Heinz Hackler

Heinrich "Heinz" Hackler (14 December 1918 – 1 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe 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, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Hackler was listed as missing in action near Antwerp, Belgium after being hit by Allied flak during Operation Bodenplatte. Depending on source, Hackler was credited with 56 or 67 aerial victories.

Early life and career

Hackler was born on 14 December 1918 in Siegen, at the time in the Province of Westphalia of the Weimar Republic. Following flight training,^{["Note" 1]} he was posted to the 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in early 1941.^[1] At the time, 8. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Kurt Ubben. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 77 which was headed by Major Alexander von Winterfeldt.^[2]

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In preparation for Operation Marita, the German invasion of Greece, III. Gruppe of JG 77 was moved to Deta in western Romania on 4 April 1941 and to Korinos on 19 April. That day, Hackler claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Hawker Hurricane fighter near Larissa.^[3]

Eastern Front

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, III. Gruppe was moved to Bucharest and was located in the sector of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South). III. Gruppe arrived in Bucharest on 16 June.^[4] Four days later, III. Gruppe moved to Roman.^[5]

On 25 September 1941, Hackler claimed his fifth aerial victory, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter in the combat area near Perekop.^[6] The next day, he became an "ace-in-a-day" claiming his aerial victories six through ten. Hackler was credited with shooting down two Polikarpov I-16 fighters, two Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft and a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber.^[7] During the fighting along the Isthmus of Perekop on 29 September, Hackler claimed a MiG-3 fighter shot down.^[8] On 15 October, while the 11th Army was preparing for the attack on the Crimea Peninsula in what would become the Crimean campaign, Hackler shot down a Pe-2 bomber on mission to Armiansk and Ishun, located approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of Krasnoperekopsk.^[9] The next day, he claimed two I-16 fighters in the same combat area.^[10] By 27 October, the fighting has moved to the combat area south of Perekop. That day, Hackler claimed a Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 fighter.^[11]

Mediterranean Theater and Romania

On 23 October 1942, the British Eighth Army launched the Second Battle of El Alamein. Preceding this attack, the Luftwaffe had already planned to replace Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing), which had been fighting in North African theater, with JG 77.^[12] In preparation for this rotation, III. Gruppe of JG 77 was moved to Munich on 19 October where it was equipped with the Bf 109 G-2/trop. On 23 and 24 October, the Gruppe moved to Bari in southern Italy.^[13] The Gruppe then relocated to Tobruk Airfield on 26 October.^[14] The following day, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Tanyet-Harun.^[15] On 29 March 1943, Hackler claimed a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter shot down 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of Meknassy.^[16] In early May 1943, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations and ordered to relocate to Foggia for a brief period of rest and replenishment.^[17] Here on 17 May, Hackler was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).^[18]

When on 5 April 1944 the commanding officer of 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of JG 77, Oberleutnant Norbert Kestler was killed in action, Hackler was briefly appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) until the arrival of Hauptmann Helmut Goedert.^[19] That day, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked the oil refineries at Ploiești with 95 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and 135 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. III. Gruppe flew two missions against the USAAF bombers. On the second mission, Hackler claimed a B-24 bomber shot down.^[20][21] On 1 July, Hackler was officially appointed Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of JG 77. He then succeeded Leutnant Wilhelm Mockel who had temporarily replaced Hauptmann Helmut Goedert after he had been wounded in combat on 31 May.^[22] As part of the group expansion from three Staffeln per Gruppe to four Staffeln per Gruppe, Hackler's 8. Staffel was re-designated and became the 11. Staffel of JG 77 on 15 August.^[23] Hackler, together with Oberfeldwebel Johann Pichler, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 August 1944.^[24]

Operation Bodenplatte and death

On 31 December 1944 in preparation for Operation Bodenplatte, the failed attempt to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries, III. Gruppe transferred to Dortmund Airfield. Hackler led a formation of 13 Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 on this flight. While airborne, Hackler received orders to engage a formation of Hawker Tempest fighters sighted near Münster. Near Münster, Hackler's formation came under attack from Spitfire fighters, losing three Bf 109s shot down, two pilots killed in action and one severely wounded.^[25][26]

At Dortmund, the pilots were briefed on the upcoming operation. JG 77 under command of Major Siegfried Freytag were given the objective to attack the airfield at Antwerp-Deurne. Since Hauptmann Armin Köhler, the commanding officer of III. Gruppe was sick, Hackler was tasked by Freytag with leading III. Gruppe in the attack.^[27] At 08:00 on 1 January 1945, the two formations 18 Bf 109s of I. and III. Gruppe took off. At the same time 23 Bf 109s of II. Gruppe took off. Around the Bocholt area they formed up with the other two Gruppen. As the fighter wing headed north, it passed Woensdrecht airfield. The aerodrome was home to 132 Wing and its five Spitfire squadrons; 331, 332, 66 and 127, and 322 (Dutch). Some pilots from II. Gruppe either mistakenly believed it to be Antwerp, or thought the opportunity was too good to pass up. Two German fighters were claimed shot down, and one pilot captured. However, none of the JG 77 casualties fit this description.^[28] Near Antwerpen, Hackler was shot down and killed in action when his Bf 109 K-4 (Werknummer 330196—factory number) was hit by anti-aircraft artillery on his third strafing attack. He was last seen heading northeast, crashing near Raambert, north of Zundert where he was initially buried.^[29][30] In consequence, command of 11. Staffel was given to Leutnant Wilhelm Mockel.^[31] In October 1949, Hackler was reinterred at the Ysselsteyn German war cemetery, Netherlands. Due to a spelling error of his name which marked his grave as "Heinrich Hachler", his fate remained unanswered for many years. His widow and other relatives also failed to receive an answer his fate. In August 1997, the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) linked the various bits of information available and remarked his grave at Ysselsteyn.^[32]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Hackler was credited with 56 aerial victories.^[33] Weal lists him 67 aerial victories, including nine heavy bombers of the USAAF Fifteenth Air Force shot down over Romania and Hungary.^[34] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Hackler was credited with 37 aerial victories plus further four unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 24 claims made on the Eastern Front and 13 on the Western Front, including at least five four-engined bombers.^[35]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 5659". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 by 4 km (1.9 by 2.5 mi) in size.^[36]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[58]
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 July 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot^[59]
• German Cross in Gold on 17 May 1943 as Oberfeldwebel in the III./Jagdgeschwader 77^[60]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 August 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the III./Jagdgeschwader 77^[61][62]

Notes

1. ^ Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.^[63]

References

Citations

1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 126.
2. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 288.
3. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, pp. 280, 293.
4. ^ Prien 1993, p. 628.
5. ^ Prien 1993, p. 630.
6. ^ Prien 1993, p. 804.
7. ^ Prien 1993, pp. 805–806.
8. ^ Prien 1993, p. 808.
9. ^ Prien 1993, p. 825.
10. ^ Prien 1993, p. 828.
11. ^ Prien 1993, p. 840.
12. ^ Prien 1994, p. 1293.
13. ^ Prien 1994, p. 1296.
14. ^ Prien 1994, p. 1298.
15. ^ Prien 1994, p. 1301.
16. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012, pp. 557–559.
17. ^ Prien 1994, p. 1578.
18. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 455.
19. ^ Prien et al. 2021, pp. 430, 439.
20. ^ Prien et al. 2021, pp. 392, 395, 435.
21. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2050–2055.
22. ^ Prien et al. 2021, pp. 430, 440.
23. ^ Prien et al. 2021, pp. 421–422, 430.
24. ^ Prien 1995, p. 2119.
25. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2238–2240.
26. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 250.
27. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2244–2247.
28. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp. 252–254.
29. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp. 436–437.
30. ^ Lowe 2023, p. 72.
31. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2255–2256, 2376.
32. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 437.
33. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1618.
34. ^ Weal 2006, pp. 93–94.
35. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 454–455.
36. ^ Planquadrat.
37. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 293.
38. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 362.
39. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 364.
40. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 374.
41. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 371.
42. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 372.
43. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 373.
44. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 323.
45. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 324.
46. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 352.
47. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 353.
48. ^ Prien et al. 2006, pp. 246, 354.
49. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 354.
50. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 331.
51. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1343.
52. ^ Prien et al. 2011, p. 534.
53. ^ Prien et al. 2011, p. 535.
54. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 341.
55. ^ Prien et al. 2021, p. 435.
56. ^ Prien et al. 2021, p. 436.
57. ^ Prien et al. 2021, p. 437.
58. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 145.
59. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 92.
60. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 158.
61. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 174.
62. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 358.
63. ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.

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