Gotthard Handrick
German Olympic athlete & Luftwaffe fighter pilot (1908-1978)
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Gotthard Handrick (25 October 1908 – 30 May 1978) was a German Olympic athlete and German fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
Gotthard Handrick | |
|---|---|
Gotthard Handrick at the 1936 Olympic Games | |
| Born | 25 October 1908 |
| Died | 30 May 1978 (aged 69) |
| Sports career | |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Sport | Modern pentathlon |
| Sports achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | 1936 Berlin |
Medal record | |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Luftwaffe |
| Service years | 1929–45 |
| Rank | Oberst (colonel) |
| Commands | JG 26, JG 77, JG 5 |
| Conflicts | Spanish Civil War World War II |
| Awards | Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords German Cross in Gold |
Career
Handrick was born on 25 October 1908 in Zittau, at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony as part of the German Empire.[1] He won the gold medal in the modern pentathlon at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.[2][3]
In July 1937, Handrick was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of Jagdgruppe 88 (18 July 1937 – 10 September 1938). This unit fought in the Spanish Civil War where he claimed five aerial victories while flying for the Legion Condor, including a Polikarpov I-15 fighter on 9 September 1937 and an Polikarpov I-16 fighter on 18 May 1938.[4] He was later awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern) on 14 April 1939 for his service in the Spanish Civil War.[5]
Handrick was then given command of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 132 "Schlageter" on 11 September 1938 after his return from Spain.[6] This unit then became I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" on 1 May 1939 which he led until 23 June 1940.[7] On 24 June 1940 command of JG 26 was handed over to Major Handrick, who passed command of I./JG 26 to Hauptmann Kurt Fischer.[8] After he left JG 26, Handrick served with the Luftwaffenmission Rumänien (Luftwaffe Mission Romania) under the command of Generalleutnant (equivalent to major general) Wilhelm Speidel.[9][10]
On 7 October, Handrick took over command of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) from Hauptmann Alexander von Winterfeld who was transferred. He led this Gruppe until 23 June 1941.[11] Command of the Gruppe was then given to Major Albert Blumensaat.[12]
Wing commander
In June 1941, Handrick was transferred and became the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).[13] While serving on the Eastern Front he claimed a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter on 29 September and a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber on 22 October 1941.[14]
During World War II he was a recipient of the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 17 October 1943.[15] In March 1942, Oberstleutnant Handrick transferred to command Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) in Norway and Northern Russia.[16] From June 1943 to June 1944 he was Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark. Then as an Oberst, he became the commanding officer of 8. Jagd-Division in Austria, a position he held until the end of the war.[17] After the war he worked in Hamburg as a representative of Daimler-Benz.[18]
Awards
- Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (14 April 1939)[5]
- Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class
- German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Oberst in Jagdgeschwader 5[15]
