Hans Dortenmann
Oberleutnant

Hans Dortenmann

    Hans Dortenmann was born on 11 December 1921 at Weingarten in the Württemberg region. He was serving in the army as an infantryman in April 1941 but transferred to the Luftwaffe and underwent flying training. Dortenmann was posted to JG 54 on the Eastern front on completion of his flying training. Leutnant Dortenmann was assigned to 2./JG 54. He gained his first victory on 6 February 1944, when he rammed a Russian La-5 fighter. Dortenmann’s Fw 190 A-6 “Black 7” sustained damage to its left wing but he managed to fly back to Orscha-South airfield where he successfully belly-landed. He flew this day as wingmann to Ulrich Wöhnert (86 victories, RK) who would confirm Dortenmann‘s first victory. On 10 June, 2./JG 54 was withdrawn from the Eastern front and relocated to Western front to join III./JG 54. Dortenmann had accumulated 14 (15) victories in the time he had operated over the Eastern front. On 20 June 1944, Dortenmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 54,  which on 10 August became 12./JG 54. Dortenmann was shot down near Paris on 26 June in Fw 190 A-8 “Red 1” but managed to bale out. Over the Invasion front, Dortenmann claimed six Allied fighters shot down. In mid-August, III./JG 54 was withdrawn to Germany to refit. In late September the Gruppe received its first Fw 190 D-9 fighters, becoming operational on 12 October when after only a few weeks of training, at the request of Major Walter Nowotny (258 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 8 November 1944), 9./JG 54 under Oberleutnant Wilhelm Heilmann (34 victories) went to Hesepe and 12./JG 54 under Leutnant Dortenmann went to Achmer to fly airfield protection for the Me 262 jet fighters of Kommando Nowotny, remaining there until 25 December. On 25 December, III./JG 54 was placed under the operation control of Major Karl Borris (43 victories, RK) of I./JG 26 for Operation Bodenplatte. On 29 December, Dortenmann shot down a RAF Spitfire in the Münster area on a day that III./JG 54 lost its Gruppenkommandeur Hauptmann Robert Weiss (121 victories, RK-EL) in addition to 12 other pilots in combat with Spitfires and Typhoons. Dortenmann was named acting Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 54 on 30 December and remained in this role until 11 February 1945. On 1 January 1945, Dortenmann led III./JG 54 on Operation Bodenplatte against Brussels-Grimbergen airfield, from which 12 of its 17 pilots that flew the mission failed to return. 12./JG 54 was disbanded on 19 February 1945 with its pilots being distributed throughout the rest of III./JG 54 and Dortenmann taking command of 11./JG 54. On 25 February, III./JG 54 was absorbed into JG 26 with Dortenmann’s 11./JG 54 becoming 14./JG 26. On 29 March 1945, Oberleutnant Dortenmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 26. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 20 April for 35 victories. During this period he flew 28 ground-attack missions claiming a transport glider, two aircraft, one tank car, seven trucks, three armoured infantry vehicles and an anti-aircraft position destroyed. Dortenmann flew his last combat mission of the war on 27 April and shot down a Russian Yak-3 over Berlin. Hans Dortenmann survived the war but died on 1 April 1973.
    In 150 combat missions, Hans Dortenmann was credited with 38 victories. He gained 16 victories over the Eastern front and 22 over the Western front, including one four-engine bomber and six Mustangs. He recorded 18 victories with Fw 190 D-9 (W.Nr. 210 003) making him the most successful fighter pilot with this type.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location
Comments
1.
6.2.1944
15:28
 La-5 2./JG 54 06 444 at 200m - 
2.
25.2.1944
13:38
 La-5 2./JG 54 80 573 at 3.500m - 
3.
26.2.1944
12:25
 Il-2 2./JG 54 60 732: at 500m - 
4.
26.2.1944
15:52
 Il-2 2./JG 54 18km E Wesenberg: at 20m - 
5.
8.3.1944
16:33
 LaGG-3 2./JG 54 60 462: at 1.200m - 
6.
8.3.1944
16:33
 Il-2 2./JG 54 60 453: at 800m - 
7.
26.3.1944
12:25
 Il-2 2./JG 54 10 732: at 500m - 
8.
29.3.1944
16:57
 La-5 2./JG 54 70 711: at 3.000m - 
9.
29.3.1944
16:58
 La-5 2./JG 54 70 71: at 2.500m - 
10.
30.3.1944
15:40
 Yak-9 2./JG 54 60 452: at 2.000m - 
11.
2.4.1944
11:48
 LaGG-3 2./JG 54 60 452: at 1.500m - 
12.
4.4.1944
8:19
 LaGG-3 2./JG 54 60 634: at 1.500m - 
13.
4.4.1944
9:44
 La-5 2./JG 54 60 613: at 500m - 
14.
6.4.1944
10:39
 LaGG-3 2./JG 54 70 833: at 4.000m - 
?.
8.4.1944
10:02
 Yak-9 2./JG 54 88 841: at 2.000m - 
15.
22.6.1944
21:20
 P-47 2./JG 54 TC- 6 Rouen - 
16.
24.6.1944
7:15
 P-51 2./JG 54 UC- 8 Évreux - 
17.
4.7.1944
19:52
 Spitfire 2./JG 54 TS- 9 Isigny - 
18.
18.7.1944
9:30
 P-38 2./JG 54 AC- 6 Dreux - 
19.
25.7.1944
20:12
 Spitfire 2./JG 54 AB- 3 L'Aigle - 
20.
26.7.1944
14:53
 P-38 2./JG 54 BB- 5 Mortagne-au-Perche E Alençon - 
21.
2.11.1944
12:30
 B-17 12./JG 54 GS DQ 1, Engelbertswald, SW of Lingen B-17 (43-37531) of 447 BG, USAAF
22.
6.11.1944
11:04
 P-51 12./JG 54 GS GR 1, Epe, 3 km NW Bramsche P-51 (44-14229) of 334 FG, USAAF flown by 1st Lt Walsh, baled out, POW
23.
7.11.1944
15:30
 P-47 12./JG 54 GS JQ 1, W of Münster Tempest V of 274 Sqn, RAF flown by F/Sgt Coles, killed
24.
29.12.1944
12:50
 Spitfire 12./JG 54 GS JQ, Münster-Handorf area - 
25.
13.2.1945
16:56
 P-47 12./JG 54 GS QQ 3, Nastätten area S of Nassau P-47 of 22 FS 36 FG, USAAF
26.
13.2.1945
17:00
 P-47 12./JG 54 GS PR ?, Weinähr 5 km E of Nassau P-47 (42-74657) of 22 FS 36 FG, USAAF flown by David I Swope, baled out wounded, POW
27.
21.2.1945
17:30
 Mustang 11./JG 54 Rheine Mustang of 315 Sqn, RAF
28.
22.2.1945
14:00
 P-51 11./JG 54 Farwick NW if Quakenbrück P-51 (44-14747) “Rough Rider” of 383 FS 364 FG, USAAF flown by 1/Lt Ross, baled out wounded, POW
29.
19.3.1945
13:36
 P-51 14./JG 26 Rheine-Lingen P-51 of 78 FG, USAAF 
30.
19.3.1945
13:37
 P-51 14./JG 26 Rheine-Lingen P-51 (44-72407) of 78 FG, USAAF flown by Maj H Downing, baled out, POW
31.
28.3.1945
11:34
 Tempest 14./JG 26 5km SW Münster Tempest of 56 Sqn, RAF
32.
31.3.1945
14:46
 Auster 3./JG 26 Ludwighausen - 
33.
12.4.1945
12:53
 Tempest 3./JG 26 15km N Uelsen Tempest of 33 Sqn, RAF
34.
12.4.1945
12:54
 Tempest 3./JG 26 15km N Uelsen Tempest of 33 Sqn, RAF
35.
17.4.1945
11:34
 Tempest 3./JG 26 SW Lübeck Tempest of 80 Sqn, RAF
36.
21.4.1945
15:19
 Spitfire 3./JG 26 Buchholz - 
37.
26.4.1945
19:16
 Yak-9 2./JG 26 SE Prenzlau - 
38.
27.4.1945
18:25
 Yak-3 2./JG 26 NE Neuruppin-Berlin - 

Victories : 38
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (1944)
                Ritterkreuz (20 April 1945)
Units : JG 54, JG 26

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