Hans-Joachim Marseille
Victory claims and notable actions

Hans-Joachim Marseille

Section Title: Victory claims and notable actions
Table Section Text: None

Chronicle of aerial victories

This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Marseille an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.

Claims	Date	Time	Notes

– 1940 – I. (Jagd)/LG 2

1	24 August 1940	Claim: Hurricane/Spitfire over Kent.

I. (J)/LG 2 was ordered to fly three combat missions over the area of Kent.

2	2 September 1940	Claim: Spitfire over Detling, Kent. Only one Spitfire was lost in the Detling area—Maidstone—at around 16:25.

Marseille's aircraft was severely hit so that he had to crash land near Calais-Marck. Bf 109 E-7 W.Nr.

3	11 September 1940	17.05	Claim: Spitfire over southern England.

Marseille flew as wingman to promoted Hauptfeldwebel Helmut Goedert. Marseille's aircraft was severely damaged by a Hurricane pilot forcing him to crash-land at the French coast near Wissant.

4	15 September 1940	Claim: Hurricane over the River Thames, England.

I.(J)/LG 2 claimed four aerial victories in return for two losses. Only two Hurricanes were lost over the Thames on this date.

5	18 September 1940	Claim: Spitfire over southern England.

6	27 September 1940	Claim: Hurricane over London.

I.(J)/LG 2 claimed six aerial victories sustaining four losses including the Staffelkapitän Adolf Buhl. Oberleutnant Buhl was shot down and killed in action when his aircraft crashed into the sea, victims of No.

7	28 September 1940	Claim: Spitfire over southern England. Fighter Command lost four Spitfires in action with Bf 109s on this date.

– 1941 – I./JG 27

8	23 April 1941	12.50	Claim: Hurricane over Tobruk.

The adversaries could have been Hurricanes from No. 73 Squadron RAF.

9	28 April 1941	09.25	Claim: Bristol Blenheim Mk IV over the sea north of Tobruk.

The Blenheim was T2429, from No. 45 Squadron RAF, piloted by Pilot Officer B.

10–11	1 May 1941	09.15 09.25	Claim: Two Hurricanes south of Tobruk.

His adversaries were No. 274 Squadron RAF and No.

12–13	17 June 1941	17.15 18.45	Claim: Two Hurricanes, the first northeast of Tobruk and the second east of Sidi Omar.

Germans pilots claimed 13 Hurricanes in numerous engagements, the German authorities confirmed 11 claims, of which seven were credited to I./JG 27.

14	28 August 1941	18.00	Claim: Hurricane northwest of Sidi Barrani over the sea.

Marseille's adversaries were 12 Hurricanes of No. 1 Squadron SAAF.

15–16	9 September 1941	17.12 17.18	Claim: Two Hurricanes southeast of Bardia.

17	13 September 1941	17.25	Claim: Hurricane south of Bardia.

This appears to have been Flt Lt Patrick (Pat) Byers (RAF) of No. 451 Squadron RAAF.

18	14 September 1941	17.46	Claim: Hurricane southeast of Sofafi.

Marseille's opponents were Hurricanes from No. 33 Squadron RAF on an escort mission for Martin Marylands from No.

19–23	24 September 1941♠	13.30 16.45 16.47 16.51 17.00	Claim: Four Hurricanes and a Martin Maryland of No. 203 Squadron RAF.

Nine Hurricanes were from No. 1 Squadron SAAF and nine were from an unidentified unit.

24–25	12 October 1941	08.12 08.15	Claim: Two P-40s near Bir Sheferzan.

JG 27 aircraft encountered 24 Mk IIB Tomahawks, belonging to No. 2 Squadron SAAF and No.

26	5 December 1941	15.25	Claim: Hurricane.

The adversaries were 20 Hurricanes of No. 274 Squadron RAF and No.

27–28	6 December 1941	12.10 12.25	Claim: Two Hurricanes south of El Adem.

The adversaries were 24 Hurricanes from No. 229 Squadron RAF and No.

29	7 December 1941	09.30	Claim: Hurricane west of Sidi Omar.

JG 27 fought Hurricanes from No. 274 Squadron RAF, which lost three fighters in combat with 15 Ju 87s, six Bf 109s, 12 MC 202s and MC 200s.

30	8 December 1941	08.15	Claim: P-40 southeast of El Adem.

Marseille's opponents were misidentified Hurricanes of No. 274 Squadron RAF.

31	10 December 1941	08.50	Claim: P-40 southeast of El Adem.

The victory was over a Tomahawk IIB from No. 2 Squadron SAAF.

32	11 December 1941	09.30	Claim: P-40 southeast of Timimi.

A Tomahawk IIB, AK457, of No. 250 Squadron RAF. The pilot, Flight Sergeant M. A. Canty, remains missing in action.

33–34	13 December 1941	16.00 16.10	Claim: Two P-40s northeast of Martuba and north east of Timimi.

One of his victories was a Tomahawk IIB, AM384 of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, piloted by Flying Officer Tommy Trimble, who was wounded and had to crash-land his aircraft.

35–36	17 December 1941	11.10 11.28	Claim: Two P-40s west-northwest of Martuba and southeast of Derna.

Marseille's opponents were eight misidentified Hurricanes of No. 1 Squadron SAAF on an escort missions for eight Bristol Blenheim from No.

– 1942 –

37–40	8 February 1942	08.22 08.25 14.20 14.30	Claim: Four P-40s east-northeast of Martuba, north of Martuba, northwest of Bomba Bay and over the sea northeast of Bomba Bay.

The first action took place directly over the airfield at Martuba. The first victory was a Flight Sergeant Hargreaves, who belly landed his fighter and was taken prisoner.

41–44	12 February 1942	13.30 13.32 13.33 13.36	Claim: Three P-40s and a Hurricane northwest of Tobruk.

The Hurricanes came from No. 274 Squadron RAF.

45–46	13 February 1942	09.20 09.25	Claim: Two Hurricanes southeast of Tobruk.

Marseille's adversaries were seven Hurricanes from No. 1 Squadron SAAF and No.

47–48	15 February 1942	13.00 13.03	Claim: Two P-40s southwest of Gambut

Kittyhawk Is from No. 3 Squadron RAAF, near Gambut airfield.

49–50	21 February 1942	12.10 12.18	Claim: Two P-40s west of Fort Acroma.

Marseille's opponents were 11 Kittyhawks I from No. 112 Squadron RAF, which lost three aircraft in aerial combat with six Bf 109s.

51–52	27 February 1942	12.00 12.12	Claim: Two P-40s east-northeast of Fort Acroma.

Probably Mk I Kittyhawks belonging to No. 3 Squadron RAAF: Sergeant Roger Jennings, in AK665 was killed while crash landing; Pilot Officer R.

53–54	25 April 1942	10.06 10.09	Claim: Two P-40s north of the Italian airfield at Ain el Gazala and over the sea north of Ain el Gazala.

Opponents were Kittyhawks I from No. 260 Squadron RAF and Tomahawks IIB from No.

55–56	10 May 1942	09.13 09.15	Claim: Two Mk I Hurricanes, southeast of Martuba airfield.

The Hurricanes belonged to No. 40 Squadron SAAF and were on a patrol mission.

57–58	13 May 1942	10.10 10.15	Claim: Two P-40s: southeast of Ain el Gazala and over Gazala Bay.

On this occasion, 12 Mk I Kittyhawks from No. 3 Squadron RAAF were bounced by two Bf 109s coming from the sun.

59–60	16 May 1942	18.05 18.15	Claim: Two P-40s, east of Ain el Gazala and east of Fort Acroma.

Following the first action, Sergeant E. V.

61–62	19 May 1942	07.20 07.30	Claim: Two P-40s south and southwest of Fort Acroma.

These were Kittyhawks from No. 450 Squadron RAAF.

63–64	23 May 1942	11.05 11.06	Claim: Two Douglas Boston southeast of Tobruk harbour.

These were really Mk I Martin Baltimores, of No. 223 Squadron RAF.

65	30 May 1942	06.05	Claim: P-40 northwest of El Adem.

Marseille's adversaries were 20 Mk I Kittyhawks of No. 250 Squadron RAF and No.

66–68	31 May 1942	07.26 07.28 07.34	Three P-40s west of Bir-el Harmat and south-west of Fort Acroma, probably belonging to No. 5 Squadron SAAF; one of the pilots was Maj.

69	1 June 1942	19.15	A P-40 southwest of Mteifel Chebir. Potentially the involved Allied adversaries were Kittyhawks I from No.

70–75	3 June 1942♠	12.22 12.25 12.27 12.28 12.29 12.33	Credited with six kills in 11 minutes against nine Mk IIB Tomahawks of No. 5 Squadron SAAF, which were engaged in aerial combat with Ju 87s and Bf 109s near Bir Hakeim.

76–77	7 June 1942	16.10 16.13	Claim: Two P-40s southwest and northeast of El Adem.

Marseille's adversaries were two Kittyhawk Mk Is, from No. 2 Squadron SAAF.

78–81	10 June 1942	07.35 07.41 07.45 07.50	Claim: Four P-40s near Mteifel Chebir.

Among the opponents were 24 Hurricanes from No. 73 Squadron RAF and No.

82–83	11 June 1942	16.25 16.35	Claim: One P-40 southeast of Fort Acroma and one Hurricane northwest of El Adem.

Both were from No. 112 Squadron RAF, which lost two Kittyhawks. One adversary was Sergeant Graves who bailed out.

84–87	13 June 1942	18.10 18.11 18.14 18.15	I./JG 27 claimed four P-40s and one "Hurricane" near El Adem/Gazala. Marseille claimed four and Leutnant Hans Remmer one.

88–91	15 June 1942	18.01 18.02 18.04 18.06	Marseille was credited with four kills in five minutes, including a P-40 near El Adem. The Allied unit remains unidentified.

92–95	16 June 1942	18.02 18.10 18.11 18.13	Claim: Four fighters.

No. 5 Squadron SAAF lost two: Lt.

96–101	17 June 1942♠	12.02 12.04 12.05 12.08 12.09 12.12	Marseille was credited with six kills in seven minutes over Gambut (becoming the 11th pilot to score 100 kills).

His adversaries were Mk I Kittyhawks of No. 112 Squadron RAF and No.

102–104	31 August 1942	10.03 10.04 18.25	Two Hurricanes, south-south-east of El Alamein in the morning and one Spitfire east of Alam Halfa at 6:25 pm.

It seems that one of Marseille's opponents was Pilot Officer L. E.

105–121	1 September 1942♠	08.26 08.28 08.35 08.39 10.55 10.56 10.58 10.59 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.05 17.47 17.48 17.49 17.50 17.53	Marseille was credited with 17 kills in three separate sorties over El Taqua, Alam Halfa and Deir el Raghat. His adversaries on the early morning missions were Mk II Hurricanes (No.

122–126	2 September 1942♠	09.16 09.18 09.24 15.18 15.21	Two P-40s and a Spitfire south of Imayid in the morning and two P-40s southeast of El Alamein in the afternoon.

127–132	3 September 1942♠	07.20 07.23 07.28 15.08 15.10 15.42	Marseille claimed two Spitfires and a P-40 near El Hammam, early in the morning, two P-40s near El Imayid in the afternoon and one more P-40 south-southeast of El Alamein in the late afternoon.

133–136	5 September 1942	10.48 10.49 10.51 11.00	Marseille was credited with four kills, despite a cannon malfunction, near Ruweisat and El Taqua. Flight Lieutenant Canham and Pilot Officer Bicksler of No.

137–140	6 September 1942	17.03 17.14 17.16 17.20	Three P-40s and a Spitfire south of El Alamein. Among Marseille's opponents were eight Mk I Kittyhawks of No.

141–142	7 September 1942	17.43 17.45	Two P-40s southeast of El Alamein and southwest of El Hammam. Marseille's opponents were Mk I Kittyhawks of No.

143–144	11 September 1942	07.40 07.42	Two P-40s southeast of El Alamein and west-southwest of Imayid. Marseille's opponents were likely Hurricanes II from No.

145–151	15 September 1942♠	16.51 16.53 16.54 16.57 16.59 17.01 17.02	Marseille was credited with seven kills against P-40s in 11 minutes. JG 27 reported combat with 36 Kittyhawks: 18 Bf 109s from I./JG 27 claimed 10 in this engagement, all of them over German-held territory; 15 Bf 109s from II./JG 27 claimed one victory and; 10 Bf 109s from III./JG 27 claimed eight P-40s and one Spitfire, four of them over German territory.

152–158	26 September 1942♠	09.10 09.13 09.15 09.16 16.56 16.59 17.10	Claim: Seven kills near El Daba and south of El Hammam, including six Spitfires.

Marseille's adversaries on an early morning mission were Mk II Hurricanes of No. 33 Squadron RAF and No.

Sentence(s)