Il-2 PQ 4043 east-southeast of Stalingrad 55 23 September 1942 16:26 Yak-1 PQ 4078 north of Gumrak 29 10 September 1942 08:34 Yak-1 PQ 4928 east of Stalingrad 56 24 September 1942 16:35 Yak-1 PQ 4079 north of Grebenka 30 10 September 1942 15:45 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 4945 southeast of Stalingrad 57 25 September 1942 13:52? Yak-1 PQ 49263 east of Stalingrad 31 11 September 1942 05:30 LaGG-3 PQ 4991 southeast of Stalingrad 58 25 September 1942 14:02 Yak-1 PQ 49264 east of Stalingrad – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 1 October – 31 December 1942 59 12 October 1942? 11:07 Spitfire Malta 60 12 October 1942? 11:08 Spitfire Malta – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 13 July 1943 ? 24 January 1943 07:42 Spitfire 68 25 June 1943 12:06 B-17 Strait of Messina 61? 29 January 1943 11:33 Boston northeast of Bizerte 69 4 July 1943 13:15 B-25 south of Gela 62 18 May 1943 14:08 P-38 northwest of Trapani 70 6 July 1943 15:15 Spitfire east of Capo Passero 63 19 May 1943 14:25 P-38 southeast of Sant'Antioco 9 July 1943 P-40 64 22 May 1943 16:15 P-38 south-southeast of Marettimo 71 9 July 1943 14:34 Boston south of Gela 65 5 June 1943 15:09 B-25 south-southwest of Porto Palo 72 10 July 1943 19:35 Spitfire northeast of Syracuse 66 7 June 1943 06:45 P-40 east of Cape Bon 73 11 July 1943 11:25 P-38 south of Pachino 67 13 June 1943 13:24 P-39 north-northeast of Pantellaria 74 11 July 1943 13:15 P-38 southwest Catania

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 26 October 1942 as Leutnant and pilot Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 October 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 53