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The Kracker Luftwaffe Archive: Axis Powers Pilots and Crew




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There is a rogue group of copyright infringers who have stolen a much earlier version of my data - from at least 10 years ago - and have the affrontery to publish that, along with using my name, on their poorly researched website. They claim this is the 'original' Kracker Archive, a ridiculous claim since my Archive has been in a state of continuous development for over 30 years and nobody - NOBODY - has the original. They have no right to use my name or my data and readers who come across this nonsense should do nothing to encourage theft of this nature. I am outraged by this blatant theft and misrepresentation of my lifetime's work. The ONLY person I have ever authorized to publish my data and use my name is Kelvin Youngs, who earned my trust and respect many years ago and is authorized by me to publish my work on whichever website he organizes, currently this being its present home at the highly respected Aircrew Remembered.

 
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You searched for: “kuhnt AND hans

#Pilot/Crew
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RankBornPlaceScore
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UnitsAircraftAwards*************Notes*************PhotoLinksAuthorComments
1 Dörrie, HansOblt18/03/13OldenburgPossibly flight instructor at FFS C12 at Prague/Rusin 1940, II./KG.z.b.V. 1,TO II./TG 1 (02/44), TO Transportfliegergruppe 30 (10/44)Ju-52 "1Z + AN" (dam 18/11/42),
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (15/03/43 LOCS)
EP (15/03/43)

EK 1 & EK 2
Crash-landed unhurt on 18/11/42 near Sidi Magrum after being shot up by a P-40. Possibly mentioned in a Flugbuch of Eberhard Kuhnt as instructor on a Ju-52 at Prag Rusin flight school.CKönig
2 Hantel, HelmutOblt1922/06/062.(H)/Aufkl. Gr. 14 (11/41-10/42), 8./ZG 26 (10/42-08/43)Bf-110 "5F + UK", "5F + WK" (01/12/42), "5F + YK" (02/12/41, 12/12/41) "5F + PK" (07/12/41), Bf-110 "5F + SK" (80% dam 10/01/42), Bf-110 G-2 "3U + FS" Werknr. 6412 (lost 24/08/43),EP (01/11/43 postm)

EK 1 & 2
Wound badge

probably Recce Operational Clasp in Gold
KilledInAction (KIA) 24 August, 1943 when he collided with another Bf 110G-2 Werknr 5203, piloted by Lt Günther Schumann, during aerial combat N of the Frisian Islands, and crashed into the North Sea. Both AC and crews were lost. Pilot Hantel washed ashore on Vejers Beach on 30 September, 1943 and was buried at Fovrfelt Cemetery, Grave 21, in Esbjerg on 10 October, 1943. His R/O, Uffz Hans Glasche has no known grave. (The Bf 110 Loss list suggests that the "Bf (Glasche?) OK") Source: Air War over Denmark. Hantel already flew in 11/41 in Operation Crusader and was a dear friend of Lt Eberhard Kuhnt - they probably shared the pilot training together. WIA on 10/01/42 in a crash-landing at Arco di Philaenorum airfield due to being attacked and damaged by a Hurricane flown by Sgt. Edward Weightman, his crew on this tour was Obsv Oblt Kurt Genal and a Uffz Gerhard Dubrow (EK1+2, survived the war) as Gunr. WIA (left arm) on 10/01/42 during aerial combat with a British fighter of RAF No. 260 Sq., piloted by Sgt Weightman in the Agheila area. His Obsv Lt Genal assisted him over the shoulder to land "5F+SK". His Radop/Gnr was OGefr Dubrow - he flew with him in 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr. 14 from 12/41 on and later many mission as main Radop in ZG 26 from 11/42-07/43. In a letter dated 31 July 1942 to his friend Kuhnt he mentioned that he was just had 7 weeks of convalescence leave and again at the unit though his arm is still not functioning (not clear whether this is from the injury inflicted on 10/01/41). In this letter he mentioned that he is back together with his comrades Karl Münch, Kurt Genal, Helmut Wolf, Eberhard Schneider, Ernst von Weyrauch, Plöger, Prior and von Rüxleben. Hantel flew with Gunr Walter Stolz on 29/11/41, 01/12/41, 02/12/41, 07/12/41 from Martuba and Gazala.


CKönig
3 Kuhnt, Hans-Eberhard HorstLt23/08/20Brandenburg an der HavelLKS 2 Berlin-Gatow (1940), I./ ZG 26 (01/41), I./ ZG 26 and 2.Erg. ZGr. (Aalborg-Ost 01-06/41), 2.(H)/Aufkl. Gr.14 (Pz) (06-11/41)Bf-110 E-3 "5F + YK", "5F + XK", Bf-110 E-3 Werknr. 2457 (lost)
EK 1 (05/11/41) & EK 2 (12/10/41)
Wound badge (25/11/41)
Kuhnt was shot down on 25 November 1941 by one of approx. +25 British P-40 Tomahawk fighter over Sidi Omar (though Hurricanes of 80 Sq were first listed for the victory.). Update CK: after some deep research it is now verified that Eberhard was shot down by Lt.Col. Laurence "Laurie" Wilmot DSO DFC of 2sqn SAAF 238 Wing who made a Wing Sweep in the early evening in the area of Sidi Omar shooting down a Me-110 (with 405 rounds of .5, 585 round of .303 and 460 rounds incendiaries of Mk vi .303) which crashed burning into some lorries of the German Recce Unit 3 (Aufklärungsabteilung 3, with comrades known to him from Appollonia). Kuhnt barely managed an emergency landing with the burning Bf-110, while being WIA with burn and flesh wounds. On that day his crew consisted of OFw Karl Rabanser in the middle seat and Radop/Gunr OGefr Paul Öser. Rabanser was also WIA and had a severe nervous breakdown, while Öser was unfortunately decapitated and left in the burning aircraft. Kuhnt was promoted to Oblt on 01/02/43 in absence (POW). (Note: The whole entry was revised by CK with the help of original documents and info provided by his son Stefan Kuhnt)



Courtesy Stefan Kuhnt/ Christian König


Öser

Laurie Wilmot SAAF

CKönig
4 Stahnke, Karl-HeinzHptm1918/11/06Altenhagen / Bielefeld01.10.37 entered the Luftwaffe. 10.01.40 an instructor with FFS C) Prag-Rusin (to 01.04.41). 04.40 temporarily with KGr.z.b.V. 105. c.06.41 trf to Heinkel at Oranienburg as an acceptance pilot (to 01.07.41). 26.07.41 trf to FFS C 12 as an instructor. 10.12.41 promo to Lt. 15.10.42 trf to 4./KGr.z.b.V. 500. 20.10.42 Lt., awarded the Ehrenpokal. 12.42/01.43 flew missions into the Stalingrad pocket. 12.01.43 Lt., awarded DKG, 3./KGr.z.b.V. 500. 08.04.43 trf to 12./KG 40. 01.09.43 trf to I./KG 40. 04.10.43 trf to 3./KG 40. 01.07.43 promo to Oblt. (Kr.O./Fl.) (RDA 01.04.43). 04.44 Lt. in 1./KG 40 (reached 600 op sorties). 07.07.44 Oblt. in 3./KG 40, landed his Fw 200 C-3 (F8+RL) on Alexandra Island (Zemlya Aleksandry)/Franz Joseph Land to evacuate a weather station but damaged the landing gear – after a delay of several days for repairs, on 11.07.44 flew his crew and the weather station personnel back to Norway. 09.44 trf to 14./TG 4. 24.10.44 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Staka 3./KG 40. 18.11.44 awarded for achieving 600 missions. 1944-45 Hptm. Führer Kommando Clara, /KG 200. 11.01.45 attained status as Flugkapitän. 16.01.45 completed 3 or 4 flights to Rhodes (to 01.04.45). 27.03.45 Oblt. 14./TG 4, awarded the Eichenlaub. 01.05.45 promo to Hptm. (RDA 01.02.45). †03.11.57 in a Luftreederei Herfurtner DC-4 crash near Düsseldorf soon after take-off. Credited with approximately 300 combat missions, most of which were over 4 hours in length. He had flown 7,438 flights, logging 6,672 hours. [from ADI(K) summaries (10.45): - entered the GAF in 1937 and eventually became a test pilot, posted to duty with Heinkel Flugzeugbau, Oranienburg. In 1939 he went to Rechlin and carried out diving tests with the Ju 88, Ju 188, Do 217 and He 177. Later he was employed on development of long distance aircraft and their equipment, (e.g. gyroscopic octants, automatic beam compasses (Sonnenkompass) and also the simplification of methods of calculation].instr FFS C12 (09/40 CK), 4./KG z.b.V. 500 (41), Stfkpt 3./KG 40, III./KG 40, 14./TG 4 (09/44)Ju 52 "Da + DE", Fw 200 "F8 + FL" in KG 40, Fw 200 "F8 + RL" (07/44), Fw 200 "G6 + AY" (12/44)
RK (24/10/44)
EL(27/03/45)

Deutsches Kreuz - Gold (12/01/43)
EP (20/10/42)

EK 1 & 2

Bomber Operational Clasp in Gold with pendant "600" (18/11/44 CK)
Class "C" Glider Badge
Fled the advancing Americans on 5 May, 1945 in a Fi 156 from Micheldorf, by Linz, heading north. His friend, Ingrid was flown out in an Fw 200 by Uffz Friebel. Known crew: Fw Reinhold Wechsler, R/O and Uffz Max Resler, Gnr. in July 1944. Deceased 3 November, 1957, in a DC-4 crash at Düsseldorf airport (P. Bastin). Added: One of the most experienced Fw 200 pilots. RK awarded for his high total of long-distance missions, as well as a daring rescue mission carried out at the beginning of July 1944. Several members of a Kriegsmarine weather station on Franz Josef Land had fallen ill with trichinosis and needed to be evacuated. It was Stahnke who landed a Fw 200 Condor bomber on an improvised landing strip some 5 km from the station on the 07.07.1944. The aircraft was damaged in the very tricky landing operation, but after several days of repairs was made fit to fly again and Stahnke flew out the sick soldiers as per the original plan (src ToW). Stahnke was one of the instructors of FFS C12 who taught Lt Hans Eberhard Kuhnt (see own entry) in September 1940 (CK)

Courtesy CK


Stahnke (3rd from right) and his crew in front of Fw 200 "F8 + FL" after their 400th combat mission

Courtesy CK

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