Friedrich Haas Explained

Friedrich Haas
Birth Date:	20 January 1924
Serviceyears:	1943–1945
Rank:	Leutnant (second lieutenant)
Battles:	World War II Eastern Front
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Posthumous

Friedrich Haas (20 January 1924 – 9 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace from Dillenburg/Hesse, Germany and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Friedrich Haas was credited with 74 aerial victories all over the Eastern Front (World War II). Haas was shot down and killed in 1945 over Vienna, Austria.

Career

Haas was posted to 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in late 1943. He flew on 385 combat missions,^[1] scoring 74 kills over the subsequent year and a half.^[2] Haas' squadron was often outnumbered and short on fuel at this late stage of the war.^[3]

On 10 July, Haas made an emergency landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 163574—factory number) west of Stryi and sustained injuries.

Squadron leader and death

On 1 February 1945, Haas succeeded Hauptmann Erich Hartmann as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 52. On 1 March, this Staffel was renamed and became the 5. Staffel of JG 52. At the same time, the former 5. Staffel was also renamed and became the 6. Staffel. At the time, II. Gruppe was based at Veszprém in Hungary.

Haas was shot down over Vienna on 9 April 1945 and, though he managed to bail out from his Bf 109 G at low altitude, he struck the vertical stabilizer and fell to his death. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) in April. Haas was succeeded by Leutnant Paul Linxen as commander of 5. Staffel. He is buried in Oberwölbling, Austria.^[1]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Barbas, Obermaier and Spick, Haas was credited with 74 aerial victories claimed in 385 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 50 aerial victory claims recorded on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 66671". The Luftwaffe grid map (German: 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 360sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3x in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories

Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — December 1943
1	6 December 1943	10:33	Yak-1	northwest of Cape Tusla	2	29 December 1943	12:35	P-39	southeast of Kerch
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944
3	3 January 1944	08:26	P-39	PQ 66671 east of Kerch	27	30 May 1944	14:53	P-39	vicinity of Huși 8km (05miles) north of Iași
4	12 January 1944	06:55	P-39	vicinity of Cape Tarchan Adshim-Uschkai	28	31 May 1944	06:41	Il-2	PQ 78681 20km (10miles) northeast of Iași
5	1 February 1944	14:58	P-39	vicinity of Cape Khroni vicinity of Cape Khroni	29	31 May 1944	06:53	Il-2	vicinity of Iași 10km (10miles) south of Iași
6	7 April 1944	11:38	Yak-7	PQ 37892 20km (10miles) southeast of Perekop	30	31 May 1944	10:37	Il-2	vicinity of Iași 10km (10miles) south of Iași
7	15 April 1944	06:41	Il-2	PQ 35481 15km (09miles) southeast of Sevastopol	31	1 June 1944	13:36	P-39	vicinity of Iași 10km (10miles) south of Iași
8	15 April 1944	06:43	Yak-7	PQ 35483 15km (09miles) southeast of Sevastopol	32	2 June 1944	08:42	P-39	vicinity of Iași 10km (10miles) south of Iași
9	15 April 1944	15:20	Il-2	PQ 35391 Black Sea, southwest of Sevastopol	33	2 June 1944	15:41	Yak-7	vicinity of Iași 10km (10miles) south of Iași
10	18 April 1944	10:38	Il-2	PQ 35444 vicinity of Sevastopol	34	3 June 1944	18:38	P-39	vicinity of Cârpiţi 15km (09miles) north of Iași
11	19 April 1944	17:23	Yak-7	vicinity of Dzhankoi 15km (09miles) east of Sevastopol	35	4 June 1944	12:41	Boston	vicinity of Abony
12	27 April 1944	17:52	P-39	PQ 35483 15km (09miles) southeast of Sevastopol	36	16 October 1944	16:07	Yak-11	PQ 18891 10km (10miles) northwest of Oradea
13	4 May 1944	07:45	Yak-7	PQ 35363 Black Sea, 10km (10miles) west of Sevastopol	37	18 October 1944	12:03	Yak-11	PQ 18814 35km (22miles) south of Debrecen
14	4 May 1944	07:48	Yak-9	vicinity of Belbek Black Sea, 15km (09miles) northwest of Sevastopol	38	19 October 1944	10:21	La-5	PQ 18444 15km (09miles) south-southwest of Debrecen
15	6 May 1944	13:22	Il-2	vicinity of Belbek vicinity of Sevastopol	39	30 October 1944	14:09	La-5	PQ 08765 20km (10miles) east of Szolnok
16	6 May 1944	13:25	Yak-7	vicinity of Dzhankoi 15km (09miles) east of Sevastopol	40	1 November 1944	10:21	Yak-9	PQ 97263 east of Kecskemét
17♠	7 May 1944	09:32	Yak-7	vicinity of Balaklava 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	41	23 November 1944	08:38	Yak-9	PQ 98436 vicinity of Atkár
18♠	7 May 1944	09:36	Il-2	vicinity of Balaklava 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	42	23 November 1944	11:46	Il-2	PQ 8174 30km (20miles) south-southeast of Miskolc
19♠	7 May 1944	09:37?	Il-2	PQ 35471 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	43	5 December 1944	08:57	Yak-9	PQ 98445 west of Tura
20♠	7 May 1944	15:14	Yak-7	PQ 35612 Black Sea, 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	44	5 December 1944	09:00	Il-2	PQ 98454 20km (10miles) southwest of Gyöngyös
21♠	7 May 1944	15:20	P-40	PQ 35453 15km (09miles) east of Sevastopol	45	11 December 1944	09:58	Yak-9	PQ 98354
22	8 May 1944	10:46	Yak-7	vicinity of Balaklava Black Sea, 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	46	11 December 1944	10:03	Yak-9	PQ 98355 30km (20miles) north-northeast of Budapest
23	8 May 1944	10:55	Yak-7	PQ 35392 Black Sea, southwest of Sevastopol	47	20 December 1944	09:08	Yak-9	PQ 88848 vicinity of Seregélyes
24	9 May 1944	11:33	Yak-7	PQ 35471 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	48	20 December 1944	09:11	Yak-9	PQ 87211 15km (09miles) northwest of Dunaújváros
25	9 May 1944	14:12	Yak-7	vicinity of Balaklava 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol	49	21 December 1944	13:14	Yak-9	PQ 88844 vicinity of Seregélyes
26	29 May 1944	08:43	Pe-2	PQ 87254 15km (09miles) south-southwest of Kishinev	50	21 December 1944	13:14	Yak-9	PQ 88844 vicinity of Seregélyes

Awards

German Cross in Gold on 26 July 1944 as Unteroffizier in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 April 1945 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52

References

Bibliography

Book: Barbas , Bernd . 2005 . Die Geschichte der II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 . The History of 2nd Group of Fighter Wing 52 . de . 978-3-923457-71-7.
Web site: Bergström . Christer .
sv:Christer Bergström
. Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat . Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website . 6 April 2022 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20181222042030/http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/bc-rs/planquadrat.htm . 22 December 2018 . dead.
Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer .
de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
. 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 . de . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.
Book: Mathews . Andrew Johannes . Foreman . John . 2015 . Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L . Walton on Thames . Red Kite . 978-1-906592-19-6.
Book: Mitcham , Samuel W. Jr. . 2021 . The Death of Hitler's War Machine . Manhattan, New York City . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-68451-138-9 . 22 October 2021.
Book: Obermaier , Ernst . 1989 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945 . de . Mainz, Germany . Verlag Dieter Hoffmann . 978-3-87341-065-7.
Book: 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 . de . Norderstedt, Germany . Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall . 978-3-931533-45-8.
Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2012 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943 . de . Eutin, Germany . Buchverlag Rogge . 978-3-942943-05-5.
Book: 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 . de . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.
Book: Schreier , Hans . 1990 . JG 52 Das erfolgreichste Jagdgeschwader des 2. Weltkriegs . JG 52 The Most Successful Fighter Wing of World War II . de . Berg am See . K. Vowinckel . 978-3-921655-66-5.
Book: Spick , Mike . 1996 . Luftwaffe Fighter Aces . New York . . 978-0-8041-1696-1 . registration .
Book: Weal , John . 2004 . Jagdgeschwader 52: The Experten . Aviation Elite Units . 15 . Oxford, UK . . 978-1-84176-786-4.
Book: Weal , John . 2007 . More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front . Aircraft of the Aces . 76 . Oxford, UK . . 978-1-84603-177-9.

Notes and References

Web site: deZeng IV . Henry L. . Stankey . Douglas G. . Career Summaries - Luftwaffe Officers 1935 - 1945 . ww2.dk . Michael Holm . 23 October 2021.
Book: Jacobs . Peter . Aces of the Luftwaffe: The Jagdflieger in the Second World War . 2014 . Frontline Books . United Kingdom . 978-1848326897 . 22 October 2021.
Book: Spick . Mike . Aces of the Reich: The Making of a Luftwaffe Pilot . 24 March 2006 . Greenhill Books . London . 978-1853676758 . 22 October 2021.