Dietrich Hrabak, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetDietrich Hrabak
German flying ace
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: GroĂźdeuben, Saxony, Germany
About Dietrich Hrabak
- Dietrich "Dieter" Hrabak (19 December 1914 – 15 September 1995) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II.
- Following the war, he became a Generalmajor (major general) in the German Air Force of West Germany.
- As a fighter ace, he claimed 125 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1000 combat missions.
- The majority of his aerial victories were claimed over the Eastern Front with 16 claims over the Western Allies. Born in GroĂźdeuben, Hrabak grew up in the German Empire and the Weimar Republic.
- Following graduation from school, he volunteered for military service in the Reichsmarine in 1934.
- In November 1935, he transferred to the Luftwaffe.
- Following flight training, he was posted to a Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing).
- In 1939, Hrabak was made a Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) and with Jagdgeschwader 76 (JG 76—76th Fighter Wing) participated in the Invasion of Poland and Battle of France and claimed his first aerial victory on 13 May 1940.
- In July 1940, JG 76 was integrated into Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing).
- During the Battle of Britain, Hrabak was made a Gruppenkommandeur in JG 54 and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in October 1940.
- In 1941, he participated in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
- In November 1942, Hrabak left JG 54 and was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).
- There, following his 118th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 25 November 1943.
- In October 1944 Hrabak, returned to JG 54, serving as its last Geschwaderkommodore until the end of the war. Following World War II, Hrabak initially worked in the private industry.
- During the Wiederbewaffnung (rearmament) of West Germany, Hrabak joined the newly established German Air Force in 1955.
- He then went on to command the Advanced Pilot Training Center at FĂĽrstenfeldbruck.
- Following further command positions, Hrabak was named NATO's Chief of Air Defense/Central Europe until becoming special manager for the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter programme.
- Hrabak retired in September 1970 and died on 15 September 1995.
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