Hans Waldmann (fighter pilot) explained

Hans Waldmann
Birth Date:24 September 1922
Birth Place:Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Weimar Republic
Death Place:near Schwarzenbek, Free State of Prussia, Nazi Germany
Placeofburial:Military cemetery at Kaltenkirchen
Nickname:Dackel
Serviceyears:1940–1945
Rank:Oberleutnant
Commands:3./JG 7, 4./JG 52
Unit:JG 3, JG 7, JG 52
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hans Peter Waldmann (24 September 1922 – 18 March 1945) was a German Luftwaffe (Air Force) fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Waldmann received the award after he had shot down 85 enemy aircraft. In total, he was credited with 134 aerial victories accumulated in 527 combat missions.

Born in Braunschweig, Waldmann volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe in 1940. After training at various pilot and fighter-pilot schools, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing), operating on the Eastern Front, in August 1942. Here Waldmann fought in the aerial battles over Stalingrad, the Caucasus, the Black Sea, and the Crimea. He was credited with 84 aerial victories before briefly being transferred to the Western Front, where he was credited with one aerial victory. Back on the Eastern Front, Waldmann accumulated further victories, bringing his score to 125 victories by end of May 1944. He then fought in the skies over France after the Western Allied Invasion of Normandy, claiming seven aerial victories, before converting to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in late 1944. Flying the Me 262, Waldmann shot down two North American P-51 Mustangs on 22 February 1945 before being killed in a mid-air collision with one of his squadron members on 18 March 1945 near Schwarzenbek, Holstein.

Childhood, education and early career

Waldmann was born in Braunschweig in the Free State of Brunswick on 24 September 1922. He was the second son of Ludwig Waldmann, a bank manager, and his wife Maria. Waldmann had an older brother Paul. In 1928 he attended the Volksschule, a primary school, in the Comenius-Street.[1] Over Easter in 1932 he transferred to the humanities-oriented secondary school Wilhelm-Gymnasium.

In 1938, Waldmann applied for a career as an officer in the Luftwaffe for the first time. Travelling to Berlin, he was deemed suitable but at the age of 16 was too young to volunteer for military service. After the outbreak of World War II, while still at school, Waldmann and his fellow students were forced into compulsory labour service (Reichsarbeitsdienst). Waldmann was assigned to the Brunswick Mechanical Engineering Institute.[2] Since Waldmann had intended to study aircraft construction after his military service, he was reassigned to the Institute of Aeronautical Metrology and Flight Meteorology at the Braunschweig-Waggum airfield under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Heinrich Koppe.[3]

At the end of March 1940, Waldmann graduated from school with his Abitur (diploma). After this he was accepted into the Luftwaffe, two years after his initial application. Commencing in July 1940, he undertook 12 weeks of basic military training with Fliegerausbildungsregiment 72 (72nd Flight Training Regiment) at Fels am Wagram in Austria. Upon completion, Waldmann was transferred to the Flugzeugführerschule A/B 72 (flight school for the pilot license) at Markersdorf near Sankt Pölten in early October 1940. Eight days later his training group returned to Fels am Wagram because Markersdorf was overcrowded with other flight courses. Thus flight training started on the improvised airfield without hangars at Fels am Wagram. His first familiarisation flight was on 16 October 1940, in a Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" biplane marked "VTAF". Waldmann logged his first solo flight on 13 November 1940 at 09:17 in a Bü 131 "CGNL", landing again after six minutes of flight time. His training group returned to Markersdorf in February 1941. From here, he conducted his first cross-country flights on the Bü 131 "Jungmann" as well as the Focke-Wulf Fw 44 "Stieglitz". The majority of the cross-country flights were flown on the Gotha Go 145. From 4 April to 28 April 1941 he made the round trip from Markersdorf to Pocking, Nürnberg, Ettingshausen, Ingolstadt, Zwickau, Hildesheim, Braunschweig, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Delmenhorst, Halberstadt and Fürth. At Ettingshausen he received instruction in formation flying and aerobatics.

By August 1941 Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, had been underway for two months, and after completing his A/B flight training at Markersdorf Waldmann was transferred to the Jagdfliegerschule 6 (6th Fighter Pilot School) at Lachen-Speyerdorf near Neustadt an der Weinstraße. He completed the final phase of his fighter pilot training in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, from 3 June to 17 August 1942, before transferring to the front.

World War II

Holding the rank of Unteroffizier, a non-commissioned officer similar in rank to sergeant, on 20 August 1942 Waldmann was tasked with shuttling new Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs from a factory at Krakau to units on the Eastern Front. Along with six other newly trained pilots, he reached Lemberg where the group was scheduled for a stop over. Bad weather closed in and Waldmann was the only one to take off before the group was grounded. Getting away at 17:55, he headed for Proskuriv. The next day he continued his journey to Uman, 230km (140miles) south of Kiev in Ukraine. For the next few days, he was sent back and forth until he finally reached the II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) at Tusow, operating in the combat area of Stalingrad.[4]

On arrival, Waldmann was approached by Hauptmann (Captain) Johannes Steinhoff and asked whether he would like to fly as his wingman. Waldmann then conducted six familiarisation flights on the "Gustav", as the Bf 109 G-2 was referred to, on 30 August 1942. Flying a Bf 109 marked with a black "Chevron-2", indicating an aircraft of the Stab, he flew his first combat mission on 31 August 1942 in the vicinity of Stalingrad. Steinhoff was impressed by his first performance. At the time, Waldmann was still officially assigned to a transfer squadron, but Steinhoff decided to keep him in his Stabs-Schwarm, flight of four. Here his comrades nicknamed Waldmann "Dackel", an allusion to his last name. In German, a "Dackel", or Dachshund, is often named Waldi, a hypocoristic form of Waldmann.

War against the Soviet Union

In September 1942, II. Gruppe was ordered into the Battle of the Caucasus, supporting Army Group South on the front over the Caucasus. Opposing it was the 4th and 5th Air Armies of the Red Air Force. The Gruppe reached an airfield named Gonschtakowka located north-northeast of Mozdok on the Terek on 6 September. There, Waldmann claimed his first aerial victory over a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter.

On 25 September, Waldmann's Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13650—factory number) sustained minor damage in combat, resulting in a forced landing at Maikop. On 17 April 1943, Waldmann received the German Cross in Gold . He made another forced landing on 7 May, this time due to engine failure of his Bf 109 G-4 at Taman. After 84 victories on 1 September 1943, Waldmann was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) and assigned to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (Supplementary Fighter Group East). Here he was credited with the destruction of a B-17 Flying Fortress on 5 January 1944. This victory, his 85th, was actually a separation-shot—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box—which counted as an aerial victory.[5] Waldmann had attacked a 28-aircraft bomber formation and severely damaged the B-17. The aerial-victory commission of Luftflotte 3 also credited the Flak-Regiment 45 of 12th Flak Brigade with this victory. Following this aerial victory, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 5 February 1944. The presentation of the award was announced by the Greater German Radio—the official radio station of the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda—on the evening of 20 February 1944.[6]

In late February 1944 Waldmann was sent back to the Crimean peninsula on the Eastern Front, where he took command of 4./JG 52 (4th Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Wing) as its Staffelkapitän (squadron leader). He succeeded Oberleutnant Heinrich Sturm who had been wounded by bomb debris in an attack on the airfield at Chersonesus at Sevastopol on 16 April. He continued his success, claiming eight aerial victories in March, and 16 in April of which eight were claimed from 5–12 April. On 11 April 1944, he claimed three aerial victories. He was the 70th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. On 4 May 1944, 15 Bf 109s from II. Gruppe intercepted 24 Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft from 8 GShAP (8th Guards Ground-attack Aviation Regiment) and 47 GShAP (47th Ground-attack Aviation Regiment), escorted by 23 fighter aircraft, over the Black Sea. In this encounter, pilots from II. Gruppe claimed six aerial victories, including an Il-2 and a Yakovlev Yak-7 by Waldmann, without sustaining any losses. However, Soviet records only document the loss of three Il-2 and one Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter.

Waldmann became an "ace-in-a-day" on 7 May 1944, claiming six aerial victories over the Sevastopol combat area. Two Staffeln (squadrons) of the II./JG 52 were transferred to Huși at the Prut River on 27 May 1944. Here Waldmann claimed his final four victories on the Eastern Front, taking his total to 125 aerial victories claimed. On 1 June, Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Major Gerhard Barkhorn was ordered to transfer one Staffel to the west in Defence of the Reich. Barkhorn selected Waldmann's 4. Staffel which was officially assigned to the II./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). There, the Staffel was later renamed and became the 8. Staffel of JG 3. At the time, II./JG 3 was under the command of Hauptmann Hans-Ekkehard Bob, and later by Hauptmann Herbert Kutscha.

Invasion of Normandy

The Invasion of Normandy, which started on the early morning of 6 June 1944, was in full swing by the time Waldmann's Staffel arrived in France in early July. The Western Allies were already breaking out of Normandy in what was codenamed Operation Cobra. II./JG 3 "Udet" (2nd Group of the 3rd Fighter Wing) was stationed at Nogent-le-Roi, roughly 50km (30miles) southwest of Paris. The Gruppe was tasked with ground support missions. In one of these missions against the Allied invasion forces, Waldmann claimed to have damaged a P-51 Mustang on 31 July 1944. He was credited with the destruction of numerous trucks during ground support missions over the period of 2–5 August 1944.

Waldmann's claimed his first aerial victory in the west, his 126th in total, over a B-24 Liberator on 6 August 1944. Waldmann had taken off at 11:43 on a free-fighter sweep mission against heavy bombers. His unit spotted a formation of B-24s after 45 minutes flying time. Waldmann attacked and with his first pass at an altitude of 5000m (16,000feet) had hit one of the B-24 between the two starboard engines, which immediately set the bomber on fire. The B-24 was observed to crash 3km (02miles) southeast of Méry. His final tally for August was seven Allied planes, including the B-24, one Auster on 7 August, and five P-47 Thunderbolts (two on 14 August, two on 18 August and one on 19 August). This took his total to 132 aerial victory claims.

Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 and death

On 25 November 1944, II. Gruppe was detached from JG 3. The Gruppe was converted to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 "Stormbird" jet fighter and became the I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), the first operational jet fighter wing. Conversion training was held at Landsberg am Lech and Kaltenkirchen in December 1944. The pilots first learned to fly the Siebel Si 204 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 to familiarize themselves with the characteristics of a twin-engine aircraft. In consequence, Waldmann was transferred to 3./JG 7, now flying the "Stormbird", as its Staffelführer (squadron leader on probation).

Together with his wingman‚ Oberfähnrich Günter Schrey, Waldmann took off at 11:39 on 22 February 1945 from Oranienburg on an offensive counter-air mission against inbound Allied heavy bombers.[7] The Anglo-American attack was codenamed Operation Clarion. About 20 minutes into the flight, roughly 30km (20miles) west of Berlin, they spotted an American P-51 Mustang flying at 7000m (23,000feet). Closing fast, Waldmann shot down the Mustang at 12:02 before proceeding west for Magdeburg. Near Oschersleben they spotted another Mustang at 3800m (12,500feet). Waldmann shot it down at 12:17, achieving his 134th and final aerial victory. The Mustang was observed crashing into a forest 25km (16miles) northeast of the Brocken, the highest peak of the Harz mountain range.

On Sunday, 18 March 1945, the lower cloud ceiling at Kaltenkirchen was less than 600m (2,000feet) and most of the time between 80m-100mm (260feet-300feetm), while the upper cloud ceiling was at 6000m (20,000feet), rendering flight conditions outside the official operational specification for the Me 262. The jet was not fully cleared for instrument flight, mandating a lower cloud ceiling of more than 800m (2,600feet). Major Erich Rudorffer, Gruppenkommandeur of the I./JG 7, was attending a meeting at the Luftgaukommando in Hamburg-Blankenese, when Oberleutnant Hans Grünberg, the most senior officer on duty and Staffelkapitän of the 1st Staffel, received the order from Major Richter, the Ia (operations officer), to engage inbound heavy bombers. Grünberg initially argued that weather conditions prohibited a safe takeoff but Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring intervened and ordered the jets to engage the enemy.

The order resulted in the death of both Waldmann and his wingman Schrey on the following mission. Waldmann was killed following a mid-air collision with Leutnant Hans-Dieter Weihs shortly after takeoff, and Schrey was killed in combat with US fighters. Mindful of the direct order of the Reichsmarschall, Oberleutnant Grünberg (1st Staffel), Oberleutnant Fritz Stehle (2nd Staffel) and Waldmann (3rd Staffel) had decided that each of them would lead a flight of four Me 262s, taking off and flying around for an hour before returning without trying to engage the enemy. Grünberg's Schwarm took off first followed by Stehle's Schwarm. Waldmann chose Weihs, as the most experienced pilot trained in instrument flight, to lead the Schwarm, while Schrey once again served as Waldmann's wingman. Waldmann's Me 262 A-1 "Yellow 3" (Werknummer 117097—factory number) took off at 12:24 and Weihs ordered the Schwarm to form a close formation, flying wing tip to wing tip.

Only three Me 262s took off; Flieger Gerhard Reiher's Me 262 had experienced engine failure. Four minutes into the flight, having travelled roughly 50km (30miles) and flying at less than 800m (2,600feet) above the ground, Weihs' aircraft experienced a heavy blow from below after Waldmann collided with him. His jet in an unrecoverable spin, Weihs bailed out and came down near the Hamburg-Berlin railroad tracks. The airfield at Kaltenkirchen was immediately informed. Waldmann and Schrey were initially believed missing. Waldmann's body was recovered the next day near Schwarzenbek, roughly 1km (01miles) away from the crash site of his Me 262. Apparently he had managed to bail out but failed to deploy his parachute in time, although the injuries sustained during the crash with Weihs' aircraft may have already been fatal as the recovery party found Waldmann with his upper forehead smashed. Schrey was also found dead. He had bailed out with his parachute, but his body was found riddled by machine-gun bullets.

The airmen were buried with full military honours, including a Me 262 flypast, at the cemetery in Kaltenkirchen. Waldmann's successor as Staffelkapitän, Oberleutnant Walter Wagner, accompanied Waldmann's mother from Braunschweig to Kaltenkirchen for the funeral. A number of wreaths were laid on his grave, the largest sent by the Reichsmarschall. Waldmann was recommended for the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, but the recommendation was either not approved or not finalized before the end of the war.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Waldmann was credited with 134 aerial victories. Authors Bracke and Obermaier also list Waldmann with 134 aerial victories, claimed in 527 combat missions, 10 on the Western Front and 124 on the Eastern Front. His tally on the Eastern Front includes five bombers, 86 fighters and 33 Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. On the Western Front he claimed seven fighters, two four-engined bombers and one observation aircraft. He also flew a number of ground attack missions, destroying 33 various vehicles and eight heavy transports. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 131 aerial victory claims, plus seven further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 121 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 10 on the Western Front, including two four-engined bombers and two victories with the Me 262 jet fighter.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 28472". 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
ClaimDateTimeTypeLocationMissionClaimDateTimeTypeLocationMission
– II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
17 September 194208:18LaGG-33km (02miles) north of Makowkin61330 November 194213:10Il-23km (02miles) southwest of Usawijnskij75
7 September 1942I-153141 December 194209:04P-40PQ 39271, eastern bank of Don River76
29 September 194214:09LaGG-38km (05miles) northeast of Makowkin
vicinity of Malgobek
10152 December 194212:17Il-25km (03miles) west of Jelschanka
10km (10miles) south of Stalingrad
77
310 September 194214:06LaGG-310km (10miles) northeast of Wosnessnokaja11168 December 194209:46Yak-15km (03miles) north of Nowy Jereskij
35km (22miles) north of Shutow
78
416 September 194216:21LaGG-315km (09miles) northeast of Kalinowskaja19178 December 194209:59P-40PQ 39491, Nowy-Kut78
518 September 194214:15I-15319km (12miles) northeast of Kalinowskaja218 December 1942Yak-1vicinity of Stalingrad
625 September 194214:15LaGG-3PQ 95763, Tuapse2817 December 1942P-40vicinity of Kotelnikovo
722 October 194210:00I-1535km (03miles) north of Maikop
30km (20miles) north of Tuapse
461818 December 194210:34Yak-16km (04miles) east of Gromoslawka90
830 October 194212:35Yak-12km (01miles) southeast of Lazarevskoye551919 December 194213:16La-51km (01miles) southwest of Haltepunkt 55
45km (28miles) south of Stalingrad
92
92 November 194211:57LaGG-32km (01miles) southeast of Lazarevskoye582022 December 194210:50La-510km (10miles) north of Vasilyevka
20km (10miles) north of Shutow
95
103 November 194211:30Pe-28km (05miles) west of Sochi602128 December 194212:57La-55km (03miles) southwest of Kotelnikovo99
1112 November 194214:10I-1533km (02miles) southwest of Intjuk642214 January 194314:32Il-2PQ 17263, Domskoje108
1228 November 194212:05Il-25km (03miles) southwest of Aleksejewa
south of Bassargeno
732325 January 194311:52La-5PQ 08681, 5km (03miles) southwest of Ssaraiski111
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
2411 February 194308:05I-16PQ 34 Ost 7542, 3km (02miles) south of Novorossiysk1185511 July 194312:00BostonPQ 34 Ost 75492, 8km (05miles) west of Gelendzhik
Black Sea, 10km (10miles) west of Gelendzhik
256
2512 February 194305:59I-153PQ 34 Ost 75424, 4km (02miles) east of Novorossiysk1205621 July 194309:58Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 76832, 3km (02miles) southwest of Anastasiewskaja280
2612 February 194310:06I-153PQ 34 Ost 85273, 10km (10miles) south of Iljskaja
vicinity of Derbentskaja
1215721 July 194316:30Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 65261, 20km (10miles) west of Anapa
Black Sea, west of Anapa
282
2712 February 194310:09I-153PQ 34 Ost 85452, 5km (03miles) southwest of Iljskaja1215822 July 194310:03Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 76894, 6km (04miles) west of Kijewskoje283
2812 February 194314:36I-153PQ 34 Ost 85454, Kobylin1225922 July 194316:24Il-2PQ 34 Ost 76894, 7km (04miles) northwest of Krymskaja285
2913 February 194308:35?I-153PQ 34 Ost 85171, 15km (09miles) east of Krymskaja
vicinity of Usun
1236026 July 194306:16Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75114, 15km (09miles) west of Anapa
Black Sea, 20km (10miles) west-northwest of Anapa
290
3019 February 194312:15Yak-4PQ 34 Ost 85373, 6km (04miles) south of Gelendzhik1336126 July 194306:31Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75392, 10km (10miles) southeast of Cape Utrish
Black Sea, southeast of Anapa
290
3122 February 194311:05I-153PQ 34 Ost 75224, 10km (10miles) southwest of Krymskaja
vicinity of Gretschesk
1386230 July 194306:32Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 75234, 4km (02miles) east of Moldowanskaja
vicinity of Kraskj-Oktjabrj
299
3225 February 194314:58Il-2PQ 34 Ost 86761, 5km (03miles) northeast of Fedorovskaja143634 August 194311:32Il-2 m.H.PQ 35 Ost 61451, 5km (03miles) northeast of Belgorod
15km (09miles) northeast of Belgorod
312
331 March 194315:15LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 76814, 5km (03miles) northeast of Kutschanskaja
vicinity of Kraskj-Oktjabrj
149644 August 194313:47La-5PQ 35 Ost 61274, 12km (07miles) north of Belgorod
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Belgorod
313
3429 April 194313:26?Il-2PQ 34 Ost 85142, 5km (03miles) south of Mingrelskaja151654 August 194314:00La-5PQ 35 Ost 61593, 2km (01miles) south of Shorawtowka313
3530 April 194317:22P-39PQ 34 Ost 75432, 15km (09miles) east of Novorossiysk
vicinity of Achonk
153664 August 194317:18Yak-1PQ 35 Ost 61333, 5km (03miles) northwest of Belgorod
10km (10miles) north of Tomarowka
314
3630 April 194317:28LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 85171, 10km (10miles) southwest of Abinsky
vicinity of Usun
153675 August 194306:56?Yak-1PQ 35 Ost 61382, 4km (02miles) northwest of Orlovka317
373 May 194308:25?P-39PQ 34 Ost 85143, 5km (03miles) west of Abinsky
southeast of Krymsk
158686 August 194310:35La-5PQ 35 Ost 61524, 5km (03miles) east of Schtschetinowskaja323
383 May 194317:02Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75164, 10km (10miles) south of Krymskaja159696 August 194310:52Yak-1PQ 35 Ost 61443, 4km (02miles) northwest of Belgorod323
394 May 194315:08?Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75273, 20km (10miles) west of Novorossiysk161707 August 194309:12?La-5PQ 35 Ost 61594, 3km (02miles) east of Mikojanowka324
407 May 194307:49Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75291, Neberdshajewskaja165717 August 194315:12Il-2 m.H.PQ 35 Ost 61473, 2km (01miles) west of Tawrowo
5km (03miles) south of Belograd
325
418 May 194307:00Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75434, 20km (10miles) north of Karbardinka167728 August 194308:18La-5PQ 35 Ost 61562, 3km (02miles) southeast of Kawaraowija327
429 May 194308:46Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75431, 7km (04miles) east of Novorossiysk
3km (02miles) southeast of Novorossiysk
169738 August 194308:21Yak-1PQ 35 Ost 61534, 4km (02miles) south of Schepilinskij
vicinity of Schepilinski
327
4324 May 194309:58Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 65431, 30km (20miles) southwest of Anapa196748 August 194318:21Boston7km (04miles) northwest of Krassnopawlowka
10km (10miles) north of Krassnopawlowka
329
4426 May 194310:11LaGG-33km (02miles) west of Kijewskoje2027510 August 194308:56Pe-2PQ 35 Ost 61572, 3km (02miles) east of Soloschew
10km (10miles) east of Zolochev
335
4526 May 194311:17SpitfirePQ 34 Ost 75233, Kijewskoje
west of Krymsk
2037612 August 194311:27La-5PQ 35 Ost 51543, 6km (04miles) northeast of Achtyrskaja339
4628 May 194310:46Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 86744, 5km (03miles) southeast of Troitzkaja2077713 August 194318:39La-5PQ 35 Ost 41492, 2km (01miles) south of Boromlije344
4730 May 194307:32Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 75114, 10km (10miles) west of Anapa
Black Sea, 20km (10miles) west-northwest of Anapa
2117814 August 194310:40La-5PQ 35 Ost 51153, 10km (10miles) south of Miropolije346
4830 May 194307:36Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 75171, 20km (10miles) west of Anapa
Black Sea, southwest of Anapa
2117920 August 194305:50Il-2PQ 35 Ost 51713, 2km (01miles) south of Iwanowka357
493 June 194308:24P-39PQ 34 Ost 85113, Krymskaja
east of Krymsk
2228020 August 194305:55?Il-2PQ 35 Ost 51771, 5km (03miles) west of Krassno-Kut357
506 June 194308:07Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75262, 5km (03miles) southwest of Krymskaja
south of Krymsk
2278121 August 194313:28?Il-2 m.H.PQ 35 Ost 51541, 10km (10miles) northeast of Achtyrskaja363
516 June 194308:16Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 85144, 5km (03miles) southwest of Abinsky2278224 August 194312:38Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 88422, 3km (02miles) west of Gustavfeld
20km (10miles) south of Jalisawehino
368
528 June 194312:08LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 75173, 15km (09miles) west of Anapa
Black Sea, southwest of Anapa
2298324 August 194315:12Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 88263, 5km (03miles) west of Knitschewo
10km (10miles) east of Marinowka
369
538 June 194312:13Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 75393, 15km (09miles) west of Anapa
Black Sea, southeast of Anapa
2298430 August 194314:44Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 88463, 1km (01miles) north of Makeyevka
25km (16miles) south-southeast of Jalisawehino
383
5425 June 194308:24Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 75461, 5km (03miles) southwest of Kabardinka
Black Sea, 5km (03miles) west of Kabardinka
241
– 2. Staffel of Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost
85*5 January 194410:35Flying FortressFrance385
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
862 March 194413:59?Yak-7east of Cape Tarchan
vicinity of Cape Tarchan
3899911 April 194410:46Yak-7northeast of Dzhankoy424
87?13 March 194408:42Il-2 m.H.east of Feodosia39510011 April 194410:54Yak-7south of Dzhankoy424
8813 March 194408:45Il-2 m.H.southeast of Feodosia39510112 April 194410:53Yak-7north-northeast of Sarabus426
8913 March 194410:24BostonLake Tschokrak39610213 April 194408:29Yak-7north of Vasilkov430
9017 March 194409:14Il-2 m.H.southeast of Feodosia39910318 April 194415:15Yak-7south of Katscha438
9117 March 194409:17Il-2 m.H.southeast of Feodosia39910418 April 194417:01P-39north of Mamaschai439
9217 March 194409:32Yak-7Cape Tschuda39910519 April 194417:02Yak-1east of Kadykowka
10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
440
93?22 March 194414:03Yak-7east of Cape Worsowka40110622 April 194411:36Il-2 m.H.Black Sea, west-southwest of Chersones445
935 April 194417:24Il-2 m.H.northeast of Kertsch41310722 April 194411:37Yak-7Black Sea, west-southwest of Chersones445
95?5 April 194417:25Yak-1west of Kolonka41310525 April 194414:07Yak-7north of Balaklava
10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
447
967 April 194412:51P-40Black Sea, south-southeast of Cape Takyl41710925 April 194414:13Il-2 m.H.southeast of Balaklava
Black Sea, 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
447
9710 April 194417:42Il-2 m.H.northeast of Tomaschewska4221104 May 194406:40Yak-7northwest of Chersones
Black Sea, 20km (10miles) west of Sevastopol
448
9811 April 194406:58Yak-7west of Dzhankoy4231114 May 194406:46Il-2 m.H.northwest of Chersones
Black Sea, 35km (22miles) west of Sevastopol
448
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
Eastern Front
1126 May 194411:27Yak-7north of Belbek449119♠7 May 194417:54Yak-7south of Sevastopol452
1136 May 194411:32Yak-7east of Belbek
vicinity of Sevastopol
449120♠7 May 194417:56Il-2 m.H.north-northwest of Balaklava
10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
452
1146 May 194411:40Yak-7south of Belbek
vicinity of Sevastopol
4491218 May 194415:24P-39south of Balaklava
Black Sea, 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
453
115♠7 May 194409:29P-39north-northwest of Balaklava
10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
45012230 May 194415:15Il-2 m.H.7km (04miles) north of Iași484
116♠7 May 194413:21Yak-7northwest of Balaklava
10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
45112331 May 194412:14P-3912km (07miles) northeast of Iași487
117♠7 May 194413:28Il-2 m.H.southeast of Balaklava
Black Sea, 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
45112431 May 194412:16P-3918km (11miles) northeast of Iași
15km (09miles) southeast of Tuapse
487
118♠7 May 194413:36Il-2 m.H.southwest of Kadykowka
Black Sea, 10km (10miles) south of Sevastopol
45112531 May 194416:32Il-2 m.H.5km (03miles) north of Iași488
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
Western Front
31 July 1944P-5112814 August 194416:45P-47Senonches515
1266 August 194412:31B-24north of Paris
Méry, France
50912914 August 194416:47P-47Thimert-Gâtelles515
1277 August 194415:06AusterLandivy north of Fougères511
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –
13018 August 194414:06P-47northeast of Chartres52013219 August 194409:10P-47vicinity of Lisieux521
13118 August 194414:12P-47northeast of Chartres520
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 7 –
13322 February 194512:02west of BerlinP-5152713422 February 194512:17northeast of the BrockenP-51527

Awards

Waldmann may have been awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). Oberst Nicolaus von Below processed such a request between 20 April 1945 and 2 May 1945, although no official proof exists.

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Comenius-Street—Comeniusstraße
  2. Brunswick Mechanical Engineering Institute—Braunschweigischen Maschinenbauanstalt—BMA
  3. Institute of Aeronautical Metrology and Flight Meteorology—Institut of Luftfahrtmeßtechnik und Flugmeteorologie
  4. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  5. Separation-shot—Herausschuss
  6. Greater German Radio—Großdeutsche Rundfunk
  7. Offensive counter air—Freie Jagd