Oberleutnant Hans Waldhausen was a World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed aerial victories in eight days. He was forced down and captured after his sixth victory.[1]
Hans Waldhausen | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "The Eagle of Lens" |
| Born | 30 January 1892 Mainz, German Empire |
| Died | 6 November 1976 |
| Allegiance | Germany |
| Service | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Years of service | 1911-ca 1919; World War II |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | Feldflieger Abteilung (Field Flier Detachment) 53, Jagdstaffel 37 |
| Awards | Iron Cross (both classes) |
| Other work | Senior military judge in the World War II Luftwaffe |
Waldhausen studied law after World War I and became a judge. He joined the Luftwaffe for World War II, serving as a military judge.
Biography
editHans Waldhausen was born in Mainz on 30 January 1892. In Spring 1911, he joined the 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment. He also served with the 4 Guards Field Artillery Regiment. When World War I began, he had moved on to the 76th Baden Field Artillery Regiment and been commissioned a Leutnant.[2]
Waldhausen was wounded in September 1914, but returned to duty and succeeded in winning the Iron Cross Second Class in December 1914. During Summer 1915, he transferred to aviation duty.[2]
His original flying assignment was to Flieger-Abteilung (Flier Detachment) 53 as an aerial observer. In the Summer of 1916, he was sent to pilot's training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung (Replacement Detachment) 4 in Posen. Once trained, Waldhausen returned to reconnaissance duty with a Bavarian unit, Flieger-Abteilung 9.[2]
After service with FA 9, he was forwarded to Jastaschule 1 (Fighter School 1) in Valenciennes, France. Fighter training completed, he joined a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 37, on 26 July 1917. There he was assigned Albatros D.V serial number 2284/17, which he had emblazoned with a star and crescent motif. Flying this aircraft on the Western Front, he was soon dubbed "The Eagle of Lens".[2]
Waldhausen scored his first aerial victory on 19 September 1917, downing a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter from the Royal Flying Corps' 43 Squadron over Fresnes at 0730 hours. A second claim that day, for a Martinsyde Elephant, went unconfirmed.[2]
Five days later, on 24 September, Waldhausen did shoot down a Martinsyde Elephant over Cagnicourt at 1445 hours. The next day, on an evening sortie, he shot down an enemy observation balloon in flames over Béthune on the French/Belgian border.[2]
On 27 September 1917, Waldhausen ignited and destroyed another observation balloon southwest of Roulette at 1705 hours, followed five minutes later by a 9 Squadron Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 sent into Farbus Wood. At 1815 hours, Waldhausen flamed another balloon at Neuville-Saint-Vaast. Shortly thereafter, he came into combat with a number of British aircraft, and was shot down, although he survived, badly wounded. It has been suggested that Waldhausen was a victim of Charles Dawson Booker and Philip Tudhope, although Herbert Thompson (later Sir Herbert Thompson) was credited with the "kill".[3] Waldhausen went off to a prisoner of war camp. His still-usable aircraft was renumbered by the Royal Flying Corps as serial number G74.[2]
Oberleutnant Waldhausen, who had won the First Class Iron Cross at some time, sat out the war. Postwar, he studied law. He became a judge.[2]
During World War II, Waldhausen returned to aviation duty as a military judge in the Luftwaffe. He was assigned variously to the staffs of Jagdgeschwader 51, Jagdgeschwader 54, and Luftflotte 1. In 1943, he became a senior judge.[2]
Hans Waldhausen survived this war also; he died on 6 November 1976.[2]
Sources of information
editReferences
edit- Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.