Heinz-Horst Hißbach
Born30 January 1916
Dessau
Died14 April 1945(1945-04-14) (aged 29)
Gelnhausen
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1945
RankHauptmann (captain)
UnitKG 40, NJG 2
Commands heldII./NJG 2
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Heinz-Horst Hißbach (30 January 1916 – 14 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Heinz-Horst Hißbach claimed 34 aerial victories, all of them at night.[Note 1]

Career

Hißbach was born on 30 January 1916 in Dessau.[1]

Night fighter career

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, RAF attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.[2] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.[3]

On 1 November 1944, Hißbach succeeded Major Paul Semrau as Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing).[4]

In the night of 14/15 April 1945, Hißbach and his crew of Hubert Varzecha and Max Mayer were killed in action when they were shot down by anti-aircraft artillery. The three were strafing a US resupply column, destroying eight vehicles, in the area of Gelnhausen when their aircraft was hit and exploded.[1] Posthumously, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) that day.[5]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According Spick, Hißbach was credited with 34 nocturnal aerial victories, claimed in approximately 200 combat missions.[6] Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 30 victory claims.[7] Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, stating that Hißbach claimed more than 29 aerial victories, plus two further unconfirmed claims.[5]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ DF-DG". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[8]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the – (dash) indicates unwitnessed aerial victory claims for which Hißbach did not receive credit.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 but not in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.
Claim Date Time Type Location Serial No./Squadron No.
– I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[5]
1?[Note 2] 25/26 July 1942
—
 Wellington southwest of Crete[9] Wellington HF944/No. 108 Squadron RAF[10]
– 14. Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 40 –[5]
1?[Note 3] 30 November 1942 14:05 Whitley[5]
– 5. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[5]
—
?[Note 4]		 14 October 1943
—
 B-17[5]
2 21 January 1944 22:52?[Note 5] Lancaster[13]
3 21 January 1944 23:00 Lancaster[14]
4 29 January 1944 03:20 Lancaster[15]
5 29 January 1944 03:35 Lancaster[15]
6 21 February 1944 04:09 four-engined bomber Stuttgart[16]
7 25 February 1944 21:51 four-engined bomber vicinity of Schönbach[17]
8 15 March 1944 23:26 four-engined bomber 70 km (43 mi) south of Stuttgart[18]
9 24 March 1944 22:22 four-engined bomber 20–80 km (12–50 mi) from of Kassel[19]
10 24 March 1944 22:50 four-engined bomber 20–50 km (12–31 mi) from of Berlin[20]
11 31 March 1944 00:49?[Note 6] four-engined bomber vicinity of Rheine[21]
12?[Note 7] 31 March 1944 00:50 four-engined bomber southwest of Buer[21]
13 31 March 1944 00:50 four-engined bomber southwest of the Thuringian Forest[22]
14 28 April 1944 03:06 Halifax Saint-Dizier[23]
15 23 May 1944 01:18 Lancaster[24] east of Uden
16 10 June 1944 00:38 Lancaster vicinity of Étrépagny[25]
17 25 June 1944 00:38 Lancaster north of Abbeville[26]
18 1 July 1944 01:25 Lancaster Blois-Vendôme[27]
19 1 July 1944 01:38 Lancaster 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Châteaudun[27]
20 5 July 1944 01:55 Lancaster south of Abbeville[28]
21 8 July 1944 01:45 Lancaster Dieppe[29]
22 19 July 1944 01:12 four-engined bomber Jouarre[30]
23 19 July 1944 01:58 four-engined bomber Épernay[30]
24 29 July 1944 00:46 four-engined bomber PQ DF-DG[31]
vicinity of Montargis-Sens
25 29 July 1944 01:23 four-engined bomber Chaumont[31] Lancaster PB245/No. 619 Squadron RAF[32]
26 29 July 1944 01:58 four-engined bomber 40 km (25 mi) west of Stuttgart[33]
27 26 August 1944 01:24 four-engined bomber Darmstadt[34]
28 19 September 1944 23:05 Lancaster west-northwest of Mönchengladbach[35]
– II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[5]
29 3/4 March 1945
—
 four-engined bomber over England[36]
30 3/4 March 1945
—
 four-engined bomber over England[37]

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.
  2. ↑ According to Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, this claim was unconfirmed.[5]
  3. ↑ This claim is not listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945.[11]
  4. ↑ This unconfirmed claim is not listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945.[12]
  5. ↑ According to Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, claimed at 22:25.[5]
  6. ↑ According to Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, claimed at 00:50.[5]
  7. ↑ This claim is not listed in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.[5]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 133.
  2. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 9.
  3. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 27.
  4. ↑ Aders 1978, p. 227.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 528.
  6. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 245.
  7. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, pp. 50–240.
  8. ↑ Planquadrat.
  9. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 50.
  10. ↑ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012, p. 668.
  11. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 62.
  12. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 122.
  13. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 142.
  14. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 143.
  15. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 145.
  16. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 150.
  17. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 152.
  18. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 155.
  19. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 157.
  20. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 158.
  21. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 161.
  22. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 162.
  23. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 172.
  24. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 178.
  25. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 185.
  26. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 192.
  27. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 195.
  28. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 197.
  29. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 199.
  30. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 202.
  31. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 205.
  32. ↑ Accident description for Lancaster PB245 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 10 September 2021.
  33. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 206.
  34. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 211.
  35. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 217.
  36. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 239.
  37. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 240.
  38. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 103.
  39. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 188.
  40. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 228.
  41. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 393.

Bibliography

  • Aders, Gebhard (1978). History of the German Night Fighter Force, 1917–1945. London: Janes. ISBN 978-0-354-01247-8.
  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Foreman, John; Parry, Simon; Mathews, Johannes (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940–1945 Volume 2: North African Desert, February 1942 – March 1943. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-909166-12-7.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
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