Hans Waldmann

Who was Hans Waldmann?

Hans Peter Waldmann was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, an honour that recognised extreme bravery on the battlefield or outstanding military leadership. Waldmann received the award after he had shot down 85 enemy aircraft. In total, he was credited with 134 aerial victories accumulated in 527 combat missions.

Born in Braunschweig, Waldmann volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of the Third Reich in 1940. After training at various pilot and fighter-pilot schools, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52, operating on the Eastern Front, in August 1942. Here Waldmann fought in the aerial battles over Stalingrad, the Caucasus, the Black Sea, and the Crimea. He was credited with 84 aerial victories before briefly being transferred to the Western Front, where he was credited with one aerial victory. Back on the Eastern Front, Waldmann accumulated further victories, bringing his score to 125 victories by end of May 1944. He then fought in the skies over France after the Western Allied Invasion of Normandy, claiming seven aerial victories, before converting to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in late 1944.