Hans Baur: Difference between revisions

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General Hans Baur (June 19, 1897 – February 17, 1993) was German dictator Adolf Hitler's pilot during his political campaigns of the 1920s and 1930s. Appointed Gruppenführer in the SS, Baur was later Hitler's personal pilot and leader of the "Reichsregierung" squadron.^[1]

Biography

Johann "Hans" Peter Baur was born in Ampfing in Bavaria. Educated at the Erasmus-Grasser-Gymnasium in Munich, he was called up to the Imperial German Army in 1915, and trained in field artillery at the airfield in Augsburg.

World War 1

Baur voluntarily joined the Imperial Germany air force in 1915 as an artillery spotter. During the war he claimed 6 victories, with 3 additionally unconfirmed.^[2] During one particular flight, the plane experienced engine failure and subsequently started to nose dive, but Baur was able to restart the engine. For his victories, Baur was awarded the Bavarian Medal for Bravery.^[3]

Between the wars

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to disband her military air force. Baur joined the Freikorps under Franz von Epp, and in the same year became a courier flier for military air mail in Fürth.

From 1921 to 1923 he was a pilot for Bayrische Luftlloyd, and then Junkers Luftverkehr. In May 1923 Baur flew the opening flight of the Munich-Vienna route in a Junkers F 13. In 1926, Baur became one of Lufthansa Airlines's first six pilots,^[3] and in May 1928 flew the opening flight of the Munich-Milan-Rome route.^[1]

In 1926, Baur became a member of the NSDAP (No. 48,113).^[4] On April 1, 1931 Baur flew the opening flight of the Berlin-Munich-Rome route, known as the Alpine flight, whose passengers included Nuntius Eugenio Pacelli, Arturo Toscanini and tsar Boris of Bulgaria among its passengers.

Pilot to Hitler

Hitler was the first politician to politically campaign by air travel, and Baur first piloted him during the 1932 General Election.^[4] It was during the election that Baur joined the SS (No. 171,865).^[4] 1933, Baur became an "air millionaire“ of Lufthansa, having flown his millionth kilometre for Lufthansa.^[3]

As a result of his combination of experience, and Baur's capability to start his engine in combat, which Hitler took as a sign of fate; in February 1933 Hitler personally selected Baur to be his official pilot. "Luftwaffe One" was a reliable four engine Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor which was plushed up and called "Immelmann II" after WW1 pilot Max Immelmann.^[1] On September 9, 1934, Baur was appointed Gruppenfuhrer of the SS, and became leader of Hitler's personal air force, at one time running to nearly 50 aircraft.

After Hitler became Führer, he increasingly relied on Baur for advice about air war policy and technical developments. Although Hitler tried to convert Baur to being a vegetarian, for his 40th birthday Hiter invited Baur to the Reich Chancellory for his favourite meal of pork and dumplings, and gave him a Mercedes Benz to replace his personal Ford.

On 31 January 1944 Baur SS-Brigadeführer and major general of the police became, at 24 February 1945 SS-group leaders and lieutenant general of the weapon SS.

Führerbunker and Soviet detention

During the last days of the war, Baur was with Hitler in his Führerbunker, staying with him until the end. To plan for Hitler's escape from the Battle of Berlin, Baur put in place a plan to use a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch along an improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten near the Brandenburg Gate.

Although Hitler refused to leave the Führerbunker, the strip was used by Hanna Reitsch to fly in Colonel-General Robert Ritter von Greim, appointed by Hiter as head of the Luftwaffe after Goering's treason. Reitsch flew von Greim out on the same road-strip two days later, and Hitler suggested to Baur that he evacuate himself and Martin Bormann the same way.

After Hitler's suicide, Baur found the improvised road-strip too pot holed for use. Baur, along with a few others including Bormann, tried to escape to the American/British lines. During his escape, after losing touch with Bormann,^[3] Baur was shot in the leg, so severely that it was later amputated.^[1]

Captured by the Russians in hospital, the Soviets were deeply interested in Baur, thinking he had flown Hitler to safety before the fall of Berlin. He endured ten years of captivity in the USSR before finally being released in 1955.

Later life

Baur returned to West Germany, and wrote in 1957 wrote his autobiography "Ich flog mit den Mächtigen der Erde," which liberally translates as "I flew with the mighty [people] of the Earth." The French translation is more softly titled "J'étais pilote de Hitler / le sort du monde était entre mes mains," which translates to "I was Hitler's pilot / the fate of the world was in my hands."

Baur died in Herrsching, Bavaria of old age ailments. He is interred in the family plot in the Westfriedhof in Munich.^[1]

Portrayal in the media

Hans Baur has been portrayed by the following actors in film and television productions.

• Karl Held in the 1981 United States television production The Bunker.^[5]
• August Schmölzer in the 2004 film Der Untergang.

References

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