Hans-Joachim Brand

Hans-Joachim Brand
Born	16 May 1916 Lüneburg
Died	18 April 1945 (aged 28) Cottbus
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	StG 2 StG 77 SG 77
Commands held	I./Schlachtgeschwader 77
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Oder-Neisse †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hans-Joachim Brand (16 May 1916 – 18 April 1945) was a highly decorated Hauptmann and ground attack pilot in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Hans-Joachim Brand was shot down by Soviet flak on 18 April 1945 near Cottbus while flying a ground-attack mission. His Focke Wulf Fw 190F was hit by anti-aircraft fire at a height of 1,600 feet (490 m) and he fatally crashed near Alteno/Luckau in the Spreewald. His body was never recovered. During his career he flew 964 missions and he had been nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), which was never approved.^[1]

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "900"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (1 November 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (7 July 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 13 January 1942 as Leutnant in the 8./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 December 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 77^[3]

References

Citations

1. MacLean 2007, p. 76.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 55.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 121.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• MacLean, French L. (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports — For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.