Oberleutnant Hans-Christian Schäfer

[Kristen Alexander]

My first post! Can anyone tell me what happened to Oberleutnant Hans-Christian Schäfer, the Staffelkapitän of 5/JG27 after the Battle of France. Cornwell (The Battle of France Then and Now, Battle of Britain International, Old Harlow, 2007, pp. 180 and 233) indicates that heprobably accounted for a damaged but repairable Blenheim of 57 Squadron based at Rosières-en-Santerre on 10 May and a damaged and abandoned Hurricane of 17 Squadron based at Hawkinge, but on a patrol of Den Haag-Delft-Rotterdam. Schäfer was wounded in battle by Australian Dick Glyde on 19 May 1940 but baled out safely. He was taken prisoner by French troops and I assume that, after France capitulated, despite promises to hand over captured Luftwaffe airmen to the British, he was one of the German prisoners who were released which included 400 pilots. I would be interested to know what happened next during the war, especially if he went back into operational flying and accounted for other allied pilots. Hope someone can help. Many thanks, Kristen Alexander

[Doug Stankey]

Our officer career files show:

SCHÄFER, Hans-Christian.
(n.d.) trf to FFS A/B 119.
(n.d.) JFS 2, then JFS 1.
01.01.40 Oblt., appt Staka 5./JG 27 (to 19.05.40).
19.05.40 PoW – shot down by a Hurricane in the Lille area (Bf 109 E-3).
06.41 appt Staka 2./JG 77.
09.41 Hptm., appt Staka 13./JG 77.
11.41 Hptm., appt Staka 13./JGr.z.b.V. (to at least 05.12.41).
06.12.41 re-appt Staka 13./JG 77.
10.01.42 appt Staka 4./JG 5.
1943 trf from JG 5 to JG 3.
1943 KIA in the Crimea due to unknown circumstances.


A search of the Kracker Archive shows:

Schäfer, Hans Christian. - Hptm. 4victories - 5./JG-27 (5/40), 2./JG-77 (9/41)Bf 109E in JG-27, Bf 109F in JG-77EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational ClaspOne known victory, his 1st, a Blenheim west of Nijmegen, 10 May, 1940. His 2nd, a Hurricane over Rotterdam, 11 May, 1940, an Oblt at the time. His 3rd victory, a Beaufort SW of Stavanger on 2 September, 1941. His 4th, a Blenheim at Egersund on 14 October, 1941.

A search of theTony Woods lists of claims and losses shows no one by that name on the Eastern Front in 1943. So either he was not active or not on the Eastern Front or just not successful or perhaps already dead.

We can't find him in the Prien JG 3 history's tabulated losses.

That's about all we can say about this fellow.

HLdZ
DGS

[Kristen Alexander]

Thank you Doug. This is most comprehensive and indicates that this released POW was indeed responsible for more Allied deaths or at least out of commission aircraft. I appreciate your assistance.

[Matti Salonen]

1943-04-25, Stab JG 3, Steilküste südlich Anapa, Minenexplosion. Hptm Schäfer, Hans-Christian schwer verletzt. Hptm Schäfer am 1943-05-12 seinen Verletzungen erlegen.

Regards,

Matti

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

I have two claims for him with 4./Jg5, they are not found on the micro Films so we have to say not 100% positive:-

17th February 1942 Hurricane Tuloma area at 1120 hrs
4th March 1942 Hurricane area off Luostari airstrip at 1533 hrs.

Regards

Johannes

[Kristen Alexander]

Thank you Johannes, Matti and Doug. Putting it all together, and taking into account my lousy German, I have come up with the following re what happened to Shafer after he was shot down in France on 19 May 1940. I appreciate your assistance and if I have misstranslated something or missed something significant please let me know!

Post war research indicates that in his last combat on 19 May, Flying Officer Dick Glyde of 87 Squadron had engaged with Oberleutnant Hans-Christian Schäfer, the Staffelkapitän of 5/JG27. Schäfer had probably accounted for a damaged but repairable Blenheim of 57 Squadron based at Rosières-en-Santerre on 10 May (one crew member injured and hospitalised but the other two uninjured) and a damaged and abandoned Hurricane of 17 Squadron based at Hawkinge which had been on a patrol of Den Haag-Delft-Rotterdam on 11 May (pilot uninjured after force-landing). Dick wounded Schäfer but he baled out safely and was taken prisoner by French troops.
Schäfer did not languish as a POW for the duration. After France capitulated, despite promises to hand over captured Luftwaffe airmen to the British, all German prisoners were released, including 400 pilots. In June 1941 Schäfer was with JG77, in January 1942 he was with JG5 and sometime in 1943 he was transferred to JG3. In addition to his victories during the Battle of France, the Kracker archives indicate that in Norway he claimed a Beaufort south west of Stavanger on 2 September 1941 and a Blenheim at Egersund on 14 October 1941. There is an (uncomfirmed) possibility that he might also have claimed a Hurricane in Murmansk’s Tuloma area on 17 February 1942 and another in near the Luostari airstrip in Murmansk, near the Norwegian border, on 4th March 1942. Sometime after he transferred to JG3, he was seriously wounded in a mine explosion south of Anapa (on the northern coast of the Black Sea in the Crimea) and may have died soon afterwards.

[Tom Semenza]

Kristen,

"Hptm Schäfer am 1943-05-12 seinen Verletzungen erlegen" translates as "Hptm. Schäfer died from his injuries on May 12, 1943."

In addition to the six claims previously noted above, Prien et al. in Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Luftwaffe, Teil 6/II indicate that he claimed his 5th victory sometime late in 1941. However they offer no further details.

Regards,
Tom

[Kristen Alexander]

Thanks Tom

I have amended my notes. Appreciate yours and all assistance

best wishes

Kristen