Anton Hackl

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Anton Hackl (born March 25, 1915 in Regensburg ; † July 10, 1984 , given name Toni) was a German Air Force officer , most recently a major, and with 192 confirmed aerial victories he was one of the most successful fighter pilots in World War II .

Military career

Hackl joined the Air Force in 1938 , where he trained as a pilot . Subsequently, in May 1939, he was assigned to Group II of Jagdgeschwader 77 . With this Hackl was involved in the attack on Poland and in the Weser Exercise company. On June 27, 1940 Toni was shot down and wounded for the first time over Norwegian airspace. After the start of the eastern campaign in June 1941, his squadron's group was deployed in the southern section of the eastern front. At the end of 1941, the number of his aerial victories increased to now 27. In January 1942 he rose within his squadron to the squadron captain of the 5th squadron. On May 27, 1942 he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his 48th victory in the air . Within ten weeks, Hackl was able to double his number of kills, so that on August 6, 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross Oak Leaves for his 104th victory in the air. In September 1942 he achieved his 118th victory in the air. From February 1943, operations followed in the same squadron as part of the Africa campaign , where Hackl was shot down by a P-38 on February 4, 1943 . After spending several months in the hospital, he did not return to the air force until autumn 1943. There he was appointed commander of the 2nd group of Jagdgeschwader 26 in the Reich Air Defense. Here he was awarded the Knight's Cross Swords on July 9, 1944. Hackl was then appointed commodore of Jagdgeschwader 76 on August 11, 1944 , which he left only a few months later.

On October 8, 1944 he was appointed commander of the II. Group of Jagdgeschwader 26 (Schlageter), in whose ranks he increased the number of his aerial victories to 172 by the end of the year. In February 1945 he took over the post of commodore in Jagdgeschwader 300 for a few weeks and from March 1945 the same position in Jagdgeschwader 11 . Hackl held this position until the end of the war.

Over the course of five years of the war, Hackl made over 1,000 enemy flights, was shot down eight times and wounded four times. Of his 192 aerial victories, he scored 87 in the west. He shot down 32 four-engine bombers. Another 24 victories remained unconfirmed.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ On the field of honor: a history of the Knight's Cross bearers, R. James Bender Publishing 1979, p. 187. Online
  2. ^ Christer Bergström, Andrey Mikhailov: Black cross / red star - The air war over the Eastern front , Pacifica Military History 2001, ISBN 978-0-935553-51-2 , p. 197. Online
  3. ↑ David A. Miller: Die Schwertertraeger Der Wehrmacht: Recipients of the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords. Merriam Press, 1997, ISBN 1-57638-025-4 , p. 42. Online
personal data
SURNAME Hackl, Anton
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German major and fighter pilot in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH March 25, 1915
PLACE OF BIRTH regensburg
DATE OF DEATH July 10, 1984
Place of death regensburg