Oblt Hans Asmus

[Andy Mitchell]

Hello

I have received an e-mail from a gentleman researching the German film director Karl Ritter.

The e-mail reads as follows:-

"I am reading the diaries of the film director Karl Ritter, who mentions in January 1939 meeting an Oblt. Assmus at the Reichsluftfahrtministerium. The same diary entry also mentions meeting Gen. Richthofen there (although it is not clear if Assmus and Richthofen were in the same meeting with Ritter.) . Another diary entry mentions meeting with Assmus in the Haus der Flieger in Berlin, where Assmus told Ritter all about the Legion Condor. The same week, Ritter flew to Spain to film the war there and ultimately that footage became his In Battle against World Enemy Nr. 1 (In kampf gegen den Weltfeind) documentary. On that plane with him, flying from Berlin to Zaragoza was Assmus.

I believe that there was more than one Assmus, or Asmus, involved with the Legion Condor. But as the first diary entry mentions Richthofen in the same sentence as "Assmus" I am guessing that Ritter has misspellt the name for Richthofen's Adjutant and that it is actually Hans Asmus.

However, Ritter calls him Oblt. Assmus. Is it possible, therefore, to find Hans Asmus' service record and see what exact rank he held in late January 1939? This could help ascertain whether it is Asmus and not Assmus. If it could be as "Assmus" from your knowledge, and my guess is wrong, please tell me more, if you would be so kind."

Can anyone provide any information regarding this Asmus or Assmus.

I have checked the latest version of Larry and Doug's Luftwaffe Career Summaries without any success.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Chris Goss]

Andy surely this is Mölder's friend Hans Asmus who was shot down flying his Bf 109 25 Oct 40. Search Asmus on this Board

[Andy Mitchell]

Chris,

Thanks for the pointer.

Had failed to do that prior to posting yesterday.

Checked the posts that came back in my search and found Hptm Hans/Heinz Asmus as you suggested.

However, there is nothing much of additional interest in the threads regarding his career prior to 25.10.40.

Cross checked this guy to the Career Notes and only got this -

ASMUS, Hans. 07.40 Hptm. in Stab/JG 51. 25.10.40 POW – Bf 109 E-4/N (CI+EC) shot down by a 501 Sqdn. Hurricane near Marden/U.K.

Very slim pickings.

Is anything further known of his earlier career -

Did he serve in the Legion Condor, if so in what capacity?

What role did he have at RLM?

I am trying to obtain further details from Ritter's diary that may be of assistance.

Once again, many thanks for the pointer.

[Chris Goss]

Andy. I wrote an article about him & baserd on letters dated 1976, Asmus had commanded 4 Staffel (Heer)/Aufklärungsgruppe 22 from 1938 until July 1940 but then asked to fly fighters. After a 4 week conversion to the Bf 109, he requested to Mölders, an old friend, if he could fly with him.

[Andy Mitchell]

Chris,

Very interesting, many thanks for that.

This means that the following, in the Career Summaries, are possibly one and the same

ASMUS, Hans. 07.40 Hptm. in Stab/JG 51. 25.10.40 POW – Bf 109 E-4/N (CI+EC) shot down by a 501 Sqdn. Hurricane near Marden/U.K.

ASMUS, Hans. 09.39 Hptm.(d.R.), Staka 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 22. 10.05.40 Hptm., Staka 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 22.
01.04.42 promo to Maj. 19.08.42 trf from IX. Fliegerkorps to Fl.Ers.Btl. III. 22.08.42 trf to Grosse KFS 2. 01.08.44 officially listed as MIA.

Not sure regarding what happened in 1942 onwards though.

Best Regards

[Chris Goss]

He was very much a POW from 25 Oct 40 onwards.....

[Andy Mitchell]

Chris,

The "Career Summary" entries look like something that Doug and Larry will need to review.

Many thanks for your help so far.

I have received further information regarding other individuals linked to Asmus and Richtofen, they are:-

Seidemann - Hans Seidemann
Graf Fugger - I suspect this is FUGGER von (BABENHAUSEN), Leopold Graf.
Lt Phillips - may be Wolfram Philipps

All reputedly in Spain in Feb 1939

I have yet to look any of them up in any detail.

I am certain that I have a pdf copy of a German book on the Legion Condor but cannot find it at present.

Best Regards

[Steve Coates]

Doug and Larry's database depends in a large part on the data other researchers share with them. It's such a massive undertaking that they can't possibly be reasonably expected to do this by themselves.

The BA-MA has a PERS-6 file for a Hans Asmus who was a Hptm.d.Res with a DOB of 19/4/1895 - PERS 6/226645. This is almost certainly worth a review.

[Doug Stankey]

Spurred by this thread, I did a quick review of the three Walter Waiss Condor Legion volumes. All I was able to find was that on p.47 of Band 1 that there had been an "Oblt.Asmus" of A/88 and nothing more specific.

Waiss, Walter. Legion Condor: Berichte, Dokumente, Fotos, Fakten Band 1 (Aachen: Helios Verlag, 2013) ISBN: 978-3 -86933-095-2.

A more thorough search might reveal more but that would take quite a while.

[Carsten Petersen]

Asmus was a staff officer in Legion Condor on the day that Guernica was bombed. He was new to the unit at that time.
Asmus joined the Luftwaffe after the war and served (among other places) at Baltap in Denmark.