Hannes Trautloft and Wanderzirkus Janke – Secret Training In Russia And a Legionnaire In Spain (Part 1)

Hannes Trautlof portrait

Most people connect Hannes Trautloft with his association with Jagdgeschwader ‘Grünherz’ (‘Green Heart’), which is understandable, since this was the most important era of his military career. What is lesser known is that he had already a distinguished military past behind him by the time the Second World War began. In the first year of the war, he performed command duties with two units that had no connection to JG 54, while JG 54 (with 3 Gruppen) was formed by Hannes Trautloft. A closer look at this period of his military career is warranted, as is a more detailed look at the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1, which this month appears as a 48th scale ProfiPACK Edition kit.

Hannes Trautloft was born on March 3 rd, 1912 in Grossobringen at Weimar / Thüringen. This area is known as the ‘Green Heart of Germany’. As a child, he felt very much at home in the forest, helped by his father who performed the function of a gameskeeper in Thüringen. So, it becomes apparent why Hannes Trautloft felt comfortable in the hunt, and why his aircraft were adorned with a green heart. His family was evidently well situated, as Hannes was accepted for study at Germany’s school for transport pilots in Schleissheim after finishing high school in 1931. These were actually secretive studies for future military fliers.

Secret training in the case of Trautloft led all the way to Russia. The German leadership at the time signed a deal with its Soviet counterpart on the training of German soldiers at Lipetsk. The secret program lasted from 1925 to 1933, when it was cancelled by the Nazi government. It included the development of fighter pilots, as well as other fliers. Trautloft gained four months worth of experience here from May, 1932. It is interesting to ponder the possibility that he would fight against Soviet fliers in two wars.

After his return to Germany, he was attached to Infantry Regiment No.15 in October, and over the two subsequent years he underwent officer training at the relevant facility in Dresden. In October, 1934, he was given the position of instructor with the rank of lieutenant at Schleissheim’s school for fighter pilots.

In April, 1936, he joined III.(schwere)/JG 134 in Cologne (Köln am Rhein) equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes. This unit later gave way to heavy fighter Gruppe I.(Zestörer)/LG 1 with Meserschmitt Bf 110s. Of course, the peace time service of Trautloft would dramatically change. In July, 1936, the Spanish Civil War erupted, and Hitler decided to support Franco’s Nationalists with materials and combat units. It wasn’t only the Germans and the Italians that stood with the Nationalists as foreign volunteers. It is not a well known fact that combat against the Republicans was also participated in by the Portuguese, Romanians, French and Irish, with other nationalities being represented in maller numbers. For example, American firms contributed significant quantities of oil and transport equipment (with American volunteers fighting on the side of the Republicans).

Red ‘1’, Hptm. HannesTrautloft, 2./JG 77, Juliusburg, Germany, September 1939

Among the Legionnaires fighting for Franco was also Hannes Trautloft. He came to Spain in August, 1937 as a civilian, although in actual fact he was a member of the Legion Condor. Along with other pilots and mechanics, he had to assemble the first six Heinkel He 51s of his unit. Summers in Spain run hot, and combat missions were started off by pilots in the cockpits of their aircraft wearing sporting clothes. Trautloft would start out wearing his tennis shorts and shirt. Together with Staffel CO Oblt. Kraft Eberhardt, Trautloft would gain the very first German fighter kills since the First World War. On August 25, 1936 they claimed one Bregeut XIX each. But, on August 30, Trautloft was himself shot down and had to bail out of his aircraft. He was fortunate to endure this fate over friendly territory, and even so, the high flying non-Spanish speaking tennis player was met with suspicion from Nationalist troops. He was the first German downed during this conflict!

Related products from Eduard Store

Eduard / Plastic kits / Profipack / Aircraft / 1/48

Bf 109E-1 1/48 Cat.no.: 8261 In stock: Yes

Description: Scale plastic kit.

Price: $ 39,95

Quantity:

Eduard / Photo etched parts / Photo etched set / Aircraft / 1/48

Bf 109E-1 1/48 Cat.no.: 48720 In stock: Yes For kit: EDUARD

Description: Photo-etched accessories.

Price: $ 29,95

Quantity:

Tiny URL for this post: http://tinyurl.com/7999bvx