Hans-Joachim Birkner

Karaya emblem

Birkner claimed his first aerial victory on 1 October 1943 over a P-39 Airacobra in combat south-southwest of Bolschoj Tokmak. That day, III. Gruppe had claimed 17 aerial victories in an encounter with Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and their fighter escort.[6] Birkner claimed his second aerial victory on 4 October over a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3. The following day he shot down a Lend-Lease Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber also referred to as a "Boston". On 9 October, he claimed another LaGG-3 fighter shot down followed by two further claims over LaGG-3 fighters on 11 October.[7] On 19 October, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Kirovograd, present-day Kropyvnytskyi where they stayed until 31 October.[8] Here Birkner claimed a LaGG-3 fighter on 21 October, two LaGG-3 fighters on 24 October, a Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter and another LaGG-3 fighter on 25 October, and an Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and another P-39 fighter on 29 October.[9]

On 1 November, III. Gruppe was moved to Apostolove fighting in the combat area between Nikopol and Zaporizhzhia. Adverse whether conditions rendered the airfield unusable and the Gruppe temporarily used an airfield near Kirovograd from 12 to 20 November.[10] By the end of 1943, Birkner had claimed 24 aerial victories in total.[11] Over the next few months Birkner often flew as Rottenflieger (wing man) to the high scoring aces Günther Rall and Erich Hartmann, claiming many of his victories whilst flying with them.[12] On 3 January 1944, Birkner claimed two LaGG-3 fighters shot down, taking his total to 26 aerial victories.[13] The Gruppe moved to an airfield at Mala Vyska on 7 January where they stayed for three days.[14]

On 10 January, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Novokrasne located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) south-southwest of Novoukrainka. While based at Novokrasne, elements of III. Gruppe also operated from Ivanhorod (11 to 13 January), at Velyka Lepetykha (3 to 22 February), and Mykolaiv (2 to 23 February).[14] Five days later, Birkner claimed five P-39 fighters shot down near Kirovograd, one of which was not confirmed.[13][15] In April, he claimed a further 29 victories, including six in one day on 19 April making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time, taking his total to 60 aerial victories.[16] Birkner received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 24 April.[17] In May, he claimed 17 victories, including another "ace-in-a-day" achievement on 30 May.[18]

III. Gruppe relocated to Roman on 1 June.[19] On 3 June, Birkner claimed three Lavochkin aircraft shot down north of Iași.[20] On 24 June, the United States Army Air Forces' (USAAF) Fifteenth Air Force attacked various targets in Romania with 377 bombers. A fraction of this attack force, consisting of 135 Consolidated B-24 Liberator and Lockheed P-38 Lightning and North American P-51 Mustang fighters, headed for the Ploiești oilfields. Defending against this attack, Birkner claimed a P-51 shot down, his 91st aerial victory.[21] Birkner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 27 July 1944 for 98 victories.[22]

On 1 October 1944, Birkner was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel of JG 52.[23] He thus succeeded Oberleutnant Hartmann who was transferred.[24][25] At the time of this assignment, III. Gruppe was based in Warzyn Pierwszy, Poland. The airfield was located approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of Jędrzejów. The Gruppe was under the command of Hauptmann Wilhelm Batz and Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf had just taken over the JG 52 as Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander).[26] On 8 October, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield near Lobellen, present-day Tushino located approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) east-southeast of Tilsit, present-day Sovetsk, on the south bank of the Memel, present day Neman River.[27] Here, Birkner claimed an Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 October, his 100th aerial victory.[28] He was the 95th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[29] Two days later on 16 October, he became an "ace-in-a-day" for the second time, claiming four LaGG fighters and a single Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.[28]

The Gruppe moved to an airfield named Hasenfeld, also referred to as Jürgenfelde, located approximately 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) south of Insterburg, present-day Chernyakhovsk, on 20 October where they stayed until 7 November.[30] Here Birkner claimed five further aerial victories over LaGG fighters, one on 23 October, and two each on 25 and 27 October respectively.[28] On 7 November, III. Gruppe again moved to the airfield at Warzyn Pierwszy.[30] On 12 December, the Gruppe relocated to Krakau, present-day Kraków.[31] Two days later, Birkner was killed in a flying accident when his Bf 109 G-14/U4 (Werknummer 510531—factory number) suffered engine failure during the landing approach at Krakau.[32][33] Following his death, command of 9. Staffel was passed on to Hauptmann Otto-Karl Klemenz.[24]

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Birkner was credited with 117 aerial victories.[34] Spick also lists Birkner with 117 aerial victories claimed in 284 combat missions. His victories were recorded over the Eastern Front and included one USAAF P-51 fighter.[35] Included in his total are at least 15 Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmoviks.[36] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Birkner was credited with 117 aerial victories. This figure includes 116 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and one over the Western Allies.[37]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 34 Ost 58842". The Luftwaffe grid map (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 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[38]

• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 24 April 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and pilot[51]
• German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52[52]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52[53][Note 7]