Erich Hartmann
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Erich Alfred Hartmann, nicknamed Bubi, was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participat
Hartmann, 1942–1944
Erich Hartmann with his Bf 109 in October 1943
Bf 109 in the Hartmann color scheme on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
Hartmann (right) and German flying ace Walter Krupinski (left) meeting American flying aces Hubert Zemke (second from left) and Bud Mahurin (1963)
Jagdgeschwader 52
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Jagdgeschwader 52 was a German World War II fighter Geschwader that exclusively used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 throughout the war. The unit originally formed near Munich in November 1938, then moved to
Erich Hartmann
…action. Hartmann, a pre-war glider pilot, joined the Luftwaffe in 1940 and completed his fighter pilot training in 1942. He was posted to the veteran Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on the Eastern Front and placed under the supervision of some of the Luftwaffe's most experienced fighter pilots. Under their…
Messerschmitt Bf 109G4
Bf 109G6’s of I./JG 52 at Anapa in Russia in 1943.
Luftwaffe aircraft flying in formation, 1937.
A Bf 109E, as would have been flown by JG 52. This particular Bf 109 is an E-3 type.