Hans Friedrich Döbrich (24 March 1916 – 6 April 1984) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Döbrich was credited with 65 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front. Döbrich died on 6 April 1984 from heart problems at the age of 68 in Vienna, Austria.
Early life and career Döbrich was born on 24 March 1916 in Sonneberg, at the time in Saxe-Meiningen within the German Empire, present-day in Thuringia. He was the fourth and youngest child of the Austrian sculptor Albin Döbrich and his wife Anna, née Eckl. He had an older brother Albin, and two older sisters, Josephine and Hertha.
The hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic that followed World War I in Germany forced Albin Döbrich to seek employment elsewhere. In late 1923, Döbrich's father was hired by the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory Augarten located in Vienna, Austria. The family moved to Vienna in early 1924. Following the Anschluss in March 1938, the forced incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany, Döbrich joined the National Socialist Flyers Corps (NSFK). On 17 October, he was hired by Siemens-Schuckert, working in construction of electrical transformers.
World War II On Friday 1 September 1939 German forces had invaded Poland which marked the beginning of World War II. Döbrich joined the military service of the Luftwaffe on 10 January 1940. He received his military basic training with Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment 72 (72nd Flight Training Regiment) at Fels am Wagram. Döbrich received flight training, making his first flight with a flight instructor on a Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz on 2 September. On 13 August 1941, Döbrich started his fighter pilot training at the Jagdfliegerschule 2 (2nd fighter pilot school), in Zerbst. He made his maiden flight on the Messerschmitt Bf 109 on 15 September. On 6 January 1942, after 852 training flights, Döbrich completed his fighter pilot training.
War on the Arctic Front On 7 January 1942, Döbrich was posted to 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing). Before joining this unit, he went on home leave for a few weeks. JG 5 had just been created and placed under the command of Oberst Carl-Alfred Schumacher while 1. Staffel was under command of Oberleutnant Horst Carganico based at Stavanger-Sola. On 21 March, 1. Staffel was subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 5, commanded by Major Hennig Strümpell, and became the 6. Staffel of JG 5. The Staffel was then based at the Petsamo-Luostari Airfield on the Eismeerfront (Ice Sea Front)—the area of operations nearest the Arctic Ocean.
In the morning of 24 April, 6. Staffel escorted Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers to Murmansk. Over the target area, the German formation came under attack by Hawker Hurricane fighters. In this encounter, Döbrich claimed his first aerial victory. Two days later, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (). On 28 April between 12:15 and 13:00, the Staffel engaged in aerial combat with a formation of Hurricanes from 2 GvShAP (Guards Ground-Attack Aviation Regiment—Gvardeyskiy Shturmovoy Aviatsionnyy Polk). Without claiming an aerial victory, Döbrich's Bf 109 sustained minor combat damage. On 29 April around midday, 6. Staffel intercepted a flight of seven Polikarpov I-153s from 27 IAP (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk) and 14 Hurricanes from 78 IAP over the Litsa bight. In this encounter, Döbrich claimed an I-153 shot down.
On 27 June, Döbrich received the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Silver (). On 19 July, Döbrich made a forced landing west of Murmashi Russia in his Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 10169—factory number) "Yellow 9" following aerial combat. Döbrich, who had been injured, walked back to his unit, returning on 26 July. On 17 August, Döbrich was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (). Four days later, eight Bf 109 F fighters from 6. Staffel took off at 15:12, escorting Messerschmitt Bf 110 destroyer heavy fighters to Murmashi. Following the attack of destroyers, the flight came under attack by approximately 35 Soviet fighters. In this aerial battle, Döbrich claimed an I-180, an early Luftwaffe designation for the Yakovlev Yak-7, and a Yakovlev Yak-1 shot down. On this mission, Oberleutnant Hans-Dieter Hartwein, the commander of 6. Staffel, was killed in action. In consequence, Leutnant Heinrich Ehrler was given command of the Staffel.
Döbrich was awarded the German Cross in Gold () on 15 October. The presentation was made a few days after by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, the commander-in-chief of Luftflotte 5 (Air Fleet 5). On 5 June 1943, Döbrich claimed four aerial victories. On two consecutive combat missions, he was credited with two Hurricanes shot down on each mission.
Wounded in combat to end of war On 16 July 1943, whilst flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20088), Döbrich was wounded by enemy fighters after downing two aircraft and was forced to bail out west of the Rybachy Peninsula into Petsamo Fjord, Finland. He was rescued by a Kriegsmarine Minenräumboot (minesweeper) and taken ashore and then flown on a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch to a Luftwaffe hospital at Kirkenes. While hospitalized, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 19 September 1943. The presentation was made at the hospital by Generalmajor Ernst-August Roth, at the time Fliegerführer Nord.
In December 1943, Döbrich was released from the Luftwaffe hospital in Kirkenes and spent Christmas with his family. Since he still hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, he spent most of 1944 in the Luftwaffe hospital 4/XVII in Vienna, interrupted by occasional visits to his family. In 1944, Döbrich was promoted to Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 November 1944. On 5 April 1945, the Frontleitstelle Wien, front dispatch center based at Vienna, ordered him to Berlin. The next day, Döbrich began his journey which ended in a hospital in Traunstein. The injuries sustained, occasionally rendered his left leg paralyzed. He was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) and discharged from the Wehrmacht on 27 April. Following end of World War II in Europe, Döbricht was captured by US-forces in the hospital at Traunstein and became a prisoner of war.
Later life Döbricht was discharged from the hospital on 13 March 1946 and officially released as a prisoner of war on 1 April. He then returned to his family in Vienna. On 11 April he was hired by the fashion house "Kosak". His work there ended on 31 December 1947. In December 1947, he also received notice that his prewar employment with Siemens-Schuckert had officially ended on 15 December 1947. Following three weeks of unemployment, Döbrich found work with the Erste österreichische Zahnräderfabrik Rudolf Kienast (First Austrian Gear Factory Rudolf Kienast) where he worked from 19 January 1948 to 25 January 1954 in quality assurance.
On 21 July 1955, Döbrich married Magarethe in Vienna. The marriage remained childless. Döbrich and his wife emigrated to the United States where he worked in construction. In November 1969, the family returned to Austria. Döbrich then worked as a consultant for heavy transport helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft. In June 1971, Döbrich received a coronary artery bypass surgery led by Professor at the in Vienna. He died on 6 April 1984 from pulmonary embolism resulting from further heart problems at the age of in Vienna. He was buried at .
Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Döbrich was credited with 65 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 65 aerial victories claimed in 248 combat missions, all of which one on the Eastern Front, and a mission-to-claim ratio of 3.82. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 65 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 36 Ost 39172". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.
Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 –Eastern Front and northern Norway, and Finland — 6 December 1941 – 31 December 1942 1 24 April 1942 09:22 Hurricane west of Murmansk 23 21 August 1942 15:28 I-180 (Yak-7) 2 29 April 1942 12:43 I-153 west of Zapadnaya Litsa bight 24 21 August 1942 15:33 Yak-1 3 18 May 1942 Hurricane southwest of Murmansk 25 25 August 1942 15:27 P-40 4 19 May 1942 09:23 Hurricane Murmashi 26 2 September 1942 11:20 Yak-1 5 19 May 1942 15:59 Hurricane southwest of Murmashi 27 5 September 1942 08:28 P-40 6 28 May 1942 12:18 Hurricane southwest of Kola 28 8 September 1942 11:41 I-153 vicinity of Kola 7 28 May 1942 12:20 Hurricane west of Kola 29 8 September 1942 15:01 Hurricane vicinity of Kola 8 29 May 1942 23:15 Hurricane southeast of Eyna Guba 30 9 September 1942 10:49 Hurricane vicinity of Kola 9 30 May 1942 09:18 Hurricane Kola Bay 31 9 September 1942 11:01 Hurricane vicinity of Kola 10 2 June 1942 Hurricane west of Murmansk 32 15 September 1942 14:20 P-40 11 13 June 1942 16:01 Hurricane west of Murmansk 33 15 September 1942 14:32? Hurricane 12 22 June 1942 22:36 Hurricane west of Kola 34 19 September 1942 14:02 Hurricane 13 23 June 1942 08:15 Hurricane west of Kola 35 19 September 1942 14:05 Hurricane 14 23 June 1942 15:33 Hurricane southwest of Kola 36 22 September 1942 15:01? Hurricane west of Murmashi 15 24 June 1942 07:00+ Hurricane west of Kola 37 27 September 1942 11:44 P-40 16 24 June 1942 07:00+ Hurricane west of Kola 38 27 September 1942 11:51 P-40 17 29 June 1942 10:58 Hurricane east of Shonguy 39 27 September 1942 15:57 Yak-1 18 30 June 1942 21:00+ P-40 southeast of Pechenga airfield 40 30 October 1942 12:15 P-40 19 7 July 1942 17:00+ I-180 (Yak-7) west of Kola 41 30 October 1942 12:23 P-40 20 7 August 1942 17:15 P-40 42 30 October 1942 14:55 P-40 21 7 August 1942 17:21 P-40 43 5 November 1942 11:04 P-39? 22 13 August 1942 17:21 P-40 – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 –Eastern Front and northern Norway, and Finland — 1 January – 16 July 1943 44 5 March 1943 16:30 Yak-1 Lake Tolwand 55 5 June 1943 03:50? Hurricane 45 10 March 1943 09:58? P-39 vicinity of Murmashi 56 5 June 1943 05:10? Hurricane 46 10 March 1943 10:03 P-40 vicinity of Murmashi 57 5 June 1943 05:13? Hurricane 47 12 March 1943 14:22 P-40 vicinity of Murmashi 58 15 June 1943 23:01 P-39 48 12 March 1943 14:30 P-39 vicinity of Murmashi 59 15 June 1943 23:06 P-39 49 23 March 1943 14:18 P-40 Shonguy 60 20 June 1943 16:32 Hurricane Kandalaksha 50 23 March 1943 14:23 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 39172, south of Murmansk 61 21 June 1943 19:37 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 1723, west of Rutschi 25 March 1943 Il-2 62 21 June 1943 19:40 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 2711, west of Rutschi 51 27 March 1943 14:02 P-40 63 9 July 1943 04:42 Il-2 52 28 March 1943 11:42 P-40 64 16 July 1943 P-40 west of Pechenga Bay 53 3 June 1943 17:25? P-39 over sea 65 16 July 1943 P-40 west of Pechenga Bay 54 5 June 1943 03:48? Hurricane
Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (26 April 1942) 1st Class (26 May 1942) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Silver (27 June 1942) in Gold (26 October 1942) Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 17 August 1942 as Unteroffizier and pilot German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1942 as Unteroffizier in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 5 Wound Badge in Black (16 July 1943)