During the vast majority of combat on the Eastern Front under Trautloft’s command, JG 54 operated over the northern and central sectors within the framework of Luftflotte 1. Despite the size of the area of operations, Trautloft managed to maintain contact with all elements of the fighter wing and personally knew all the pilots, including non commissioned officers. Under his command, there was a line of successful fighter pilots and commanders, such as Nowotny, Kittel, Phillip, Beisswenger, Hrabak, Ostermann, etc. Trautloft was awarded the Knight’s Cross on July 27th, 1941, not f

At the end of September, 1939, Trautloft took control of the fighter Gruppe designated I./JG 20 in Brandenburg – Briest. At the time, the unit was provisionally placed under JG 2 ‘Richthofen’ and in the future was to have been transformed into III./JG 2. The plans changed, however, and progressively, Trautloft’s unit was attached to JG 3 and finally JG 51. During ‘Sitzkrieg’ (or The Phoney War), I./JG 20 was able to down only two enemy aircraft, but during the fighting in the west in May, 1940,thirty-five were claimed. Hannes Trautloft accounted for two Spitfires during this period