Anyone know anything about Hana Reich?

I was watching a Russian documentary about the Battle of Berlin, and they mentioned female Luftwaffe fighter pilot Hana Reich (sp?).

Apparently, she flew a Storch into the city at the height of the battle, landed on the Unter Der Linden (sp? and made her way through the fighting in an attepmt to rescue Hitler and fly him out of the city. He refused to leave, so she flew back out on her own. The other thing they mentioned was that she was the only woman in WWII to be awarded the Iron Cross (though I believe this was earlier than the Berlin incident).

Anyway, she sounds like an interesting woman and I'm betting there's more to her story... anyone know anything about her?

 

Hi Alath: here is what little I know about Hanna Reich.

As you know, she was a famous test pilot, even testing out Helicopters.

She flew out of Berlin with a newly promoted Generalfeldmarshall von Greim, who had been wounded in his foot by AA fire, while they were on the landing approaches in Berlin.

Hanna flew von Greim out of Berlin, and they were escourted by a squadron of fighters, losing several of their escourt by the time they landed where they needed to go.

Hanna Reich was in a Soviet prison after the war, and was in one of the ones that Hans von Luck happened to be in at the same time. He mentions a few sentences about that in his book: "Panzer Commander".

I dont know how long they kept her, but I think it was till 1955, but im not sure.

Sorry this isnt much, but its all I know on it.

 

She also tested the helicopters and was an hardcore Nazi.

 

Hitler had ordered von Greim to Berlin in order to tell him personally that he had been promoted. Flying into Berlin with fighter escort, Hanna Reich landed her Fiesler Storch on the Unter Den Linden. Von Greim was wounded in the foot by AA fire, while the fighter escort was completely destroyed. Reich volunteered to fly von Greim in order to try and persuade Hitler to leave Berlin. For his part von Greim was totally surprised by the reason for Hitler's order that he fly to Berlin, the more so when the fighter cover ordered to escort the Storch back out of Berlin was also totally destroyed. In all, I believe, something like 16 German pilots lost their lives in this useless trip since Hitler could have told von Greim of his promotion by radio!

Chris Ray

 

Just another of many Hitler blunders. This is also like the Hitler blunder, for the creation of the German Cross in Gold. This was done as a way to expand the gap in awards between the Iron Cross 1st class, and the Knights Cross. Many Germans jokinly called it "Hitlers Fried Egg".

 

Hitler was an idiot. All I ever here of was about her testing some helicopter in a stadium and how she was devoted to the nazi party.

 

Your correct, all she was, was a Nazi, and a test pilot. She was one of only a few females to be awarded both classes of the Iron Cross.

 

G'day

The name is Hanna Reitsch, flugkapitän a testpilot who even tested the nanned V1. Maybe the right spelling will help you on your search. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hardcore she may have been, but she was one of the best pilots in the world at that time. The woman had passion no doubt and guts to boot ! Would you have test flown the Me 163, the little powered egg ?.......death sentance The woman has been claimed to have flown nearly every conceivable German a/c known, including many prototypes. Sadly she has passed away. It would of been quite interesting to interview her. And she was not the only German woman to be given the EK either......

E

 

Popski, I would give you a 5 star rating but you dont seem to have a way for me to do it.

I like your posts and hope to see hundreds more.

 

Hanna Reitsch was one of the first people to cross the Alps in a glider, she really tested a V-1 flying bomb with a cockpit. During a fly with the Me-163 Komet an equipment failure forced Hanna to come in for a crash landing with the plane rolling. She spent more than five months in the hospital recuperating from serious head injuries, with headaches and dizzy spells.
Her idea for a suicide squadron that would strike at vital production centers in England was approved, this plan, however, was abandoned when the Allies landed in Normandy in June of 1944.
Hanna Reitsch's most dangerous assignment was to ferry Luftwaffe General Robert Ritter von Greim to meet with Hitler in the bunker of the Berlin Reich Chancellery in the last days of the war in a Fieseler Storch. After spending two days in the bunker, Hanna and Greim took off in an Arado Ar 96 using a bombed-out street as a runway.
She was the only woman to be awarded the Iron Cross and Luftwaffe Diamond Clasp.

 

I know this is an old topic but . .

Hanna Reitsch wrote a book about her flying experiences called 'The Sky My Kingdom', published in London by The Bodley Head in 1955. It is fascinating to read, and well-illustrated.
Yet again, this is a tough book to find, I don't know if it was ever reprinted.

She was a formidable woman, indeed . . .

 

Yes, indeed Hannah Reitsch was one of the best German test pilots there were and certainly, one of SEVERAL women to win EK I. Actually, it would have been to have a couple hundred female-pilots. Women are capable enough to be excellent pilots. And in Germany's situation in 1944, when all men were needed in the front it would have been nice. Also, that task is addecuate for them, because you do not expose women to horrible infantry dog fight... Like the Russians did, there were some 500.000 women in the Red Army during the war and a famous sniper, Tania Chernova.

Actually, my grandmother was a Hauptgruppenführerin (Chief of group) in the Luftwaffenhelferinenschaft (Auxiliary Female Corps of the Luftwaffe) in 1944. She had studied engineering at Bonn and volunteered in 1943. She was such an intelligent woman. She married my grandfather, Oberstleutnant Gottfried von Hammerstein und Hartmann in 1935 at 18. Unfortunately she passed away in 1995.

[ 25 June 2002, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]

 

Hanna Reitsch update :
Her book has been reprinted - by Greenhill Books in 1991.

 

Hallo, Martin!

And the name of the book is...

Thanks. I saw once a book of "Flight pioneers" or something... Where there were mentioned several German female pilots during the 1930s, all intelligent, good looking and nazi women. That's interesting. If I can find it again I will buy it.

 

It's 'The Sky My Kingdom'.
The reprint is identical to the first edition with additional photographic material.

 

Vielen Dank! I will search for it in Amazon!

 

She was also rumoured to have test flown a manned V-1 doodlebug. She never flew actual combat missions but was probally Germany's top test pilot.

 

Hello and Welcome, Red Baron !

It's no rumour - she actually did it.
In her book, chapter 27 is entitled 'I Fly the V1'.

In it she says : -
'Volunteers were required to sign the following declaration :
I HEREBY VOLUNTARILY APPLY TO BE ENROLLED IN THE SUICIDE GROUP AS A PILOT OF A HUMAN GLIDER-BOMB. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT EMPLOYMENT IN THIS CAPACITY WILL ENTAIL MY OWN DEATH.
I, of course, signed this declaration at once . . .'

Quite a lady !