Hans Hahn/Maximilian Stotz

[Nokose]

12 December 1942
I have looked at the Operational Report of the Staff 6 VA and Journal of the 243 ShAD.
Hauptmann Hans Hahn Stab II/JG 54 claimed an Il-2 (71) 13:58 in Prien’s JFV 9/III it is listed as north of Lake Vershinskoye but on Tony Woods list as PlQu. 29773. Claiming in that same PlQu is Lt Maximilian Stotz 4./JG 54 for a LaGG-3 (111) 13:58 PlQu 29773. The 243 ShAD reported 2 Il-2 made emergency landings, after a dogfight with 6 Bf 109. They came down in Soviet territory at 4 km SE of Berevka. There was no report of another Il-2 being shot down. The 6 VA reported 2 LaGG-3 as shot down and 2 LaGG-3 and a La-5 as missing. II/JG 54 claimed 2 La-5 and Hahn claimed a La-5 (70) 13:56 PlQu 28113 and Fw Walter Heck 5/JG 54 claimed a La-5 (23) 14:00 29781. Not clear which regiment was using the La-5. The report failed to mention the Yak-7B 42 IAP Serzhant Aleksey Kulikov as KIA in a dogfight (listed in the OBD Memorial).

[Nokose]

15 September 1942
I checked the 6 VA report for this day and the areas of the claims. There were only two II/JG 54 pilots claiming in the Demyansk area.

Yak-1 485 IAP Mladshiy Leytenant Aleksandr Lavrov made an emergency landing in the area of Yablon’ka.

Unteroffizier Rudolf Gerecke 4/JG 54 claimed a Yak-1 (20) 12:05 at an altitude of 2500 m at PlQu. 28274. This matches for Lavrov.

LaGG-3 238 IAP Leytenant Mikhail Petrovich Atanov (MIA)

Oberfeldwebel Maximilian Stotz 4/JG 54
Yak-1 (86) 11:12 Tiefflug PlQu. 28114
Yak-1 (87) 11:13 Tiefflug PlQu. 28121

[@irnimal]

Originally Posted by Nokose

The 6 VA reported 2 LaGG-3 as shot down and 2 LaGG-3 and a La-5 as missing. The report failed to mention the Yak-7B 42 IAP Serzhant Aleksey Kulikov as KIA in a dogfight (listed in the OBD Memorial).

In the Loss Reports, 4 pilots from 21 GIAP were killed in aerial combat, only one flying the La-5 (find it strange because it was flown by the least experienced pilot, usually they were assigned to the most experienced ones) and one Yak from 42 IAP, also killed in aerial combat.

[Johannes]

Hi

I have no proof, but my hypothesis(based on claim dates/times) was that Hans Hahn being the Kommandeur of II./JG 54 was able to hand pick his wingman(Stotz), and that they flew as a Rotte, therefore easy to make false claims. Certainly after Hahn was captured Stotz's claims drop dramatically, but again this could just be a lull in the fighting. I was hoping it wasn't common throughout the Staffel or even Gruppe. Certainly towards the end of Stotz's time came along Emil Lang, so it looks like either Lang had Stotz's as a teacher, or it was well established within the Staffel.....though not all, Lang had two or three claiming always with him, but others appear to be unaware of his scam.

It is fact that Lang according to Norbert Hannig set out to break the record for most "kills" by an individual in a day, he had organised who his wingmen would be or each of the sorties he would fly on that day(3rd November 1943). This also would bring his total to the "100" point, it does rather stink of ste-up. It is also often the case that a pilot reaches the "100" mark with a "big day", and as we have learned it was the "big day" claimers that are usually(but not always) the false claimers.

As mentioned before I believe that Joachim Kirschner used his rank as Kommandeur of IV./JG 27 to hand pick Heinrich Bartels as his wingman.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Nokose]

3 December 1942
Maximilian Stotz claimed a Yak-1 (101) 12:30, he listed PlQu 2814. I sat down and looked at all the Soviet fighter losses, crash areas and mission times. The other German pilots claiming also did not provide “clear” locations. I don’t think that Stotz actually shot down a Yak-1 as he listed. It is possible that he instead shot down a Curtiss P-40 of 436 IAP flown by Serzhant Ivan Pokhilenko (MIA) that had been performing cover for ground forces in the areas of Kaganovo - B. Stepanovo - Strel’tsy between 13:35 - 15:01 (Moscow) [11:35 - 13:01 Berlin].

This day was like putting together a puzzle with missing pieces.

[Nokose]

From material that I intended to write for a JG 54 history (unfinished)
21 February 1943
“The next dogfight would occur to the southeast of Godilovo and the consequences would be bad for the Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 54. In the region of Godunov - Matasovo - Pustoshka were six La-5 from the 169 IAP led by Starshiy Leytenant Aleksandr Chislov covering Soviet forces from 10:55 - 11:54 (M). This group depending on the story states that they engaged eight Bf 109, which were later joined by 4-6 other Bf 109. In the battle Starshiy Leytenant Pavel Grazdaninov pursued after the German fighters. His wingman. Mladshiy Leytenant P.T. Balandin fell behind and was attacked forcing him to parachute from his burning plane. Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Wefers of 4./JG 54 shot down a La-5 (48) at 09:10 at 2000 meters. Starshiy Leytenant Grazhdanov during this time fought with Hahn’s group and claimed to have shot down three Me-109 (10-12) in the area of Vol’noe. Starshiy Serzhant Aleksandr Davydov observing a La-5 in trouble abandoned his position as Starshiy Leytenant Chislov’s wingman to go to it’s aid (probably Grazhdanov). Starshiy Serzhant Davydov would claim two Me-109 in this battle. During this time Starshiy Leytenant Chislov claimed a Me-109 (9) shot down to the southeast of Zosovo. Major Hans Hahn of Stab II/JG 54 shot down a La-5 (108) at 09:11 at an altitude of 2000 m. Oberleutnant Max Stotz of 4./JG 54 at the same time downed a La-5 (160) at an altitude of 2,500 m. at almost the same location.
At the same time as Chislov’s battle, Leytenant Ivan Vorob’ev was also shot down and died in his aircraft. Oberleutnant Stotz then shot down another La-5 (161) at 09:12 at an altitude 2,500 meters. During this struggle Major Hahn’s Bf 109 G-2 (# 13 949) would receive damage during the fight which forced him to begin withdrawing to get to German lines before force landing to the southeast of Zaluch’e at 09:12 in Soviet territory and was taken as a prisoner of war.
With two Soviet La-5 fighters lost and only one Bf 109 loss it is difficult to determine the victors in this struggle.”

[Nokose]

The fever for Hahn’s 100th victory and Stotz’s 150 victory. (From my unfinished history of JG 54)
26 January 1943
For covering Soviet ground forces in the area of Sinyavino - Dubrovka at 16:00 (M) were five LaGG-3 from 3 GIAP KBF led by deputy AE commander Guards Kapitan Ageev at an altitude of 3500 meters. They engaged two Bf 109 over the shore and Lake Ladoga, which turned out to be Major Hans Hahn of Stab II/JG 54 and his wingman Leutnant Maximilian Stotz of 4./JG 54. Kapitan Ivan Minaev made an attack on one Bf 109 at a distance of 100 meters claiming it as a probable in the area of Sinyavino. Hahn claimed a LaGG-3 (99) at 14:00 at an altitude of 3000 m and another LaGG-3 (100) at 14:03 at an altitude of 2100 meters. Stotz claimed a LaGG-3 (148) at 14:00 at an altitude of 3000 meters. He then claimed a LaGG-3 (149) at 14:01 at an altitude of 2000 meters and another LaGG-3 (150) at 14:05 at an altitude of 2000 meters.
Kapitan Minaev’s claim for a Me-109 does not match JG 54 records and the two pilots involved had no damage listed to their aircraft. The Soviets were not the only ones with wishful thinking for a victory, as only one LaGG-3 was shot down with Serzhant Stepanov listed as missing. It can’t be determined which JG 54 pilot shot him down as his fate was not observed by the Soviet naval aviators. These claims appear to be the problem with many German pilots in the case of Hahn to reach his 100th victory and Stotz his 150th victory.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hello NOKOSE,
I do fevereshly do hope that you will be able to finish your JG 54 manuscript.
Fantastic work. Keep going and keep us updated.

A.

[Nokose]

Adriano, unfortunately that is a task that I probably will not be able to finish. I still find Soviet records to add but they only show up piece mill. I looked into the claims for 1941 and found a large number but not enough to compare to all the claims. There were no JG 54 claims at all for the 28 August 1941, despite Soviet claims and losses for that day. Hopefully, Mikhail Timim can fill in that section of Russian aviation history.

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Another "Great" pilot in the same vein and area was Erich Rudorffer who worked his little racket with Kurt Tangermann. It seems that five of his overall claims were never confirmed. Also of interest is the "over 1000 missions" FACT, I can not give an exact true figure as his flugbuch does not cover 1945, but it will be a little less than 500 in my opinion i.e one claim every two combat missions.

Kind Regards

Johannes