Hans Strelow

Hans Strelow (26 March 1922 – 22 May 1942) was a Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 68 enemy aircraft shot down in over 200 combat missions, all of which claimed over the Eastern Front.

Born in Berlin, Strelow volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1939. Following flight training, he was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) in 1941 and participated in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He claimed his first aerial victory on 25 June 1941. In February 1942, Strelow was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader) of the 5. '' Staffel'' (5th squadron) of JG 51. Following his 52nd aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 March 1942. Six days and 14 aerial victories later, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves making him the youngest recipient of the Oak Leaves. Following a forced landing behind enemy lines, Strelow committed suicide on 22 May 1942 to avoid capture by Soviet forces.

Early life and career

Strelow was born on 26 March 1922 in Berlin of the Weimar Republic, the son of a teacher at a ''Volksschule''. Following graduation from school, he joined the military service of the Luftwaffe in 1939. Following flight training as a fighter pilot, he was posted to the 5. '' Staffel'' (5th squadron) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 "Mölders" (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), a squadron of II. '' Gruppe'' (2nd group) of JG 51, in 1941 holding the rank of ''Leutnant'' (second lieutenant). At the time, II. ''Gruppe'' was commanded by ''Hauptmann'' Josef Fözö, and 5. ''Staffel'' was headed by ''Oberleutnant'' Hans Kolbow.

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. In early June 1941, II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 51 was withdrawn from the English Channel and ordered to Dortmund where the unit was reequipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F series. On 10 June, II. ''Gruppe'' began transferring east and was located at Siedlce. On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 51, under the command of ''Oberstleutnant'' Werner Mölders, was subordinated to II. ''Fliegerkorps'' (2nd Air Corps), which as part of ''Luftflotte'' 2 (Air Fleet 2). JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army.

Operation Barbarossa

On 23 June, II. ''Gruppe'' followed the German advance and relocated east to an airfield at Terespol on the Bug. Two days later, the ''Gruppe'' claimed 28 Tupolev SB-2 bombers shot down, including Strelow's first aerial victory claimed northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake. The German advance required the ''Gruppe'' to relocate approximately east to an airfield at Nowo-Hutkowo near Slutsk on 28 June. Two days later, II. ''Gruppe'' engaged in aerial combat near Babruysk where Strelow claimed his second aerial victory when he shot down a Ilyushin DB-3 bomber. For these victories, Strelow received the Iron Cross 2nd Class () on 5 July. The German advance reached the Dnieper on 9 July.

German forces breached the Stalin Line and II. ''Gruppe'' was moved to an airfield at Stara Bychow, approximately south of Mogilev on the Dnieper on 12 July. Operating from this airfield on 16 July, Strelow claimed a Vultee V-11 attack aircraft which was an Ilyushin Il-2 attack aircraft. That day, 5. ''Staffel'' commanding officer Kolbow was killed in action and was replaced by ''Leutnant'' Hans-Joachim Steffens. Steffens was killed in action on 30 July and command of 5. ''Staffel'' was then given to ''Oberleutnant'' Hartmann Grasser. Following further relocations, II. ''Gruppe'' reached an airfield at Schatalowka, present-day Shatalovo air base, southeast of Smolensk, on 17 August. The ''Gruppe'' claimed eleven aerial victories on 30 August, including three by Strelow who shot down two Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers an I-18 fighter, an early German designation for a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter. On 23 August, elements of II. ''Gruppe'' also operated from an airfield near Gomel. On 6 September, Strelow claimed another I-18 fighter followed by an I-61 fighter, an early German designation for a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter, the following day near Konotop. On 10 September, the ''Gruppe'' relocated again and moved to Novhorod-Siverskyi situated on the bank of the Desna River. On 13 September, Strelow claimed DB-3 bomber followed by a Pe-2 bomber east of Konotop the next day, taking his total to eleven aerial victories claimed. For this, Strelow received the Iron Cross 1st Class () on 14 September.

The ''Gruppe'' relocated to Sechtschinskaja, approximately southeast of Roslavl, on 23 September from where the unit flew missions in the combat area east of Konotop. That day, Strelow claimed an I-18 fighter shot down. On 4 October during the Battle of Moscow, II. ''Gruppe'' moved to Sevsk for four days. Here Strelow claimed three aerial victories over DB-3 bombers on 5 October. On 11 October, the ''Gruppe'' was briefly detached from the ''Geschwaderstab'' (headquarters unit) of JG 51 and ordered east to Oryol. There, the ''Gruppe'' was subordinated to ''Gefechtsverband Schönborn'' (Detachment Schönborn), named after the commander of ''Sturzkampfgeschwader'' 77 (StG 77—77th Diver Bomber Wing), ''Major'' Clemens Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid. Strelow was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe () on 24 November. Two days later, II. ''Gruppe'' relocated to an airfield at Kaluga, ending the assignment to ''Gefechtsverband Schönborn''. Operating from Kaluga, Strelow claimed a Pe-2 bomber shot down on 5 December northwest of Kashira.

On 30 December, II. ''Gruppe'' moved to the Bryansk Airfield where the aircraft were serviced in hangars and the pilots had shelters. From Bryansk, II. ''Gruppe'' supported the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army in the combat area southwest of Moscow. Here, Strelow claimed his first aerial victories in 1942 on 4 January when he shot down two I-61 fighters. On 13 January, II. ''Gruppe'' claimed thirteen aerial victories including two Polikarpov R-Z reconnaissance bomber aircraft by Strelow. On 27 January, Strelow was credited with the destruction of an I-26 fighter, an early German designation for a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter.

Squadron leader and death

On 1 February 1942, Strelow was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader) of 5. ''Staffel'' of JG 51. He succeeded ''Oberleutnant'' Horst Geyer who had temporarily led the ''Staffel'' after its former commander, Grasser had taken command of II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 51. Strelow was credited with his first aerial victories as ''Staffelkapitän'' on 4 February when he claimed four aerial victories on two separate combat missions, the first in the area of Yukhnov, and the second near Kaluga. Strelow claimed his 40th aerial victory on 28 February, a Pe-2 bomber shot down east of Bryansk.

On 18 March, Strelow was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () for 52 aerial victories. That day, he became an " ace-in-a-day", claiming seven aerial victories. Six days and 14 aerial victories later, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves () on 24 March for 66 aerial victories. He was the 84th and youngest member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The award was presented by Adolf Hitler at the '' Führerhauptquartier'' (Führer Headquarters) at Rastenburg on 26 March 1942. On 30 March, the ''Luftwaffenpersonalamt'' (staff department) of the ''Reichsluftfahrtministerium'' (Ministry of Aviation) deferred a preferential promotion to ''Oberleutnant'' (first lieutenant) on account of his young age. Following the award presentation, Strelow went on home leave.

Following his return to his unit, II. ''Gruppe'' was still based at Bryansk but periodically also operated from airfields at Oryol and Dugino. On 18 May, Strelow claimed his 67th aerial victory when he shot down a MiG-3 fighter. Four days later, Strelow committed suicide after he was shot down by a Pe-2 twin-engine bomber in his Bf 109 F-2 "Black 10" (''Werknummer'' 8239—factory number). He had made a forced landing behind Soviet lines near Mtsensk and killed himself to avoid capture by the Red Army. He was succeeded by ''Oberleutnant'' Karl-Heinz Schnell as commander of 5. ''Staffel''.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Strelow was credited with 68 aerial victories. Obermaier lists him with 68 aerial victories claimed in over 200 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 68 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Awards

* Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (5 July 1941)
** 1st Class (14 September 1941)
* Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 24 November 1941 as ''Leutnant'' and pilot
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross on 18 March 1942 as ''Leutnant'' and ''Staffelführer'' of the 5./''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 "Mölders"
** 84th Oak Leaves on 24 March 1942 as ''Leutnant'' and pilot in the 5./''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 "Mölders"

Notes

References

Citations

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Strelow, Hans
Luftwaffe pilots
1922 births
1942 deaths
Military personnel from Berlin
German World War II flying aces
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Missing in action of World War II
Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II
1942 suicides
Suicides by firearm in the Soviet Union
German military personnel who died by suicide