Johann-Hermann Meier

Johann-Hermann Meier (10 June 1921 – 15 March 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 77 enemy aircraft shot down in 305 combat missions. All of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front.

On 15 March 1944, Meier was killed in a takeoff accident after his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 collided with another Fw 190 while taxiing at the Luftwaffe base in Florennes, Belgium. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1944.

Early life and career Meier was born on 10 June 1921 in Kronprinzenkoog, at the time in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein within the Weimar Republic. He joined the military of service of the Luftwaffe and following flight and fighter pilot training in October 1942, Meier was posted to 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) fighting on the Eastern Front. The Staffel was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) and had moved to Pitomnik Airfield, approximately west of Stalingrad, on 22 September. At the time, his commanding officer of 1. Staffel was Oberleutnant Friedrich Bartels while the Gruppe was headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann.

World War II World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 6 December 1942, II. Gruppe of JG 52 had reached an airfield at Rossosh on the Eastern Front. Here on 18 December, Meier claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. Meier claimed his second aerial victory almost one and a half month later. The Gruppe had moved to an airfield at Kursk on 26 January 1943. Here on 1 February 1943, Meier claimed another Il-2 ground-attack aircraft destroyed.

The Gruppe was moved to the combat area of the Kuban bridgehead on 5 April 1943 where it was based at an airfield at Taman where Meier claimed his third aerial victory on 28 April, a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter. Following the German defeat at Stalingrad and Soviet advance in Voronezh–Kharkov offensive, I. Gruppe was moved to Anapa located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov on 16 May. For his achievements as a fighter pilot, Meier was awarded the both classes of the Iron Cross .

On 10 June 1943, the Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 52 was killed in action. In consequence, Meier was transferred from 1. Staffel and temporarily given command of 3. Staffel until Hauptmann Erich Schreiber assumed command on 15 July. In preparation for Operation Citadel, I. Gruppe was moved to Bessonovka, a makeshift airfield located approximately on 4 July. The next during the Battle of Kursk, Meier became an "ace-in-a-day", claiming six Soviet aircraft shot down. Among his six claims of the day were three Il-2 ground-attack aircraft from the 17th Air Army (17 Vozdushnaya Armiya—17-я воздушная армия) shot down after 18:20. On 7 July, Meier claimed a Lavochkin La-5 fighter followed by another Il-2 ground-attack aircraft two days later. Meier was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 31 August.

On 2 September, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Stalino, present-day Donetsk. Here on 5 September, Meier shot down two Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. By end September 1943, Meier had increased his number of aerial victories claimed to 45, which placed him third in I. Gruppe behind Hauptmann Josef Haiböck and Oberleutnant Paul-Heinrich Dähne at the time. Meier was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 27 October. On 7 December, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Mala Vyska where they stayed until 3 January 1944. Here, Meier claimed his 66th aerial victory on 17 December, a Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter, making him fifth most successful active fighter pilot of the Gruppe at the time. In January 1944, Meier claimed eleven further aerial victories, increasing his total to 77 by 17 January. This 77th aerial victory over an Il-2 ground-attack was also his last and made him the second most successful fighter pilot of I. Gruppe after Major Johannes Wiese at the time.

With Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" and death Meier was transferred to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26–26th Fighter Wing) in February 1944 fighting on the Western Front flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. At the time, the Gruppe was based at Florennes Airfield and commanded by Hauptmann Karl Borris. There, Meier was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel on 29 February. He replaced Leutnant Leberecht Altmann who was transferred.

On 15 March, the United States Army Air Forces attacked Braunschweig with a force of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. Defending against this attack, I. and II. Gruppe of JG 26 was scrambled. During takeoff, Meier in his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 470057–factory number) collided with his wingman Unteroffizier Hans Ruppert. Both aircraft caught fire, while Ruppert escaped, Meier was killed in the accident. According to an eyewitness report, Meier was drunk at the time. For his 77 aerial victories claimed with JG 52, Meier was awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . Meier was succeeded by Oberleutnant Kurt Kranefeld as Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel. He is buried at the Lommel German war cemetery (Block 21—grave 290).

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Meier was credited with 77 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 77 aerial victories, 76 of which on the Eastern Front and one on the Western Front, claimed in 305 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces: Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 76 aerial victory claims, all of which were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 62322". 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 – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – 1? 18 December 1942 14:10 Il-2 2 1 February 1943 09:00 Il-2 PQ 62322vicinity of Kursk – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – 3 28 April 1943 10:45 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 85281vicinity of Smolenskaya 27 5 September 1943 07:28 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 65253over sea, south of Taman 4 14 May 1943 17:25 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61222 east of Prokhorovka 28 9 September 1943 16:34 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76883vicinity of Akkermanka 5 14 May 1943 17:37? La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61276, north of Belgorod north-northeast of Belograd 29 13 September 1943 14:15 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76351northeast of Varenikovskaya 6 26 May 1943 05:11 Spitfire PQ 34 Ost 76887vicinity of Kesselerowo 30 14 September 1943 11:14 Boston PQ 34 Ost 75393over sea, southeast of Anapa 7 26 May 1943 09:45 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 76853vicinity of Kolonka 31 14 September 1943 11:46 Boston PQ 34 Ost 76613vicinity of Sswisteljnikoff 8 29 May 1943 09:45 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 85112, northeast of Krymskajanorth of Mertschanskaja 32 20 September 1943 15:47 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 75483vicinity of Gaiduk 9 4 June 1943 05:55 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 85112, northeast of Krymskajanorth of Mertschanskaja 33 21 September 1943 12:55 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66882over sea, south of Taman 10 5 June 1943 18:25 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 75236, north of Krymskajanorth of Mertschanskaja 34 21 September 1943 16:37 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76772vicinity of Blagoweschtschenskaja 11 5 June 1943 18:32 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 75262, west of Krymskajavicinity of Warenikowskaja 35 22 September 1943 07:10 Pe-2 PQ 34 Ost 66842southwest of Taman 12 6 June 1943 18:10 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76682, northeast of Kurtschannojevicinity of Sswisteljnikoff 36 22 September 1943 09:44 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 76813south of Kurtschanskaja 13 8 June 1943 16:01 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76821, east of Kalabatkavicinity of Kalabatka 37 22 September 1943 16:37 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76642northeast of Temryuk 14 14 June 1943 06:35 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 76674east of Temryuk 38 23 September 1943 07:45 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76273Gostagdiewskaja 15 16 June 1943 09:12 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 75454Black Sea, south of Novorossiysk ? 23 September 1943 07:51 Il-2 south of Starotitarovskaya 16 16 June 1943 09:16 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 75494Black Sea, southwest of Gelendzhik ? 23 September 1943 07:51 Il-2 over sea, west of Blagoweschtschenskaja 17 16 June 1943 19:06 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 75492Black Sea, west of Gelendzhik 39 24 September 1943 12:51 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76782vicinity of Ssuworowsko-Tscherkeskij 18♠ 5 July 1943 05:53 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61151 north of Krasnyi Lyman 40 25 September 1943 12:45 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 66893over sea, south of Wennlowka 19♠ 5 July 1943 09:10 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51234 northwest of Krasnyi Lyman 41 26 September 1943 12:45 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 76354Sea of Azov 20♠ 5 July 1943 09:23 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61132 west of Prokhorovka 42 27 September 1943 11:47 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76593east of Temryuk 21♠ 5 July 1943 18:27 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61481, vicinity of Belgorod southeast of Belograd 43 27 September 1943 14:12 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76714Black Sea, west-southwest of Gelendzhik 22♠ 5 July 1943 18:29 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 61613, vicinity of Belgorod south of Belograd 44? 29 September 1943 07:58 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 76742 23♠ 5 July 1943 18:34 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 61484, vicinity of Belgorod southeast of Belograd 45? 29 September 1943 08:04 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 75712 24 7 July 1943 18:27 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61152 north of Krasnyi Lyman 46 2 October 1943 09:30 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76723east of Starotitarovskaya 25 9 July 1943 10:56 Il-m.H. PQ 34 Ost 62786, east of Belgorod south of Oboyan 47 2 October 1943 15:24 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 76714south of Starotitarovskaya 26 5 September 1943 07:27 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66893over sea, south of Wennlowka 48 3 October 1943 12:10 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76584west of Temryuk – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – 49 14 October 1943 11:56 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 58154, south of Zaporizhzhianortheast of Zaporizhzhia 58 27 October 1943 07:28 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 48884 south-southwest of Bilozerka 50 20 October 1943 14:09 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 58173 southwest of Zaporizhzhia 59 27 October 1943 07:30 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 48893 south of Bilozerka 51 20 October 1943 14:13 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 58181 southeast of Zaporizhzhia 60 30 October 1943 06:47 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 47361 west-southwest of Ivanovka 52 23 October 1943 09:05 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58561vicinity of Kalinówka 61 5 November 1943 09:25 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 37872 southwest of Perekop 53 23 October 1943 12:42 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 59751 north-northeast of Zaporizhzhia 62 10 November 1943 14:51 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 37842 southwest of Perekop 54 23 October 1943 12:49 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 59751 north-northeast of Zaporizhzhia 63 29 November 1943 07:03 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 39344 south of Alexandrija 55 24 October 1943 06:26 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 59742 north of Zaporizhzhia 64 29 November 1943 07:06 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 39174 north of Alexandrija 56 24 October 1943 06:29 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 59744 south of Grishino 65 29 November 1943 14:21 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 29294 northwest of Alexandrija 57 25 October 1943 15:02 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 57152 northwest of Melitopol 66 17 December 1943 14:15 P-39 west of Dubiyevka – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – 67 6 January 1944 11:50 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 29354 north of Kirovograd 73 15 January 1944 10:05 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 29342 northwest of Kirovograd 68 6 January 1944 12:07 Yak-1? PQ 34 Ost 29331vicinity of Fewal 74 16 January 1944 09:30 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 19461 west-northwest of Kirovograd 69 7 January 1944 14:15 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 29391 east of Kirovograd 75 16 January 1944 11:50 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 29392 east of Kirovograd 70 11 January 1944 13:16 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 29541 south-southwest of Kirovograd 76 16 January 1944 11:52 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 19492 west of Kirovograd 71 11 January 1944 13:17 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 29543 south-southwest of Kirovograd 77 17 January 1944 14:36 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 29512, southeast of Gruskoje west of Aleksandrovka 72 12 January 1944 11:02 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 29374 west of Kirovograd

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 13 September 1941 as Leutnant and pilot German Cross in Gold on 27 October 1943 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 52 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1944 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"