Hans Joachim Rolfes was a German World War I flying ace credited with 17 confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories. He scored his first confirmed victory while with Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 32, on 6 July 1917. His second and subsequent victories were while leading Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 45 during the first nine months of 1918.[1] On 29 September 1918, he was additionally given command of a four squadron wing. Rolfes died in an aviation accident on 12 August 1935.
Hans Rolfes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 April 1894 Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony |
| Died | 12 August 1935 (aged 41) Johannisthal Air Field, Berlin, Germany |
| Allegiance |  Germany |
| Service | Aviation |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 2 (Replacement Detachment 2); Kagohl 2 (Tactical Bomber Wing 2); Kampfstaffel 11 (Tactical Bomber Squadron 11); Jagdstaffel 32 (Fighter Squadron 32) |
| Commands | Jagdstaffel 45 (Fighter Squadron 45); Jagdgruppe Ost |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards | Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern; Iron Cross First and Second Class |
Biography
editEarly life and cavalry service
editOn 18 April 1894, Hans Joachim Rolfes was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. His father was the German Consul there. Rolfes began his education in local schools before being sent to London to study.[2]
In 1912, he went home to Germany to enlist in the 14th Dragoon Regiment. He was still with them when they moved to the front as the First World War began. On 24 December 1914, he was commissioned as a Leutnant. Serving as such, he was badly wounded on 31 August 1915.[2]
Aviation career
editAs he recovered, he requested transfer to aviation duty. After pilot training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 2 (Replacement Detachment 2), he was posted to Kagohl 2 (Tactical Bomber Wing 2) on 5 October 1915. As Kagohl 2 was composed of several different squadrons based separately, Rolfes flew on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. At some point, he transferred to Kampfstaffel 11 (Tactical Bomber Squadron 11); there he claimed an unconfirmed victory over a French Voisin. On 20 February 1917, he was transferred to a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 32. He scored his first accredited aerial victory while flying with them, shooting down a Farman over Moronvillers, France on 6 July 1917.[2]
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On 17 December 1917, he was appointed to form a new fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 45. He began scoring victories with them on 20 January 1918, running off a string of 16 more confirmed victories and an unconfirmed one.[2] In July 1918 or early August, he was re-equipped with a Fokker D.VII.[3] On 29 September 1918, he shot down his 17th and last confirmed victim. That was also the day the German High Command decided to combine his squadron with Jagdstaffeln 9, 21, and 66 to form Jagdgruppe Ost. Rolfes was given command of the Jagdgruppe in addition to commanding his own squadron. By war's end, he had been awarded the House Order of Hohenzollern, as well as both classes of the Iron Cross.[2]
List of victories
editConfirmed victories listed in date order. Unconfirmed claims are marked 'u/c'. Doubled lines in table indicate change of assignment.
| No. | Date | Time | Aircraft | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'u/c' | 17 February 1917 | Voisin | Forced to land | Claimed while with Kasta 11 | ||
| 1 | 6 July 1917 | 1320 hours | Farman | Destroyed. | Moronvillers | Only claim with Jasta 32 |
| 2 | 20 January 1918 | 1510 hours | Nieuport | Destroyed | Chattancourt, France | First victory with Jasta 45 |
| 3 | 16 March 1918 | 1250 hours | Observation balloon | Destroyed | Fort Marre | |
| 4 | 17 March 1918 | 0710 hours | SPAD | Destroyed | Malancourt, France | |
| 5 | 6 May 1918 | 1700 hours | Breguet 14 | Destroyed | Pimprez, France | |
| 6 | 4 June 1918 | 1640 hours | SPAD | Destroyed | Coulcombs | |
| 7 | 20 June 1918 | Salmson 2A2 | Destroyed | Chezy, France | ||
| 8 | 4 July 1918 | Breguet 14 | Destroyed | Villers Cotterets, France | ||
| 9 | 14 August 1918 | 1340 hours | SPAD | Destroyed | Branges, France | |
| 10 | 20 August 1918 | 1250 hours | Breguet 14 | Destroyed | Crecy-au-Mont, France | |
| 11 | 29 August 1918 | SPAD | Destroyed | Fismes, France | ||
| 12 and 13 | 2 September 1918 | 1600 and 1605 hours | Two SPAD 2s | Destroyed | Magneux, France | |
| 14 | 4 September 1918 | 1400 hours | SPAD | Destroyed | North of Fismes, France | |
| 15 and 16 | 6 September 1918 | 1635 and 1645 hours | Salmson 2A2; observation balloon | Destroyed | Magneux, France | |
| 'u/c' | 14 September 1918 | SPAD S.11 | Blanzy, France | |||
| 17 | 29 September 1918 | 1900 hours | BF.2b | Destroyed | Masnieres, France[1][4] |
Postwar
editHans Joachim Rolfes died in an aviation accident at Johannisthal Air Field, just outside Berlin, on 12 August 1935.[2]
Sources of information
edit- ^ a b The Aerodrome website [1] Retrieved 4 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918, pp. 190-191
- ^ Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1, Part 2, p. 66
- ^ Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918, p. 191
References
edit- Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Norman Franks, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
- Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1, Part 2 Norman Franks, Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1-84176-729-1