The signatories
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Hugo Dahmer
Hugo Dahmer was born on 7 May 1918 at Koblenz. Dahmer initially
served with
4./JG 26. Unteroffizier Dahmer recorded his first victory on
16 May 1940 when he shot down a French Morane 406 over Tournai.
In August, he transferred to 6./JG 26. He performed well during
the Battle of Britain taking his score to nine by the end of
September 1940.
On 1 February 1941, Dahmer was transferred to 1./JG 77 based
in Norway. He flew with the unit during the invasion of Russia,
claiming 11 victories during the first three weeks of the campaign.
In March 1942, 1./JG 77 was redesignated 6./JG 5. Oberfeldwebel
Dahmer was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 30 July for 22 victories.
Following a brief spell as a fighter pilot instructor, Feldwebel
Dahmer rejoined JG 26 based on the Channel front in December
1942 but transferred to JG 2 a few weeks later. He recorded his
39th victory in January 1943 and, at the beginning of March,
shot down two USAAF B-17 four-engined bombers in one mission
over Brittany in France. Dahmer was appointed Staffelkapitän
of 1./JG 2 on 17 August 1943. On 11 September, he was badly wounded
in combat with RAF Spitfires near Rouen and spent the rest of
the war instructing at fighter schools.
Hugo Dahmer was credited with 45 victories in 307 missions although
some sources quote his score as 57. |
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Otto Schultz
Born May 31st, 1920 in Dannenberg, Germany. One of the proverbial
German "Experten" who managed to survive five years
of air combat by his skill and experience. Joined 4./JG51 stationed
near the English Channel in the autumn of 1940. 40th victory
in Tunesia during the Africa campaign on December 4th, 1942.
Awarded the Knight's Cross after his 53rd aerial victory. Shot
down and seriously injured by P-51 near Sofia, Bulgaria on June
28th, 1944. Re-joined II./JG51 as this unit's leader on December
24th, 1944 and won five more victories before the war ended.
More than 800 combat missions, 73 aerial victories. Decorations
include: Knight's Cross, German Cross, and Cup of Honour. |
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Hajo Hermann
Born 1 August 1913 in Kiel, Germany. He was one of the Luftwaffe's
most innovative air tacticians during WWII. Beginning his military
career as an infantry officer, he was commissioned in the newly
formed Luftwaffe in 1935. From 1936 til 1937 he was a bomber
pilot of the Condor Legion, which was responsible for the almost
complete destruction of the Basque town of Guernica during the
Spanish civil war, joined KG-4, and wrote several well received
tactical reports. When WWII began, he flew Heinkel He-111's in
Poland and Norway. By 1940 Hermann was Commander of the 7th Staffel
of KG-4, and led many attacks on England during the Battle of
Britain. In February of 1941 his group went to Sicily, where
they flew against Malta and Greece. In one such attack, he dropped
a single bomb on an ammunition ship. The resulting explosion
sank 11 ships and made the Greek port of Piraeus unusable for
many months. In early 1942 he was Commander of III/KG30, attacking
arctic convoys from Norway, including the infamous attacks on
PQ-17. July of 1942 saw him assigned to the general staff in
Germany, where he became a close confidant of Hermann Göring.
At the end of war he was captured by the Russians, spending long
years in captivity. He was awarded the Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves
and Swords. |
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Heinrich Suedel
Born April 23rd, 1920 in Wellspang, Germany.
Flew in France during the early period of WWII. Took part in
the entire Battle of Britain as a pilot in Kampfgeschwader 55
(KG 55) until the spring of 1941. Then posted to the Eastern
Front, where he spent nearly all of his remaining flying time
in WWII including many missions over Russia. Took part in the
Stalingrad and Caucasus campaigns. 408 combat missions, nearly
all of them in the Heinkel He 111. Conversion training to the
Me 262 jet near the end of the war.
Decorations include: Knight's Cross (April 7th, 1945 as Oberleutnant),
German Cross, Cup of Honour, Operational Flying Clasp (bomber
pilot) in Bronze, Silver, and Gold (with "400" missions
bar), Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. |
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Hans Kirn
Born August 8th, 1920 in Lindau, Germany.
Joined the National Socialist Flying Corps NSFK on April 1st,
1939. Kirn started his basic military and flight training on
October 14th, 1939 and graduated from Flugzeugführerschule
Magdeburg on September 30th, 1940. Posted to Flugzeugführerschule
Prague Rusin, then on to Blindflugschule (instrument flight training
school) Strassburg until December 1941. Flew combat missions
in Lehrgeschwader 1 from January 1942 through October 1944. Then
joined Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6) from November of 1944 until hostilities
ended in May 1945. Flew the following aircraft types: Me 109,
Me 262, Ju 86, Ju 52, He 111, Do 17, Ju 88, and Ju 188. More
than 210 combat missions.
Decorations include: Knight's Cross (February 29th, 1944 as Oberfeldwebel),
German Cross, Cup of Honour, Operational Flying Clasp (bomber
pilot) in Bronze, Silver, and Gold, Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class,
decorated for service in the Krim campaign. |
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