Erich Hohagen

On 1 June, Hohagen became a victim of friendly fire when he was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 16391) 8 km north of Marquise, a village approximately 12 km north-northeast of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

He successfully bailed out, taking to his parachute, but was injured in the incident.

The pilot that shot him down was Hauptmann Wilhelm Steinmann, also from JG 27, who misidentified Hohagen's Bf 109 for a Spitfire fighter.

Due to his injuries, Hohagen was temporarily replaced by Hauptmann Hans Remmer before Hauptmann Ludwig Franzisket officially took command of I. Gruppe of JG 27 on 15 July.

Erich Hohagen (9 January 1915 – 8 March 1990) was a German general in the Bundeswehr.

During World War II, he served as a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe.

A fighter ace, Hohagen was credited with 56 aerial victories and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

On 7 April, Hohagen was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) where he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe.

He succeeded Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Heinecke who temporarily led the Gruppe after Hauptmann Heinrich Setz had been killed in action on 13 March.

Hohagen claimed his first aerial victory, a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire over Southern England, on 5 July 1940.

On 20 February 1941, Hohagen was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4.

Gruppe of JG 51 was withdrawn from the English Channel in early June 1941 and ordered to Dortmund where the unit was reequipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F series.

On 10 June, II.

Gruppe began transferring east and was located at Siedlce.

On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Hohagen received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 5 October 1941, after 30 victories.

In January 1943, Hohagen was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), taking command of its 2.

Staffel.

The Staffel was subordinated to III.

Gruppe of JG 2 headed by Hauptmann Egon Mayer.

Hohagen was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe of JG 2 in August 1943.

He replaced Major Helmut-Felix Bolz who was transferred.

On 16 September 1943, Hohagen, was piloting an Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 fighter (Werknummer 550532) when his aircraft was hit by the defensive fire of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.

Hohagen was again wounded and made a forced landing near Rennes, France.

On 28 September 1944, Hohagen was severely injured, sustaining a skull fracture, when the engine of his Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 171559) failed, resulting in a forced landing near the airfield at Merzhausen.

He was succeeded by Major Walter Matoni as commander of I. Gruppe.

In late 1944, Hohagen was posted to III.

Gruppe of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 (EJG 2—2nd Supplementary Training Wing), a training unit based at Lechfeld Airfiled.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing).

He succeeded Oberleutnant Josef Fözö who was promoted to command II.

Gruppe of JG 51.

II.

JG 51, under the command of Oberstleutnant Werner Mölders, was subordinated to II. Fliegerkorps (2nd Air Corps), which as part of Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2).

JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army.

On the first day of the invasion, Hohagen shot down three Soviet SB-2 bombers in the space of five minutes.

In August, he was given command of II.

Gruppe after its former acting commander Hauptmann Hubertus von Bonin was wounded on 8 August.

On 4 September, Hohagen was shot down in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 9211—factory number) by Soviet fighters near Bryansk.

Wounded, he transferred command of II.

Gruppe to Oberleutnant Hartmann Grasser.