Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot by Norbert Hannig

[John Beaman]

Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot
By Norbert Hannig
Published by Grubb Street.
191 pages, $23.07 at Amazon.com

Hannig began operations in 1943 with 5./JG 54. He started with Bf 109Gs and quickly transitioned to the F-190A-5. He fought on the Russian front until mid-1944 when he returned to Germany to take up a Erganzungsgruppe training job. Here, he an others were selected to fly several missions against US bombers in August 1944. He then returned to JG 54 just in time to be trapped in the Courland Pocked. In March 1945, he was transferred to EJG 2 training on the Me 262, then various movements to JV 44 and JG 7. The last part of the book is his experiences as a POW with the Americans, Russians, and the British.

This is a good read. Those expecting a diary-type format or extensive appendices with losses or victories (42) will be disappointed as this is not included. His experiences with JG 54 and such unit notables as Emil Lang, Trautloft, Nowotny are very interesting. But, it is his experiences on various types of missions, tactics, etc that are the most interesting from our perspective. There are very few first-person accounts in the late war on the Russian front.

There is no obvious political bias expressed other than the inherent lack of respect for the Russians and the expression of horror when a “march” of Dachau prisoners is encountered at the end of the war.

Recommended.