Hans Baur (German Johann "Hans" Peter Baur; June 19, 1897, Ampfing, Bavaria - February 17, 1993, Hersching am Ammersee) - personal pilot of Adolf Hitler, lieutenant general of aviation.
Johann (Hans) Peter Buar was born in Ampfing, Bavaria. He received his secondary education in one of the Munich gymnasiums (Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium). In 1915, he volunteered for the German Imperial Air Force. In the battles of the First World War, he shot down nine enemy aircraft.
After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles by Germany in 1919, he joins one of the volunteer paramilitary corps under the command of F.K. von Epp. Further, in the period from 1921 to 1923, Hans Baur worked as a pilot, first in the Bayrische Luftlloyd, and then in the Junkers Luftverkehr. In May 1926 he became one of the first six Lufthansa pilots. Then he becomes a member of the NSDAP.
In 1932, on the recommendation of Heinrich Himmler and Rudolf Hess, Hans Baur became the Fuhrer's personal pilot. In 1934, he also led the government squadron, which reported directly to the leadership of the NSDAP and the imperial government.
The pilot accompanied Hitler on all trips, thanks to which he enjoyed his location. In April-May 1945, during the fighting in Berlin, Hans Baur was constantly in the Fuhrer's bunker at the Imperial Chancellery. After Hitler's suicide, he tried to break through to the West, but on May 2 he was captured by Soviet troops and taken to Moscow.
For the next five years, he was kept in Butyrka prison. Then, on May 31, 1950, the military tribunal of the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Moscow District sentenced him to 25 years in prison camps. However, he never served the entire term; on October 8, 1955, he was handed over to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany among non-amnestied criminals.
In 1971, he wrote the memoir With Power Between Heaven and Earth (German: Mit Mächtigen zwischen Himmel und Erde). Hans Baur died in 1993.
Johann (Hans) Peter Baur was born in Ampfing, Bavaria. He received his secondary education in one of the Munich gymnasiums (Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium). In 1915, he volunteered for the German Imperial Air Force. In the battles of the First World War, he shot down nine enemy aircraft.
After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles by Germany in 1919, he joins one of the volunteer paramilitary corps under the command of F.K. von Epp. Further, in the period from 1921 to 1923, Hans Baur worked as a pilot, first in the Bayrische Luftlloyd, and then in the Junkers Luftverkehr. In May 1926 he became one of the first six Lufthansa pilots. Then he becomes a member of the NSDAP.
In 1932, on the recommendation of Heinrich Himmler and Rudolf Hess, Hans Baur became the Fuhrer's personal pilot. In 1934, he also led the government squadron, which reported directly to the leadership of the NSDAP and the imperial government.
The pilot accompanied Hitler on all trips, thanks to which he enjoyed his location. In April-May 1945, during the fighting in Berlin, Hans Baur was constantly in the Fuhrer's bunker at the Imperial Chancellery. After Hitler's suicide, he tried to break through to the West, but on May 2 he was captured by Soviet troops and taken to Moscow.
For the next five years, he was kept in Butyrka prison. Then, on May 31, 1950, the military tribunal of the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Moscow District sentenced him to 25 years in prison camps. However, he never served the entire term; on October 8, 1955, he was handed over to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany among non-amnestied criminals.
In 1971, he wrote a memoir With Power Between Heaven and Earth (German: Mit M?chtigen zwischen Himmel und Erde). Hans Baur died in 1993.
Current page: 1 (total book has 35 pages) [available reading excerpt: 23 pages]
Hans Baur
Hitler's personal pilot. Memoirs of an SS Obergruppenführer. 1939–1945
RUSSIA, JANUARY 1950
A piercing wind blew between the barracks. The local Stalinogorsk coal was of little use, it barely smoldered in the furnace and gave almost no heat, but sometimes we managed to get coal saturated with firedamp. The walls of the barracks were covered with ice. We were all plagued by uncertainty. The legal machine set into motion on a signal from Moscow, but this did not affect us in any way. The last echelons of 1949 left for their homeland without us. Some went crazy, they could not understand the essence of the events. From time to time they rebelled. As then, and later, someone chose the easiest way to get away from reality - tried to commit suicide! The mail did not reach us. Cold and devastation reigned around us and in our souls.
There were seven people gathered in a small room, one of whom was a professor of theology. Among them was a man who had once made a name for himself by working for the German airline Lufthansa. He spoke very little. But when he did start to speak, he pronounced the words as if he were building something out of them, perhaps hope. Hans Baur was a famous pilot. Now we have learned that Baur also has an unshakable spirit.
The Russians were also well aware of who they were dealing with. When in early April they transferred him somewhere again, all the inhabitants of the camp stood at attention and continued to stand so until Baur was taken out of the camp.
A few months later we met again. In accordance with the guilt of each of us, but sometimes without proper reason, we were all sentenced in the course of court sessions, which lasted from two to ten minutes, to twenty-five years of hard labor. All this was done by order from the Kremlin. We were glad to meet again. Only a few people disappeared without a trace. One of the first nights we got together. We drank something resembling coffee, which was sent to us in very rare parcels from home, and told our stories. Suddenly, someone appeared in the doorway and said, "Baur, get ready to go." Transit prisons awaited him, an uncertain position among the Russians, without the support of his German friends. Baur stood up and shook hands with each of us. A few minutes later he was already standing at the door, with a serious and at the same time sad smile, full of condemnation. He uttered words that caressed the ears of each of us: "Meet me again in Germany!"
Julius Weistenfeld
FOREWORD
When I started working on my memoirs, I had no idea to give a new interpretation of this or that event in world history. My whole life has been dominated by the desire to fly. In my understanding, happiness lived somewhere between earth and sky. Propeller noise is my favorite music. The great and all-powerful men of their time became my passengers, and ensuring their safety was my main concern. Eminent figures of science and art, crowned persons, as well as prominent politicians from many countries flew with me. But it is not my task to evaluate their contribution to history.
Accordingly, the intention of this book is not to accuse or justify anyone of anything. I did not set myself any other goal than to refresh my memory and highlight some episodes and events that seem important to me. To the extent that they reflect their time and illuminate the fate of people, let these memoirs serve as a contribution to the study of the history of the era to which they are dedicated. In addition, I also set myself the task of enabling my readers, at least mentally, to take part in glorious flights, the routes of which ran through mountains, valleys, and borders between states, regardless of whether the weather was clear or cloudy.
I tried to display the events as they appeared to me at the time and as I personally experienced them. I tried to avoid excessive sensationalism and general information. What I do not know for sure, I just did not mention.
As if watching a colorful exciting film, I replay in my memory the events and characters of the past years that made an indelible impression on me. They are still a living reality for me today. I went a long way from my dear homeland in Upper Bavaria to a Russian prison, and then returned to my native land again. But the highest point of this endlessly long journey was the events and impressions of the period when I had the opportunity to fly.
Hans Baur
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO AVIATION IN THE YEARS OF WAR AND PEACE
My deepest wish is to fly
I was born in 1897 in the town of Ampfing near Mühldorf, that is, in a place that once played an important role in German history. At the age of two, I moved with my parents to Munich, where I later attended primary and secondary schools. At that time, I did not even suspect that one day I would become a pilot. I started my career as a sales assistant in a hardware store. Perhaps my whole life would have passed between the place behind the counter and the cash register, if the world war had not broken out.
By the time the First World War began, I was already seventeen years old and I was in the grip of a wave of patriotic upsurge that swept the whole country. Is it any wonder that I also had a strong desire to become a soldier. My father, of course, did not encourage this impulse. He tried in every way possible to dissuade me from carrying out the planned plan, but with all youthful fervor I rejected any arguments until, in the end, he agreed that I volunteered for the infantry unit stationed in Kempten. However, they rejected me there. As it turned out, my height was below the required. They also thought that I was too young to carry a heavy satchel on my back. In a very friendly manner, they advised me to grow up a little and assured me that the war would last for a long time, so that I would still have the opportunity to give all my strength for the good of the motherland. This greatly discouraged me, and I returned to my shop in a very bad mood.
However, I decided not to give up. As I thought, pilots should not carry satchels. So in September 1915 I decided to try my luck again. To make sure I got my way, I went directly to the German Kaiser and asked him to help me get an appointment in the reserve aviation division in Schleissheim. You can be sure that I did not receive a direct answer from the Kaiser, instead a letter came from Schleissheim with the following content: “Your appeal to His Majesty the Kaiser of Germany has been forwarded to us. Unfortunately, the staff is currently fully staffed, so we cannot accept you for service. We will contact you if necessary."
This is the first document that concerns my career as a pilot and which I still keep. I received it some time before my dream finally came true. I waited for an answer for four weeks, and my patience was running out. I then wrote to the Kaiser again, this time asking for a position in the Naval Aviation. The reply came from the Naval Office in Berlin that my request had been made and that I should immediately go to Wilhelmshaven. Two days later, news came from Schleissheim, from which it followed that I could enlist in the reserve aviation squadron stationed there. The choice was not difficult for me. I packed my things and on November 26, 1915, set out for Schleissheim. After two months of thorough preparation, I was enrolled in the aviation unit "1B", where I was cordially received by my new comrades. When they saw the soft fluff on my chin, they began to express different opinions as to whether I should have enlisted in the military. They considered people like me as their last reserve, and one of them said: “If people like you are sent to us as replacements, then our country has no more reserves left and the war will not last long.” Naturally, such statements did not give me much confidence in my abilities, and I did not argue with them. At first I tried not to show my own desires at all and voluntarily agreed to serve as a clerk at the headquarters.
Detour to aircraft
My staff service did not involve any contact with the aircraft at all, but only allowed me to admire them from the side, so I asked the squadron commander for permission to work near the aircraft in the evenings: I was determined to become a pilot as soon as possible. The commander smiled at such a desire, but he allowed me to wash the engines after I finished all the work at the headquarters. It wasn't quite what I wanted, but at least now I was in direct contact with the mechanics and aircraft. Nevertheless, the course of events can never be predicted in advance, just like the course of a test flight.
From time to time, directives came from the recruiting department that said that volunteers could be assigned to flying positions. Since I served at the headquarters, these directives first of all fell into my hands, so I wrote reports and asked the commander to send me to the flight service. Our captain, who was sympathetic to me, said: “Dear Hans, you are too short, and besides, you are still too young. They will probably send you back after the interview. However, to show you my goodwill, I will refer you to the admissions office in Fairfires. That's where they'll decide if they can find a use for you."
That's how I got to Fairfires. There I saw tall, muscular men who also wanted to become pilots, some of them were awarded high military awards, while I was an inconspicuous short man and a simple soldier. Rivalry with them caused me some concerns. The exams were extremely rigorous. Of the one hundred and thirty-five people who arrived on them, only thirty-five remained. Everyone else was sent back. I received no information as to whether I was accepted or not. When I returned to headquarters, the captain expressed some skepticism about this: “You see, dear Hans, they sent you back. So they didn't find a use for you." After thinking for a moment, I replied, “Most of them have been told that they have heart problems or some other handicap. They didn’t give me much hope, but they sent me to the unit with an order to return in four weeks.” Four weeks later, to my greatest joy, news suddenly came from Schleissheim: "Mechanic (as my position was still called at that time) Hans Baur should immediately arrive at Milbertshofen near Schleissheim." My captain was at first speechless and then congratulated me on my unexpected success.
Finally off the ground
Since I had been fond of technology for a long time and had golden hands, it was easy for me to cope with the difficulties that future pilots faced in a technical school. When I was transferred to the flying school in Gersthofen, six cadets were attached to one instructor. In three days I have already completed eighteen training flights. My mentor seemed to be very pleased with my progress. He told me: "If you are willing and feel confident enough, you can make your nineteenth flight on your own." Usually a cadet was supposed to complete thirty-five to forty training flights before he was allowed to fly solo. I was the first one who was allowed to do this before.
Before I went on my first solo flight, I spoke with one of the oldest cadets, who was about to take his third exam, and he explained to me how to do a spin. The instructor did not tell us anything about this, since we did not study any aerobatics, except for takeoff and landing. There was an official ban on other aircraft taking off during each solo flight. Everyone was waiting for the pilot, who was supposed to make three successful landings.
Finally solo flight
I was completely calm when I got on my plane. It was an old Albatros with a 100 horsepower engine. These aircraft were relatively good for their time. They developed speeds up to 110 kilometers per hour. I turned on the engine at full power and gained a height of 800 meters. Never in my life have I climbed so high. During training flights, we only climbed to a height of 100 to 200 meters. When I reached the mark of 800 meters, I slowed down and did everything exactly as the cadet taught me. I turned the steering wheel to the left and also moved the lever that controls the elevators a little to the left. I revved the engine up to 800rpm, steered the car gently down. When the plane went down at too steep an angle, I lightly pulled the elevator control again. Then I started spinning in a tailspin. The plane entered it smoothly, and I safely descended to about 150 meters, that is, to the height at which training flights were usually made. Thus, I completed the assigned tasks and went to land. It was executed flawlessly, but when I taxied to the aircraft parking lot, I saw my angry instructor, who ran in my direction and yelled: “Are you out of your mind? What are you thinking about? Who taught you how to spin? I should have covered your ears, but come here, rascal. Let me shake your hand. Be smart and don't do such tricks anymore. You're still too young for that." He scolded and congratulated me at the same time and was more excited than I was. I thanked him and climbed back into the plane. I completed the second and third flights at normal altitude. So I flew out from under the wing of my instructor and became one step closer to passing the three required exams. Hundreds of takeoffs had to be made in order to achieve the necessary flight qualifications. When I was preparing to take my second exam, the cadets who started training with me in the same group were just preparing for their first solo flights.
I understood what aviation was very well, and my instructor always noted my skill. Having passed the third examination, I naturally wanted to return to the front. Since I expected to return to my unit, which was then in France, I sent a letter there. I asked to be kept here for some more time, until the appropriate orders come. It turned out to be easy to fulfill my request, since there was one vacant position in the school of aviation spotters of artillery fire, located in Grafenwöhr, which became vacant after the death of a pilot in a plane crash. Usually, only experienced pilots who had combat experience were used for such tasks, since real grenades were used during the adjustment, according to which artillery observers estimated the distance to the target. My flight instructor had no objection to my secondment to Grafenwöhr, as I was his best cadet.
For six weeks I was engaged in aerial correction of artillery fire, and gradually the thought began to creep into my head that my former division commander was not particularly eager to see me again. So I turned to the commander of the air base with a request to send me to the front at the first opportunity.
Finally back at the front
Nevertheless, two days later, papers arrived about my transfer to the former unit. That evening, the usual farewell dinner took place, and the very next day my comrades accompanied me to the train. At Schleissheim I received my papers and set off westward to the place where my squadron was to be stationed. For nine days I traveled through France from checkpoint to checkpoint as my squadron constantly moved from one place to another. When I finally found my unit and arrived at its location dead tired, my comrades greeted me joyfully. When the squadron commander saw me, his eyes widened, as he believed that I was no longer among the living. He could not believe that I was with them again, and met me with the words: “We received word from the recruitment department that you died in a plane crash and burned with the plane and that it was impossible to find a replacement for you.”
But how could such a delusion arise? The thing is that three people named Hans Baur studied at the flight school. One of us flew across the country to his hometown. He probably wanted to demonstrate his flying skills to his relatives, but right above his native home he lost control of the aircraft, and it crashed into the ground and caught fire. In Schleissheim, they decided that it was I who died in the crash, and sent a notification about this to my squadron commander. He was happy and touched that I returned safe and sound.
The flight crews I met were, with a few exceptions, from different areas of Germany. They treated me with some wariness, mainly because the chief engineers and their assistants were very kind to me. Unfortunately, our flight training was suspended for a while, because immediately before the offensive we were forbidden to take the planes out of the hangars for reasons of secrecy. Meanwhile, four days later there was a storm that prevented the enemy from flying over our positions. Finally, the long-awaited moment has arrived. The aircraft was taken out of the hangar and cleared to take off. I had to fly a DFW plane towards the front line. After a short inspection, I climbed into the cockpit. With a quick glance at the control stick and instrument panel, I started the engine at full speed.
It was an unforgettable feeling when the earth remained somewhere below, and I began to rise in circles. To show other pilots what I had learned in flying school, and also for their entertainment, I threw my plane to the left, then to the right, rolled over from wing to wing, then showed sharp turns, then a spin. Half an hour later I returned back and effectively landed my plane. I took him to the hangar, where I received a storm of applause from the mechanics and pilots. The attitude of some pilots was more restrained. Several flight observers tried to draw my attention to themselves, as they were largely dependent on the pilots to whom they were assigned. Seeing my flying skills, they were imbued with a certain confidence in me. But the officer from among the technical staff, to whom I gave a report, received me rather coolly. In a raised tone, he declared: “If you do such tricks in the air again, I will order you to be put under lock and key! We'll be on the offensive soon, and we'll need all the planes. I'm not interested in looking at your brains smeared on the ground on the first day. If you continue like this, it will happen to your thick skull very soon.”
The next day was also overcast, so that the French could not fly behind our lines. The next test flight was planned with an 800 kg AEG armored transport aircraft. It was equipped with a 220 horsepower engine and could reach a height of 1100 meters and a top speed of 140 kilometers per hour. The plane was not very reliable. For all its flight range and altitude gain, its engines were still weak for such a gigantic airplane. I was asked if I wanted to fly it. Do I need to say that I agreed without further ado? ..
The takeoff run of this aircraft was relatively long due to its enormous weight, but it climbed confidently. As soon as I reached a height of 400 meters, I tried to turn left and right. Since the turns worked out relatively well, I tried to lie on the wing. I also succeeded in this, to the astonishment of those who thought that the apparatus was not so maneuverable, and therefore refused to fly it. After landing, I was forced to listen to another warning: the technical officer threatened to file a report against me to the squadron commander. However, he sympathized with me and limited himself to remarking that I should not take unnecessary risks. In his heart the officer was very pleased with my skill.
SS Gruppenführer, pilot, leader of the "Reichsregierung" squadron and personal pilot of Adolf Hitler.
Baur was born in Ampfing, Bavaria (Ampfing, Bavaria); he attended the gymnasium in Munich (Munich). In 1915 he was drafted into the army; for some time he took artillery courses, after which he moved to the Air Force - where he used the experience gained earlier to avoid encounters with enemy artillery. Baur emerged victorious from aerial combat several times and earned the Iron Cross 1st Class for his bravery.
After the end of the war, Germany was forced to disband the Air Force; Hans found a place for himself in the service of military couriers. In 1926, Hans Baur became one of the first six pilots of the German airline "Deutsche Luft Hansa". Hans joined the NSDAP in 1926.
Adolf Hitler was the first political figure to actively use air transport for movement; he considered airplanes to be a far more efficient means of transportation than railroads. Baur first had a chance to ride on his plane the future Fuhrer in 1932. Hitler got his first private plane in February 1933, already when he was Chancellor of Germany. Around the same time, Baur became an "air millionaire" - he happened to conquer the anniversary millionth kilometer on Luft Hansa flights. His experience, outstanding abilities - even during the war, Baur somehow managed to start a stalled engine in a crashing plane - and courage seemed to Hitler a kind of sign from above; in February 1933, Adolf Hitler personally appointed Baur as his pilot. Hans also became head of Hitler's personal squadron.
In 1934, Hitler reorganized the government; Baur received the post of head of the newly created government squadron (Regierungsstaffel). In this capacity, Hans was responsible for the selection of aircraft and pilots for the Führer and his closest subordinates. In total, Baur was in charge of 8 aircraft, each of which could carry 17 passengers.
After Hitler became Fuhrer, Baur's influence only increased; it is known that Hitler relied heavily on the opinion of his pilot in matters of the technical equipment of the Air Force. The Fuhrer gave Baur permission to recruit experienced pilots from Luft Hansa into the squadron; of course, these pilots had to undergo additional training - the war was already just around the corner.
On January 31, 1944, Baur became an SS Brigadeführer; On February 24, 1945, he was promoted to Gruppenfuehrer. Hans spent the last days of the war with Hitler in his bunker. It is known that he even developed an escape plan for the Fuhrer; Hitler, however, flatly refused to leave Berlin. On April 28, 1945, Adolf Hitler suggested that his pilot evacuate - while there was still such an opportunity; Baur, however, remained with the Führer until his suicide on April 30th. By that time, the escape routes planned in advance were no longer good; I had to develop a new plan - but it was no longer possible to fully implement it. During an attempt to leave the fallen country, Baur was wounded and ended up in the hospital; in the hospital he was found by Soviet troops.
Hitler's personal pilot was an extremely valuable prisoner; many even believed that Hans might know something about the location of the Amber Room. Hans was sent to the USSR, where he spent 10 years; in 1955, Baur was released to France, where the local authorities imprisoned him for another two years.
Baur died in 1993 in Herrsching am Ammersee, Bavaria, from old age.
