HANNES GENTZEN
At the top of the individual prize list in April 1940
Hannes Gentzen's name may not be widely known.
And yet, this Luftwaffe major was, at the age of 34, the first official ace of the Second World War world.
When the war broke out, Gentzen, then Hauptmann,
commanded the I./ZG 2 which, while waiting for its Bf.110s, flew with the provisional designation of JGr.102 on Bf.109D.
From September 1, 1939, his unit was launched in the Polish campaign.
In two days, Gentzen would reach and exceed the number of 5 victories, a necessary and sufficient condition
to clinch the title of ace. On September 3, during a sortie that led his group to destroy 9 Polish planes on the ground, he shot down a PZL P.1 1 on the way out and a PZL P.37
“ Los” on the way back. In the evening, a third victim, a P.1 1, fell in flames near Deblin. The following day, above Brodn, Gentzen intercepted a formation of P.37; he claimed four on his own, thus bringing his personal total to 7 confirmed victories.
After the annihilation of the Polish air force, Gentzen no longer led his group for support missions tactics; the campaign ended on September 27.
That day, Reich Marshal Goering came to personally present the commander of JGr.102 with his Iron Cross 1st Class (EK I).
The JGr.102, still on Bf.109D, was sent to the western front where Germans and Allies were playing hide and seek during this period that Roland Dorgelès called "phony war" . Skirmishes were nonetheless frequent with the French.
Based in Lachen/Speyerdorf, the JGr.102 was to clash with the French Air Force on 6 November. Twenty-seven Bf.109Ds led by Gentzen collided north of Metz with nine Curtiss H-75As of G.C. (fighter group) 11/5. The ensuing violent melee demonstrated the weaknesses of the German fighter's Model D and four Messerschmitts were shot down in the French lines, with four more crashing into their own lines. Only one victory was claimed, attributed to Gent-zen who shot down Lieutenant Houzé.
This considerable setback led to the withdrawal of JGr.102 Bonn and Gentzen was summoned to Berlin to explain himself on this bitter failure that the French press had not failed to underline in headlines_
Finally re-equipped with Bf.110, the group, reverted to I./ZG 2. appeared again at the beginning of April 1940. On 7 , Gentzen scored his 9th victory by shooting down Chief Warrant Officer Salmand's H-75A of G.C. 1/5. By this time, he was ahead of Werner Molders by one victory and was at the top of the individual record.
Promoted to the rank of major, Gentzen would go on to win nine more victories during the campaign in France. He had a total of 18, as many as Werner Molders, when his career was abruptly interrupted on May 22, 1940.
That day, Gentzen held a sort of briefing in front of his pilots on the Neufchâteau airfield when a formation of British Battles flew low over the terrain. Hoping to join them, Gentzen rushed to his plane, followed by Lieutenant Domeier who took the position of gunner. On takeoff, the Messerschmitt Bf.110 hit a tree and both occupants were killed instantly.