Hans-Joachim Marseille

Hans-Joachim Marseille
Portrait of Marseille mid-1942
Nickname(s)	Stern von Afrika (Star of Africa) to the Germans[1]
Born	(1919-12-13)13 December 1919 Berlin, Weimar Republic
Died	30 September 1942(1942-09-30) (aged 22) near Sidi Abdel Rahman, Egypt
Buried	Heroes Cemetery in Derna Memorial Gardens at Tobruk (reinterred)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1938–1942
Rank	Hauptmann (Captain)
Unit	LG 2, JG 52 and JG 27
Commands held	3./JG 27
Battles/wars	See battles World War II Battle of Britain Balkans Campaign North African Campaign Western Desert Campaign †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds Gold Medal of Military Valor
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Hans-Joachim Marseille (German pronunciation: [hans joˈaχɪm mɑrˈseɪ]; 13 December 1919 – 30 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his Bohemian lifestyle. One of the most successful fighter pilots, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa". Marseille claimed all but seven of his 158 victories against the British Commonwealth's Desert Air Force over North Africa, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter for his entire combat career. No other pilot claimed as many Western Allied aircraft as Marseille.

Marseille, of French Huguenot ancestry, joined the Luftwaffe in 1938. At the age of 20, he graduated from one of the Luftwaffe's fighter pilot schools just in time to participate in the Battle of Britain, without notable success. A charming person, he had such a busy nightlife that sometimes he was too tired to be allowed to fly the next morning. As a result of poor discipline, he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 27 (Fighter Wing 27, JG 27), which relocated to North Africa in April 1941.

Under the guidance of his new commander, who recognised the latent potential in the young officer, Marseille quickly developed his abilities as a fighter pilot. He reached the zenith of his fighter pilot career on 1 September 1942, when during the course of three combat sorties he claimed 17 enemy fighters shot down, earning him the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds). Only 29 days later, Marseille was killed in a flying accident, when he was forced to abandon his fighter due to engine failure. After he exited the smoke-filled cockpit, Marseille's chest struck the vertical stabiliser of his aircraft. The blow either killed him instantly or incapacitated him so that he was unable to open his parachute.