Walter Hagen (aviator)

Walter Hagen
Born	16 March 1897 Kiel, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	24 November 1963 (aged 66) Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1915–18 1935–45
Rank	Generalmajor
Commands held	StG 1, Fliegerführer "Nord-Balkan", 17. Flieger-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Test pilot of Junkers

Walter Hagen (16 March 1897 – 24 November 1963) was a German Luftwaffe Stuka pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
• Cross of Honor
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (9 June 1940)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 21 July 1940 as "Major" and "Gruppenkommandeur" of the III./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1^{[2][Note 1]}
  • 77th Oak Leaves on 17 February 1942 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1^[3][4]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 10 November 1940 and 10 October 1944

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
10 October 1944 (Addendum)	In den erbitterten Kämpfen in Ostserbien haben sich die 1. Gerbirgsdivision unter Führung des Ritterkreuzträgers Generalleutnant von Stettner und die 7. SS-Gebirgsdivision "Prinz Eugen" unter der Führung des Eichenlaubträgers Oberführer Kumm in schwierigstem Gelände durch vorbildliche Standhaftigkeit und schwungvollen Angriffsgeist besonders ausgezeichnet. Die Kämpf wurden wirksam unterstützt durch Luftwaffenverbände unter Führung des Eichenlaubträgers Generalmajor Hagen.[5]	In the fierce fighting in eastern Serbia, the 1st Mountain Division under the leadership of the Knight's Cross holder Lieutenant General von Stettner and 7th SS Mountain Division "Prinz Eugen" under the leadership of the Oak Leaves holder Oberführer Kumm, have particularly distinguished themselves in difficult terrain by exemplary fortitude and spirited sweeping attacks. The combatants were effectively supported by air forces under the command of Oak Leaves holder Major General Hagen.

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as Gruppenkommandeur of the Sturzkampfgruppe I./186.^[3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 239.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 210.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 360.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 58.
5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 284.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• 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.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• "Walter Hagen". Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45. Retrieved 12 February 2010.