With the Head of a Rooster

Text: Jan Bobek

Illustration: Martin Novotný

Cat. No. 82114

The painting related to this kit is one of those I have a personal connection with, and for several reasons. First and foremost, its author was my late friend and excellent painter, Martin Novotný. I had the opportunity to work with him many times on aircraft profiles for the aviation magazine REVI. Martin had a great sense for technical detail and an understanding of how combat aircraft operated, which allowed him to bring even a simple profile view to life, something few illustrators can achieve. Sometime in the late 1990s, or just after 2000, I prepared research materials for a Martin's box art tied to the upcoming 1/48 scale Bf 109 F-4 kit. The subject was Hans “Assi” Hahn’s Bf 109 from the autumn of 1941.

You can judge for yourself how well he managed to capture it. Personally, I like it very much, it beautifully conveys the dynamics of aerial combat, where at high speeds, life and death are decided in fractions of a second.

In 2002, the now late American researcher Jerry Crandall published the book Major Hans “Assi” Hahn, The Man and His Machines. It was illustrated by Thomas A. Tullis, and I can warmly recommend it to anyone interested in Luftwaffe fighters and pilots. I also contributed a small part to the book myself. The lion’s share of the support, however, was done by Jerry’s wife Judy and especially Mrs. Gisela Hahn, the widow of Hans Hahn, who passed away in 1982 at the age of 68.

I met Mrs. Gisela Hahn somewhat unexpectedly, when my friends and I visited former night fighter pilot Wolfgang Falck in Tyrol. Mr. Falck had been kind enough to help me many times in correspondence, sharing memories about former Luftwaffe pilots and wartime events that concerned them. When I arrived on the agreed date, Mr. Falck was unfortunately in the hospital. However, I had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Gisela Hahn in person and to reflect on the fate that had befallen both her and Mr. Falck. They had each lost their life partners, and through this shared loss, they eventually set out together on a new journey in life.

The painting created by Martin Novotný was stored in Eduard’s archive, and as sometimes happens, the kit project was delayed. When the kit was finally ready, it was already 2016. Martin was no longer with us, and Eduard’s team had to make adjustments to the painting. In Jerry’s book, previously unknown photos of Hahn’s Bf 109 F-4 rudder had surfaced, showing the victory markings clearly. In Martin’s original artwork, the rudder was painted only in yellow, as I did not have those photos available when preparing the references.

Someone from Eduard’s team, I unfortunately can’t recall who, added the victory markings to Martin’s painting, and it’s in this version that you’ve been seeing it on the box since 2016. I think that even though it was created some twelve years earlier, it still looks captivating.

The kit’s decal sheet features 50 aerial victories, corresponding to “Assi” Hahn’s score from October 1941. Period photos show the aircraft with 45 or 46 victory symbols on the rudder, so those seeking greater authenticity can adjust decal accordingly with a scalpel.

Hptm. Hahn assumed command of III./JG “Richthofen” at the end of October 1940 and led the unit for two years. The emblem of his unit became the head of a rooster, a nod to his surname (Hahn, German for rooster). His score in air combat over Western Europe stopped at 66 victories. He then took command of II./JG 54 “Grünherz” on the Eastern Front, where his combat career eventually ended in Soviet captivity.

Hahn’s III./JG 2 began re-equipping with Bf 109 F fighters in the spring of 1941, simultaneously relocating to Rocquancourt airfield near Caen. The older Bf 109 E versions were gradually phased out by June.

During 1941, Hahn’s unit achieved 165 victories, 27 of which were credited to “Assi” Hahn. The vast majority of aircraft shot down were, of course, Spitfires, with a smaller number of Hurricanes, and occasionally the unit encountered Blenheims, Lysanders, and Whirlwinds. In the same period, III./JG 2 lost 31 pilots who were killed, went missing, were captured, or seriously wounded. The unit wrote off 33 aircraft that were completely destroyed or severely damaged, and another 25 were lightly or moderately damaged but repairable.

Most of these victories and losses occurred over continental Europe during RAF Circus operations. The German pilots, often outnumbered, used their defensive advantage, usually attacking under favorable conditions and often avoiding combat if the tactical situation did not favor them. Considering these losses, RAF fighter pilots proved to be more than capable opponents.