Strana 45
Hptm. Hans Hahn, CO of III./JG 2, Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France, July 1941
WNr. 8239, Lt. Hans Strelow, 5./JG 51, Bryansk, the Soviet Union, March 1942
Hans “Assi” Hahn, a fighter ace and recipient
of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, led the
4./JG 2 from December 1939 and the III./JG 2 from
October 29, 1940. A total of 31 victory symbols
on the tail of his aircraft were tied to Hahn’s
operations on the Western Front. His 31st victory
was achieved on July 10, 1941, near Saint-Omer,
when he shot down two Spitfires. Beginning
on November 1, 1942, he took command of
II./JG 54 and led this Gruppe until February 21,
1943, when he was shot down and captured
by Soviet forces. Hahn was not released from
captivity until 1950, during which he wrote
a book about his experiences in prison titled
Ich spreche die Wahrheit! (I speak the truth!).
Before his capture, he achieved 108 victories,
66 of which were on the Western Front.
The rooster’s head painted on his aircraft
symbolized the III. Gruppe JG 2’s staff planes
and was derived from Hahn’s surname, as “Hahn”
means rooster in German. Hans Hahn passed
away in 1982, and his wife later remarried the
night fighter pilot Wolfgang Falck.
Hans Strelow was born on March 26, 1922,
in Berlin. In 1939, he voluntarily joined the
Luftwaffe. After completing training in February
1941, he was assigned to 5./JG 51. From the start
of Operation Barbarossa, he flew on the Eastern
Front. He achieved his first aerial victory on
June 25, 1941. In January 1942, he was appointed
Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51. On March 24, 1942,
he became the youngest recipient of the
Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves. His “Black 10”
was painted with white on the upper surfaces
during the winter period. The JG 51 insignia
was displayed on both sides of the nose.
The yellow band behind the cross and the yellow
wingtips were identification markings used on
the Eastern Front. The victories he achieved
were marked on the left side of the tail. On May
22, 1942, Hans Strelow was shot down by a Pe-2
crew and forced to make an emergency landing
behind Soviet lines. Fearing capture by the Red
Army, he conducted suicide by shooting himself
in his head.
KITS 01/2025
INFO Eduard
45
January 2025