Dietrich Hrabak

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Dietrich Hrabak
19 December 1914(1914-12-19) – 15 September 1995 (aged 80)
Dietrich Hrabak
Nickname	"Dieter"
Place of birth	Groß-Deuben, Leipzig
Place of death	Pfaffenhofen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine (1934-1935) Luftwaffe(1935-1945), (1955-1970)
Years of service	1934-1945, 1955-1970
Rank	Oberst (World War II) Generalmajor (Bundeswehr)
Unit	JG 138, JG 76, JG 54 , JG 52
Commands held	II./JG 54, JG 54, JG 52
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland (1939) Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Bundeswehr

Dietrich "Dieter" Hrabak (born 19 December 1914 in Groß-Deuben, Leipzig, died 15 September 1995 in Pfaffenhofen) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until the end of World War II on 8 May 1945 and again in the Bundeswehr from 1955 until his retirement on 30 September 1970. During World War II he shot down 125 enemy aircraft achieved in over 1000 combat missions. 109 of his victories were claimed over the Eastern front, with 16 against the Western Allies.

His various commands included Geschwaderkommodore of JG 52 and JG 54, the two highest scoring fighter Geschwaders of the war.

His greatest contribution to the Luftwaffe was not his combat record however but his command, tactical and leadership qualities, which endeared him to the men under his command and sealed his reputation within the Luftwaffe leadership.

[edit] Quotes

Dietrich Hrabak was famous for saying: "If you return from a mission with a victory, but without your Rottenflieger, you have lost your battle."

[edit] Awards

German Cross in Gold (10 July 1944)
Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross (21 October 1940)
- 337. Oak Leaves (25 November 1943)

[edit] References

The Men of JG 54. Dietrich Hrabak. Retrieved on 25 March 2007.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.

Military offices
Preceded by Major Herbert Ihlefeld	Commander of Jagdgeschwader 52 November 1, 1942-September 30, 1944	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf
Preceded by Oberstleutnant Anton Mader	Commander of Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz October 1, 1944-May 8, 1945	Succeeded by none

v • d • e German World War II Flying Aces with 100+ Aerial Victories

300+	Erich Hartmann (352) • Gerhard Barkhorn (301)

250+	Günther Rall (275) • Otto Kittel (267) • Walter Nowotny (258)

200+	Wilhelm Batz (237) • Erich Rudorffer (222) • Heinz Bär (220) • Hermann Graf (212) • Heinrich Ehrler (208) • Theodor Weissenberger (208) • Hans Philipp (206) • Walter Schuck (206) • Anton Hafner (204) • Helmut Lipfert (203)

150+	Walter Krupinski (197) • Anton Hackl (192) • Joachim Brendel (189) • Max Stotz (189) • Joachim Kirschner (188) • Kurt Brändle (180) • Günther Josten (178) • Johannes Steinhoff (176) • Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (174) • Günther Schack (174) • Emil Lang (173) • Heinz Schmidt (173) • Horst Ademeit (166) • Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (162) • Hans-Joachim Marseille (158) • Heinrich Sturm (158) • Gerhard Thyben (157) • Hans Beisswenger (152) • Peter Düttmann (152) • Gordon M. Gollob (150)

100+	Fritz Tegtmeier (146) • Albin Wolf (144) • Kurt Tanzer (143) • Friedrich-Karl Müller (140) • Karl Gratz (138) • Heinrich Setz (138) • Rudolf Trenkel (138) • Franz Schall (137) • Walter Wolfrum (137) • Horst-Günther von Fassong (136) • Otto Fönnekold (136) • Karl-Heinz Weber (136) • Joachim Müncheberg (135) • Hans Waldmann (134) • Alfred Grislawski (133) • Johannes Wiese (133) • Adolf Borchers (132) • Adolf Dickfeld (132) • Erwin Clausen (132) • Wilhelm Lemke (131) • Gerhard Hoffmann (130) • Franz Eisenach (129) • Walther Dahl (129) • Heinrich Sterr (129) • Franz Dörr (128) • Rudolf Rademacher (126) • Josef Zwernemann (126) • Dietrich Hrabak (125) • Wolf-Udo Ettel (124) • Herbert Ihlefeld (123) • Wolfgang Tonne (122) • Heinz Marquardt (121) • Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (121) • Robert Weiß (121) • Erich Leie (121) • Friedrich Obleser (120) • Franz-Josef Beerenbrock (117) • Hans-Joachim Birkner (117) • Jakob Norz (117) • Walter Oesau (117) • Heinz Wernicke (117) • August Lambert (116) • Wilhelm Crinius (114) • Werner Schröer (114) • Hans Dammers (113) • Berthold Korts (113) • Helmut Lent (113) • Kurt Bühlingen (112) • Kurt Ubben (110) • Franz Woidich (110) • Reinhard Seiler (109) • Emil Bitsch (108) • Hans Hahn (108) • Bernhard Vechtel (108) • Viktor Bauer (106) • Werner Lucas (106) • Günther Lützow (105) • Adolf Galland (104) • Eberhard von Boremski (104) • Heinz Sachsenberg (104) • Hartmann Grasser (103) • Siegfried Freytag (102) • Friedrich Geisshardt (102) • Egon Mayer (102) • Max-Hellmuth Ostermann (102) • Josef Wurmheller (102) • Werner Mölders (101) • Rudolf Miethig (101) • Josef Priller (101) • Ulrich Wernitz (101) • Rudolf Müller (101)

See also: List of top World War II aces and List of World War II aces from Germany