Hans Grünberg
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| Hans Grünberg | |
|---|---|
| 8 July 1917 – 16 January 1998 (aged 80) | |
| Nickname | Specker |
| Place of birth | Gross-Fahlenwerder, Germany |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | JG 3, JG 7, JV 44 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Hans "Specker" Grünberg was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross during World War II. Grünberg shot down 82 enemy aircrafts in 550 missions.
[edit] Military career
Grünberg first acted in combat role when he was serving with JG 3 based on the Eastern front, in August 1942. Unteroffizier Grünberg achieved his first victory on 19 August 1942, when he shot down a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber. By the end of 1942, Grünberg had amassed 11 victories. He had baled out four times during his time in Russia. Grünberg then flew with 5./JG 3 on Defense of the Reich duties based in Germany. On 9 May 1944, Grünberg was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 3 in the place of Oberleutnant Leopold "Poldi" Münster was shot down and killed in action the day before. His last victory was claimed on 19 April, when he shot down a USAAF B-17 over Bohemia but he had to bail out of his Messerschmitt Me 262 near Prague in this engagement. He served out the remainder of the war with this unit.
Grünberg was credited with 82 victories in 550 combat missions. He recorded 61 victories over the Eastern Front, including 27 Il-2 Sturmoviks. Of his 21 victories recorded over the Western Front, at least 11 were four-engine bombers. He is credited with five victories with the Me-262 jet fighter, all were four-engine bombers.[1]
[edit] Awards
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (9 August 1943)
- German Cross in Gold (31 August 1943)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 for 77 victories.
[edit] References
- ^ For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces
- Aces of the Luftwaffe. Hans Grünberg. Retrieved on 14 February 2008.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
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