Anton Hackl

Anton "Toni" Hackl (25 March 1915 – 10 July 1984) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 192 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 87 claims over the Western Front. Of his 87 victories over the Western Allies, at least 32 were four-engined bombers, a further 24 victories were unconfirmed.

Born in Regensburg, Hackl volunteered for military service in the ''Reichsheer'' in 1933. He transferred to the Luftwaffe (Air Force) in 1935 and following flight training, Hackl was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77–77th Fighter Wing) in April 1938. Following the outbreak of World War II, he flew his first combat missions during the winter 1939/40, a period dubbed the Phoney War. Hackl claimed four victories during the Norwegian Campaign and then flew missions on the Channel Front in aftermath of the Battle of Britain.

Hackl then fought in the aerial battles of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. On 29 July 1941, Hackl was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader) of the 5. '' Staffel'' (5th squadron) of JG 77. He claimed 23 further aerial victories by the end of 1941, and following his 51st victory was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 25 May 1942. He claimed his 100th victory on 3 August, and on 6 August, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves following his 106th aerial victory. On 19 September 1942, Hackl claimed his 118th and last victory on the Eastern Front, and was then transferred to the North Africa, fighting in the Tunisia Campaign. Hackl claimed six aerial victories over North Africa before he was severely wounded on 4 February 1943. After a period of convalescence, Hackl was posted to III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 (JG 11–11th Fighter Wing), fighting in Defense of the Reich. Appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of the III. ''Gruppe'' on 1 October 1943, Hackl was wounded in action again on 15 April 1944, at the time his total was 142 aerial victories. Back in action, following his 162nd victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 13 July 1944. He died on 10 July 1984 in Regensburg.

Early life and career

Hackl was born on 25 March 1915 in Regensburg, Upper Palatinate of the Kingdom of Bavaria, as part of the German Empire. He was the son of a master joiner. He joined the ''Reichswehr'' (Army of the Weimar Republic) in 1933, initially serving with 20. ''(Bayerisches) Infanterie-Regiment'' (20th Bavarian Infantry Regiment), subordinated to the 7. ''Division'' (7th Division).

In 1936, Hackl transferred to the newly formed Luftwaffe, initially serving as a driver. In 1937, holding the rank ''Obergefreiter'' (senior lance-corporal), Hackl was sent to Halberstadt where he received flight training. There, he received his pilot license and was trained in aerobatics. He was promoted to ''Unteroffizier'' (staff sergeant) in 1937, received fighter pilot training, and in April 1938 was posted to the II. '' Gruppe'' (2nd group) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77–77th Fighter Wing),For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II. at the time under the command of ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel) Carl-Alfred Schumacher. In early 1938, II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 77 was known as ''Küstenjagdgruppe'' I./136 (Coastal Fighter Group). In October 1938, I./136 was renamed to II. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 333 (JG 333–333rd Fighter Wing). On 1 May 1939, the ''Gruppe'' was again renamed, and from then on, was referred to as II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 77.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. On the invasion day, Hackl was promoted to ''Feldwebel'' (staff sergeant) and did not participate in the Polish campaign. At the time, he attended an officers training course. Following officer training, Hackl was promoted to '' Oberleutnant'' (first lieutenant), effective as of 1 August 1940, bypassing the rank of ''Leutnant'' (second lieutenant). In the winter 1939/40, Hackl was back with II. ''Gruppe'', flying combat air patrol missions along Germany's western border during the period dubbed the Phoney War. For this, he was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class () on 6 March 1940.

Norwegian Campaign

By May 1940, Hackl was based in Norway, with JG 77 when he claimed his first aerial victory on 15 June 1940. That day, 5. ''Staffel'' flew from Stavanger-Sola and encountered a flight of Lockheed Hudson light bombers from the Royal Air Force (RAF) No. 233 Squadron. In the resulting aerial combat, Hackl claimed two Hudsons shot down, the first at 9:00 and the second at 9:02. The battleship ''Scharnhorst'' had been damaged in combat on 8 June 1940. Following preliminary repairs at Trondheim, ''Scharnhorst'' began its return voyage to Germany on 20 June. II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 77 had been tasked to provide fighter coverage for ''Scharnhorst''. On 21 June, ''Scharnhorst'' came under two air attacks by six Swordfish torpedo bombers and nine Beaufort bombers. In this encounter, Hackl was credited with his third aerial victory, claiming a Beaufort shot down between 16:00 and 18:00. At 9:40 on 25 June, he shot down a No. 269 Squadron Hudson for his fourth aerial victory, but was also slightly wounded by the defensive fire. His opponent was Hudson (N7330) "C" of No. 269 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer P.N. Trolove. His four aerial victories in Norway earned Hackl the Iron Cross First Class () on 2 July 1940.

War against the Soviet Union

In July 1941 he was posted with JG 77 to the Eastern Front, supporting ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) Gerd von Rundstedt's ''Heeresgruppe Süd'' (Army Group South), with the objective of capturing the Ukraine and its capital Kiev. On 29 July 1941, Hackl was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 5. ''Staffel'', replacing ''Hauptmann'' Erich Friedrich. Hackl claimed his first victory on the Eastern Front, and fifth overall, on 1 August 1941. Operating from an airfield at Kishinev, II. ''Gruppe'' flew missions in the vicinity of Grigoriopol, on the eastern bank of the river Dniester. That day, Hackl flew an escort fighter mission for ''Kampfgeschwader'' 27 (KG 27–27th Bomber Wing), claiming a Polikarpov I-16 fighter aircraft shot down.

By the end of 1941, his number of aerial victories had increased to 26. Hackl became an " ace-in-a-day" for the first time on 19 April 1942, claiming two Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3, two Polikarpov R-Z and one I-18 shot down over the Isthmus of Perekop. His score increased further, and by May 1942, after 51 victories he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (). During the month of July 1942, Hackl claimed 37 enemy aircraft shot down in the aerial battles around Voronezh, including 6 victories in a day on both 21 and 23 July. In August 1942, he claimed 14 further victories which included his 100th claim on 3 August. He was the 16th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.

Following his 106th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves () on 7 August 1942. He was the 109th member of the German armed forces to be so honored. Hackl and together with ''Oberfeldwebel'' Franz-Josef Beerenbrock were presented the Oak Leaves by Adolf Hitler at the '' Führerhauptquartier'' at Rastenburg. He claimed his last victory on the Eastern Front on 5 September 1942. On 7 November, II. ''Gruppe'' received orders to immediately transfer to the Mediterranean theater.

North Africa

The first elements of II. ''Gruppe'' arrived in North Africa on 5 December where it was based at Zazur airfield, approximately west of Tripoli. Hackl's 5. ''Staffel'' arrived in North Africa on 13 December, initially based at Tripoli and then moved to Zazur on 18 December. On 20 December 1942, Hackl claimed two victories over North Africa. That day, 5. ''Staffel'' encountered a flight of Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk ground-attack aircraft. In the encounter, 5. ''Staffel'' claimed five aerial victories, two by Hackl. In combat with P-38 Lightnings escorting a flight of 24 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress' on 4 February 1943, he was badly wounded resulting in a forced landing in his Bf 109 G-2 trop (''Werknummer'' 10787—factory number) near Matmata. His injuries to the head and right hand turned out to be severe. He was flown to Rome and was hospitalized for several months. Command of 5. ''Staffel'' was passed on to ''Oberleutnant'' Franz Hrdlicka.

Defense of the Reich

Returning to duties in September 1943, Hackl next operated with III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 (JG 11–11th Fighter Wing) on ''Reichsverteidigung'' (Defense of the Reich) duties. On 1 October, he became ''Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 11, succeeding ''Hauptmann'' Ernst-Günther Heinze. Hackl went on to claim 25 four-engined bombers shot down during his time with III. ''Gruppe'', including three Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers shot down on 18 March 1944 taking his total to 139 aerial victories. In April 1944, he briefly acted as commander of JG 11, replacing ''Oberstleutnant'' Hermann Graf who had been wounded in combat on 29 March.

On 15 April 1944, Hackl was shot down in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A and wounded in combat with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-47 Thunderbolts, grounding him for a period of convalescence. During this period, he was promoted to '' Major'' (major) on 1 May 1944. On 30 May 1944, he was replaced by ''Hauptmann'' Horst-Günther von Fassong as ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of III. ''Gruppe''. Following additional training at the ''Verbandsführerschule'' of the '' General der Jagdflieger'', a training school for unit leaders, Hackl was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (Wing Commander) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 76 (JG 76–76th Fighter Wing).

The authors Prien and Rodeike describe Hackl as a tough and ruthless unit commander. According to an Ultra deciphered message sent by Hackl to the ''General der Jagdflieger'' on 20 May, he had made recommendations on how to best utilize the young and inexperienced new fighter pilots in combat. His suggestions included attacking the bomber formations from the rear, driving the attack to point-blank range, and threatening the new pilots with court-martial if they did not follow these orders. Hackl received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords () on 12 July for 162 aerial victories.

The ''Geschwaderstab'' (headquarters unit) of JG 76 was formed on 21 July at Rotenburg an der Wümme and equipped with factory new Bf 109 G-6 aircraft. On 23 August, transferred to Athies-sous-Laon in France where it replaced the ''Geschwaderstab'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3–3rd Fighter Wing). There, Hackl's command included III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 76 and III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 3 and initially was subordinated to the 5. ''Jagd Division'' (5th Fighter Division). His command flew combat missions in the area of the Seine near Rouen. On 28 August, the ''Geschwaderstab'' was forced to retreat to Azannes-et-Soumazannes where it came under the control of the 4. ''Jagd Division'' (4th Fighter Division). At Azannes-et-Soumazannes, the airfield came under a strafing attack, losing five aircraft in the attack. On 31 August, the ''Geschwaderstab'' was ordered to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim Airfield and to Freiburg im Breisgau on 5 September where it again came under control of the 5. ''Jagd Division''. There the ''Geschwaderstab'' was reequipped with the Fw 190 A-8. On 7 October, Hackl transferred command of JG 76 to ''Major'' Ernst Düllberg.

On 8 October, he succeeded ''Hauptmann'' Georg-Peter Eder as ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of II. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26–26th Fighter Wing) with 165 victories to his credit. In late-November, II. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from combat operations and moved to Reinsehlen Airfield for conversion training to the new inline engine powered Fw 190 D-9, the second unit to receive this aircraft. Following the conversion training, II. ''Gruppe'' flew its first combat mission on 23 December. Scrambled to intercept an USAAF bomber formation, the flight encountered a flight of 27 Avro Lancaster bombers and three De Havilland Mosquito aircraft. During this aerial encounter, Hackl claimed his 167th aerial victory.

By the end of the year he now had 172 victories. On 29 January 1945, he was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 300 (JG 300–300th Fighter Wing). He was succeeded by ''Oberleutnant'' Waldemar Radener as commander of II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26. In late February, he was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of JG 11. His last 24 victories were never officially confirmed. On 3 May 1945, two JG 11 pilots, ''Leutnant'' Hermann Gern and ''Feldwebel'' Franz Keller, attempted to steal a Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun aircraft to desert and fly to southern Germany. Too outspoken, the two were denounced and arrested. Gern and Keller were court-martialed and sentenced to death. A number of non-commissioned officers of JG 11 spoke to Hackl on behalf of Keller, no attempt was made to save Gern. While Keller was pardoned, Gern was executed by firing squad on 7 May.

He was shot down eight times and wounded four times. Anton Hackl died on 10 July 1984 in Regensburg.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Hackl was credited with 192 aerial victories. Bergström and Mikhailov state that Hackl flew about 1,000 combat missions and also list him with shooting down 192 enemy aircraft plus another 24 unconfirmed aerial victories. Of this figure, 105 victories were claimed while serving on the Eastern Front and 87 on the Western Front. Among these numbers are 34 four-engined bombers which puts him in second place behind Georg-Peter Eder as the leading daylight bomber claimant. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the German Federal Archives and state that Hackl was credited with more than 180 aerial victories. This figure includes at least 103 claims made on the Eastern Front and 44 on the Western Front, including at least 16 four-engined bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ 35 Ost 53224". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.

Awards

*Wound Badge in Gold
* Front Flying Clasp of the ''Luftwaffe'' in Gold with Pennant "1000"
*Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
*"''Afrika''" Cuff title
* Crimea Shield
*Iron Cross (1939)
**2nd Class (6 March 1940)
**1st Class (2 July 1940)
*Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross on 25 May 1942 as '' Oberleutnant'' and ''Staffelkapitän'' of the 5./''Jagdgeschwader'' 77
** 109th Oak Leaves 9 August 1942 as ''Hauptmann'' and ''Staffelkapitän'' of the 5./''Jagdgeschwader'' 77
** 78th Swords on 9 July 1944 as '' Major'' and ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of the III./''Jagdgeschwader'' 11

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hackl, Anton
1915 births
1984 deaths
German World War II flying aces
Luftwaffe pilots
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
Reichswehr personnel
Military personnel from Regensburg