Otto Höhne

Otto Paul Wilhelm Höhne
Otto Paul Wilhelm Höhne
Born	30 April 1895 Woinowitz near Ratibor, Oberschlesien in present-day Poland
Died	22 November 1969 (aged 74) Jachenau, Oberbayern, Germany
Allegiance	Germany
Service/branch	Luftstreitkräfte Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht)
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	Kampfeinsitzerkommando (Combat Single-Seater Command) Nord, Jagdstaffel 1, Jagdstaffel 2, Jagdstaffel 59
Commands held	KG 54 (World War II)
Awards	Iron Cross, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Served in Luftwaffe during World War II.

Leutnant Otto Paul Wilhelm Höhne^[1] was a German World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed aerial victories.^[2] Höhne was a pioneer ace; he was the first pilot to score a victory while flying the Albatros D.1 ^[3] During World War II he was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Early life

On 30 April 1895, Otto Paul Wilhelm Höhne was born in Woinowitz near Ratibor, Upper Silesia (Oberschlesien) in present-day Poland.^[4]

World War I aviation career

Höhne initially flew with Kampfeinsitzerkommando (Combat Single-Seater Command) Nord, before moving on for a brief posting to Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 1 in early August 1916. On 27 August, he became one of the original pilots in the newly formed original fighter squadrons.^[4] He was assigned to Jagdstaffel 2 serving under Oswald Boelcke when he downed a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b from 11 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps on 16 September 1916, scoring the first victory for the Albatros D.1 and sending both men in the FE.2 crew into captivity.^[3] Six days later, Höhne shot down a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.12 over Combles. A month later, on 25 October, at ten minutes to noon, it was the turn of a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2d. On 3 November, Höhne shot down a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c over Hébuterne. Six days later, on 9 November 1916, he shot down Canadian ace Alan Duncan Bell-Irving's Nieuport 17 fighter to become an ace. He would score one more time, eight days later.^[2]

Otto Höhne was himself wounded in action on 10 January 1917.^[2] After spending most of 1917 in hospital, he later returned as commander of Jasta 2 in early 1918. He served in that capacity for one month, flying the Fokker D.1, before stepping aside as seeing himself still not sufficiently recovered to lead the squadron.

World War II

Höhne returned to service during World War II, serving in the Luftwaffe and rising to Major General. As lieutenant colonel in KG 54, he led one of the two bomber columns during the Rotterdam Blitz, but managed to abort the attack of his column at the last minute.^[5][6] He was again badly injured in the crash of a Heinkel 111 on 15 August 1941 ^[2] and subsequently served as Generalmajor and commanding officer of the flight combat school in Fürstenfeldbruck (Bavaria).

References

Citations

1. extract of the baptism record of the Evangelical Church of Ratibor, year 1895 No. 40, Ratibor February 24. 1936
2. http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/hohne.php Retrieved on 11 August 2010.
3. Guttman, Dempsey 2009, p. 41.
4. Franks et al 1993, p. 131.
5. Jacobsen, H. A., Der deutsche Luftangriff auf Rotterdam in Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau 8 (1958), S. 257-284
6. Bekker, Cajus, Angriffshöhe 4000 – Kriegstagebuch der deutschen Luftwaffe, Gerhard Stalling Verlag, Oldenburg und Hamburg, 1964, S. 131-135

Bibliography

• Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
• Guttman, Jon and Dempsey, Harry (2009). Pusher Aces of World War 1. Osprey Pub Co. ISBN 1-84603-417-5, ISBN 978-1-84603-417-6.

Further reading

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

"Otto Höhne". Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45 (in German). Retrieved 4 September 2011.

---