Hans Baur | |
|---|---|
 Hans Baur, ca 1930 | |
| Born | 19 June 1897 Ampfing,Kingdom of Bavaria,German Empire |
| Died | 17 February 1993(1993-02-17) (aged 95) Herrsching,Bavaria,Germany |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Nazi Germany |
| Years of service | 1915–1918 1933–1945 |
| Rank | SS-Gruppenführer andGeneralleutnant of the Police |
| Unit | Die Fliegerstaffel des Führers |
| Commands | Government squadron |
| Battles / wars | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Iron Cross First Class |
Johannes 'Hans' Baur (19 June 1897 – 17 February 1993) wasAdolf Hitler's pilot during the political campaigns of the early 1930s. He began his aviation career as aflying ace in World War I. He later became Hitler's personal pilot and leader of theReichsregierung squadron. Apprehended by theSoviet Union at the end ofWorld War II in Europe, he was imprisoned in the Soviet Union for ten years. He died inHerrsching,Bavaria, in February 1993.
Baur was born inAmpfing,Kingdom of Bavaria. He was called up to theBavarian Army in 1915, and trained infield artillery. He then joined theLuftstreitkräfte (air force) as an artillery spotter.[1] In 1918, Baur served in FA 295 as anUnteroffizier pilot of two-seaterHannover CL.III ground attack aircraft. His observer wasLeutnantGeorg Ritter von Hengl. Baur was credited with six confirmed and three unconfirmed victories against French aircraft beginning 17 July 1918.Vizefeldwebel Baur was awarded theIron Cross First Class and the Bavarian Silver Bravery Medal for attacking a French formation of seven and downing two of theSPADs that day. Baur would score his last victories on 29 October 1918.[2]
After the war, he joined theFreikorps underFranz von Epp. He went on to become a courier flier for the Bavarian airmail service.[1] Beginning in 1922, he was a pilot for Bayrische Luftlloyd, and thenJunkers.[1] In 1926, Baur became a pilot ofDeutsche Luft Hansa.[1] In the same year, he also became a member of theNazi Party (No. 48,113).[3] On 1 April 1931, he flew the opening flight of theBerlin-Munich-Rome route, known as the Alpine flight, whose passengers includedNuntiusEugenio Pacelli,Arturo Toscanini and TsarBoris III of Bulgaria.
Hitler was the first politician to campaign by air travel, deciding that travel by plane was more efficient than travel by railway. Baur first served as his pilot during the1932 General Election.[1][3]
Hitler obtained his first private aeroplane, aJunkers Ju 52/3m with registration number D-2600 (Werk Nr. 4021), in 1933, after becomingGerman Chancellor.[4] The same registration number continued to be used for all aircraft used by Hitler, even during the war years. The Ju 52 was namedImmelmann II after the First World War pilotMax Immelmann.[4] Baur was personally selected by Hitler to be his official pilot in 1933 and was consequently released from service byLuft Hansa.[1]
Baur was appointed head of Hitler's personal squadron, initially based atOberwiesenfeld, Munich. As theLuftwaffe was not yet officially established, Hitler wanted Baur to be able to command sufficient power and respect to assure his security, therefore, Baur was commissioned aStandartenführer (colonel) in theSchutzstaffel (SS No. 171,865) byHeinrich Himmler in October, 1933.[1][3]
Baur was given the task of expanding and organising Hitler's personal squadron and the government "flying group".[1][5] In 1934, Baur was promoted to the rank of SS-Oberführer.[1] Hitler allowed Baur to fill his squadron with experienced Luft Hansa pilots, includingGeorg Betz who became co-pilot for Hitler's aircraft and Hans Baur's substitute.[6] By 1937, Hitler had three Ju 52 airplanes for flight use. Then in 1937, Hitler obtained a new aircraft, theFocke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor which was named, "Immelmann III".[4] The Condor had a much greater range and was faster than the Ju 52.[7] In 1942, an improved model of the Condor was put into use for Hitler's travels and Baur continued to be his primary pilot.[8] AJu 290 was assigned to Hitler's renamed squadron,Fliegerstaffel des Führers (FdF) in late 1944. Modifications were completed by February 1945 at the FdF's base atPocking,Bavaria. Baur tested the aircraft, but Hitler never flew in it.[9] Still by the end of the war, Baur commanded a total of 40 different aircraft, including Ju 52, Condors, Ju 290 and the littleFieseler Fi 156 Storch.[10]
Although he tried to convert Baur tovegetarianism, Hitler also invited him to theReich Chancellery for his favourite meal of pork and dumplings for his 40th birthday, and gave him aMercedes-Benz to replace his personalFord.[11]
On 31 January 1944, Baur was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer (brigadier general) and major general of the police; and on 24 February 1945, he became an SS-Gruppenführer (major general) andGeneralleutnant of the Police.[3]
During the last days of the war, Baur was with Hitler in theFührerbunker. Baur had devised a plan to allow Hitler to escape from theBattle of Berlin; a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was held on standby which could take off from an improvised airstrip in theTiergarten, near theBrandenburg Gate. However, Hitler refused to leave Berlin. On 26 April 1945, the improvised landing strip was used byHanna Reitsch to fly in then-GeneraloberstRobert Ritter von Greim, appointed by Hitler as head of the Luftwaffe afterHermann Göring's dismissal.[12] During the evening of 28 April, Reitsch flew von Greim out on the same road-strip to Plön.[13]
On 29 April 1945, theSovietRed Army launched an all-out attack on the centre of Berlin. The Soviet artillery opened up with intense fire in and around the Reich Chancellery area. That evening in the bunker complex below the Chancellery garden, Hitler said his farewell to his personal pilots, Baur and Betz. Baur pleaded with Hitler to leave Berlin. The men volunteered to fly Hitler out of Germany in aJu 390 and to safety. It was in vain as Hitler turned Baur down, stating he had to stay in Berlin.[14]
Baur stayed in the bunker complex until Hitlerkilled himself on the afternoon of 30 April.[1][15] After Hitler's suicide, Baur found the improvised road-strip too pot-holed for use and overrun by the Soviet3rd Shock Army. A plan was devised to escape out from Berlin to theAllies on the western side of the Elbe or to the German Army to the North. SS-BrigadeführerWilhelm Mohnke split up the Reich Chancellery andFührerbunker soldiers and personnel into ten main groups.[16] Baur, Betz andMartin Bormann left the Reich Chancellery as part of one of the groups. During the escape attempt, Baur became separated from them and then joined another group trying to get to Lehrter station.[17] Thereafter, he was shot in the legs and the wound was so serious that his right lower leg was lateramputated inPoznań on 10 June 1945, while a Soviet prisoner-of-war.[18][19]
Baur was taken to the Soviet Union, where he was subjected tointerrogational torture.[20] Baur was of great interest to his Soviet captors, who believed he might have helpedHitler escape before the fall of Berlin. They also believed he had information concerning stolen art, specifically about the plundering of theAmber Room (Bernsteinzimmer) inLeningrad. He told the Soviets that he never saw Hitler's corpse and only learned of the details from other Nazis during his detainment.[21][20] During his confinement, Baur told fellow inmates (and former SS officers)Heinz Linge andOtto Günsche to "Never say what really happened" during the last days in the bunker, remaining loyal to Hitler.[22]
Remaining inWest Germany, in 1957 Baur wrote his autobiographyIch flog die Mächtigen der Erde (literally "I flew the mighty of the Earth"). Later, a lengthened version was published asMit Mächtigen zwischen Himmel und Erde ("Between Heaven and Earth with the Mighty"). TheFrench translation is titledJ'étais pilote de Hitler: Le sort du monde était entre mes mains ("I was Hitler's pilot: The fate of the world was in my hands"). The book was released inEnglish with the titleI Was Hitler's Pilot.[23]
The book is a collection of Baur's eyewitness accounts of Hitler's daily activities and conversations. Baur, as Hitler's private pilot and personal friend, was in his presence most days from 1933 to 1945. The book also includes an account of the events surrounding Hitler's arrest ofErnst Röhm on 30 June 1934 atBad Wiessee, in which Baur took part. The book tells of Baur's dislike for Göring (whom Baur describes as a "thick-headed glutton"). Baur was one of the few people who was close to Hitler and was one of the last people to see him alive in theFührerbunker.[23] After ten years of imprisonment, Baur was released from Soviet custody on 10 October 1955.[1]
Baur died in Germany on 17 February 1993.[1]
Hans Baur married Elfriede Baur in 1923. Their only daughter, Ingeborg, was born the following year. After Elfriede Baur's death from cancer in 1935, Baur married again, with Hitler as hisbest man. His second wife, Maria, by whom he had two daughters, died while he was in captivity in the Soviet Union. His third wife, Cresentia, survived him.[11]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
