Hans Strelow

On 23 June, II. Gruppe followed the German advance and relocated 100 kilometers (62 miles) east to an airfield at Terespol on the Bug. Two days later, the Gruppe claimed 28 Tupolev SB-2 bombers shot down, including Strelow's first aerial victory claimed northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake. The German advance required the Gruppe to relocate approximately 220 kilometers (140 miles) east to an airfield at Nowo-Hutkowo near Slutsk on 28 June.[7] Two days later, II. Gruppe engaged in aerial combat near Babruysk where Strelow claimed his second aerial victory when he shot down a Ilyushin DB-3 bomber.[8] For these victories, Strelow received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) on 5 July.[2] The German advance reached the Dnieper on 9 July.[9]

Map indicating Operation Barbarossa's attack plan

German forces breached the Stalin Line and II. Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Stara Bychow, approximately 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of Mogilev on the Dnieper on 12 July. Operating from this airfield on 16 July, Strelow claimed a Vultee V-11 attack aircraft which was an Ilyushin Il-2 attack aircraft.[10] That day, 5. Staffel commanding officer Kolbow was killed in action and was replaced by Leutnant Hans-Joachim Steffens. Steffens was killed in action on 30 July and command of 5. Staffel was then given to Oberleutnant Hartmann Grasser.[11] Following further relocations, II. Gruppe reached an airfield at Schatalowka, present-day Shatalovo air base, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Smolensk, on 17 August.[11] The Gruppe claimed eleven aerial victories on 30 August, including three by Strelow who shot down two Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers an I-18 fighter, an early German designation for a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter.[12] On 23 August, elements of II. Gruppe also operated from an airfield near Gomel.[4] On 6 September, Strelow claimed another I-18 fighter followed by an I-61 fighter, an early German designation for a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter, the following day near Konotop.[13] On 10 September, the Gruppe relocated again and moved to Novhorod-Siverskyi situated on the bank of the Desna River. On 13 September, Strelow claimed DB-3 bomber followed by a Pe-2 bomber east of Konotop the next day, taking his total to eleven aerial victories claimed.[14] For this, Strelow received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) on 14 September.[2]

The Gruppe relocated to Sechtschinskaja, approximately 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Roslavl, on 23 September from where the unit flew missions in the combat area east of Konotop. That day, Strelow claimed an I-18 fighter shot down.[14] On 4 October during the Battle of Moscow, II. Gruppe moved to Sevsk for four days. Here Strelow claimed three aerial victories over DB-3 bombers on 5 October.[15] On 11 October, the Gruppe was briefly detached from the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 51 and ordered east to Oryol. There, the Gruppe was subordinated to Gefechtsverband Schönborn (Detachment Schönborn), named after the commander of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (StG 77—77th Diver Bomber Wing), Major Clemens Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid.[16] Strelow was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 24 November.[2] Two days later, II. Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Kaluga, ending the assignment to Gefechtsverband Schönborn. Operating from Kaluga, Strelow claimed a Pe-2 bomber shot down on 5 December northwest of Kashira.[17]

On 30 December, II. Gruppe moved to the Bryansk Airfield where the aircraft were serviced in hangars and the pilots had shelters.[18] From Bryansk, II. Gruppe supported the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army in the combat area southwest of Moscow. Here, Strelow claimed his first aerial victories in 1942 on 4 January when he shot down two I-61 fighters. On 13 January, II. Gruppe claimed thirteen aerial victories including two Polikarpov R-Z reconnaissance bomber aircraft by Strelow.[19] On 27 January, Strelow was credited with the destruction of an I-26 fighter, an early German designation for a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter.[20]

On 1 February 1942, Strelow was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of JG 51. He succeeded Oberleutnant Horst Geyer who had temporarily led the Staffel after its former commander, Grasser had taken command of II. Gruppe of JG 51.[21] Strelow was credited with his first aerial victories as Staffelkapitän on 4 February when he claimed four aerial victories on two separate combat missions, the first in the area of Yukhnov, and the second near Kaluga. Strelow claimed his 40th aerial victory on 28 February, a Pe-2 bomber shot down east of Bryansk.[22]

On 18 March, Strelow was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 52 aerial victories.[23] That day, he became an "ace-in-a-day", claiming seven aerial victories.[24] Six days and 14 aerial victories later, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 24 March for 66 aerial victories. He was the 84th and youngest member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The award was presented by Adolf Hitler at the Führerhauptquartier (Führer Headquarters) at Rastenburg on 26 March 1942.[2] On 30 March, the Luftwaffenpersonalamt (staff department) of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Ministry of Aviation) deferred a preferential promotion to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on account of his young age.[25] Following the award presentation, Strelow went on home leave.[26]

Following his return to his unit, II. Gruppe was still based at Bryansk but periodically also operated from airfields at Oryol and Dugino.[27] On 18 May, Strelow claimed his 67th aerial victory when he shot down a MiG-3 fighter.[28] Four days later, Strelow committed suicide after he was shot down by a Pe-2 twin-engine bomber in his Bf 109 F-2 "Black 10" (Werknummer 8239—factory number). He had made a forced landing 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) behind Soviet lines near Mtsensk and killed himself to avoid capture by the Red Army.[29][30][31] He was succeeded by Oberleutnant Karl-Heinz Schnell as commander of 5. Staffel.[32]

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Strelow was credited with 68 aerial victories.[33] Obermaier lists him with 68 aerial victories claimed in over 200 combat missions.[34] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 68 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[35]

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (5 July 1941)[47]
  • 1st Class (14 September 1941)[47]
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 24 November 1941 as Leutnant and pilot[48][Note 10]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 18 March 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"[49][50]
  • 84th Oak Leaves on 24 March 1942 as Leutnant and pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"[49][51]