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Hennemann, Konrad Ferdinand

Date of birth:
March 1st, 1920 (Dresden/Saxony, Germany)
Date of death:
July 4th, 1942 (Northern Icesea)
Nationality:
German

Biography

Konrad Hennemann was the pilot of Heinkel He 111 H-6, 1H+GH, met het nummer 7098 met Unteroffizier Herbert Gabriel, Unteroffizier Johan Zopes and Obergefreiter Artur Scholz. The plane went missing in action during an attack on Convoy PQ 17 on July 4th, 1942 after being hit by flak.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 1. / Kampfgeschwader 26
Awarded on:
March 9th, 1942
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 1. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 26, Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
September 3rd, 1942
The following press article (dated 12.09.1942) describes why Hennemann would be awarded the Knight’s Cross…

“The Führer has awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross to Leutnant Hennemann, pilot in a Kampfgeschwader. As previously mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht of the 08.07.1942, he did not return from his last mission against an American convoy in the Arctic Ocean.

Leutnant Konrad Heinemann, born in Dresden on the 01.03.1920, achieved major successes as a bomber pilot. He carried out numerous attacks against port facilities as well as Flak/searchlight positions on the eastern coast of England. However he particularly distinguished himself during operations against enemy warships and merchant shipping in the northern North Sea near the Faroe islands and the Norwegian coast.

Despite the strongest resistance from ship-borne Flak and barrage balloons, he succeeded in sinking 7 enemy merchant ships and 2 destroyers (totalling 35000 GRT) in a short time period. His most significant action was the sinking of an American heavy cruiser that was escorting a major convoy in the Arctic ocean, a convoy that was eliminated by the Luftwaffe and U-Boats.”

Awarded posthumously.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Sources

Photo