Hans Grünberg

Infobox Military Person
name=Hans Grünberg
born=birth date|1917|7|8|df=y
died=dda|1998|1|16|1917|7|8|df=y
nickname="Specker"
placeofbirth=Gross-Fahlenwerder, Germany
placeofdeath=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=
serviceyears=1939–1945
rank=Oberleutnant
unit=JG 3, JG 7, JV 44
battles=World War II
*Eastern Front
*Western Front
*Defense of the Reich
awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
laterwork=

Hans "Specker" Grünberg was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross during World War II. Grünberg shot down 82 enemy aircraft in 550 missions.

Military career

Grünberg first acted in combat role when he was serving with JG 3 based on the Eastern front, in August 1942. Unteroffizier Grünberg achieved his first victory on 19 August 1942, when he shot down a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber. By the end of 1942, Grünberg had amassed 11 victories. He had baled out four times during his time in Russia.Grünberg then flew with 5./JG 3 on Defense of the Reich duties based in Germany. On 9 May 1944, Grünberg was appointed "Staffelkapitän" of 5./JG 3 in the place of Oberleutnant Leopold "Poldi" Münster was shot down and killed in action the day before. His last victory was claimed on 19 April, when he shot down a USAAF B-17 over Bohemia but he had to bail out of his Messerschmitt Me 262 near Prague in this engagement. He served out the remainder of the war with this unit.

Grünberg was credited with 82 victories in 550 combat missions. He recorded 61 victories over the Eastern Front, including 27 Il-2 Sturmoviks. Of his 21 victories recorded over the Western Front, at least 11 were four-engine bombers. He is credited with five victories with the Me-262 jet fighter, all were four-engine bombers. [For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see "List of German World War II jet aces"]

Awards

* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (9 August 1943)
* German Cross in Gold (31 August 1943)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 for 77 victories.

References

*cite web |title=Aces of the Luftwaffe|work=Hans Grünberg|url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/grunberg.html|accessdate=14 February|accessyear=2008
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.