Hans Dammers | |
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Born | 8 December 1913 Scherpenberg near Moers |
Died | 17 March 1944 Stanislau |
(aged 30)
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
Rank | Leutnant (posthumous) |
Unit | JG 52, EJGr Ost |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Hans Dammers (8 August 1913 – 17 March 1944) was a German World War II fighter ace and was credited with 113 aerial victories, with 23 unconfirmed claims. During his numerous ground attack missions he destroyed 11 aircraft, 8 locomotives, 39 horse drawn wagons, 34 trucks, 3 anti-aircraft emplacements and 1 armoured reconnaissance vehicle.[1]
Following the launch of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 Dammers was credited with 48 kills as part of JG 52. His first victory of 1942 -a MiG-1- occurred on 13 May followed by a Pe-2 bomber on 28 May .[2] On 17 July 1942 Dammers (flying Bf 109 G-2 W.Nr. 13435) and his wingman Unteroffizier Kurt Keiser jumped Soviet Yak-1 pilot (then Starshiy Leytenant) Aleksandr Pokryshkin, but the future second highest scoring Soviet ace managed to shot both down. Keiser was killed and Dammers bailed out.[3]
He resumed his successes, shooting down two LaGG-3s on 28 July, and on 6 August 1942 he claimed an I-153 biplane fighter and two LaGG-3s. Dammers had 57 victories when he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 August 1942.[2]
Dammers' Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 20162) "yellow 9" was struck on 13 March 1944 by debris from a shot down Lavochkin La-5. Dammers baled out but his parachute got caught on his wing. Dammers succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital on 17 March 1944 in Stanislau. He was posthumously promoted to Leutnant.
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