Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade the Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. On 18 December 1942 Hafner was on a bomber intercept mission. While approaching the bomber formation they engaged the escorting P-38 Lightning fighter escort.
In the ensuing dog fight Hafner flamed the left engine of a P-38.
The pilot, Norman L. Widen, bailed out and was taken prisoner of war and brought to Hafner"s airfield. After Hafner landed, Widen presented Hafner his silver pilot insignia.
Before Widen was taken to the Prisoner Of War camp, Hafner and Widen promised to meet again after the war. In 1960 Alfons Hafner managed to contact Major Widen via the United States Airforce to fulfil his brother"s will.
On 15 October 1943, Hafner was credited with his 100th aerial victory.
On 16 October 1944, Hafner destroyed four fighters thus taking him past the double century mark. Hafner"s 204th and last victory was a Soviet Yak-7 fighter on 17 October 1944. However, during the dogfight his plane hit a tree.
His Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 442 013—factory number) "Black 1" crashed killing Hafner, the highest scoring pilot of JG 51 "Mölders".
Anton Hafner was credited with 204 victories in 795 combat missions. He claimed 184 victories over the Eastern Front.
Of his 20 victories claimed over the Western Front, eight were P-38 two engine fighters. Among his claims are 55 Il-2 Sturmoviks.
"Mölders" "Mölders" Bibliography.
