Friedrich Haas
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Friedrich Haas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 20 January 1924 |
| Died | 9 April 1945 (aged 21) |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Buried | Oberwölbling German war cemetery |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Luftwaffe |
| Service years | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Leutnant (second lieutenant) |
| Unit | JG 52 |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards |
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Friedrich Haas (20 January 1924 – 9 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace from Dillenburg/Hesse, Germany and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Friedrich Haas was credited with 74 aerial victories all over the Eastern Front (World War II). Haas was shot down and killed in 1945 over Vienna, Austria.
Haas was born on 20 January 1924 in Dillenburg, then in the People's State of Hesse within the Weimar Republic.[1] Following flight training,[Note 1] he was posted to 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in late 1943 which was fighting on the Eastern Front of World War II.[3] At the time, the Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Wilhelm Batz and subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn.[4]
World War II
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In November 1943, the Red Army launched the Kerch–Eltigen operation leading to the Crimean offensive in early 1944. On 2 November, II. Gruppe of JG 52 was moved to Baherove where elements of the Gruppe remained until 19 March 1944. Here on 6 December 1943, Haas claimed his first aerial victory, a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter shot down near Cape Tusla. While based at Baherove, Haas claimed four further aerial victories, all Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters, one each on 29 December 1944, 3 and 12 January, and 1 February 1944.[5] For these claims, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse).[6] Haas' squadron was often outnumbered and short on fuel at this late stage of the war.[7] On 28 February, 4. and 5. Staffel was ordered to Grammatikowo located near Sovietskyi for a period of two weeks, returning to Baherove on 13 March. On 19 March, the entire II. Gruppe relocated to Grammatikowo. Here on 7 April, Haas claimed a Yakovlev Yak-7 fighter shot down.[8]
On 8 April, Soviet forces launched the Crimean offensive, eventually forcing the Germans to evacuate the Crimea. On 14 April, II. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Cape Chersonesus located at the Sevastopol Bay.[9] By end-May 1944, Haas increased his number of aerial victories claimed to 30, including an "ace-in-a-day" achievement on 7 May.[10] The Gruppe was retreated to Huși at the Prut River on 27 May and to an airfield at Manzar located south of Tiraspol on 11 June. Here, Haas increased his aerial victories to 35 which put him in fifth place with respect to the most successful active pilots of II. Gruppe at the time.[11]
On 9 July, II. Gruppe began relocating to an airfield at Zamość-Mokre then in the General Government 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Lublin.[12] The next day on a transfer flight, Haas was forced to make an emergency landing when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 163574—factory number) ran out of fuel near Boryslav in a location 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Stryi and sustained injuries.[13] At the time. the Gruppe had only seven serviceable aircraft and nine pilots.[14] On 26 July 1944, Haas was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).[15]
Following his convalescence, Haas returned to 5. Staffel, then under the command of Hauptmann Heinrich Sturm in October. Based at Hungarian airfields at Nagyrábé, Debrecen, Tiszalök and Taktakenéz, Haas claimed four aerial victories in October 1944, reaching 50 by end-1944.[16]
Squadron leader and death
On 1 February 1945, Haas succeeded Hauptmann Erich Hartmann as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 52. On 1 March, this Staffel was renamed and became the 5. Staffel of JG 52. At the same time, the former 5. Staffel was also renamed and became the 6. Staffel.[17][18] At the time, II. Gruppe was based at Veszprém in Hungary.[19]
On 6 April 1945, II. Gruppe moved to an airfield named "Garonne" located near Fels am Wagram. Operating from this airfield on 9 April, Haas was shot down over Vienna and though he managed to bail out from his Bf 109 G at low altitude, he struck the vertical stabilizer and fell to his death.[20] He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) in April.[21][22][23] Haas was succeeded by Leutnant Paul Linxen as commander of 5. Staffel.[17] At the time, Haas was credited with 74 aerial victories, making him the fifth most successful fighter pilot of II. Gruppe.[24] He is buried at the Oberwölbling German war cemetery in Wölbling, Austria (Block 2, Row 9, Grave 401).[25]
