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Kaiser, Herbert (Höhne, Herbert)

Date of birth:
March 16th, 1916 (Jessen/Herzberg/Saxony, Germany)
Date of death:
December 5th, 2003 (Felde/Kiel, Germany)
Service number:
SS-Nr.: // NSDAP-Nr.:
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Achieved a total of 68 aerial victories (including 42 in the East) over the course of 1200 sorties.
Herbert Höhne took his mother's maiden name Kaiser in 1940.
Career:
1938-1939: served in II.(Jagd-)/Tr.Gr. 186 (later III./JG 77)
05.05.1940: Unteroffizier, 5./JGr. 186, 1st victory, a Blenheim 60 km north of Terschelling
15.01.1942: Oberfeldwebel, 8./JG 77, his 27th victory, a Soviet I-16 Rata
12.05.1942: a double Soviet victory, a R-Z and an Su-2
10.06.1942: his 40th victory, a Soviet aircraft
06.07.1942: Ofw., 9./JG 77
28.10.1942: unhurt? - shot down, forced landing in the desert, returned 2 days later 08.01.1943: Ofw., 8./JG 77
25.09.1943: Ofw., 3./JG 77
19.10.1943: promoted to SS-Rottenführer
11.01.1944: Ofw., 3./JG 1
10.02.1944: Lt., 9./JG 1 unhurt ? - Bf 109 G-6 coded 'Yellow 8 +' collision with service cart on take-off at Venlo
01.03.1944: transferred from JG 77 to JG 1
11.04.1944: Ofw., 7./JG 1
13.05.1944: his 65th victory, a P-47 at Neumünster-Plön
30.07.1944: his 68th, and last victory, a P-47 over northern France, Erprobungskommando 262, unhurt? - Me 262 A-2a Werknummer 170.058, bailed out
06.08.1944: severely WIA - Bf 109G-6 Werknummer 413.577 coded "White 12" in combat with Spitfires ivo Paris and hospitalized until 02.1945
01.03.1945: Leutnant, in Jagd-Verband 44
08.05.1945: surrednder to US - US POW
Ace credited with ca.1,200 combat missions and 68 air victories
01.01.1957: joined the Bundeswehr
01.03.1972: retired as an Oberstleutnant

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Awarded on:
1938
Flugzeugführerabzeichen
Awarded on:
1939
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
8. Staffel, JG 77 'Herz As'
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberfeldwebel (Flight Sergeant)
Unit:
8./ JG 77 'Herz As'
Awarded on:
March 30th, 1942
for his 30th confirmed air victory
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Unit:
8. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 77 'Herz As'
Awarded on:
August 9th, 1941
for achieving 12 air victories
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberfeldwebel (Flight Sergeant)
Unit:
8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 77 "Herz As", Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
March 30th, 1942
received under the name of Herbert Höhne
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberfeldwebel (Flight Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 8. Staffel, III. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 77 "Herz As", Luftwaffe
Awarded on:
March 14th, 1943
The following newspaper excerpt (dated 20./21.03.1943) describes why Kaiser received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberfeldwebel Kaiser has shot down 53 enemy aircraft over the course of many hard-fought aerial engagements.”
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
August 1944
WIA 06.08.1944
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz

Sources

Photos