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Hans Waldmann

Victories : 134
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 18th March 1945

Knights Cross

Hans Dackel Waldmann was born 24 September 1922 in Braunschweig, killed in flying accident 18 March 1945 near Schwarzenbek, Holstein he was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Hans Waldmann voluntarily joined the Luftwaffe in 1940. On 21 August 1942 Unteroffizier Waldmann was assigned to the 6./JG 52 on the Eastern front.

On 9 September 1942 Waldmann scored his first aerial victory, and thereafter managed to score rapidly. After 84 victories on 1 September 1943, Waldmann was promoted to Leutnant and assigned to ErgGr. Ost. Here he shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress.

He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after his 85th aerial victory. In late February 1944 he took command of 4./JG 52 as its Staffelkapitän. He was able to continue his success and claimed victories 98 to 125 by 31 May 1944.

In June 1944 his entire staffel was reassigned to 8./JG 3, now fighting against the Allied invasion forces. In August he shot down 7 enemy planes, including one B-24 and five P-47 Thunderbolts. In December 1944 he converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262. He was then transferred to 3./JG 7, flying now the ’’Stormbird’’. On 22 February 1945 he shot down two P-51 Mustangs.

Climbing in dense fog on 18 March 1945, he collided with his wingman, Leutnant Hans-Dieter Weihs, and crashed near Schwarzenbek south of Hamburg. He was killed in his Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1 "Yellow 3". Waldmann was recommended for the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, but the recommendation was not finalized before the end of the war.

Hans Waldmann flew 527 combat missions, being credited with 134 aerial victories, 10 on the Western front and 124 on the Eastern front. His tally on the Eastern front includes 5 bombers, 87 fighters and 32 Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. On the Western front he claimed 8 fighters and 2 four-engine bombers. He also flew a number of ground attack missions, destroying 33 various vehicles and 8 heavy transports.

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The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.	Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.	Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.	The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Hans Waldmann

Aircraft for : Hans Waldmann
A list of all aircraft associated with Hans Waldmann. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Squadron	Info
Me262 Click the name above to see prints featuring Me262 aircraft. Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Number Built : 1400	Me262 The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941 utilizing a piston engine. General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262, and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers. Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced, but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines, production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach .86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262 had not been too little too late.

Known Claims : 129

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