Hans-Joachim Marseille

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Hans-Joachim Marseille : biography

13 December 1919 – 30 September 1942

Sometime in the early 1990s, one of Marseille’s biographers, Robert Tate, visited the former Marseille-Kaserne base and Museum to see and photograph Marseille’s medals. When he arrived, Tate was informed the Knights Cross, Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds belonging to Marseille had already been stolen.Tate 2008, p. 13.

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
Thursday, 4 June 1942 de|Hauptmann Müncheberg errang am 2. Juni seinen 80., Oberleutnant Marseille am 3. Juni in Nordafrika seinen 70. bis 75. Luftsieg.}}Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, pp. 150, 151. Hauptmann Müncheberg recorded on 2 June, his 80th, Oberleutnant Marseille on 3 June in North Africa his 70th to 75th aerial victory.
Friday, 12 June 1942 de|Oberfeldwebel Steinbatz errang an der Ostfront seinen 95. Oberleutnant Marseille in Nordafrika seinen 78. bis 81. Luftsieg.}}Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 157. Oberfeldwebel Steinbatz recorded his 95th on the Eastern Front, Oberleutnant Marseille in North Africa his 78th to 81st aerial victory.
Thursday, 18 June 1942 de|Oberleutnant Marseille schoß in Nordafrika innerhalb vierundzwanzig Stunden zehn feindliche Flugzeuge ab und erhöhte damit die Zahl seiner Luftsiege auf 101.}}Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 166. Oberleutnant Marseille in North Africa within 24 hours shot down 10 enemy aircraft and increased his count of aerial victories to 101.
Friday, 4 September 1942 de|Oberleutnant Marseille, Staffelkapitän in einem Jagdgeschwader, errang am 2. September an der ägyptischen Front seinen 125. Luftsieg, nachdem er in Luftkämpfen des vorangegangenen Tages 16(17) britische Gegner bezwungen hatte.}}Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 275. The Wehrmachtbericht originally stated 16 victories; the 17th had not been confirmed by the time the communiqué went out.|group="Notes"}} British [sic] adversaries the preceding day.
Wednesday, 16 September 1942 de|An der ägyptischen Front errang Oberleutnant Marseille seinen 145. bis 151. Luftsieg.}}Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 290. Oberleutnant Marseille recorded his 145th to 151st aerial victory on the Egyptian front.
Thursday, 1 October 1942 de|Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille, Träger der höchsten deutschen Tapferkeitsauszeichnung, fand, unbesiegt vom Feind, auf dem nordafrikanischen Kriegsschauplatz den Fliegertod. Erfüllt von unbändigem Angriffsgeist, hat dieser junge Offizier in Luftkämpfen 158 britische Gegner bezwungen. Die Wehrmacht betrauert den Verlust eines wahrhaft heldenhaften Kämpfers.}}Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 305. Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille, recipient of the highest German medal of bravery, found, undefeated by the enemy, at the North African theatre of war his flier’s death. Full of fighting spirit, this young officer had defeated 158 British [sic] adversaries. The Wehrmacht mourns the loss of a truly heroic warrior.

Dates of rank

Hans-Joachim Marseille joined the military service in Wehrmacht on 7 November 1938. His first station was Quedlinburg in the Harz region where he received his military basic training as a Luftwaffe recruit.Wübbe 2001, p. 49.

7 November 1938: Flieger
13 March 1939: Fahnenjunker
1 May 1939: Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter
1 July 1939: Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
1 November 1939: Fähnrich
1 March 1941: Oberfähnrich
1 April 1941: Leutnant (16 June 1941 effective as of:)
1 April 1942: Oberleutnant (8 May 1942 effective as of:)
1 September 1942: Hauptmann (19 September 1942 effective as of:)