Gotthard Handrick
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| Gotthard Handrick | |
|---|---|
| 25 October 1908 – 30 May 1978 (aged 69) | |
| Allegiance |  Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1929-1945 |
| Rank | Oberst |
| Unit | JGr 88, JG 26, JG 52, JG 77, JG 5 |
| Commands held | III./JG 52, JG 26, JG 77, JG 5 |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War World War II |
| Awards | Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords German Cross in Gold |
| Olympic medalist | |||
 Gotthard Handrick at the 1936 Olympic Games |
|||
| Medal record | |||
| Men's Modern pentathlon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1936 Berlin | Modern pentathlon | |
Karl Hermann Gotthard Handrick (25 October 1908 – 30 May 1978) was a German Olympic athlete and fighter pilot.
He won the Gold medal in the Modern pentathlon at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. As a fighter pilot he participated in Spanish Civil War and claimed 5 aerial victories while flying for the Legion Condor. During World War II he claimed anoher 10 victories[1] earning him the German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943[2].
In mid-1937 Handrick was put in charge of Jagdgruppe 88 and assumed command of I./JG 26 after his return from Spain in July 1938.[3] On 24 June 1940, the command of Jagdgeschwader 26 was handed over to Major Handrick, who passed command of I./JG 26 to Kurt Fischer. [4]
[edit] References
- Caldwell, Donald L. JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. Ivy Books, 1991. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
- 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.
- Toliver, Raymond F. and Constable, Trevor J., Das waren die Deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939-1945. Motorbuch Verlag, 1998. ISBN 3-87943-193-0.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Major Hans Hugo Witt |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter June 24, 1940 – August 21, 1940 |
Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Adolf Galland |
| Preceded by Major Bernhard Woldenga |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 77 Herz As June 23, 1941 – May, 1942 |
Succeeded by Major Gordon M. Gollob |
| Preceded by none |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer May, 1942 – June, 1943 |
Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Günther Scholz |
| Preceded by none |
Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark June 15, 1943 – June 15, 1944 |
Succeeded by 8. Jagd-Division |
| Preceded by Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark |
Commander of 8. Jagd-Division June 15, 1944 – May 8, 1945 |
Succeeded by none |
|
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Categories: 1908 births | 1978 deaths | Modern pentathletes at the 1936 Summer Olympics | German modern pentathletes | Olympic modern pentathletes of Germany | Olympic gold medalists for Germany | Luftwaffe pilots | Spanish Civil War flying aces | German World War II flying aces | Recipients of the Spanish Cross | Recipients of the German Cross
