Help! I want to find a Luftwaffe Pilots Log Book

Hi All

I hope that this is the appropriate forum, if not I'm sure that a moderator will move this Post!

I'll cut a long story short!

My Mother was evacuated in the war to Dry Drayton, a JU88 shot down a Stirling Bomber (N6012) nearby. This landed 60 Yards from my Mother who was just 7. I'm trying to find out exactly the where and how and why of the incident that nearly killed her and would have meant my non-existance.

The JU88 Pilot was the only eye witness of the event as all the Stirling crew sadly died. So I want to see what he wrote about the incident!

Anyone have info or know how I can track such data down? What did the Luftwaffe have in the way of Pilots Log Books? What were they called?

The Pilot was 22 year old Hans Hahn of [FONT=&quot]Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, the date was 3rd May 1941, time was 02:00 in the morning approximately.

I know loads more than I have put here - it's his account of the incident that I would love to find!

Many Thanks

James
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Erichs your man, hopefully he'll see the post...

 

Hi

That's a coincidence - I just sent him a PM! Found a post from him from 2002!


Cheers
James

 

fair play james, good luck with research..ray..

 

and hi and welcome to the forum

 

Hi Nigel!

Thanks very much!


James

 

Could this be your pilot ???



Appearently there were 2 Hans Hahn aces in the Luftwaffe. There was Hans "Assi" hahn, and then there was this fellow. He was part of the Nachtjagdgeschwader2

according to this log it stats that he shot down a plane on may 5th 1941. i could be completely wrong, but I tried anyway. I hope you find the answers your looking for. let us know if you figure it out.


Date - [SIZE=-2]4.5.1941[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-2]A/c Type - Fulmar[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-2]Unit - 3./NJG 2[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-2]Location - Near Stoke Holly Cross[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-2]Comments - Spitfire IIA (P7699) “Zanzibar III” of 222 Sqn, RAF flown by P/O PB Klee, killed[/SIZE]


here is the link I found on LT. hans Hahn. Aces of the Luftwaffe - Hans Hahn

 

Hello James you were going to send me a private ? Hahn was part of the very successful Fernenachtjagd - long distnace night fighters of NJG 2, flying all black Ju 88C's. The purpose in the early war was to attack the Bomber command heavy bombers on their return fligts back to England after the successful raids over the Reich. At many instances NJG 2 was to try and catch the bombers on landing patterns when the British crews were not on their guard. the flights were short term however as the long distance night fighters were sent to the MTO, and the long distance flights over England ceased until spring of 1945.

just some background for you till I give you more info's on Hahn. The Ferne was the first aspect of the Luftwaffe night fighters that I was interested in back in the early 1960's.

 

Erich , Is that correct Hans Hahn I pictured above?

 

@ Suzie

yes you are correct. Hahn was the best known of the I./NJG 2 long flyers and was killed in a collision with an Oxford that never should of happened, all 4 LW crewmen were KIA in their Ju 88C-4 on October 11, 1941. The losses for I. gruppe stared in June of 1940 and the last one was 24th of October 1941.
Hahn had a total of 13 victories.

@ James

please share more of what you have reserached if you kindly would.............

the Flight books the pilots/crews carried were called Fluchtbuch

also there were 1 recorded victorie after 2am on the 3rd of May 1941. Hahn did not score this evening. one was a Hereford at 03.15 am 77sqdn Whitley but was confirmed as damaged upon landing at Topcliffe

 

Hi All

Suzie: Yes I believe that your picture is of him - the other Hahn flew the smaller fighters I believe, but the scenario of the Stirling attack fits a night time 'intruder' aircraft and certainly the dates and location match exactly. I believe that there may have been 3 or 4 Hans Hahns in fact.

 

glad to see the response james..well done Erich, and suzie...

 

According to this site;

Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

Sgt Barratt survived for two days before succumbing to his injuries. That means that it is possible he gave a report which might still exist.

 

"Assi" (his nickname ) was famous enough to be allowed to have his personnal nose art paintedon his FW 190. Of course this was a Hahn (coq)

 

yes the pic of Hahn is him withe the Ritterkreuz decoration after shooting down his 11th victim.

Hahn did not claim any RAF bomber on the 3rd of May 1941. 6 Ju 88C's were in action this night over England. James you want the report then by Leutnant Hans Feuerbaum of 2./NJG 2 shooting down a Whitley at 03.15, damaged near Church Fenton airfield. His after action report IF available would be included in the war time KTB ( daily war diary ) of I./NJG 2 held at BA/MA Freiburg Germany Archiv's. At present I do not know the numerations of the KTB if it exists to order copies. will try and search this for you ..........

 

I confirm , Hahn made a claim.. but on May 3/4 and it was a Spitfire at Coltishall.

Feuerbaum made his third claim on May 3rd . There is no confusion possible as Knacke's claim was made over Holland and no other losses recorded.

Feuerbaum was flying home to the Gilze Rijen Holland base.

The crashsite is near Church Fenton airfield right? (on final approach to Topcliffe)

 

Hi All

My source of info is:

http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/doc/victories-germany-ww2-1941.pdf

I'm not claiming that this is definitive and while I have seen another site make the same claim I have also seen other sites ignore it. The English reports are of a JU88 in the area and that it shot at the Stirling. If not Hans Hahn then who? Perhaps no-one, perhaps it was just a bad landing and someone has added it to the list to beef up the German claims?

Erich it looks like you might be my best lead.

James


James

 

read my above posting James, it was Feuerbaum and the timing is wrong, Hahn did not achieve any kill or claim this night except for the following day-dusk evening with a Spitfire that overshot him and he blew it apart with the forward 2cm cannon.

your source is not definitive that is a fact..............sorry. if the flugbuch was available then it would revel the same as what Skip and I have stated, which simply put H. Hahn did not score a victory on the night you mention.

also Assi was a day fighter pilot not the same gent. Hahn was on borrowed time and he knew it; was wounded several times and was getting burned out flying at night, they were flying over England with the intensity of ground based AA, flying low offering as a target to English night fighters plus coastal shipping fire as well.

 

Hi Erich

Yes I'm getting carried away with my own need to know! I was changing my post as you replied!

If you can find anything official I would be most grateful!!

James

 

I have to ask this of course, how do we know the demise of the bomber was not accidental/mechanical ?

if indeed a Ju 88C shot down the bomber then it was not recorded as a claim and therefore not recognized as such by the staffel and group historian-recorder in the day/night diary.