Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 1936

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 9th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 28th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 16th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)

Awarded on:

May 22nd, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 29th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 22nd, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)

Unit:

2. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 28, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

November 14th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major (Squadron Leader)

Unit:

Kommandeur, I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 100, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

January 1st, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major (Squadron Leader)

Unit:

Kommandeur, I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 100, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

March 14th, 1943

Claas’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“Major Claas has been on active duty since August 1940. He has so far flown 311 sorties, including 103 against England and 208 against the Soviet Union. 103 of these were flown as Gruppe commander from the 15.10.1942 onwards.

Major Claas has flown an additional 151 sorties since being submitted for the award of the German Cross in Gold.

He achieved the following noteworthy successes prior to being awarded the German Cross in Gold:

17.01.1941: Shot down 1 Bristol-Blenheim over the Trevose Head airfield.
14.04.1941: Sunk 1 tanker (with 5000 GRT) near the Scilly islands.
28.05.1941: Damaged 1 heavy cruiser west of Ireland.

Major Claas has gone on to achieve the following feats-of-arms following his reception of the German Cross in Gold:

04.11.1941: Direct hit on the workshops of the Gorki vehicle factory, where strong fires and explosion damage was reported.
05.12.1941: Derailment of a train on the track from Moscow—Juchnow, where 12 wagons were destroyed.
12.12.1941: Led a Kette of bombers in a raid that totally destroyed a strong enemy column south of Livny via bombs and on-board weaponry. With this a flank threat to a retreating German Division was eliminated. This success was confirmed via a radio message from the same Division.
20.12.1941: 2 heavy batteries were destroyed in the area northwest of Tula while they were in the process of crossing over the Oka river.
01.01.1942: Smashed a battalion-sized enemy column in the area north of Suchinitschi with his Kette during an interdiction raid. This success was confirmed by the local divisional commander Generalleutnant von Gilsa.
31.10.1942: 1 freighter (with ca. 2000 GRT) sunk in the Caspian Sea.
17.11.1942: 1 ship (with ca. 1000 GRT) damaged in the Caspian Sea.
12.12.1942: Direct hit on an oil storage facility near Generalow, where thick flames were reported afterwards.

The greatest achievements of his Gruppe during this time are inseparably connected to Major Claas’s extraordinary energy and outstanding initiative. Major Claas personally joined in every difficult operation as an observer. Under his tireless example, his formation was single-handedly able to sink 38 ships (with 73000 GRT) and damage a further 19 ships in the Caspian Sea during a single period of moonlight [original German is Mondscheinperiode].

Major Claas continued to acquit himself outstandingly during the supply operations to Stalingrad, a period that brought with it extreme operational difficulties and strain for all forces involved. In this time he led his formation to success in every type of weather situation; at times missions were carried out when the cloud ceiling was barely above the ground. His formation was thus able to deliver an exceptionally high sortie rate. Up until the end of the year, a period that sometimes saw aircraft flying 4 times in a single day (31.12.1942), his Gruppe was able to deliver over 600000 kg of supplies into the pocket.

Thus, on the grounds of his personal achievements in the line of duty (especially as a Gruppe commander, a role which he fulfilled with distinction), I hold Major Claas as one worthy of the high award of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”