Hans-Henning von Beust

Hans-Henning, Baron von Beust, was born on April 17, 1913, in Karlsruhe. On April 1, 1931, he began his military career as a private in the 17th Infantry Regiment. In March 1934, von Beust was promoted to lieutenant. At that time, he joined the secretly forming Luftwaffe and was sent to a branch of the “German School of Air Transport” for flight training.

After completing his flight training, von Beust completed an internship as a pilot at Lufthansa, then was sent to the Bombing Pilot School in Tutow (Kampfliegerschule Tutow), 74 km east of Rostock. In September 1936, Oberleutnant von Beust was appointed commander of 2./K88, part of the Condor Legion.

Early Career and the Spanish Civil War

During the war in Spain, von Beust flew about a hundred combat missions and was subsequently awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords in June 1939. In 1938, von Beust was appointed squadron commander within III./KG157, which was redesignated as III./KG27 on May 1, 1939.

In September 1939, during the fighting in Poland, von Beust flew 11 combat missions. Then, in the spring of 1940, during the campaign in Western Europe, he flew another 29, and during the “Battle of Britain,” he had already completed 70 combat sorties.

On October 21, 1940, a He-111 crashed at Rennes airfield, carrying the commander of III./KG27, Major Manfred von Sternberg. His entire crew, including von Sternberg, perished, and so in late October, Hauptmann von Beust was appointed commander of III./KG27.

In mid-June 1941, KG27 was transferred from France to Focșani airfield in Romania. Starting June 22, one of the main targets for the squadron’s “Heinkels” became Odessa, particularly its port.

On the night of June 24-25, 1941, during a raid on Odessa, a He-111 from 4./KG27 was rammed by a MiG-3 fighter, piloted by Senior Lieutenant Konstantin Oborin of the 156th IAP 2. The downed “Heinkel” fell into Soviet-occupied territory. Soon after, another He-111 from 4./KG27 landed nearby and picked up the surviving crew members. During the ramming, Oborin suffered severe injuries but was still able to land. He was taken to the hospital but died from his wounds on August 18, 1941.

Command on the Eastern Front

During a combat mission on July 7, KG27 pilots witnessed another ramming attack by a Soviet pilot. In a battle over Moldova, Senior Lieutenant Anatoly Morozov of the 4th IAP first shot down a He-111 from 2./KG27, and when he ran out of ammunition, he rammed an Bf-109 flown by Oberfeldwebel Georg Bergmann of 9./JG77 with his MiG-3. Both pilots survived and parachuted out; as the battle took place over Soviet-occupied territory, Bergmann was captured.

From August 11 to 18, during raids on Odessa, KG27 pilots, including von Beust, sank eight transport ships totaling 33,000 GRT and damaged another 24 vessels. On September 7, 1941, Major von Beust was awarded the Knight’s Cross.

In September, KG27’s “Heinkels” attacked Soviet fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus, supporting the advance of units of the 11th Field Army. In November 1941, II./KG27 relocated to Kherson, and its targets now included not only Crimea but also the northern coast of the Sea of Azov.

In January 1942, Oberstleutnant von Beust, who already had about 300 combat missions to his credit, was appointed commander of KG27. At this time, the squadron’s headquarters and I./KG27 were based at Kirovograd airfield; III./KG27 was based in Kherson; and II./KG27, under Hauptmann Reinhard Günzel, and IV./KG27, led by Hauptmann Gerhard Braunschweig, were at Langenhagen airfield, 8 km north of Hanover.

In the summer of 1942, KG27’s “Heinkels” first supported the actions of the 24th Panzer Division and the 16th Motorized Division in the area east of Voronezh, and then the units of the 6th Field Army advancing on Stalingrad. In September 1942, almost the entire squadron relocated to Millerovo, approximately 300 km west of Stalingrad.

Parallel to the raids on Stalingrad, KG27 bombers also carried out raids on the Caucasus. For example, on October 23, 1942, He-111s from II./KG27 received orders to attack an oil refinery in Grozny. Only 60 km from the target, the crews received a radio message ordering them to attack an alternate target. Turning southwest, the “Heinkels” dropped bombs on a chemical plant in Chegem Pervyy, a few kilometers north of Nalchik. As a result, a large fire started at the plant, visible from a great distance. After nearly eight hours in the air, the “Heinkels” safely returned to Millerovo. On October 26, KG27 bombers again headed for the Caucasus, this time to attack Maikop.

In late October 1942, one of the primary targets for KG27’s “Heinkels” became a large island on the Volga south of Stalingrad, opposite the Beketovka railway station. On it, the Soviet command had placed heavy artillery batteries totaling about a hundred guns, which fired at German troops in the Stalingrad area. These were covered by anti-aircraft artillery along with searchlights.

On November 19, 1942, Soviet forces launched a counter-offensive near Stalingrad. On that day, the weather in the Millerovo area was bad with almost zero visibility, and no “Heinkel” from KG27 took off. However, Oberfeldwebel Hafighorst was unexpectedly summoned to the command post of II./KG27:

“When I entered, I saw that, besides our group commander, the squadron commander, Oberstleutnant von Beust, was also there. Additionally, there was a general, intently examining a map hanging on the wall. Von Beust said that the general (I forgot his name) wanted to speak with me. The general pointed a finger at a spot on the map: ‘We believe the Russians are attacking there with large forces. Do you think you can take off in such weather conditions? Your commander says that you and your crew are experienced pilots and can fly blind.’ ‘Yes, Herr General, we can take off,’ I replied.”

“I received orders to pay attention to everything happening in that area and return with as much extensive data as possible. We took off and headed towards the Don. At first, we flew only by instruments, but then the clouds gradually dispersed, and the sky cleared. Turning south, we discovered that Soviet troops had crossed the Don in several places and were heading towards Stalingrad. We immediately reported by radio to the command post about the number of enemy columns, their strength, and direction of movement. After the fifth such report, it became clear to me that this was not a regrouping of enemy forces, but a major offensive had begun.”

“Von Beust ordered us to return. After we landed, I was immediately driven by car to the command post. The general was waiting for my report. When I recounted what we had seen with our own eyes, he became furious. ‘Are you insane?! That’s not true! It’s impossible!’ Oberstleutnant von Beust took two steps forward: ‘Herr General, if Oberfeldwebel Hafighorst reports to you that there is a large concentration of troops there, then you can be sure that it is so.’ The general stepped back slightly: ‘Yes, perhaps they are the Italians or Hungarians.'”

“As I was leaving, von Beust told me to be ready for a new sortie. Half an hour later, our group took off to attack the massive columns of Soviet troops. One aircraft from our squadron and three from each of the other two were shot down. Our He-111 repeatedly took hits, and the mechanic later counted 151 holes in it. Over the next few days, our 5th squadron lost six more aircraft; they were either shot down or written off due to enormous damage. Until November 28, we continuously carried out raids on Soviet troops in and around Stalingrad. Three or four combat sorties a day were the rule. We attacked the enemy, and the enemy attacked us. Many of our comrades did not return from that hell.”

Breaking through Soviet anti-aircraft fire, heavily loaded “Heinkels” landed at Pitomnik airfield west of Stalingrad, and on the return journey, evacuated the wounded from the encirclement. On December 6, 1942, Hafighorst’s plane, also landed at Pitomnik, was already ready for the return flight when he unexpectedly received an order to remain there until the next morning. The next morning at 06:00, wounded were again loaded onto the plane, and at 06:40, the Chief of Staff of Army Group Don, Major General Friedrich Schulz, arrived at the airfield. Five minutes later, the “Heinkel” took off. Hafighorst recalled: “A Soviet fighter appeared behind us, and the crew opened fire on it. The general turned to me and asked: ‘Oberfeldwebel, what is that?’ – ‘Enemy fighters attacking, Herr General.’ He nodded and silently looked straight ahead. At 07:39, we landed in Morozovsk. Schulz shook hands with us and all the wounded on board. He said that ‘the flight had made a deep impression on him’ and, wishing us ‘Hals und Beinbruch’ goodbye, he left.”

On December 14, due to dense fog, we once again stayed at Pitomnik, spending the night in a bunker on the outskirts of the airfield. The air temperature was -24°C, and the next morning we started the engines with great difficulty. The aircraft was packed to the limit with wounded. We had already exceeded the maximum permissible takeoff weight by taking two additional people on board. Those remaining begged us to take them too, but we were forced to refuse them. It was a terrible sight that remained forever in my memory.

The Soviet offensive continued, and on December 20, 1942, KG27 flew from Millerovo to Starobelsk airfield, located 120 km northwest. A few days later, the “Heinkels” of II./KG27 attacked their former airfield in Millerovo, from which Soviet aircraft were now operating.

From May to August 1943, the squadron headquarters, I. and II./KG27, were based in Dnepropetrovsk. III./KG27 was based in Kharkov, and IV./KG27, at Neuhausen airfield in the Königsberg area. On May 30, the squadron’s pilots completed their 35,000th combat sortie.

Strategic Operations and Air Raids of 1943

By early July 1943, the German command was planning a major offensive south of Kursk, code-named “Operation Citadel.” Therefore, on the eve of the offensive, German bombers received orders to strike large industrial targets in the Soviet rear. On the evening of June 4, He-111s from KG27 and KG55 took off and headed for Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). At 23:40, an air raid alarm was declared in the city, and soon “Heinkels” appeared at an altitude of 4,000 to 6,400 meters. Passing over the Kremlin, which rose above the confluence of the Oka and Volga and was an excellent landmark even at night, they turned towards the automobile plant.

The first wave of He-111s dropped illumination and incendiary bombs on the plant, clearly marking the target for subsequent bomber groups, which already carried BM1000 mines, 70-kt high-explosive bombs, 50-kg fragmentation bombs, and heavy incendiary bombs.

As a result of the raid, the main assembly line, chassis workshop, spring workshop, and forge No. 3 at the automobile plant were put out of action. In the factory settlement, several residential buildings and a hospital were destroyed. In total, on the night of June 4-5, about one hundred heavy bombs were dropped on the plant and surrounding area, with all “Heinkels” returning to Oryol.

On the night of June 5-6, He-111s from KG27 and KG55 again appeared over Gorky. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, the bombs hit the target accurately, and the automobile plant suffered further damage. Soviet fighters were not in the air that night, just as on the previous night. And once again, there were no losses among the bombers.

Over the next three nights, German bombers did not appear over Gorky, instead raiding Yaroslavl and Kuybyshev (now Saratov). For example, on the night of June 8-9, Heinkels from 5./KG27, led by Hauptmann Kurt Bormann, participated in a raid on the tire factory in Yaroslavl. This factory was the main producer of tires for Soviet aircraft landing gear, so its uninterrupted operation was of great importance. As a result, two factory workshops were destroyed, and again all bombers safely returned. That same night, Soviet U-2s raided the airfield in Oryol. According to Hafighorst’s recollections, besides bombs, the U-2s also dropped leaflets which read: “Destroyers of Gorky! We will destroy you!”

On the night of June 10-11, 1943, raids on the Gorky Automobile Plant resumed. This time, the bombers encountered heavy anti-aircraft gun fire already on approach to the target. One He-111 received a direct hit and, catching fire, crashed to the ground. On June 13, during another raid on the automobile plant in Gorky, the “Heinkels” encountered Soviet fighters for the first time. Hafighorst recalled that as soon as they dropped their bombs, the tail gunner and radio operator simultaneously reported a Soviet fighter:

“Denz swerved left, the fighter overshot, and at that moment Unteroffizier Blass opened fire on it. The damaged aircraft turned away. From somewhere below, a stream of flames erupted from it, and crashing to the ground, it exploded. This was the second Soviet fighter we had shot down.”

He-111s from KG55 and KG27 bombed the Gorky Automobile Plant two more times – on the night of June 13-14 and on the night of June 22-23. In total, from June 5 to June 22, 1943, 50 buildings and structures were destroyed on the plant’s territory, over 9,000 meters of conveyors and transporters, 5,900 units of technological equipment, 28 overhead cranes, and 8 workshop electrical substations were destroyed. The production cycle at the plant was disrupted, and although restoration work began from day one, the plant only returned to its former capacity four months later – on October 28, 1943.

On November 25, 1943, after 410 combat missions, von Beust was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross (No. 336). In December 1943, due to a severe illness, he was forced to leave his post as commander of KG27, being replaced by Major Rudolf Kiel. After his recovery, von Beust served in the Luftwaffe General Staff. In May 1945, he was captured by the Americans and was released only at the end of 1947.

In 1956, von Beust joined the Bundeswehr. He served at NATO headquarters in Paris, and then was a military and air attaché at the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Turkey. On September 30, 1971, Oberst von Beust retired from his position as liaison officer at the headquarters of the American Air Force in Europe.