Anton Hafner

Anton Hafner

Anton Hafner
Nickname(s) Toni
Born (1918-06-02)2 June 1918
Erbach an der Donau
Died 17 October 1944(1944-10-17) (aged 26)
near Gumbinnen, East Prussia
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1940–44
Rank Oberleutnant
Unit JG 51
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Anton "Toni" Hafner (born 2 June 1918 − killed in action 17 October 1944 on the Eastern Front) was a German fighter ace in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

World War II

Five men all wearing military uniforms and decorations standing in row. The man on the far right is shaking hands with another man whose back is facing the camera. Another man is standing behind the men shaking hands.
Alfred Grislawski, Emil Lang, Günther Schack, Otto Kittel and Hafner receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring at the Berghof, Obersalzberg on 5 May 1944. Hafner is shaking Hitler's hand.

On 18 December 1942 Hafner was on a bomber intercept mission. While approaching the bomber formation they engaged the escorting P-38 Lightning fighter escort. In the ensuing dog fight Hafner flamed the left engine of a P-38. The pilot, Norman L. Widen of the 94th Fighter Squadron,[1] bailed out and was taken prisoner of war and brought to Hafner's airfield. After Hafner landed, Widen presented Hafner his silver pilot insignia. Before Widen was taken to the POW camp, Hafner and Widen promised to meet again after the war. Hafner sent the gift to his brother, Alfons Hafner, with the request to return the gifts together with a medal and picture of Anton Hafner in case of Anton Hafner getting killed in action. In 1960 Alfons Hafner managed to contact Major Widen via the US Airforce to fulfil his brother's will.[2] [3] On 15 October 1943, Hafner was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 56th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[4]

On 16 October 1944, Hafner destroyed four fighters thus taking him past the double century mark. Hafner's 204th and last victory was a Soviet Yak-7 fighter on 17 October 1944. During the dogfight his Bf 109 G-6 hit a tree and crashed killing Hafner, the highest scoring pilot of JG 51 "Mölders.[5]

Hafner was credited with 204 victories in 795 combat missions. He claimed 184 victories over the Eastern Front. Of his 20 victories claimed over the Western Front, eight were P-38 two engine fighters. Among his claims are 55 Il-2 Sturmoviks.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Axis History Forum
  2. ↑ and pictures of Widen captured; several later appeared in the German Propaganda English Language magazine Signal.]]
  3. ↑ Life Magazine April 14, 1961
  4. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  5. ↑ Weal 2001, p.92.
  6. 1 2 Thomas 1998, p. 237.
  7. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 65.
  8. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 159.
  9. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 360.
  10. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 210.
  11. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 81.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 
  • Weal, John (2001). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-084-1. 
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/21/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.