Hannes Trautloft

Otto Hans "Hannes" Trautloft (3 March 1912 – 12 January 1995) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, and general in the postwar German Air Force.

As a fighter ace, he is credited with 58 enemy aircraft shot down, including 5 in Spain, 8 on the Western Front and 45 on the Eastern Front of World War II.

Trautloft was born on 3 March 1912 in Großobringen near Weimar in Thüringen to Elsa (née Hilpert) and Otto Trautloft.

He had a sister, Gretel.

Born in Großobringen, Trautloft volunteered for military service in the Reichsheer of the Weimar Republic in 1931.

In parallel, he was accepted for flight training with the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, a covert military-training organization, and at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school.

On 7 April 1931, he began his pilot training at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim.

The course he and 29 other trainees attended was called Kameradschaft 31, abbreviated "K 31".

Among the members of "K 31" were future Luftwaffe staff officers Bernd von Brauchitsch, Wolfgang Falck, Günther Lützow, Günther Radusch and Ralph von Rettberg.

Trautloft graduated from the Deutsche Verkehrfliegerschule 19 February 1932.

From "K 31" Trautloft and 9 others were recommended for Sonderausbildung (special training) at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school.

These 10 men were the privileged few and were allowed to attend fighter pilot training.

Following four months of training in the Soviet Union, he returned to Germany and joined the military service of the Reichswehr and attended the Kriegsschule (war school) in Dresden.

on 1 May 1934, In October 1934, Trautloft was posted to the Jagdfliegerschule at Schleißheim.

From August to December 1936, he claimed five aerial victories.

For his service in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords.

On 1 May 1936, Trautloft was posted to Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing), named after the Nazi martyr Horst Wessel.

At the time of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Trautloft was serving in the 9.

The Gruppe had been moved to an airfield at Cologne-Butzweilerhof on 9 March 1936 following the Remilitarization of the Rhineland.

There on 28 July, Dinort called Trautloft and informed him of the unfolding events in Spain and Trautloft proactively volunteered for service in Spain.

Sworn to secrecy, Trautloft was instructed to immediately travel to Dortmund where he received further instructions from Kurt-Bertram von Döring, and then to the assembly location at Döberitz.

There, 25 officers and 66 non-commissioned officers, soldiers and civilian technicians gathered, including six pilots of which Trautloft was one.

This detachment was then placed under the overall command of Oberst (Colonel) Alexander von Scheele.

The volunteers were then discharged from the Wehrmacht and dressed in civilian clothes.

As tourist of the Reisegesellschaft Union (Union Travel Association), the volunteers travel aboard the SS Usaramo, a passenger ship of the Woermann-Linie from Hamburg to Cádiz on 31 July.

Following his service in Spain, Trautloft held various command positions, and at the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, he was the Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2.

In August 1940, during the Battle of Britain, Trautloft was given command of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing).

He led JG 54 in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

There, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1941.

Trautloft continued to lead JG 54 on the Eastern Front until July 1943 when he was called to the staff of the General der Jagdflieger (General of Fighters), assisting in the readiness, training and tactics of the Luftwaffe fighter force.

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

After the war, Trautloft joined the new German Air Force of West Germany in 1957.

Serving as deputy Inspector of the Air Force and commander of Luftwaffengruppe Süd (Air Force Group South), Trautloft retired in 1970 holding the rank of Generalleutnant (lieutenant general).

Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).

He claimed his first aerial victory during the Invasion of Poland and was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 20 which later became III.

He died on 12 January 1995 in Bad Wiessee.

Following flight training, he served with Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing) and was one of the first German volunteers to fight in the Spanish Civil War.

Staffel (9th squadron) of JG 134.

This squadron was subordinated to III.

Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 134 and was commanded by Major Oskar Dinort.