Birkner, Hans-Joachim

Messerschmitt Bf 109

Date of birth:: October 22nd, 1921 (Schönwalde/East Prussia, Poland)
Date of death:: December 14th, 1944 (Crakow, Poland)
Nationality:: German

Biography

In summer of 1943 he was placed as a Feldwebel with the 9./Jagd-Geschwader 52 on the Eastern Fronat. He flew his first mission on August 30th. During his 54th mission he shot down his first enemy aircraft, a Soviet P-39. Hereafter followed many others:

04.10.1943: Shot down a LaGG.
05.10.1943: Shot down a Boston.
09.10.1943: Shot down a LaGG.
11.10.1943: Shot down two LaGGs.
21.10.1943: Shot down a LaGG.
24.10.1943: Shot down two LaGGs.
25.10.1943: Shot down a P-39 and a LaGG.
29.10.1943: shot down an II-2 and a P-39.
27.11.1943: Shot down two LaGGs.
28.11.1943: Shot down two LaGGs and an II-2.
15.12.1943: Shot down a P-39 northeast of Novgorodka.
17.12.1943: Shot down a P-39 south of Novgorodka.
19.12.1943: Shot down three LaGGs over Bolschoi-Tokmak and west of
Malaya-Tomatshka.
20.12.1943: Shot down a LaGG southeast of Novo-Nikolayevka.
03.01.1944: Shot down two LaGGs over Novo Krasnoye.
09.01.1944: Shot down a P-39.
15.01.1944: Reached his 32nd aerial victory with five P-39s.
15.04.1944: Reached his 36th aerial victory with three LaGGs and an II-2.
16.04.1944: Shot down an II-2 and a LaGG.
18.04.1944: Reached his 42nd aerial victory with three LaGGs and an II-2.
19.04.1944: Reached his 48th aerial victory with six LaGGs.
22.04.1944: Shot down a Boston and a LaGG.
23.04.1944: Shot down a P-2, an II-2 and a LaGG.
24.04.1944: Shot down a LaGG and an II-2.
25.04.1944: Shot down two LaGGs and a P-39.
27.04.1944: Shot down a LaGG and two P-39s.
21.05.1944: Shot down a P-39.
22.05.1944: Shot down a LaGG.
23.05.1944: Shot down two LaGGs.
28.05.1944: Reached his 69th aerial victory with three P-39s and a LaGG.
29.05.1944: Shot down a P-39.
30.05.1944: Reached his 75th aerial victory with four P-39s and a LaGG.
31.05.1944: Shot down three LaGGs.
03.06.1944: Shot down three LaGGs.
04.06.1944: Reached his 85th aerial victory with three P-39s and an II-2.
06.06.1944: Shot down a P-39.
08.06.1944: Reached his 90th aerial victory with two LaGGs and two II-2s.
14.06.1944: Shot down a LaGG.
24.06.1944: Shot down a P-51.
01.07.1944: Shot down a LaGG.
09.07.1944: Shot down an II-2.
20.07.1944: Shot down a LaGG and a P-39.
21.07.1944: Shot down two LaGGs and an II-2.

He was appointed commander of the 9./Jagd-Geschwader 52 on
October 1st 1944.

14.10.1944: Reached his 100th aerial victory with an II-2.
16.10.1944: Reached his 105th aerial victory with four LaGGs and an II-2.
17.10.1944: Shot down a Pe-2.
18.10.1944: Shot down two LaGGs and an II-2.
23.10.1944: Shot down a LaGG.
25.10.1944: Shot down two LaGGs.
27.10.1944: Shot down two LaGGs.
14.12.1944: Killed when he suffered an engine failure while landing at Crakow in Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 510 531).

He achieved a total of 117 victories over the course of 284 sorties.