Hans-Joachim Birkner
Leutnant

Hans-Joachim Birkner

      Hans-Joachim Birkner was born on 22 October 1921 at Schönwalde in the Samland region of Ostpreußen. Birkner was posted to JG 52, based on the Eastern front, in summer 1943. Feldwebel Birkner was assigned to 9./JG 52. He undertook his first combat mission on 30 August. He recorded his first victory on his 54th combat mission on 1 October. By the end of 1943 his victory total had risen to 24. On 15 January 1944, Birkner claimed five Russian P-39 fighters shot down to record his 28th through 32nd victories. In April, he claimed 29 victories, including four enemy aircraft shot down on 15 April (33-36), another four on 18 April (39-42) and six on 19 April (43-48). In May he claimed 17 victories, including four enemy aircraft shot down on 28 May (66-69) and five on 30 May (71-75). June was to prove equally successfully with Birkner claiming 14 victories to raise his victory total to 92. Included in his total were four Russian aircraft shot down on 4 June (82-85), a further four on 8 June (87-90) and a USAAF P-51 fighter shot down over Rumania on 24 June (92). Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Birkner was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 27 July for 98 victories. Birkner had often flown as Rottenflieger to Günther Rall (275 victories, RK-S) and Erich Hartmann (352 victories, RK-Br) and had achieved many of his victories whilst flying with them. On 1 October 1944, Birkner was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 52. In October, Birkner claimed 18 victories, including his 100th victory on 14 October and five enemy aircraft shot down on 16 October (101-105). Birkner was killed on 14 December 1944, when he suffered an engine failure while landing at Krakau in Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 510 531).
    Hans-Joachim Birkner was credited with 117 victories in 284 missions of which 121 resulted in aerial combat. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front. Included in his total are at least 15 Il-2 Sturmoviks.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
 Location / Comments
1
1.10.1943
10:25
 P-39 9./JG 52 58 842 at 2500m
2
4.10.1943
9:07
 LaGG 9./JG 52 58 191 at 2000m
3
5.10.1943
8:58
 Boston III 9./JG 52 59 582: at 2500m
4
9.10.1943
13:44
 LaGG 9./JG 52 59 732:at 2000m
5
11.10.1943
7:30
 LaGG 9./JG 52 58 182: at 1000m
6
11.10.1943
7:31
 LaGG 9./JG 52 58 182: at 1000m
7
21.10.1943
7:40
 LaGG 9./JG 52 39 481: at 4500m
8
24.10.1943
9:35
 LaGG 9./JG 52 58 392: at 1000m
9
24.10.1943
9:36
 LaGG 9./JG 52 58 391: at 1000m
10
25.10.1943
10:05
 P-39 9./JG 52 39 462: at 4500m
11
25.10.1943
10:08
 LaGG 9./JG 52 39 483: at 1000m
12
29.10.1943
6:07
 Il-2 9./JG 52 29 524: at 200m
13
29.10.1943
12:55
 P-39 9./JG 52 39 362: at 4500m
14
27.11.1943
9:05
 LaGG 9./JG 52 49 784: at 400m
15
27.11.1943
14:20
 LaGG 9./JG 52 48 782: at 1200m
16
28.11.1943
8:45
 LaGG 9./JG 52 48 783: at 400m
17
28.11.1943
13:47
 LaGG 9./JG 52 48 782: at 1000m
18
28.11.1943
14:35
 Il-2 9./JG 52 48 472: at 800m
19
15.12.1943
12:00
 P-39 9./JG 52 NE Novgorodka: at 250m
20
17.12.1943
13:52
 P-39 9./JG 52 S Novgorotka: at 1000m
21
19.12.1943
12:07
 LaGG 9./JG 52 48 654: at 700m
22
19.12.1943
14:20
 LaGG 9./JG 52 Bolschoi-Tokmak: 1500m
23
19.12.1943
14:22
 LaGG 9./JG 52 W Malaya-Tomatshka: 300m
24
20.12.1943
11:56
 LaGG 9./JG 52 SSE Novo-Nikolayevka: at 250m
25
3.1.1944
12:05
 LaGG-3 9./JG 52 38 623 at 1000m [Novo Krasnoye]
26
3.1.1944
12:25
 LaGG-3 9./JG 52 48 114 at 500m [Novo Krasnoye]
27
9.1.1944
14:07
 P-39 9./JG 52 29374 at 1500m
28
15.1.1944
8:54
 P-39 9./JG 52 19 491 at 1800m
29
15.1.1944
9:25
 P-39 9./JG 52 19 493 at 1700m
30
15.1.1944
12:15
 P-39 9./JG 52 19 462 at 500m
31
15.1.1944
12:21
 P-39 9./JG 52 29 341
32
15.1.1944
-
 P-39 9./JG 52 -
33
15.4.1944
6:40
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 262: at 1000m
34
15.4.1944
6:43
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 254: at 200m
35
15.4.1944
10:30
 Il-2 9./JG 52 35 322: at 200m
36
15.4.1944
10:32
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 242
37
16.4.1944
13:03
 Il-2 9./JG 52 35 561: at 300m
38
16.4.1944
13:08
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 132: at 500m
39
18.4.1944
10:38
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 823: at 700m
40
18.4.1944
15:50
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 442: at 2500m
41
18.4.1944
16:05
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 454: at 2000m
42
18.4.1944
16:17
 Il-2 9./JG 52 35 472: at 500m
43
19.4.1944
10:40
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 471: at 4500m
44
19.4.1944
10:43
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 472: at 4000m
45
19.4.1944
10:44
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 472: at 4000m
46
19.4.1944
15:35
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 472: at 3000m
47
19.4.1944
15:50
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 611: at 3500m
48
19.4.1944
15:51
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 611: at 3500m
49
22.4.1944
9:38
 Boston III 9./JG 52 25 481: at 600m
50
22.4.1944
13:40
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 172: at 800m
51
23.4.1944
8:00
 Pe-2 9./JG 52 35 194: at 200m
52
23.4.1944
10:50
 Il-2 9./JG 52 35 481: at 600m
53
23.4.1944
11:20
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 441: at 900m
54
24.4.1944
14:30
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 472: at 200m
55
24.4.1944
15:35
 Il-2 9./JG 52 35 391: at 600m
56
25.4.1944
7:33
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 611: at 1000m
57
25.4.1944
7:45
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 332: at 500m
58
25.4.1944
7:58
 P-39 9./JG 52 35 454: at 1300m
59
27.4.1944
10:55
 LaGG 9./JG 52 35 474: at 400m
60
27.4.1944
17:55
 P-39 9./JG 52 35 474: at 6000m
61
27.4.1944
18:10
 P-39 9./JG 52 35 452: at 800m
62
21.5.1944
9:46
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 562: at 5000m
63
22.5.1944
15:40
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 792
64
23.5.1944
11:07
 LaGG 9./JG 52 67 163: at 1200m
65
23.5.1944
16:12
 LaGG 9./JG 52 20 754: at 800m
66
28.5.1944
8:20
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 811: at 1000m
67
28.5.1944
8:55
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 415: at 1000m
68
28.5.1944
12:20
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 511: at 1000m
69
28.5.1944
17:40
 P-39 9./JG 52 68 833: at 600m
70
29.5.1944
13:25
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 543: at 5500m
71
30.5.1944
8:50
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 599: at 2500m
72
30.5.1944
14:40
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 644: at 3000m
73
30.5.1944
14:43
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 652: at 4100m
74
30.5.1944
19:10
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 643: at 2000m
75
30.5.1944
19:13
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 811: at 500m
76
31.5.1944
10:31
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 679: at 700m
77
31.5.1944
10:36
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 679: at 800m
78
31.5.1944
16:25
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 676: at 800m
79
3.6.1944
14:10
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 733: at 500m
80
3.6.1944
14:12
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 733: at 500m
81
3.6.1944
14:14
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 811: at 500m
82
4.6.1944
16:15
 Il-2 9./JG 52 78 589
83
4.6.1944
16:25
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 723: at 200m
84
4.6.1944
16:40
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 559
85
4.6.1944
17:15
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 595: at 2000m
86
6.6.1944
17:24
 P-39 9./JG 52 78 593: at 3000m
87
8.6.1944
12:10
 Il-2 9./JG 52 78 587: at 1000m
88
8.6.1944
12:21
 Il-2 9./JG 52 78 585: at 500m
89
8.6.1944
15:19
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 586: at 500m
90
8.6.1944
15:30
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 546
91
14.6.1944
17:09
 LaGG 9./JG 52 78 547: at 2000m
92
24.6.1944
9:56
 P-51 9./JG 52 65 133: at 6000m
93
1.7.1944
10:56
 LaGG 9./JG 52 85 841: at 5500m
94
9.7.1944
9:17
 Il-2 9./JG 52 45 462: at 1000m
95
20.7.1944
12:15
 LaGG 9./JG 52 41 569: at 1500m
96
20.7.1944
16:38
 P-39 9./JG 52 40 141: at 4000m
97
21.7.1944
16:50
 LaGG 9./JG 52 30 262: at 1500m
98
21.7.1944
16:55
 LaGG 9./JG 52 30 261: at 1000m
99
21.7.1944
17:22
 Il-2 9./JG 52 40 154
100
14.10.1944
15:35
 Il-2 9./JG 52 16 316: at 800m
101
16.10.1944
9:09
 LaGG 9./JG 52 26 767: at 200m
102
16.10.1944
9:10
 LaGG 9./JG 52 26 733: at 800m
103
16.10.1944
14:15
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 468: at 3200m
104
16.10.1944
14:32
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 455: at 4100m
105
16.10.1944
16:00
 Il-2 9./JG 52 35 517: at 200m
106
17.10.1944
15:00
 Pe-2 9./JG 52 25 356: at 5000m
107
18.10.1944
9:40
 LaGG 9./JG 52 26 632: at 3000m
108
18.10.1944
9:42
 Il-2 9./JG 52 25 634: at 800m
109
18.10.1944
9:43
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 639: at 2000m
110
23.10.1944
14:00
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 314: at 400m
111
25.10.1944
15:00
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 586: at 2000m
112
25.10.1944
15:02
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 597: at 1700m
113
27.10.1944
14:15
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 529: at 1200m
114
27.10.1944
14:23
 LaGG 9./JG 52 25 533: at 3000m
115
??.??.1944
-
 E/a 9./JG 52 -
116
??.??.1944
-
 E/a 9./JG 52 -
117
??.??.1944
-
 E/a 9./JG 52 -

Victories : 117
Awards : Ehrenpokal (24 April 1944)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (20 March 1944)
                Ritterkreuz (27 July 1944)
Units : JG 52

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