Years of service 1940–1941 Unit NJG 2 | Name Hans Hahn | |
 | ||
Hans Hahn (21 February 1919 – 11 October 1941) was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership; his was the first awarded to a night fighter.
Contents
Victories
During his career he claimed twelve aerial victories, all of them at night.
Most successful Night Fighter pilot until his death. On five occasions, he returned to his base at Gilze-Rijen on one engine. Once he returned with a balloon cable wrapped around his wing in his C-4.
Before his last mission, he had brought down ten British planes in England:
Death
Hans Hahn was killed near Grantham, England, on 11 October 1941 after his JU 88 collided with a RAF Oxford trainer aircraft he targeted. He is buried at Cannock Chase German war cemetery (Block 3, Grave 306) alongside his flight crew of Unteroffizier Helmut Scheidt (flight engineer) and Unteroffizier Ernst-Wilhelm Meissler (wireless operator).