Ludwig Häfner

Ludwig Häfner (17 February 1921 – 10 November 1942) was a German 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 10 November 1942, Ludwig Häfner was killed north of Stalingrad after he was attacked by a large number of Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 21 December 1942. During his career he was credited with 52 aerial victories, all on the Eastern Front.

Career On 26 June 1941, Häfner sustained a bullet wound in aerial combat resulting in a crash landing of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-1 (Werknummer 5728—factory number) at Berestechko. Following his convalescence on 7 September, Häfner was again injured when he crashed a Bf 109 F-4 on a shuttle flight at Przemyśl.

Squadron leader and death On 1 October 1942, Häfner was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). He succeeded Oberleutnant Alfons Raich who was transferred. On 10 November, Häfner was shot down and killed in action in aerial combat with Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters. His Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13631) crashed west of the airfield at Kolobovka. Command of 3. Staffel was then handed to Leutnant Franz Daspelgruber.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Häfner was credited with 52 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him 52 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 47 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 39411". 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 – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 6 November 1941 1 24 June 1941 13:22 Potez 63 east of Hostynne 2 25 June 1941 07:01 DB-3 east of Włodzimierz – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – 26 April – September 1942 3 20 May 1942 14:25 Il-2 southeast of Verhulivka 21 25 July 1942 09:55 Yak-1 Farupolina 4 29 May 1942 06:14 MiG-1 Balakliia 22 25 July 1942 10:12 MiG-1 Ruslow 5 13 June 1942 10:23 Il-2 east of Nikolske 23 29 July 1942 17:52 Il-2 PQ 39411, Kalach southeast of Kalach 6 13 June 1942 10:43 MiG-1 Bodomowka 24 30 July 1942 05:32 LaGG-3 PQ 39253, Kalach northwest of Pitomnik Airfield 7 1 July 1942 12:05 LaGG-3 east of Voronezh 25 30 July 1942 05:47 LaGG-3 PQ 39294, Kalach 8 2 July 1942 08:04 R-5 Stary Oskol 26? 30 July 1942 05:48 LaGG-3 PQ 39411, Kalach 9 4 July 1942 13:37 Il-2 Malyschewo 27 30 July 1942 ? Pe-2 Dmitriyevka southeast of Kalach 10 6 July 1942 16:52? Yak-1 Panikorjez 28 31 July 1942 13:45 LaGG-3 PQ 39282, Kalach west of Pitomnik Airfield 11 9 July 1942 17:55 LaGG-3 east of Nowo Ushman 29 31 July 1942 13:55 Il-2 PQ 39192, Kalach west of Kalach 12 9 July 1942 18:10 LaGG-3 southwest of Demschtschinsk 30 31 July 1942 14:05 Il-2 PQ 39183, Skoworin west of Kalach 13 9 July 1942 18:13 LaGG-3 north of Mal Losowajacenter of Lozow 31 6 August 1942 05:35 Pe-2 Stalingrad 14 9 July 1942 18:33 LaGG-3 Wislaja Poljana 32 7 August 1942 05:47 Il-2 PQ 49521, Slotowitoje 15 10 July 1942 04:37 P-39 southeast of RykanjeVoronezh 33 7 August 1942 10:25 LaGG-3 PQ 49521, Sklakatow 16 10 July 1942 09:17 MiG-1 Voronezh 34 20 August 1942 06:20 MiG-1 PQ 40471, Kalach 17 13 July 1942 04:55 Pe-2 Morosowskaja 33? 23 August 1942 MiG-1 Stalingrad 18 13 July 1942 11:55 R-5 Krasnaja-Jar 34? 23 August 1942 LaGG-3 Stalingrad 19 14 July 1942 11:22 Il-2 Gruzynow 37? 21 September 1942 LaGG-3 Rzhev 20 23 July 1942 09:30 Yak-1 Kalach 38? 21 September 1942 LaGG-3 Rzhev – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – September – 10 November 1942 39 29 September 1942 09:35 LaGG-3 northwest of Cosmin Leninsk 46 27 October 1942 08:32 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 49283 east of Stalingrad 40 29 September 1942 12:10 MiG-3? northeast of Akhtuba east of Stalingrad 47 28 October 1942 15:09 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 49223vicinity of Werchne 41 9 October 1942 14:46 LaGG-3 east of Kotluban train station north of Grebenka 48 30 October 1942 14:12 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 49131vicinity of Bassargino 42 9 October 1942 14:48 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 49132, Kotluban train station north of Grebenka 49 1 November 1942 14:25 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 59172 43 14 October 1942 07:10 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 40751 50 2 November 1942 12:12 MiG-1 PQ 35 Ost 49422 east of Stalingrad 44 26 October 1942 11:40 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 49474north of Wassnoarmejsk 51 3 November 1942 11:08 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 59192 45 27 October 1942 08:12 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 49443 southeast of Stalingrad 52 10 November 1942 11:54 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 59362, north of Kolobowka

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 21 September 1942 as Leutnant and pilot German Cross in Gold on 25 September 1942 as Leutnant in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 3 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 December 1942 as Leutnant and pilot in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 3