Hans Röhrig

Hans Röhrig
Born	(1919-11-04)4 November 1919 Memmingen Bavaria, Germany
Died	13 July 1943(1943-07-13) (aged 23) near Siracusa, Sicily
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–1943
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	Erpr.Gr. 210, JG 53
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Western Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hans Röhrig (4 November 1919 – 13 July 1943) was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Hans Röhrig was credited with 75 victories. He recorded 56 victories over the Eastern Front and 19 victories recorded over the Western Front.

In the War

Hans Röhrig was first assigned to Erprobungsgruppe 210. He flew many fighter-bomber missions over England during the Battle of Britain and according to one source, recorded five aerial victories during this time but those victories remain unconfirmed. On 1 May 1941, Röhrig was transferred to JG 53 stationed on the Eastern Front. He recorded his first victory on 25 July, when he shot down a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber. Röhrig relocated with 3./JG 53 to the Mediterranean theatre at the end of 1941. From bases in Sicily, he flew missions over Malta but was unable to add any further victory during this time.

In May 1942, I./JG 53 relocated back to the Eastern Front. On 6 August 1942 Leutnant Hans Röhrig (flying Bf.109G-2 W.Nr 13480) was shot down by a Yak-1 fighter, apparently flown by Soviet ace Starshiy Leytenant Mikhail Baranov (183 IAP, 269 IAD). At that time Röhrig had eight victories to his credit. Röhrig claimed his 10th victory on 20 August. In September, Röhrig was particularly successful recording 39 victories during the month. On September 1942, Röhrig had reached 56 victories.

On 28 September 1942, I. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Munich-Riem where they would be reequipped with the Bf 109 G-2 trop for redeployment in the Mediterranean theater.

Leutnant Röhrig was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 2 October 1942. During October, the unit operated over Malta to participate into bomber escort missions. In November 1942, Röhrig was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 53. He successfully led the unit during the campaigns in Tunisia and Sicily. He recorded his last victories, two USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighters, over Sicily on 11 July 1943. He shot down another two USAAF P-38 on the same day. On 13 July 1943, Röhrig led 9./JG 53 escorting Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft to drop paratroops on the Catania plains. He failed to return from the mission, being shot down and killed by RAF Spitfire fighters which intercepted the escort mission. Röhrig was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 74 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes 58 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and another 16 over the Western Allies, including one four-engined bomber.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 26 October 1942 as Leutnant and pilot
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 October 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 53

References

Bibliography

• Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]; Dikov, Andrey; Antipov, Vlad; Sundin, Claes (2006). Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume 3, Everything for Stalingrad. Hamilton MT: Eagle Editions. ISBN 978-0-9761034-4-8.
• Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
• 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.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims – Volume 3 M–R. Walton-on-Thames, UK: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
• 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. (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.
• Prien, Jochen (1998). Jagdgeschwader 53 A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader May 1942 – January 1944. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-0292-3.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/III—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1 May 1942 bis 3 February 1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/III—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-78-6.
• 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.