Full name: Hermann Hogeback
Nickname: No information
Date of Birth: 25.08.1914 - Idar-Oberstein, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 15.02.2004 - Dötlingen, Lower Saxony (Germany)
Battles and Operations: Spanish Civil War, Polish Campaign, Western Campaign, Battle of Britain, Balkan Campaign, Siege of Malta, Mediterranean Theatre, Eastern Front (Crimea, Sevastopol, Black Sea anti-shipping), Defence of the Reich
Religion: No information
Parents: unknown (father was a tax inspector/Steuerinspektor) and unknown mother
Siblings: No information
Spouse: No information
Children: No information
Promotions:
01.04.1936 Leutnant
01.03.1939 Oberleutnant
01.10.1941 Hauptmann
01.03.1943 Major
01.04.1944 Oberstleutnant
Career:
01.07.1934-00.00.1935 officer cadet, 9. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 15, 5. Division, Reichswehr, Kassel
00.07.1935 transferred to Luftwaffe, pilot training at Neuruppin, Ludwigslust and Deutsche Luft Hansa R.B.-Strecke
01.04.1937 transferred to III./Lehrgeschwader Greifswald (later redesignated III./Lehrgeschwader 1)
01.05.1938 transferred to II./Kampfgeschwader 355
01.09.1938 transferred to Kampfgeschwader 253
1938 volunteered for Condor Legion (K/88), flew over 100 missions in Spanish Civil War (He 111 shot down on first mission, bailed out with injuries)
01.09.1939 with III./Lehrgeschwader 1, He 111 missions in Polish Campaign
beginning 1940 Gruppe converted to Ju 88, missions in Western Campaign and Battle of Britain (28 missions over London)
20.01.1941 appointed Staffelkapitän 8./LG 1 (later 9.(K)/LG 1), operations in Mediterranean (Malta, North Africa, anti-shipping)
summer 1942 III./LG 1 subordinated to Fliegerführer Süd, anti-shipping over Black Sea, Eastern Front
12.08.1943 appointed Geschwaderkommodore Kampfgeschwader 6 (succeeding Oberst Walter Storp)
18.10.1944 KG 6 redesignated Kampfgeschwader (J) 6 under IX. (J) Fliegerkorps, conversion to Me 262 jet fighter (incomplete)
04.1945 final missions with KG 6, relocation to Graz
05.1945-09.1945 prisoner of war, U.S. captivity (London, Sainte-Mère-Église, France)
post-war studied law (Rechtswissenschaften), worked as Autokaufmann (car salesman) in Münster
Awards and Decorations:
Medalla de la Campaña (04.05.1939)
Spanische Medalla Militar
Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern (06.06.1939)
Frontflugspange der Luftwaffe in Gold mit Anhänger "500"
Flugzeugführer- und Beobachterabzeichen
Italienisches Flugzeugführerabzeichen
Krimschild
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (20.05.1940)
Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (26.09.1940)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (24.09.1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (08.09.1941) as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 9.Staffel (Kampf) / III.Gruppe / Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1). By the time of the award Hogeback had completed 163 combat missions as a bomber pilot, primarily in the Mediterranean theatre, over Yugoslavia and North Africa, flying first the He 111 and then the faster and more heavily armed Ju 88. His early successes in the region included one of his first Mediterranean sorties in which his crew sank a 10,000-ton freighter, a vital supply ship whose loss directly hampered British operations in the theatre. The citation highlighted his consistent performance in anti-shipping strikes and ground-support missions under intense enemy fighter and anti-aircraft opposition.
One particularly vivid encounter came in July 1941 during an aerial reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean. Hogeback’s lone Ju 88 was suddenly bounced by twelve British fighters. The sky filled with tracer fire and the scream of diving engines as the enemy closed in from multiple angles. Hogeback threw the bomber into violent evasive manoeuvres while his radio operator, Feldwebel Willy Lehnert, swung his defensive guns around and coolly shot down two of the attackers in quick succession. The remaining fighters broke off the pursuit after several minutes of swirling dogfight, allowing the damaged Ju 88 to limp back to base. This defensive action, combined with his earlier tonnage sunk and steady record of pinpoint strikes on harbours and troop concentrations, earned him the Ritterkreuz, presented personally by Fliegerführer Afrika Generalmajor Stefan Fröhlich at Derna in North Africa.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #192 (19.02.1943) as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1). Between the Ritterkreuz and the Eichenlaub Hogeback flew another 253 sorties, bringing his total to 416. The additional laurels were granted for his outstanding leadership of the Gruppe, especially during the intense fighting on the Eastern Front and renewed operations against England. After the Gruppe was subordinated to Fliegerführer Süd in summer 1942, Hogeback led anti-shipping strikes over the Black Sea and relentless support missions for the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea. His crews flew in appalling weather, over vast distances, and under heavy Soviet anti-aircraft fire, often completing eight to ten sorties in a single day.
The rolling attacks on Fortress Sevastopol were among the most demanding. Day after day Ju 88s screamed down through flak barrages to deliver bombs on field positions, artillery batteries and armoured fortifications. Direct hits on ammunition dumps sent towering columns of black smoke and secondary explosions rippling across the peninsula; one strike on an armoured battery produced a fireball visible for miles. Hogeback’s personal example and precise target marking kept the Gruppe’s morale high even as Soviet fighters and ground fire took a steady toll. These missions, together with continued strikes on English targets after the Gruppe returned west, formed the core of the Eichenlaub citation. The award was presented by Adolf Hitler himself at the Wolf’s Lair in early March 1943.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #125 (26.01.1945) as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6). By the time of the award Hogeback had surpassed 500 operational sorties and had taken command of the entire Kampfgeschwader 6. The final upgrade recognised both his personal flying record and his exceptional leadership during the desperate late-war defensive campaigns. As Kommodore he directed KG 6’s Ju 88 and later Ju 188 operations against England and, after the Normandy landings, against the Allied invasion fleet and troop concentrations. Under his command the Geschwader flew pathfinder and marker missions, guiding follow-up waves through curtains of flak and fighter opposition while the Luftwaffe’s fuel and aircraft situation grew ever more critical.
Even as the unit began converting to the Me 262 jet fighter in late 1944, Hogeback continued to fly combat sorties himself, leading strikes on English ports and assembly areas while simultaneously overseeing the re-equipment of his three Gruppen. The Swords citation emphasised his ability to maintain offensive pressure and unit cohesion under the most adverse conditions of the Defence of the Reich. Only a handful of bomber pilots ever received the Swords; Hogeback’s award placed him among the very elite of the Kampfflieger.
Throughout his career Hogeback’s regular crew – observer Oberfeldwebel Willi Dipberger (later awarded the Knight’s Cross), radio operator Oberfeldwebel Willy Lehnert (Knight’s Cross) and gunner Leutnant Günther Glasner (Knight’s Cross) – formed what became known as the “Ritterkreuz crew,” a rare distinction that underscored the collective success of the formation he led.
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Hermann Hogeback, the son of a tax inspector, was born on 25 August 1914 in Idar-Oberstein at the time in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, a state of the German Empire. Growing up in Münster from 1921 on he graduated with his Abitur (diploma) in 1934. After his graduation, Hogeback joined the military service as an officer cadet in the 9th Company of Infantry Regiment 15, 5th Division of the Reichswehr in Kassel. Following his officers training he transferred to the Luftwaffe a year later where he received his pilot training at Neuruppin, Ludwigslust and at the R.B.-Strecke of the Deutsche Luft Hansa. During this training period he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 June 1936. After he completed his bomber pilot training he transferred to the III./Lehrgeschwader Greifswald (3rd group of Demonstration Wing Greifswald), which was formed on 1 April 1937 and later became the III./Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1—1st Demonstration Wing). Hogeback then transferred to the II./Kampfgeschwader 355 (2nd group of the 355th Bomber Wing) on 1 May 1938 and to Kampfgeschwader 253 (243rd Bomber Wing) on 1 September 1938.
Following his promotion to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) Hogeback volunteered for combat service with the Condor Legion (Legion Condor) where he flew more than 100 missions in the Spanish Civil War. The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the Luftwaffe and from the German Army (Heer) which served in the Spanish Civil War in support of the Nationalists. His Heinkel He 111 was shot down by republican anti-aircraft artillery on his first mission with 1. Kampfgruppe 88 in Spain. The mission was to attack positions at Móra d'Ebre and Ebro. Hogeback's starboard engine was hit and caught fire. Attempting to return to Zaragoza-Sanjurjo, he had to give the order to abandon the aircraft. The combat observer, Poppenhagen, and the flight engineer, Hermann, managed to bail out but the radio operator Unteroffizier Gerhard Pacht, was wounded and failed to escape. Hogeback bailed out as well but sustained skull and lung injuries when he struck the antenna and vertical stabilizer and came down in no man's land where he was recovered the following night. For his services in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords in June 1939.
At the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, Hogeback was back with III./LG 1 where he flew the He 111 in combat missions in the Invasion of Poland. His Gruppe (group) converted to the then new Junkers Ju 88 at the beginning of 1940. He flew further combat missions in the Battle of France. In summer of 1940 he flew missions against England in what would become the Battle of Britain, including 28 missions over London.
Hogeback and III./LG 1 was relocated to Sicily for operations in the siege of Malta and on 20 January 1941 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 8./LG 1. On one of his first missions in the Mediterranean theatre he was credited with the sinking of a 10,000 gross register tons (GRT) freighter. His Ju 88 came under attack from 12 British fighters during an aerial reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean Sea in July 1941. The British fighters broke off the attack following aerial combat, during the course of which Hogeback's radio operator Feldwebel (Sergeant) Willy Lehnert managed to shoot down two of the attackers.
On 8 September 1941, after 163 combat missions, Oberleutnant Hogeback received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) from the hands of Fliegerführer Afrika Generalmajor (Major General) Stefan Fröhlich at Derna in North Africa. On 20 February 1943, for his leadership of III.(Kampf)/LG 1, Hogeback was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), the 192nd German soldier so honoured. The award was presented at the Wolf's Lair, or Wolfsschanze (Führer Headquarters, at Rastenburg, East Prussia) in early March 1943. Hogeback together with Hauptmann Erwin Fischer, an aerial reconnaissance pilot with Fernaufklärungs-Gruppe 121 (Long–range Reconnaissance Group 121), received the award directly from Adolf Hitler. At this presentation Hitler commented that eligibility for high awards was most difficult to achieve for reconnaissance pilots, next were the bomber pilots, and last and most easy for the "fine gentlemen" from the fighter force. Hitler then said that this procedure would be changed before inviting them to tea along with Luftwaffe adjutant Oberst Nicolaus von Below.
On 12 August 1943 Hogeback was appointed to succeed Oberst Walter Storp as Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of Kampfgeschwader 6 (KG 6—6th Bomber Wing) and was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) with effect from 1 May 1944. On 18 October 1944 KG 6, along with Kampfgeschwader 27 (KG 27—27th Bomber Wing), Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30—30th Bomber Wing) and Kampfgeschwader 55 (KG 55—55th Bomber Wing) were subordinated to the newly formed IX. (J) Fliegerkorps. KG 6 received the suffix "J" to its name—J stands for Jagd (fighter aircraft)—and was now known as Kampfgeschwader (J) 6, denoting its fighter aircraft character. Hogeback ordered all the remaining Junkers Ju 88 and Junkers Ju 188 units transferred to other units. KG(J) 6 then transferred to Prague for conversion to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.
Between 1943 and 1945 every member of Hogeback's Junkers Ju 88 crew was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, making it the most highly and only so decorated crew in the Luftwaffe. Air gunner Oberfeldwebel Günter Glasner—crew member since early 1940—received the Knight's Cross on 31 December 1943, radio operator Oberfeldwebel Willy Lehnert—crew member since March 1941—on 5 April 1944, and observer Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Dipberger—crew member since 1940—on 9 January 1945.
Following the German capitulation in May 1945, Hogeback was taken prisoner of war by United States Army forces. He was held captive in London, England, and at Sainte-Mère-Église, France, before being released in September 1945.
After the war Hermann Hogeback studied law and worked in the automobile industry. He died on 15 February 2004 in Dötlingen, Lower Saxony, and was buried with full military honors.
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberleutnant Hermann Hogeback (Staffelkapitän 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Lehrgeschwader 1), which was held on 8 September 1941 in North Africa. The officer who awarded the medal is Generalmajor Stefan Fröhlich (Fliegerführer Afrika). The Ritterkreuz #318 was awarded to Hogeback for his successes as a bomber pilot during the course of 163 sorties over the Mediterranean, Yugoslavia and North Africa.
Major Hermann Hogeback (Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 6) in a picture taken on 13 April 1943 at Creil, France.
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Three bomber pilots and Ritterkreuzträger from Kampfgeschwader (bomber wing) 6 at Creil, France, 13 April 1943, from left to right: Oberstleutnant Walter Storp (Geschwaderkommodore Kampfgeschwader 6), Major Hermann Hogeback (Gruppenkommandeur III.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 6), and Oberleutnant Rudolf Puchinger (Staffelkapitän 8.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 6). This picture became the cover of "Der Adler" magazine number 13, 22 June 1943 edition. Other pictures from this photo shoot can be seen HERE.
Hermann Hogeback and Willi Dipberger.
Source :
https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/hermann-hogeback_FCD4A3191B
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hogeback
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/
https://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html
http://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2021/06/bio-of-luftwaffe-bomber-ace-hermann.html
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