Nickname(s) Fakken Rank Leutnant Name Gerhard Hoffmann Battles and wars World War II Unit Jagdgeschwader 52 | Allegiance Nazi Germany Battles/wars World War II Role Pilot Service/branch Luftwaffe | |
Born 6 November 1919
Nieden, Eastern Prussia ( 1919-11-06 ) Died April 17, 1945, Wroclaw, Poland Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross | ||
Gerhard Hoffmann (6 November 1919 – 17 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Hoffmann was credited with 130 aerial victories—that is, 130 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft.
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Career
Unteroffizier Hoffmann was transferred to the 4./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) in June 1942 on the Eastern Front. His first streak of success was achieved in April and May 1943 over the Kuban bridgehead where he claimed his 42nd aerial victory on 30 May 1943. He was wounded on 25 September 1943 and claimed his 100th aerial victory on 16 March 1944 over the Crimea. He was the 65th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.
His victory tally stood at 125 when he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 May 1944. He was transferred to the Erganzungs-Jagdgruppe West at the end of April 1944 as a fighter pilot instructor and promoted to Leutnant. He was put in command of the 4./Erganzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1 (EJG 1). He claimed 4 aerial victories in March 1945 at the Oder front with this Staffel and was made Staffelkapitan of the 11./JG 52. He shuttled an aircraft to Breslau on 11 April 1945. On this flight he crashed and was killed. The reasons for this crash remain unanswered.