Hans Götz (2 June 1919 – 4 August 1943) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Hans Götz was credited with 82 victories in 600 combat missions. He claimed three victories over the Western Front.
Hans Götz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 June 1919 Stuttgart, Germany |
| Died | 4 August 1943 (aged 24) Karachev, Russia |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/ |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–1943 |
| Rank | Hauptmann (captain) |
| Unit | JG 54 |
| Commands held | I./JG 54 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Career
Götz was born on 2 June 1922 in Stuttgart, the capital of the Free People's State of Württemberg of the Weimar Republic.[1]
On 22 February 1943, Götz was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing). He succeeded Oberleutnant Siegfried Graf Matuschka who was transferred. When on 6 July Major Reinhard Seiler was wounded in combat, Götz was temporarily given the position of Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 54 until the new commander Hauptmann Gerhard Homuth took command on 1 August. The following day, Homuth was killed in action and Götz again assumed command of the Gruppe.[2] Only two days later, on 4 August, Götz was killed in action following combat with Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft. His Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 (Werknummer 1119—factory number) crashed and exploded northeast of Karachev.[3]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Götz was credited with 82 aerial victories.[4] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 82 aerial victory claims. This number includes 79 claims on the Eastern Front and three over the Western Allies.[5]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 29323". 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 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[6]
| Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. | |||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7] At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 23 September 1940 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 August 1940 | 15:15 | Hurricane | 10 km (6.2 mi) off Maidstone over sea[8] | 3 | 9 September 1940 | 19:05 | Spitfire[8] | |
| 2 | 9 September 1940 | 19:00 | Spitfire[8] | ||||||
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7] Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 | |||||||||
| 4 | 25 June 1941 | 11:43 | I-18 (MiG-1)[9] | 11 | 24 September 1941 | 10:13 | I-153[10] | ||
| 5 | 25 June 1941 | 11:48 | I-18 (MiG-1)[9] | 12 | 26 September 1941 | 05:55 | I-18 (MiG-1)[10] | ||
| 6 | 7 July 1941 | 16:00 | SB-3[11] | 13 | 26 September 1941 | 06:50 | I-18 (MiG-1)[10] | ||
| 7 | 20 July 1941 | 10:25 | SB-3[12] | 14 | 29 September 1941 | 15:22 | SB-3[10] | ||
| 8 | 10 August 1941 | 04:45 | Pe-2[12] | 15 | 25 October 1941 | 11:03 | I-26 (Yak-1)[13] | ||
| 9 | 13 August 1941 | 17:40 | I-18 (MiG-1)[12] | 16 | 29 October 1941 | 11:02 | I-26 (Yak-1)[13] | ||
| 10 | 23 September 1941 | 11:05 | I-18 (MiG-1)[10] | ||||||
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7] Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 | |||||||||
| 17 | 13 December 1941 | 13:50 | I-16[14] | 22 | 15 March 1942 | 16:35 | P-40[15] | ||
| 18 | 17 December 1941 | 13:25 | I-16?[14][Note 1] | 23 | 16 March 1942 | 10:40 | Pe-2 | 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Nirischi[15] | |
| 19 | 1 January 1942 | 12:03 | I-18 (MiG-1)[14] | 24 | 18 March 1942 | 13:27 | P-40[15] | ||
| 20 | 21 February 1942 | 14:14 | I-18 (MiG-1)[16] | 25 | 27 April 1942 | 08:31 | U-2 | PQ 29323[17] 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Malaya Vishera | |
| 21 | 14 March 1942 | 16:16 | I-16[15] | ||||||
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7] Eastern Front — 1 May – September 1942 | |||||||||
| 26 | 10 May 1942 | 09:45 | Yak-1 | east of Leningrad[18] | 36 | 24 August 1942 | 16:04 | LaGG-3 | PQ 4748[19] 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Staritsa |
| 27 | 30 May 1942 | 18:03 | I-16[20] | 37 | 25 August 1942 | 04:38 | Il-2 | PQ 47554[19] 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Rzhev | |
| 28 | 30 May 1942 | 18:35 | P-40[20] | 38 | 25 August 1942 | 04:42 | Il-2 | PQ 47651[19] 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Staritsa | |
| 29 | 30 May 1942 | 18:38 | P-40[20] | 39 | 26 August 1942 | 15:29 | U-2 | PQ 47483[19] 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Staritsa | |
| 30 | 3 June 1942 | 14:34 | U-2[20] | 40 | 26 August 1942 | 15:44 | LaGG-3 | PQ 47153[19] 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Torzhok | |
| 31 | 15 June 1942 | 15:25 | LaGG-3[21] | 41 | 27 August 1942 | 11:44 | Yak-1 | PQ 46231[22] 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Zubtsov | |
| 32 | 23 June 1942 | 09:38 | Il-2[21] | 42 | 27 August 1942 | 11:55 | Yak-1 | PQ 56142[22] 45 km (28 mi) north-northeast of Gagarin | |
| 33 | 23 June 1942 | 09:41 | Il-2[21] | 43 | 29 August 1942 | 16:12?[Note 2] | Il-2 | PQ 10182[22] east of Mga | |
| 34 | 22 August 1942 | 15:28 | Hurricane | PQ 47872[19] 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Zubtsov | 44 | 2 September 1942 | 13:00 | Il-2 | PQ 10141[22] east of Shlisselburg |
| 35 | 23 August 1942 | 14:50 | Yak-1 | PQ 54261[19] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-northwest of Belyov | |||||
| – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[5] Eastern Front — November 1942 | |||||||||
| 45 | 5 November 1942 | 09:44 | I-153 | PQ 11754[23] over Lake Ladoga | 47 | 9 November 1942 | 14:13 | I-153 | PQ 11742[24] 20 km (12 mi) north of Shlisselburg |
| 46 | 7 November 1942 | 12:25 | MiG-3 | PQ 11791[23] over Lake Ladoga | 48 | 11 November 1942 | 14:25 | P-40 | PQ 11763[24] over Lake Ladoga |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[25] Eastern Front — January – 3 February 1943 | |||||||||
| 49 | 13 January 1943 | 07:59 | La-5 | PQ 10174[26] southeast of Shlisselburg | 53 | 23 January 1943 | 11:10 | Yak-1 | PQ 1014[27] |
| 50 | 14 January 1943 | 11:10 | La-5 | PQ 10163[28] southeast of Shlisselburg | 54 | 24 January 1943 | 10:15 | Il-2 | PQ 1015[27] |
| 51 | 14 January 1943 | 11:12 | La-5 | PQ 10164[28] southeast of Shlisselburg | 55 | 24 January 1943 | 14:52 | Il-2 | PQ 00421[27] Pushkin-Mga |
| 52 | 15 January 1943 | 08:44 | Su-2 (Seversky) | PQ 10192[28] east of Mga | 56 | 27 January 1943 | 08:37 | Il-2 | PQ 00292[27] 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Mga |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[25] Eastern Front — 4 February – 4 August 1943 | |||||||||
| 57 | 11 February 1943 | 09:33 | Il-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00482[29] 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Tosno | 70 | 6 July 1943 | 14:35 | Yak-1?[Note 3] | PQ 35 Ost 63671[30] 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Maloarkhangelsk |
| 58 | 11 February 1943 | 09:40 | Il-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00413[29] 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Pushkin | 71 | 7 July 1943 | 13:30 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 6357[31] |
| 59 | 15 February 1943 | 07:30 | Il-2 | PQ 36 Ost 10563[29] 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Lyuban | 72 | 8 July 1943 | 13:36 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 63551[31] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk |
| 60 | 22 February 1943 | 15:45 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 00432[32] 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Mga | 73 | 9 July 1943 | 12:00 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 63811[31] 25 km (16 mi) south of Maloarkhangelsk |
| 61 | 23 February 1943 | 14:54 | Pe-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00251[32] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg | 74 | 10 July 1943 | 08:11 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 63538[31] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk |
| 62 | 28 February 1943 | 06:20 | U-2 | PQ 35 Ost 29164[32] 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Malaya Vishera | 75 | 12 July 1943 | 07:39 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 64385[33] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Bolkhov |
| 63 | 7 March 1943 | 12:48 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 90252[34] 20 km (12 mi) southeasr of Lomonosov | 76 | 16 July 1943 | 13:31 | Yak-9 | PQ 35 Ost 54539[33] 40 km (25 mi) west of Bolkhov |
| 64 | 15 March 1943 | 09:50 | P-39 | PQ 35 Ost 29831[34] 45 km (28 mi) north of Demyansk | 77 | 17 July 1943 | 08:49 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 54645[35] 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Bolkhov |
| 65 | 1 April 1943 | 13:35 | Il-2 | PQ 36 Ost 10151[36] southeast of Shlisselburg | 78 | 31 July 1943 | 09:10 | Yak-9 | PQ 35 Ost 54672[35] 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Bolkhov |
| 66 | 5 July 1943 | 03:51 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 63683[37] 20 km (12 mi) near Maloarkhangelsk | 79 | 1 August 1943 | 17:37 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 64563[35] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Bolkhov |
| 67 | 5 July 1943 | 07:10 | P-39 | PQ 35 Ost 63729[30] 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Maloarkhangelsk | 80 | 2 August 1943 | 04:41 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 54821[35] 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Bolkhov |
| 68 | 5 July 1943 | 15:55 | Boston | PQ 35 Ost 63633[30] 35 km (22 mi) east-northeast of Maloarkhangelsk | 81 | 2 August 1943 | 14:37 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 53479[35] 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Dmitrovsk |
| 69 | 6 July 1943 | 07:35 | Yak-1?[Note 3] | PQ 35 Ost 63577[30] 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk | 82 | 2 August 1943 | 19:20 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 53631[38] 40 km (25 mi) west-northwest of Maloarkhangelsk |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[39]
- Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 10 November 1941 as Leutnant and pilot[40]
- German Cross in Gold on 2 July 1942 as Oberleutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 54[41]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 December 1942 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54[42][Note 4]
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
External links
- "Aces of the Luftwaffe". Hans Götz. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
