Anton Hafner

Anton Hafner
Nickname	Toni
Birth date	2 June 1918(1918-06-02)
Place of birth	Erbach an der Donau near Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Death date	⚔ 17 October 1944 (aged 26)
Place of death	Schweizersfelde near Gumbinnen, Province of East Prussia, Free State of Prussia, German Reich
Allegiance	National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–1944
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	JG 51 "Mölders"
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Operation Barbarossa North African campaign Tunisian Campaign (de)
Awards	German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Anton “Toni” Hafner (2 June 1918 – 17 October 1944) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht, finally 1st Lieutenant of the Luftwaffe and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He was a fighter pilot and flying ace with 204 confirmed and five unconfirmed aerial victories (Luftsiege) – including eight Boston bombers and nine Supermarine Spitfires – in 795 combat missions (Feindflüge) – including 175 close support missions.

Life

Hafner, the son of a Meister, a master craftsman, in the field of tinsmith, had always, like his good school friend Franz Gapp, dreamed of joining the Luftwaffe and, following the compulsory Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst; RAD), did so, although belated, in July 1939. He was trained with the Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 23 and the Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 53. Following flight and fighter pilot training with the FFS A/B 122 (Flugzeugführerschule; pilot school), JFS Magdeburg and JFS Stolp (Jagdfliegerschule; fighter school), Corporal (Gefreiter) Hafner was transferred to the 4. Staffel/Ergänzungsgruppe/JG 51 (4th Squadron/Supplementary Group) on 4 December 1940 and to the 6th Squadron/JG 51 on 23 February 1941, one and a half years after the start of World War II. The unit had just undergone a period of replenishment and rest at Mannheim-Sandhofen and was being redeployed to an airfield at Mardyck, west of Dunkirk on the Channel Front.

On 1 June 1941, II. Group was withdrawn from the Channel Front and moved to Dortmund for conversion to the Bf 109 F-2 and preparation for Operation Barbarossa. Deployment east began on 10 June where II. Group was initially based at Siedlce (General Government), familiarizing themselves with the Bf 109 F-2, and patrolling the border along the Bug River. The German attack began on the early morning on 22 June with II. Group flying fighter escort missions in support of the German advance. The wing group was moved to an airfield at Terespol in the afternoon on 23 June 1941. The next day, Unteroffizier (NCO) Hafner claimed his first aerial victory, a Tupolev SB bomber. On 3 July 1941, he claimed 5th aerial victory and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class. He became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time on 5 July 1942 when he shot down seven enemy aircraft, aerial victories 35–41. On 22 August 1942, Feldwebel (Sergeant) Hafner claimed his 60th aerial victory and was nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross which was awarded to him on 23 August 1942.

II. Group/JG 51 had been withdrawn from the Eastern Front in early October 1942 and sent to Jesau near Königsberg in East Prussia for conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Conversion training began on 7 October and on 4 November, the unit received the order to convert back to the Bf 109 and to transfer to the Mediterranean theatre. Via various stopovers, II. Group moved to Sidi Ahmed airfield in Tunisia, arriving on 14 November 1942. There, the unit was subordinated to Fliegerführer Tunis (Flying Leader Tunis). Two days later, on fighter escort mission for III. Group of Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Fighter Wing), Hafner claimed his first victory in this theatre of operations. The unit then moved to an airfield at El Aouina. On 18 December 1942, Hafner claimed two aerial victories over Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft, taking his total to 78 aerial victories. One of his opponents was Norman L. Widen of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 94th Fighter Squadron. Widen bailed out and was taken prisoner of war and brought to Hafner's airfield. After Hafner landed, Widen presented Hafner his silver pilot insignia. Before Widen was taken to the prisoner-of-war camp, Hafner and Widen promised to meet again after the war. Hafner sent the gift to his brother, Alfons Hafner, with the request to return the gifts together with a medal and picture of Anton Hafner in case of Anton Hafner getting killed in action. Hafner was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant (war officer) on 1 June 1943.

Hafner returned to JG 51 "Mölders" in August 1943, then operating on the Eastern Front. There, he was assigned to the Stabsstaffel (Staff Squadron). On 15 October 1943, the Soviet Central Front launched an offensive, attacking Army Group Centre on its southern flank at Loyew on the Dnieper. That day, Hafner was credited with his 100th aerial victory in that area of operations. He was the 56th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. The Stabsstaffel had provided fighter escort to a flight of Heinkel He 111 bombers attacking ground targets in the vicinity of Gomel. On this mission, the Stabsstaffel ran into Soviet Douglas A-20 Havoc bombers, also known as Boston, which were protected by Lavochkin La-5 fighters. Hafner claimed two Bostons and a La-5 in this encounter.But his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 530 373) also sustained battle damage, resulting in a forced landing on German held territory.

On 12 January 1944, Hafner made a forced landing in his Fw 190 A south of Parichi, 29 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Svetlahorsk on the Berezina river. A barrel burst during combat with Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers on 29 March resulted in an emergency landing at Liuboml. Following his 134th aerial victory, Hafner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944, the 452nd soldier to receive this distinction. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler (accompanied by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and Konteradmiral Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer) at the Berghof, Hitler's residence in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps, on 5 May 1944. Also present at the ceremony were Otto Kittel (⚔), Günther Schack, Alfred Grislawski, Emil Lang (⚔), Erich Rudorffer, Martin Möbus (⚔), Wilhelm Herget, Hans-Karl Stepp, Rudolf Schoenert, Günther Radusch, Otto Pollmann and Fritz Breithaupt (⚔), who all received the Oak Leaves on this date.

Hafner succeeded Hauptman Fritz Stendel as commander (Staffelkapitän) of 8th Squadron of JG 51 "Mölders" on 15 May 1944. This squadron was redesignated as 10th Squadron in August 1944. On 24 June 1944, the Soviet Air Forces fielded 4,500 combat missions over the combat area of Army Group Centre while Luftflotte 6 (Air Fleet 6) flew 111 ground attack and 150 fighter missions, creating a 1:15 discrepancy. That day, III. Group flew several missions in the combat area south and southeast of Babruysk. During these missions, Hafner claimed aerial victories 140 to 144, thus becoming JG 51 "Mölders" most successful fighter pilot, a distinction he would hold until the end of World War II in Europe. On 28 June 1944, Hafner's Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 411 203) was hit by ground fire, resulting in a forced landing 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northwest of Asipovichy. On 8 August 1944, Hafner shot down seven enemy planes. On 16 October 1944, Hafner destroyed four fighters thus taking him past the double century mark.

Wounds

• 29 March 1941 Crash-landed at Mardyck, Bf 109 E-4/B damaged, WIA (light head wound)
• 5 July 1941 Combat with Russian I-16s, suffered facial wounds; He was able to land without accident, with a doctor and ambulance waiting for him. He returned to service two weeks later.
• 2 January 1943 Shot down in his Bf 109 G-2 during dogfight with Royal Air Force; He broke his hand (complex fracture of his arm) bailing out with parachute, and was out of action for six months.
• 28 June 44 WIA when his Bf 109 G-6 "Black 15" force-landed due to engine failure 10 km NW of Ossipowitschi

Ace in a day

On 5 July 1942, then again on 20 October 1943, 28 October 1943, 22 February 1944, 24 June 1944, 16 July 1944 and 8 August 1944, Hafner, like Jakob Norz, became a seven-time ace in a day, with seven, five, five, seven, five, five, and seven victories, respectively.

Death

Oberleutnant (Kr.O.) Anton Hafner was ⚔ on 17 October 1944 in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 "Black 1" (Werknummer 442 013) after downing his 204th victory. He collided with a tree near Schweizersfelde, east of Gumbinnen, East Prussia while pursuing a Russian Yak-7 or Yak-9 fighter (dependig on the source) at zero altitude. That day, the numerically far inferior JG 51 "Mölders" lost twelve aircraft in combat with the French Armée de l'Air Normandie-Niemen fighter regiment serving on the Eastern Front. Hafner was ceremoniously buried near Malomoschaiskoje by his comrades. Hafner was replaced by Oberleutnant Helmut Besekau as commander of the 10th Squadron/JG 51.

Norman L. Widen (USAAF), 1961

This story was published Life magazine on 14 April 1961. Widen and his family were accompanied during their 1961 trip to Germany by Stan Wayman, one of the many photographers for LIFE who captured iconic pictures of the visit to Anton Hafner's brother, Alfons.

Anton Hafner was the most successful fighter pilot of JG 51, with 204 victories. Hafner was also involved in one of the most interesting stories to emerge from the carnage of World War II. Born on the 2nd of June, 1918, Hafner joined 6/JG 51 in June 1941 as an Unteroffizier in Russia. By August, 1942 he had already 60 victories under his belt, his was awarded the Ritterkreuz on the 23rd of August. In November of the same year Hafner was transferred to North Africa to combat the Americans in Tunisia. On the 18th of December 1942, Hafner was part of a intercepting force that was directed against a raiding U.S bomber formation. At about 30,000 feet, Hafner met one of the escort fighter's (a P-38 lighting), immediately the lighting fastened himself onto the tail of one of Hafner's buddies. Hafner sped to the rescue, the three planes twisted and turned down to 15,000 feet, Hafner scored many hit's on the P-38 causing it to burst into flames. The American pilot bailed out. Hafner circled the American several times, causing the pilot to think the German was about to open fire on him. The American landed in a swamp near the German airfield and was brought to the airfield by German troops. Hafner introduced himself and the two men sat down and ate lunch together. The American pilot was Lt Norman L. Widen from Wisconsin USA, the two men talked for hours, getting to know each other. Widen gave Hafner his silver pilots wing's and his serial identification plate from his P-38, before he was taken to a POW camp, the men agreed to meet after the war, Lt Widen was Hafner's 82nd victory. Hafner sent the wings and serial id to his brother Alfons in Germany with a message that read if he was killed in action, Alfons must find this American pilot after the war. In the summer of 1943, Anton Hafner was sent back to Russia with JG 51 after scoring 20 kills in Tunisia. His score rose rapidly, he was awarded the Eichenlaub for his 134th victory, by July of that year he had 204 victories to his name. On the 17th of July while flying his 795 mission, Hafner engaged a Yak-9 in a dogfight at extremely low altitude, his Messerschmitt lost altitude and slammed into a tree. Hafner was killed in an instant. In 1960, Alfons Hafner sought the help of the United States Air Force (USAF) in locating Lt Widen. Widen was now a Major. Widen was located and together with his wife and their two young children flew to Germany to meet Alfons and collect his wings and serial id.

Awards and decorations

• Pilot's Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen)
• Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 6 July 1941
  • 1st Class on 18/23 July 1941
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black and Silver
• Honorary Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg) on 27 April 1942
• Frontflugspange for fighters in Bronze, Silver and Gold
  • Pennant to the Golden Front Flying Clasp (star pennant)
  • Pennant to the Golden Front Flying Clasp with Mission Number "700"
• German Cross in Gold on 22 May 1942 as Unteroffizier (NCO) in the 6th Squadron/II. Group/JG 51
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 August 1942 as Feldwebel (Sergeant) and pilot in the 6th Squadron/II. Group/JG 51 "Mölders"[5]
  • 452nd Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 as 2nd Lieutenant (war officer) and pilot in the 6th Squadron/II. Group/Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"

Gallery

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•