# Johann-Hermann Meier

Johann-Hermann Meier (10 June 1921 – 15 March 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 77 enemy aircraft shot down in 305 combat missions. All of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front.
On 15 March 1944, Meier was killed in a takeoff accident after his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 collided with another Fw 190 while taxiing at the Luftwaffe base in Florennes, Belgium. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1944.

## Career

On 12 October 1942, Meier was posted to 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) fighting on the Eastern Front. The Staffel was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) and had moved to Pitomnik Airfield, approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of Stalingrad, on 22 September. At the time, his commanding officer of 1. Staffel was Oberleutnant Friedrich Bartels while the Gruppe was headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann.
On 10 June 1943, the Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 52 was killed in action. In consequence, Meier was transferred from 1. Staffel and temporarily given command of 3. Staffel until Hauptmann Erich Schreiber assumed command on 15 July.

### With Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" and death

Meier was transferred to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26–26th Fighter Wing) in February 1944 fighting on the Western Front flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. At the time, the Gruppe was based at Florennes Airfield and commanded by Hauptmann Karl Borris. There, Meier was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 1. Staffel on 29 February. He replaced Leutnant Leberecht Altmann who was transferred.
On 15 March, the United States Army Air Forces attacked Braunschweig with a force of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. Defending against this attack, I. and II. Gruppe of JG 26 was scrambled. During takeoff, Meier in his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 470057–factory number) collided with his wingman Unteroffizier Hans Ruppert. Both aircraft caught fire, while Ruppert escaped, Meier was killed in the accident. According to an eyewitness report, Meier was drunk at the time. For his 77 aerial victories claimed with JG 52, Meier was awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Meier was succeeded by Oberleutnant Kurt Kranefeld as Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Meier was credited with 77 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 77 aerial victories, 76 of which on the Eastern Front and one on the Western Front, claimed in 305 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces: Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 76 aerial victory claims, all of which were claimed on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 62322". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km$^2$). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.
Chronicle of aerial victories :
| This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Meier an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — December 1942 – 3 February 1943 ||||||||||
| 1? | 18 December 1942 | 14:10 | Il-2 | | 2 | 1 February 1943 | 09:00 | Il-2 | PQ 62322 vicinity of Kursk |
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||
| 3 | 28 April 1943 | 10:45 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 85281 vicinity of Smolenskaya | 27 | 5 September 1943 | 07:28 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 65253 over sea, south of Taman |
| 4 | 14 May 1943 | 17:25 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 61222 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Prokhorovka | 28 | 9 September 1943 | 16:34 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76883 vicinity of Akkermanka |
| 5 | 14 May 1943 | 17:37? | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 61276, 25 km (16 mi) north of Belgorod 20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Belograd | 29 | 13 September 1943 | 14:15 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76351 northeast of Varenikovskaya |
| 6 | 26 May 1943 | 05:11 | Spitfire | PQ 34 Ost 76887 vicinity of Kesselerowo | 30 | 14 September 1943 | 11:14 | Boston | PQ 34 Ost 75393 over sea, southeast of Anapa |
| 7 | 26 May 1943 | 09:45 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 76853 vicinity of Kolonka | 31 | 14 September 1943 | 11:46 | Boston | PQ 34 Ost 76613 vicinity of Sswisteljnikoff |
| 8 | 29 May 1943 | 09:45 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 85112, 8 km (5.0 mi) northeast of Krymskaja north of Mertschanskaja | 32 | 20 September 1943 | 15:47 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 75483 vicinity of Gaiduk |
| 9 | 4 June 1943 | 05:55 | La-5 | PQ 34 Ost 85112, 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Krymskaja north of Mertschanskaja | 33 | 21 September 1943 | 12:55 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 66882 over sea, south of Taman |
| 10 | 5 June 1943 | 18:25 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 75236, north of Krymskaja north of Mertschanskaja | 34 | 21 September 1943 | 16:37 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76772 vicinity of Blagoweschtschenskaja |
| 11 | 5 June 1943 | 18:32 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 75262, west of Krymskaja vicinity of Warenikowskaja | 35 | 22 September 1943 | 07:10 | Pe-2 | PQ 34 Ost 66842 southwest of Taman |
| 12 | 6 June 1943 | 18:10 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76682, 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Kurtschannoje vicinity of Sswisteljnikoff | 36 | 22 September 1943 | 09:44 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 76813 south of Kurtschanskaja |
| 13 | 8 June 1943 | 16:01 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76821, east of Kalabatka vicinity of Kalabatka | 37 | 22 September 1943 | 16:37 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76642 northeast of Temryuk |
| 14 | 14 June 1943 | 06:35 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 76674 east of Temryuk | 38 | 23 September 1943 | 07:45 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76273 Gostagdiewskaja |
| 15 | 16 June 1943 | 09:12 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 75454 Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Novorossiysk | ? | 23 September 1943 | 07:51 | Il-2 | south of Starotitarovskaya |
| 16 | 16 June 1943 | 09:16 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 75494 Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Gelendzhik | ? | 23 September 1943 | 07:51 | Il-2 | over sea, west of Blagoweschtschenskaja |
| 17 | 16 June 1943 | 19:06 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 75492 Black Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Gelendzhik | 39 | 24 September 1943 | 12:51 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76782 vicinity of Ssuworowsko-Tscherkeskij |
| 18♠ | 5 July 1943 | 05:53 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 61151 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Krasnyi Lyman | 40 | 25 September 1943 | 12:45 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 66893 over sea, south of Wennlowka |
| 19♠ | 5 July 1943 | 09:10 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 51234 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Krasnyi Lyman | 41 | 26 September 1943 | 12:45 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 76354 Sea of Azov |
| 20♠ | 5 July 1943 | 09:23 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 61132 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Prokhorovka | 42 | 27 September 1943 | 11:47 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76593 east of Temryuk |
| 21♠ | 5 July 1943 | 18:27 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 61481, vicinity of Belgorod 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Belograd | 43 | 27 September 1943 | 14:12 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76714 Black Sea, 75 km (47 mi) west-southwest of Gelendzhik |
| 22♠ | 5 July 1943 | 18:29 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 35 Ost 61613, vicinity of Belgorod 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Belograd | 44? | 29 September 1943 | 07:58 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76742 |
| 23♠ | 5 July 1943 | 18:34 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 35 Ost 61484, vicinity of Belgorod 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Belograd | 45? | 29 September 1943 | 08:04 | Il-2 | PQ 34 Ost 75712 |
| 24 | 7 July 1943 | 18:27 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 61152 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Krasnyi Lyman | 46 | 2 October 1943 | 09:30 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76723 east of Starotitarovskaya |
| 25 | 9 July 1943 | 10:56 | Il-m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 62786, east of Belgorod 20 km (12 mi) south of Oboyan | 47 | 2 October 1943 | 15:24 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 76714 south of Starotitarovskaya |
| 26 | 5 September 1943 | 07:27 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 66893 over sea, south of Wennlowka | 48 | 3 October 1943 | 12:10 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76584 west of Temryuk |
| – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 4 February 1943 – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||
| 49 | 14 October 1943 | 11:56 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 58154, south of Zaporizhzhia northeast of Zaporizhzhia | 58 | 27 October 1943 | 07:28 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 48884 20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Bilozerka |
| 50 | 20 October 1943 | 14:09 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 58173 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Zaporizhzhia | 59 | 27 October 1943 | 07:30 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 48893 20 km (12 mi) south of Bilozerka |
| 51 | 20 October 1943 | 14:13 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 58181 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Zaporizhzhia | 60 | 30 October 1943 | 06:47 | Yak-9 | PQ 34 Ost 47361 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Ivanovka |
| 52 | 23 October 1943 | 09:05 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 58561 vicinity of Kalinówka | 61 | 5 November 1943 | 09:25 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 37872 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Perekop |
| 53 | 23 October 1943 | 12:42 | La-5 | PQ 34 Ost 59751 35 km (22 mi) north-northeast of Zaporizhzhia | 62 | 10 November 1943 | 14:51 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 37842 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Perekop |
| 54 | 23 October 1943 | 12:49 | La-5 | PQ 34 Ost 59751 35 km (22 mi) north-northeast of Zaporizhzhia | 63 | 29 November 1943 | 07:03 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 39344 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Alexandrija |
| 55 | 24 October 1943 | 06:26 | La-5 | PQ 34 Ost 59742 30 km (19 mi) north of Zaporizhzhia | 64 | 29 November 1943 | 07:06 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 39174 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Alexandrija |
| 56 | 24 October 1943 | 06:29 | La-5 | PQ 34 Ost 59744 20 km (12 mi) south of Grishino | 65 | 29 November 1943 | 14:21 | La-5 | PQ 34 Ost 29294 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Alexandrija |
| 57 | 25 October 1943 | 15:02 | Yak-9 | PQ 34 Ost 57152 3 km (1.9 mi) northwest of Melitopol | 66 | 17 December 1943 | 14:15 | P-39 | west of Dubiyevka |
| – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — January 1944 ||||||||||
| 67 | 6 January 1944 | 11:50 | P-39 | 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Kirovograd | 73 | 15 January 1944 | 10:05 | Yak-9 | 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Kirovograd |
| 68 | 6 January 1944 | 12:07 | Yak-9 | vicinity of Fewal | 74 | 16 January 1944 | 09:30 | Yak-9 | 24 km (15 mi) west-northwest of Kirovograd |
| 69 | 7 January 1944 | 14:15 | Yak-9 | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Kirovograd | 75 | 16 January 1944 | 11:50 | P-39 | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Kirovograd |
| 70 | 11 January 1944 | 13:16 | Yak-9 | 20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Kirovograd | 76 | 16 January 1944 | 11:52 | P-39 | 25 km (16 mi) west of Kirovograd |
| 71 | 11 January 1944 | 13:17 | Yak-9 | 20 km (12 mi) south-southwest of Kirovograd | 77 | 17 January 1944 | 14:36 | Il-2 | 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Aleksandrovka |
| 72 | 12 January 1944 | 11:02 | P-39 | 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Kirovograd | | | | | |

### Awards

* Flugzeugführerabzeichen
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 13 September 1941 as Leutnant and pilot
* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* German Cross in Gold on 27 October 1943 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 52
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1944 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"