Date of birth:

February 7th, 1921 (Vienna, Austria)

Date of death:

March 26th, 1945 (Gorgast/Brandenburg, Kostrzyn nad Odra, Poland)

Nationality:

Austrian

Flew a total of 933 sorties as a ground attack pilot, during which he succeeded in sinking one 4000 GRT supply ship in the Tobruk harbour. He also sunk/damaged a 7000 GRT monitor and a 10000 GRT supply ship.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer

Awarded on:

April 2nd, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

June 5th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer, 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

April 3rd, 1943

The following newspaper article (dated 24./25.04.1943) describes why Schalanda received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberleutnant and Stuka pilot Schalanda sunk a 4000 GRT freighter in the port of Tobruk. During the war against the Soviet Union he has destroyed (among other things) 23 enemy tanks and 26 artillery/anti-aircraft guns. Furthermore he has also knocked out two armoured trains and successfully engaged enemy columns, infantry positions, ammunition dumps and assembly areas.”

By this time Schalanda had flown 581 sorties as a ground attack pilot.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Staffelkapitän, 3. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Schlachtgeschwader 1, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

October 24th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo: Hans Schalanda
  - DRITTES REICH - AUSZEICHNUNGEN DER LUFTWAFFE : Dokumentengruppe des Trägers des Eichenlaubs zum R
  - DRITTES REICH - AUSZEICHNUNGEN DER LUFTWAFFE : Dokumentengruppe des Trägers des Eichenlaubs zum R
  
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - OBERMAIER, ERNST, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe, Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, Mainz, 1976.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - PATZWALL, K. D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
  - das-ritterkreuz.de
  - ww2.dk
  - Die Grenz-Zeitung (Edition 113/114)