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Heinz Hackler
Heinrich "Heinz" Hackler (14 December 1918 – 1 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Hackler was listed as missing in action near Antwerp, Belgium after being hit by Allied flak during Operation Bodenplatte. Depending on source, Hackler was credited with 56 or 67 aerial victories.
Hackler was born on 14 December 1918 in Siegen, at the time in the Province of Westphalia of the Weimar Republic. Following flight training, he was posted to the 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in early 1941. At the time, 8. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Kurt Ubben. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 77 which was headed by Major Alexander von Winterfeldt.
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In preparation for Operation Marita, the German invasion of Greece, III. Gruppe of JG 77 was moved to Deta in western Romania on 4 April 1941 and to Korinos on 19 April. That day, Hackler claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Hawker Hurricane fighter near Larissa.
In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, III. Gruppe was moved to Bucharest and was located in the sector of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South). III. Gruppe arrived in Bucharest on 16 June. Four days later, III. Gruppe moved to Roman.
On 25 September 1941, Hackler claimed his fifth aerial victory, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter in the combat area near Perekop. The next day, he became an "ace-in-a-day" claiming his aerial victories six through ten. Hackler was credited with shooting down two Polikarpov I-16 fighters, two Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft and a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber. During the fighting along the Isthmus of Perekop on 29 September, Hackler claimed a MiG-3 fighter shot down. On 15 October, while the 11th Army was preparing for the attack on the Crimea Peninsula in what would become the Crimean campaign, Hackler shot down a Pe-2 bomber on mission to Armiansk and Ishun, located approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of Krasnoperekopsk. The next day, he claimed two I-16 fighters in the same combat area. By 27 October, the fighting has moved to the combat area south of Perekop. That day, Hackler claimed a Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 fighter.
On 23 October 1942, the British Eighth Army launched the Second Battle of El Alamein. Preceding this attack, the Luftwaffe had already planned to replace Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing), which had been fighting in North African theater, with JG 77. In preparation for this rotation, III. Gruppe of JG 77 was moved to Munich on 19 October where it was equipped with the Bf 109 G-2/trop. On 23 and 24 October, the Gruppe moved to Bari in southern Italy. The Gruppe then relocated to Tobruk Airfield on 26 October. The following day, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Tanyet-Harun. On 29 March 1943, Hackler claimed a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter shot down 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of Meknassy. In early May 1943, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations and ordered to relocate to Foggia for a brief period of rest and replenishment. Here on 17 May, Hackler was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).
When on 5 April 1944 the commanding officer of 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of JG 77, Oberleutnant Norbert Kestler was killed in action, Hackler was briefly appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) until the arrival of Hauptmann Helmut Goedert. That day, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked the oil refineries at Ploiești with 95 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and 135 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. III. Gruppe flew two missions against the USAAF bombers. On the second mission, Hackler claimed a B-24 bomber shot down. On 1 July, Hackler was officially appointed Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of JG 77. He then succeeded Leutnant Wilhelm Mockel who had temporarily replaced Hauptmann Helmut Goedert after he had been wounded in combat on 31 May. As part of the group expansion from three Staffeln per Gruppe to four Staffeln per Gruppe, Hackler's 8. Staffel was re-designated and became the 11. Staffel of JG 77 on 15 August. Hackler, together with Oberfeldwebel Johann Pichler, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 August 1944.
On 31 December 1944 in preparation for Operation Bodenplatte, the failed attempt to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries, III. Gruppe transferred to Dortmund Airfield. Hackler led a formation of 13 Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 on this flight. While airborne, Hackler received orders to engage a formation of Hawker Tempest fighters sighted near Münster. Near Münster, Hackler's formation came under attack from Spitfire fighters, losing three Bf 109s shot down, two pilots killed in action and one severely wounded.
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Heinz Hackler
Heinrich "Heinz" Hackler (14 December 1918 – 1 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Hackler was listed as missing in action near Antwerp, Belgium after being hit by Allied flak during Operation Bodenplatte. Depending on source, Hackler was credited with 56 or 67 aerial victories.
Hackler was born on 14 December 1918 in Siegen, at the time in the Province of Westphalia of the Weimar Republic. Following flight training, he was posted to the 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in early 1941. At the time, 8. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Kurt Ubben. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 77 which was headed by Major Alexander von Winterfeldt.
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In preparation for Operation Marita, the German invasion of Greece, III. Gruppe of JG 77 was moved to Deta in western Romania on 4 April 1941 and to Korinos on 19 April. That day, Hackler claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Hawker Hurricane fighter near Larissa.
In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, III. Gruppe was moved to Bucharest and was located in the sector of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South). III. Gruppe arrived in Bucharest on 16 June. Four days later, III. Gruppe moved to Roman.
On 25 September 1941, Hackler claimed his fifth aerial victory, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter in the combat area near Perekop. The next day, he became an "ace-in-a-day" claiming his aerial victories six through ten. Hackler was credited with shooting down two Polikarpov I-16 fighters, two Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft and a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber. During the fighting along the Isthmus of Perekop on 29 September, Hackler claimed a MiG-3 fighter shot down. On 15 October, while the 11th Army was preparing for the attack on the Crimea Peninsula in what would become the Crimean campaign, Hackler shot down a Pe-2 bomber on mission to Armiansk and Ishun, located approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of Krasnoperekopsk. The next day, he claimed two I-16 fighters in the same combat area. By 27 October, the fighting has moved to the combat area south of Perekop. That day, Hackler claimed a Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 fighter.
On 23 October 1942, the British Eighth Army launched the Second Battle of El Alamein. Preceding this attack, the Luftwaffe had already planned to replace Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing), which had been fighting in North African theater, with JG 77. In preparation for this rotation, III. Gruppe of JG 77 was moved to Munich on 19 October where it was equipped with the Bf 109 G-2/trop. On 23 and 24 October, the Gruppe moved to Bari in southern Italy. The Gruppe then relocated to Tobruk Airfield on 26 October. The following day, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Tanyet-Harun. On 29 March 1943, Hackler claimed a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter shot down 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of Meknassy. In early May 1943, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations and ordered to relocate to Foggia for a brief period of rest and replenishment. Here on 17 May, Hackler was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).
When on 5 April 1944 the commanding officer of 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of JG 77, Oberleutnant Norbert Kestler was killed in action, Hackler was briefly appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) until the arrival of Hauptmann Helmut Goedert. That day, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked the oil refineries at Ploiești with 95 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and 135 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. III. Gruppe flew two missions against the USAAF bombers. On the second mission, Hackler claimed a B-24 bomber shot down. On 1 July, Hackler was officially appointed Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of JG 77. He then succeeded Leutnant Wilhelm Mockel who had temporarily replaced Hauptmann Helmut Goedert after he had been wounded in combat on 31 May. As part of the group expansion from three Staffeln per Gruppe to four Staffeln per Gruppe, Hackler's 8. Staffel was re-designated and became the 11. Staffel of JG 77 on 15 August. Hackler, together with Oberfeldwebel Johann Pichler, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 August 1944.
On 31 December 1944 in preparation for Operation Bodenplatte, the failed attempt to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries, III. Gruppe transferred to Dortmund Airfield. Hackler led a formation of 13 Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 on this flight. While airborne, Hackler received orders to engage a formation of Hawker Tempest fighters sighted near Münster. Near Münster, Hackler's formation came under attack from Spitfire fighters, losing three Bf 109s shot down, two pilots killed in action and one severely wounded.