Hans-Ekkehard Bob Explained

Hans-Ekkehard Bob
Birth Date:	24 January 1917
Birth Place:	Freiburg, Breisgau
Death Date:	12 August 2013 (aged 96)
Death Place:	Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Serviceyears:	1936–45
Rank:	Major
Commands:	IV./JG 51, II./JG 3, II./EJG 2
Unit:	JG 54, JG 51, JG 3, EJG 2, JV 44
Battles:	World War II
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Laterwork:	Founder and Chairman of Bohrmaschinen und Geräte GmbH (drilling equipment)
Relations:	Elmar Bob (son)

Hans Ekkehard Bob (24 January 1917 – 12 August 2013) was a Nazi German fighter pilot, serving with the Luftwaffe. During World War II, Bob flew approximately 700 combat missions, and claimed 60 victories; 37 of which were on the Eastern Front.

Early Luftwaffe

Bob joined the Luftwaffe in 1936, at the rank of a Fahnenjunker (officer candidate), and began his flight training in June 1937.

World War II

On 22 June 1940, I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 21 (JG 21–21st Fighter Wing) was withdrawn from France and moved to München Gladbach, present-day Mönchengladbach. The following day the Gruppe was ordered to Soesterberg in the Netherlands. On 2 July, the unit moved to Bergen op Zoom. Three days later I. Gruppe of JG 21 was renamed and became the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54–54th Fighter Wing).

On 5 September, Bob was temporarily appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel of JG 54, replacing Oberleutnant Günther Scholz. Scholz was temporarily transferred to the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) of III. Gruppe of JG 54. There, Scholz succeeded Hauptmann Fritz Ultsch who had been killed in action. On 15 September, also known as the Battle of Britain Day, Bob's Messerschmitt Bf 109 was hit by cannon shell in the radiator while flying over Canterbury at an altitude of 12000abbr=offNaNabbr=off. Fearing that his engine would overheat, he nursed his Bf 109 back to France by periodically turning his engine off, trading altitude for distance, thus cooling the engine before restarting it to gain altitude again. By November 1940, Bob had claimed his 19th aerial victory, and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 7 March 1941. On 21 March, Bob made a forced landing in the sea off of Cherbourg due to engine failure of the Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann D-2 (Werknummer 4506—factory number) trainer.

On 17 April 1943, Bob had a mid-air collision with a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber southwest of Bremen. He successfully bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 14935) and landed safely. On 1 August, Bob was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" (JG 51–51st Fighter Wing). He replaced Major Rudolf Resch who had been killed in action on 11 July. At the time. IV. Gruppe was fighting in the Battle of Kursk on the Eastern Front.

On 8 May 1944, Bob was transferred to the Stab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3–3rd Fighter Wing), named after the World War I fighter ace Ernst Udet Command of his IV. Gruppe of JG 51 was passed to Major Heinz Lange. When on 29 May 1944, the wing commander JG 3, Major Friedrich-Karl Müller was killed in action, Bob was temporarily placed in command of JG 3 until the official successor, Major Heinz Bär, took command on 9 June. Bob was then given command of IV. Gruppe of JG 3, replacing Hauptmann Gustav Frielinghaus in this capacity.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Bob was credited with 60 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 57 aerial victory claims, plus four further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 37 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and another 20 on the Western Front, including one heavy bomber.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10191". 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
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 21 – Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1	10 May 1940	10:33	Gladiator	Tongeren	3	25 May 1940	19:45	M.S.406	north of Cambrai Péronne-en-Mélantois
2	24 May 1940	15:20	D.520	Hénin-Liétard	4	26 May 1940	09:10	Hawk 75	Cambrai
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 21 – Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June – 4 July 1940
5	26 June 1940	18:10	Blenheim	60km (40miles) west of Rotterdam
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Action at the Channel and over England — 5 July – 4 September 1940
6	12 August 1940	18:33	Spitfire	Canterbury	10	31 August 1940	11:40	Hurricane	Eastchurch
7	15 August 1940	19:27	Spitfire	southeast of Dover	11	31 August 1940	11:42	Hurricane	Eastchurch
8	16 August 1940	13:13	Spitfire	Calais	12?	4 September 1940	10:10	Hurricane	Folkestone
9	18 August 1940	14:40	Hurricane	10km (10miles) off Ramsgate	13?	9 September 1940	18:40	Spitfire	Tunbridge
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Action at the Channel and over England — 5 September – October 1940
14	30 September 1940	14:35	Spitfire	Tunbridge	16	9 October 1940	16:38?	Spitfire	Chatham
	30 September 1940		Spitfire		17	20 October 1940	15:40	Spitfire	London
15	9 October 1940	14:00	Spitfire	Ashford
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Action at the Channel and over England — October – November 1940
18	27 October 1940	10:30	Hurricane	10abbr=onNaNabbr=on east of Tonbridge	19	11 November 1940	13:17	Spitfire	Margate
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Balkan Campaign — 29 March – 3 May 1941
20	6 April 1941	17:30	Bf 109	Petrovgrad	21	7 April 1941	14:20	IK-2	Martinac
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
22	23 June 1941	11:50	SB-2	Kėdainiai	31	24 July 1941	19:55	SB-2	Duo
23	30 June 1941	07:05	SB-3	Dünaburg Kėdainiai	32	10 September 1941	14:50	I-18 (MiG-1)	Demyansk
24	30 June 1941	07:09	SB-3	Dünaburg	33	11 September 1941	09:45	I-18 (MiG-1)	Demyansk
25	30 June 1941	12:35	SB-3	Dünaburg	34	15 September 1941	15:15	DB-3	Krasnoye Selo
26	30 June 1941	15:10	DB-3?	Dünaburg	35	15 September 1941	15:25	DB-3	Krasnoye Selo
27	6 July 1941	18:40	SB-3	southeast of Ostrov	36	21 September 1941	07:05	I-153	Krasnogwardeisk
28	6 July 1941	18:41	SB-3	southeast of Ostrov	37	7 October 1941	09:40	ground-attack aircraft	Krasny Bor
29	6 July 1941	18:45	SB-3	southeast of Ostrov	38	6 November 1941	10:37	ground-attack aircraft	Kolpino
30	15 July 1941	19:15	SB-3	Orly	39	1 December 1941	09:42	I-18 (MiG-1)	Mostowaja
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
40	25 April 1942	11:30	MiG-3	Leningrad
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
41	28 August 1942	11:30	Il-2	PQ 10191, Kilosi	49	22 September 1942	05:35	MiG-3	PQ 10354, Beresowka
42	1 September 1942	09:26	LaGG-3	PQ 10191, Kilosi	50	29 September 1942	16:08	LaGG-3	PQ 00231, Neva-Bend
43	1 September 1942	12:10	LaGG-3	PQ 10153, Rabetschj	51	17 December 1942	10:51	Il-2	PQ 46131, Sychyovka
44	2 September 1942	13:50	Il-2	PQ 10183, Estonskij	52	17 December 1942	11:23	Il-2	PQ 47791, Sychyovka
45	2 September 1942	14:00	Il-2	PQ 10184, Gaitolowo east of Mga	53	29 December 1942	09:52	Il-2	PQ 07583, Koskino
46	10 September 1942	17:04	Il-2	PQ 10183, Tortolowo	54	30 December 1942	09:55	Il-2	PQ 07672, Velikiye Luki 10abbr=onNaNabbr=on southeast of Velikiye Luki
47	15 September 1942	06:02	LaGG-3	PQ 10113 Schlüsselburg	55	30 December 1942	10:12	LaGG-3	PQ 07534, Velikiye Luki 40abbr=onNaNabbr=on north of Velikiye Luki
48	15 September 1942	15:20	LaGG-3	PQ 10113, Schlüsselburg	56	14 January 1943	11:37	LaGG-3	PQ 07671, Velikiye Luki 10abbr=onNaNabbr=on southeast of Velikiye Luki
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Western Front — 27 March – 1 August 1943
?	17 April 1943	12:45	B-17	near Groß Köhren	57	27 July 1943	20:20	Spitfire	20abbr=onNaNabbr=on west of Zandvoort
– Stab IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" – Eastern Front — 1 August – 31 December 1943
58	26 September 1943	16:37	Yak-1	south of Jantschetznok	59	27 September 1943	13:32	La-5	east-northeast of Ssusslowka

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 September 1939)
  • 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (28 September 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 24 December 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 54
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 March 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 54

Publications

• Bob, Hans-Ekkehard (2003). Betrayed Ideals, Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Ace. Cerberus Publishing Ltd. .
• Bob, Hans-Ekkehard (2011). Jagdgeschwader 54 — Die Piloten mit den grünen Herzen (in German). Aachen, Germany: Helios Verlags- und Buchvertriebsgesellschaft. .

References

Bibliography

• Book: Aders . Gebhard . Held . Werner . 1993 . Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente . Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle – Reports – Experiences – Documents . de . Stuttgart, Germany . Motorbuch Verlag . 978-3-613-01045-1.
• Web site: Bergström . Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat . Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website . 9 October 2023 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20181222042030/http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/bc-rs/planquadrat.htm . 22 December 2018 . dead.
• Book: Bergström , Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . 2007 . Hans-Ekkehard Bob Ace Profiles Number 1 — The Men and Their Aircraft . Crowborough . Air Power Editions . 978-0-9555977-1-8.
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• Forsyth, Robert (1996). JV 44: The Galland Circus. Classic Publications. .
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• Book: Obermaier , Ernst . 1989 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945 . German . Mainz, Germany . Verlag Dieter Hoffmann . 978-3-87341-065-7.
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• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2000 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 . Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-61-8.
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• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2003a . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-68-7.
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