Gotthard Handrick (25 October 1908 – 30 May 1978) was a German Olympic athlete and German fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
Gotthard Handrick | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 30 May 1978 | (aged 69)
Sports career | |
Country | Nazi Germany |
Sport | Modern pentathlon |
Sports achievements and titles | |
Olympic finals | 1936 Berlin |
Medal record | |
Military career | |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ | Luftwaffe |
Years of service | 1929–45 |
Rank | Oberst (colonel) |
Commands held | JG 26, JG 77, JG 5 |
Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War World War II |
Awards | Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords German Cross in Gold |
Handrick was born on 25 October 1908 in Zittau, at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony as part of the German Empire.[1] He won the gold medal in the modern pentathlon at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.[2][3]
In July 1937, Handrick was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of Jagdgruppe 88 (18 July 1937 – 10 September 1938). This unit fought in the Spanish Civil War where he claimed five aerial victories while flying for the Legion Condor, including a Polikarpov I-15 fighter on 9 September 1937 and an Polikarpov I-16 fighter on 18 May 1938.[4] He was later awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern) on 14 April 1939 for his service in the Spanish Civil War.[5]
Handrick was then given command of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 132 "Schlageter" on 11 September 1938 after his return from Spain.[6] This unit then became I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" on 1 May 1939 which he led until 23 June 1940.[7] On 24 June 1940 command of JG 26 was handed over to Major Handrick, who passed command of I./JG 26 to Hauptmann Kurt Fischer.[8] After he left JG 26, Handrick served with the Luftwaffenmission Rumänien (Luftwaffe Mission Romania) under the command of Generalleutnant (equivalent to major general) Wilhelm Speidel.[9][10]
On 7 October, Handrick took over command of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) from Hauptmann Alexander von Winterfeld who was transferred. He led this Gruppe until 23 June 1941.[11] Command of the Gruppe was then given to Major Albert Blumensaat.[12]
In June 1941, Handrick was transferred and became the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).[13] While serving on the Eastern Front he claimed a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter on 29 September and a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber on 22 October 1941.[14]
During World War II he was a recipient of the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 17 October 1943.[15] In March 1942, Oberstleutnant Handrick transferred to command Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) in Norway and Northern Russia.[16] From June 1943 to June 1944 he was Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark. Then as an Oberst, he became the commanding officer of 8. Jagd-Division in Austria, a position he held until the end of the war.[17] After the war he worked in Hamburg as a representative of Daimler-Benz.[18]