Dietrich Hrabak
| Dietrich Hrabak | |
|---|---|
Dietrich Hrabak
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Dieter" |
| Born |
19 December 1914 Großdeuben, Saxony |
| Died | 15 September 1995 (aged 80) Pfaffenhofen |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Reichsmarine (to 1935) Luftwaffe.svg){kind=small} German Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1934–45 1955–70 |
| Rank |
Oberst (World War II) Generalmajor (Bundeswehr) |
| Unit | JG 138, JG 76 |
| Commands held | JG 54, JG 52 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
| Other work | Bundeswehr |
Dietrich "Dieter" Hrabak (19 December 1914 – 15 September 1995) was a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. Following the war, he served in the German Air Force of West Germany from 1955 until his retirement on 30 September 1970. A fighter ace, he claimed 125 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1000 combat missions. 109 of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 16 against the Western Allies.
Hrabak was born on 19 December 1914 in Großdeuben, part of Böhlen, in the Kingdom of Saxony, a federated state of the German Empire, the son of a real estate developer. Following his graduation from the , a secondary school, he volunteered for military service. On 8 April 1934, Hrabak joined the Reichsmarine, the German navy of the Weimar Republic and in November 1935 transferred to the newly emerging Luftwaffe (German air force) as an Oberfähnrich (officer candidate). On 1 April 1936, Hrabak was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant).
In 1938 Hrabak was posted to the Vienna Jagdgruppe, I./JG 138. This unit was later redesignated I./JG 76 during the Polish Campaign, before becoming II./JG 54 in April 1940.
During the Polish Campaign, Hrabak was shot down (the first of 11 times) on his first mission, making a belly landing. On 13 May 1940, he claimed his first victory, a French Potez 63 and he claimed five more victories before the armistice. During the Battle of Britain, Hrabak was a member of JG 54, becoming Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 54 on 26 August 1940. During the Battle of Britain he added ten victories against Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters and Field Marshal Hermann Göring personally decorated Hrabak with the Ritterkreuz ("Knight's Cross").
...
Wikipedia