Hans Hahn

[Nokose]

12 Aug 1941
Starting this day out before Hahn's claims to clear up the losses of the 41 Sqn during this day.
41 Sqn near Hazebrouck
Spitfire Sgt A.L. Bull (POW)
Spitfire Sgt R.L. Chapman
German Claims
Maj. Walter Oesau Stab/JG 2 Hurricane 11:43 no location
Fw Günther Seeger Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 11:45 10 km NNW of Calais
Lt. Arthur Beese Stab III/JG 26 Spitfire 11:50
Seeger's location clearly puts him out of these losses.

Donald Caldwell's JG 26 puts them out of the claiming in France regarding the RAF circus missions.
Circus 69 area of St Omer 09:48-
RAF losses
54 Sqn Spitfire P/O R. Powling (WIA) damaged St. Omer
222 Sqn Spitfire P/O Christie (KIA) St. Omer

Circus 70 Gosnay 11:03-
RAF losses
485 Sqn
Spitfire Sgt Russel (POW) Gosnay
Spitfire damaged
602 Sqn
Spitfire Sgt H.J. Bell-Walker (POW)
Spitfire damaged

German claims have no locations listed
Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 12:45 and Spitfire 12:50
Uffz Ernst Federle 8/JG 2 Spitfire 12:46
Maj. Walter Oesau Stab/JG 2
Spitfire 12:50
Spitfire 12:54
Spitfire 13:06
Oblt. Erich Leie Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 12:54 and Spitfire 13:08

So for three Spitfires shot down and two damaged against eight claimed there appears to be a number of shared, especially on looking at the times and there being no locations to check against.

Circus 71 Le Trait shipyards 17:29-
RAF losses
485 Sqn Spitfire Sgt G.M Porter (KIA) Rouen, France
611 Sqn Spitfire P/O R. van der Honert (WIA) damged

German claims
Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 18:51 Ramsgate
Oblt Erich Leie Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 19:28 12 km SE of Dungeness
Maj Walter Oesau Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 19:27 15 km S of Dungeness
Obfw. Kurt Bühligen Stab II/JG 2 Hurricane 19:07 no location
I think that Bühligen is the possible victor over the 485 Sqn fighter as Hahn and the others are clearly off the coast of England.

[Nokose]

20 Sep 1941
Thanks to Donald Caldwell's JG 26 series it was possible to separate the three raids for this day. Circus 100A to the Hazebrouck motor yards fell to JG 26 and Circus 100C to the Rouen Shipyards fell to Jagdfliergerschule 5 Ergänzungsstaffel which claimed three Spitfires (Actually no RAF losses).

That leaves JG 2 handling Circus 100B to the Abbeville motor yards.
RAF losses
92 Sqn Spitfire Sgt G.P. Hickman (POW)
452 Sqn Spitfire Sgt I.A.L. Milne (POW)
602 Sqn Spitfire Sgt C.J. Squibb (KIA) and Spitfire Sgt. W.L. Brown (KIA)
Four Spitfires with no location and times of loss.

German claims
Oblt. Josef Puchinger Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 16:36
Lt. Egon Mayer 7/JG 2 Spitfire 16:38
Oblt Rudolf Planz Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 16:40
Obfw Günther Seeger Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 16:41 bei Somme-Mündung
Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2
Spitfire 16:42 10 km SW of Somme-Mündung
Spitfire 16:43
Lt Walter Höhler 7/JG 2 Spitfire 16:42
Hptm Karl-Heinz Greisert Stab II/JG 2 Spitfire 16:50
Fw Horst-Benno Krüger Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 16:53
Lt Wolfgang Wehrhagen 4/JG 2 Spitfire 16:55
Lt Erich Rudrffer 6/JG 2 Spitfire 16:55
Uffz Richard Übelbacher 6/JG 2 Spitfire 16:55
Fw Paul Marx 4/JG 2 Spitfire 17:05

So thirteen claims for four Spitfires and no known damaged. Again on looking at the times it could appear that some "might" have been shared instead of actual single victories but Hahn actually gaining two seems a little hard to determine as possible. Nick, Tony Woods list does not show a Spitfire for 16:30 which would put him in even a more bad light for this day.

[Nick Hector]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for all these assessments, it's been a big help to have a second opinion on Hahn's victims and overclaims. Incidentally, Ian Milne was the "local" Spifire pilot where I came from and if it helps, I long ago determined that if he was a victim of a famous ace, then he was more likely downed by Rudorffer than Hahn.

Nick

[Nokose]

27 Sep 1941 Circus 103A Ameins motor yard
I looked at the losses for this raid and in the accessment it states there were four losses but I only saw three listed.
RAF losses
Escort-Support Wing
129 Sqn Spitfire Sgt. Ross (POW) Pas-de-Calais
616 Sqn Spitfire P/O R.G. Sutherland (KIA) Gamaches/Somme
High Cover Wing
308 Sqn Spitfire Sgt E. Watolski (POW)

one unknown

German claims
Hptm Karl-Heinz Greisert Stab II/JG 2 Spitfire 15:30 Le Touquet
Fw Horst-Benno Krüger Stab II/JG 2 Spitfire 15:30
Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 15:35
Lt Erich Rudorffer 6/JG 2 Spitfire 15:40
Lt Jakob Augustin 8/JG 2 Spitfire 15:55

Obfw Rudolf Krull 7/JG 2 Spifire 16:43 (after the raid was over)

So five pilots claiming five (three known as of this post but possibly four) isn't bad. Strange the timing of the Stab II claims. To be fair for two battle damaged forced landings by JG 2 the RAF claimed for Circus 103A seven Bf 109 shot down, two damaged and three proables so not all one sided in these exchanges.

[Nokose]

02 Oct 1941 Circus 104 Le Havre

RAF losses
92 Sqn
Sptfire F/Lt J.W. Lund (KIA)
Spitfire Sgt K.G. Port (KIA)
Spitfire Sgt H,N, Edge (KIA)
Spitfire P/O D.A. Bruce (Crash-landed at Ashford)

German Claims
Lt Walter Höhler 8/JG 2 Spitfire 15:03
Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 15:05
Oblt Werner Stockelman Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 15:07
Lt Egon Mayer 7/JG 2 Spitfire 15:14
Gefr Helmut Ellenberger 8/JG 2 Spitfire 15:14

I believe that Hahn's claim was correct in this instance and Mayer might have shared his kill with Ellenberger to help him in "breaking in".

Fighter-Sweeps to Pas-de-Calais by 11 Group 16:35 - 17:45
485 Sqn No losses
452 Sqn No losses

Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2
Spitfire 18:50
Spitfire 18:52

[Nokose]

13 Oct 1941 Circus 108A Arques ship lift
This raid is interesting as Hans Hahn actually appears to have a good chance of being correct as both JG 2 and JG 26 were involved. I will list the German claims under the RAF losses in this one.
RAF losses
Close-Eescort Wing 12:35-15:00
452 Sqn (Dogfight at 13:30-13:40)
Spitfire Sgt E.P. Jackson (KIA) St. Omer
Spitfire Sgt. J.R.H. Elphick (Possibly damaged over St. Omer but rescued at sea)
602 Sqn 12:35-14:20
Spitfire Sgt L.L. Ford (POW) St. Omer
Spitfire Sgt. E. Brayley (KIA) St. Omer

Target Support Wing
129 Sqn 12:39-14:07
Spitfire F/Lt R.R. Macpherson (KIA) Arques
Spitfire P/O G.S. Walker (KIA) Arques

German claims
Obstlt. Adolf Galland Stab/JG 26 Spitfire 14:17 St. Omer
Lt. Paul Schauder 3/JG 26 Spitfire 14:30 W of St. Omer
Hptm Johannes Schmid 8/JG 26 Spitfire 14:35
Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 14:30
Uffz. Heinrich Ziehl 8/JG 2 Spitfire 14:35

Target Support Wing (continued)
65 Sqn
Spitfire Sgt D.H. Warden (KIA) Boulogne - East
Hptm Joachim Müncheberg Stab II/JG 26 Spitfire 14:33 Samer
Look at the location of Samer compared to Boulogne so it might be possible.

Target Support Wing
41 Sqn 12:35-14:07
Spitfire Sgt S.J.L. Whitefoed (KIA) Boulogne
Spitfire F/Lt. L.L. Bache (KIA) Boulogne
Maj Walter Oesau Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 14:32-35 15 km SW of Boulogne
Uffz Werner Brychy 4/JG 2 Spitfire 14:37 25 km west of Boulogne
Oblt Erich Leie Stab/JG 2 Spitfire 14:40 15 km west of Boulogne
Spitfire 14:43 no location
Oblt Fritz Schröter 4/JG 2 Spitfire 15:00 25 km west Boulogne

Rear Support Wing
411 Sqn 13:00-14:45 (dogfight in the area of St. Omer 13:30 by sqn.)
Spitfire P/O R.W. McNair (sea rescue)
Fw. Emil Babenz 3/JG 26 Spitfire 14:43 10 km east of Dungeness
Babenz could be a "possible" for this one.

Circus 108B did not involve Hahn so I didn't go into it. There is one Spitfire listed for the St. Omer area that does not have someone claiming so it possibly it could have been chased to Samer by Münchberg.

[Nokose]

I have far to little on RAF losses for 1942 and some sources do not match other sources so this will be the last post concerning Hans Hahn in the west.
12 Feb 1942 the German naval channel dash
RAF losses
19 Sqn Spitfire unknown cause, time and location
41 Sqn Spitfire unknown cause, time and location
118 Sqn Spitfire by Bf 109 location and time unknown
234 Sqn Spitfire by Bf 109
401 Sqn Spitfire one source states JG 26
Hurricane 607 Sqn in one source it states flak at Le Touquet and another Lt Friedrich Graf von Uiberacker 1/JG 26 50 km sw of Vlissingen

Hptm Hans Hahn Stab III/JG 2 Spitfire 14:38 no location
The Germans claimed five Spitfires by JG 2 and five Spitfires by JG 26 this day.

Last that I can decide on is Ramrod 21 on the 06 Jun 1942
Hptm Hans Hahn JG 2
Spitfire 17:25 location unknown
Spitfire 17:25 " "
Spitfire 17:27 " "
For JG 2 in total there were 13 Spitfire claims against RAF losses of two Spitfire and a damaged Hurricane. In this case Hahn's chance of a victory are almost nil.

So even though Hahn made the necessary five to be listed as an "Ace" he was far from his claimed number in "Western" victories that he claimed.