Hans-Heinrich Koenig

Hans-Heinrich Koenig
Born	23 July 1920 Halle
Died	24 May 1944 (aged 23) Kaltenkirchen
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?-1944
Rank	Hauptmann (Posthumously)
Unit	ZG 76 NJG 3 JG 11
Commands held	I./JG 11
Battles/wars	World War II Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hans-Heinrich Koenig (23 July 1920 – 24 May 1944) was a World War II German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, an award conferred in recognition of extreme battlefield bravery or distinguished military leadership. He was killed on 24 May 1944 during defensive operations over Germany, when his Fw 190 was destroyed by fire from an American bomber that he was attacking. Koenig's disintegrating fighter impacted with the bomber, and both aircraft went down over Kaltenkirchen. Koenig was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 August 1944. During his career he was credited with 28 aerial victories, all of which were over the Western Front.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Silver
• German Cross in Gold (1 October 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 April 1944 as Oberleutnant and leader of the I./Jagdgeschwader 11^{[1][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 11.^[2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 266.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 459.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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.
• 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.
• 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.

External links

• Aces of the Luftwaffe
• World War 2 Awards.com