Hans Rolfes

Hans Joachim Rolfes was a German World War I flying ace credited with 17 confirmed and two unconfirmed aerial victories. He scored his first confirmed victory while with Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 32, on 6 July 1917. His second and subsequent victories were while leading Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 45 during the first nine months of 1918.[1] On 29 September 1918, he was additionally given command of a four squadron wing. Rolfes died in an aviation accident on 12 August 1935.

Hans Rolfes
Born18 April 1894
Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony
Died12 August 1935 (1935-08-13) (aged 41)
Johannisthal Air Field, Berlin, Germany
Allegiance Germany
Service/branchAviation
RankLeutnant
UnitFliegerersatz-Abteilung 2 (Replacement Detachment 2);
Kagohl 2 (Tactical Bomber Wing 2);
Kampfstaffel 11 (Tactical Bomber Squadron 11);
Jagdstaffel 32 (Fighter Squadron 32)
Commands heldJagdstaffel 45 (Fighter Squadron 45);
Jagdgruppe Ost
Battles/warsWorld War I
AwardsKnight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern;
Iron Cross First and Second Class

Biography

Early life and cavalry service

On 18 April 1894, Hans Joachim Rolfes was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. His father was the German Consul there. Rolfes began his education in local schools before being sent to London to study.[2]

In 1912, he went home to Germany to enlist in the 14th Dragoon Regiment. He was still with them when they moved to the front as the First World War began. On 24 December 1914, he was commissioned as a Leutnant. Serving as such, he was badly wounded on 31 August 1915.[2]

Aviation career

As he recovered, he requested transfer to aviation duty. After pilot training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 2 (Replacement Detachment 2), he was posted to Kagohl 2 (Tactical Bomber Wing 2) on 5 October 1915. As Kagohl 2 was composed of several different squadrons based separately, Rolfes flew on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. At some point, he transferred to Kampfstaffel 11 (Tactical Bomber Squadron 11); there he claimed an unconfirmed victory over a French Voisin. On 20 February 1917, he was transferred to a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 32. He scored his first accredited aerial victory while flying with them, shooting down a Farman over Moronvillers, France on 6 July 1917.[2]

Rolfe's final mount was a Fokker D.VII.
On three occasions, a Breguet 14 was Rolfe's victim.

On 17 December 1917, he was appointed to form a new fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 45. He began scoring victories with them on 20 January 1918, running off a string of 16 more confirmed victories and an unconfirmed one.[2] In July 1918 or early August, he was re-equipped with a Fokker D.VII.[3] On 29 September 1918, he shot down his 17th and last confirmed victim. That was also the day the German High Command decided to combine his squadron with Jagdstaffeln 9, 21, and 66 to form Jagdgruppe Ost. Rolfes was given command of the Jagdgruppe in addition to commanding his own squadron. By war's end, he had been awarded the House Order of Hohenzollern, as well as both classes of the Iron Cross.[2]

List of victories
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I

Confirmed victories listed in date order. Unconfirmed claims are marked 'u/c'. Doubled lines in table indicate change of assignment.

No. Date Time Aircraft Result Location Notes
'u/c' 17 February 1917 Voisin Forced to land Claimed while with Kasta 11
1 6 July 1917 1320 hours Farman Destroyed. Moronvillers Only claim with Jasta 32
2 20 January 1918 1510 hours Nieuport Destroyed Chattancourt, France First victory with Jasta 45
3 16 March 1918 1250 hours Observation balloon Destroyed Fort Marre
4 17 March 1918 0710 hours SPAD Destroyed Malancourt, France
5 6 May 1918 1700 hours Breguet 14 Destroyed Pimprez, France
6 4 June 1918 1640 hours SPAD Destroyed Coulcombs
7 20 June 1918 Salmson 2A2 Destroyed Chezy, France
8 4 July 1918 Breguet 14 Destroyed Villers Cotterets, France
9 14 August 1918 1340 hours SPAD Destroyed Branges, France
10 20 August 1918 1250 hours Breguet 14 Destroyed Crecy-au-Mont, France
11 29 August 1918 SPAD Destroyed Fismes, France
12 and 13 2 September 1918 1600 and 1605 hours Two SPAD 2s Destroyed Magneux, France
14 4 September 1918 1400 hours SPAD Destroyed North of Fismes, France
15 and 16 6 September 1918 1635 and 1645 hours Salmson 2A2; observation balloon Destroyed Magneux, France
'u/c' 14 September 1918 SPAD S.11 Blanzy, France
17 29 September 1918 1900 hours BF.2b Destroyed Masnieres, France[1][4]

Postwar

Hans Joachim Rolfes died in an aviation accident at Johannisthal Air Field, just outside Berlin, on 12 August 1935.[2]

Sources of information
  1. The Aerodrome website Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  2. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918, pp. 190-191
  3. Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1, Part 2, p. 66
  4. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918, p. 191

References
  • Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Norman Franks, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
  • Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1, Part 2 Norman Franks, Greg VanWyngarden. Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1-84176-729-1


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