Haabjorn, Erik

     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Haabjørn Haabjørn
Jméno:
Given Name:
Erik Erik
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Erik Haabjørn
Fotografie či obrázek:
Photograph or Picture:
Hodnost:
Rank:
podplukovník Wing Commander
Akademický či vědecký titul:
Academic or Scientific Title:
- -
Šlechtický titul:
Hereditary Title:
- -
Datum, místo narození:
Date and Place of Birth:
19.01.1919 Lillehammer
19.01.1919 Lillehammer
Datum, místo úmrtí:
Date and Place of Decease:
DD.01.1953
DD.01.1953
Nejvýznamnější funkce:
(maximálně tři)
Most Important Appointments:
(up to three)
velitel, 124. křídlo RAF
velitel, 247. peruť RAF
Commander, No. 124 Wing RAF
Commander, No. 247 Squadron RAF
Jiné významné skutečnosti:
(maximálně tři)
Other Notable Facts:
(up to three)
- -
Související články:
Related Articles:

Zdroje:
Sources:
Shores, C.: Those others Eagles, Grub Street, London, 2004
Thomas, C.: Typhoon and Tempest Aces of WW2, Osprey pub., Oxford, 1999
http://en.ww2awards.com/person/46439
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Haabjorn-Erik-t69434#509010 Version : 0
     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Haabjørn Haabjørn
Jméno:
Given Name:
Erik Erik
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Erik Haabjørn
Všeobecné vzdělání:
General Education:
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR
Vojenské vzdělání:
Military Education:
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR
Důstojnické hodnosti:
Officer Ranks:
DD.MM.RRRR
DD.MM.RRRR
Průběh vojenské služby:
Military Career:
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR
Vyznamenání:
Awards:
Poznámka:
Note:
- -
Zdroje:
Sources:
Shores, C.: Those others Eagles, Grub Street, London, 2004
Thomas, C.: Typhoon and Tempest Aces of WW2, Osprey pub., Oxford, 1999
http://en.ww2awards.com/person/46439
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Haabjorn-Erik-t69434#509015 Version : 0
Wing Commander, Oberstløytnant Erik Haabjørn

RAF No.N1086


Erik Haabjørn (also spelled Håbjørn, Haabjoern) was born in 1919 in Lillehammer. He was a gifted student and a good sportsman, and attended college in Darmstadt, Germany, where he studied mechanical engineering.

After returning to Norway, he joined the air force and began pilot training in April 1940. However, this was interrupted after only nine days by a German attack. During the attack, Erik was attacked by Luftwaffe at the Oslo-Kjeller airfield, where the Flygeskolen, equipped with Fokker C.Vd and Tiger Moth, stationed, slightly wounded. The school subsequently evacuated north, and when it failed to gain contact with Norwegian forces, its commander issued Capt. Normann ordered a flyover to Sweden, where all personnel were interned.

Haabjørn, however, managed to escape and cross the border back into Norway on 20 May, where he joined the still fighting troops. Their situation slowly began to deteriorate, however, and Erik was evacuated to Britain on 7 June aboard HMS Devonshire.

Here he was recruited into the RAF and subsequently sent to Canada to undergo flight training. Here, near Toronto, a Norwegian Air Force training camp called "Little Norway" was in operation from November 1940, first under the command of Norwegian aviation pioneer Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen and from 1941 under Ole Reistad, and almost all new Norwegian pilots passed through it. Erik successfully completed basic pilot training there and returned to Britain in April 1941 with the rank of Fenrik (Second Lieutenant).

Here he was first sent for operational training to 52. OTU and on 2 August 1941 he was sent to the 331st Squadron. This was the first Norwegian fighter unit in Britain and was formed a month before his arrival. It received the Mk.I Hurricanes and Mk.IIB for its armament, which were replaced by the newer Mk.IIA Spitfires in November 1941. By then, however, the unit was already in Scotland, where it performed mainly defensive duties and carried out patrols over convoys.

Erik was with it until March 1942, when he was sent to its sister 332nd Squadron, which was formed at Catterick Airport in January that year. However, his stay with her was short-lived, as he soon moved to the 56th Squadron, which was in the process of retraining to the Hawker Typhoon fighters.

During one of the squadron's first combat missions, it almost fell victim to the fact that the new Typhoons were similar to the German Fw 190 and the Allied pilots were not very familiar with them. On July 30, 1942, his Typhoon Mk.IB R7853/US-X was accidentally shot down by Spitfires at Dungeness, but fortunately Erik was unharmed.

However, Haabjørn didn't stay with the "Fifty-six" either, as he was sent to the 609th Squadron, where he became a squadron commander and where he achieved his greatest successes. On 9 March 1943, he was leading a two-man patrol over the Channel when he spotted a pair of enemy Fw 190s at around 19:20. Both pilots immediately attacked them. The Fw 190, which the young Norwegian had chosen as his target, tried to disappear by all means of manoeuvre, but Erik caught up with it and shot it down with several bursts. His victim was a Fw 190 A-5 (W. Nr. 7290, black 12) from 10./JG 54, whose pilot Lt. Otto-August Beckhaus, who was searching for the pilot who was missing from action earlier that day, was killed. The other German aircraft escaped.

On 1 June 1940, however, Erik had a close call. During the Roadstead around the Dutch island of Walcheren, his Typhoon DN630/PR-A was hit by flak and Haabjørn crashed it at Manston.

He scored his second victory on 30 July 1943, when a six Typhoon force escorted Bostons that were to bomb Schiphol Airport. Over the Dutch coast, the Typhoons became the target of a Spitfire attack, but the Spitfires recognised their mistake in time. However, the disruption to the Allied formation was exploited for the attack by a formation of Bf 109s, and a dogfight ensued, after which Haabjørn and Belgian Van Lierde each claimed one Typhoon destroyed.

In August 1943, Erik became the commander of the 247th Squadron and on the tenth of that month he received the DFC.

Haabjørn remained in command of 247 Squadron until January 1944, when he became commander of 124. Wings of the Typhoons, which comprised squadrons numbered 181st, 182nd and 247th.

Erik thus became one of probably only two fighters from countries in occupied Europe to be given command of a wing that did not include any of their national squadrons. The other aviator was coincidentally also a Norwegian W/Cdr Werner Christie, who had commanded the 150th Wing of the Mustangs since February 1945.

At the head of the 124th Wing, Haabjørn won his last aerial victory. On 29 January 1944, he was flying at the head of his wing at Ramrod 495 and east of Châteaudun, the pilots encountered a lone Fw 200. Erik gave the command to attack and, along with three other fighters, shot it down.

May of that year was quite dramatic for Erik. First, on the 9th, the engine of his MN406/EH failed and Erik had to abandon it by parachute 40 miles east of North Foreland, and on the 22nd his new NM542/EH was hit by flak near Dieppe and Erik had to abandon it by parachute. On both occasions, he was rescued from the waters of the Channel by the amphibious Walrus.

In August 1944, Haabjørn was sent to retirement and did not return to active duty during the fighting.

After the war, he remained in the Norwegian Air Force, but the office job to which he was assigned did not suit him and he left the Air Force.

He subsequently flew for several airlines and then set up his own company, flying aircraft around the world.
During one such flight in January 1953 from Goose Bay, Canada to Bluie West One in Greenland, however, his aircraft disappeared in bad weather and Erik Haabjørn was never heard from again.

Haabjørn never became an ace, but he was a respected commander, both in the Norwegian Air Force and the RAF. However, his life story and he himself is unfairly little known.

Date UnitType AircraftLocationEnemy
9.4.1943609. SquadronTyphoon IB DN360/PR-ADover ReefsFw 190 zn.
30.7.1943609th SquadronTyphoon IB EK321ZandvoortBf 109 G zn.
29 January 1944124. wingTyphoon IB JR449/EHIn Châteaudun1/4 Fw 200 zn.

Total: 2+1-0-0 victories

References:
Shores, C.: Those other Eagles, Grub Street, London, 2004
Thomas, C.: Typhoon and Tempest Aces of WW2, Osprey pub., Oxford, 1999
Goss, C.: Luftwaffe Stíhací bombardéry nad Británií, Naše vojsko, Prague, 2006


URL : https://www.valka.cz/Haabjorn-Erik-t69434#244513 Version : 0
commons.wikimedia.org

Haabjorn, Erik - Erik Haabjørn s maskotem eskadry Spitem v Cattericku v dubnu 1942.
Norwegian pilot Erik Haabjørn in April 1942 with his squadron mascot Spit at RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire, England. 
PHOTO: Ole Friele Backer

Erik Haabjørn s maskotem eskadry Spitem v Cattericku v dubnu 1942.
Norwegian pilot Erik Haabjørn in April 1942 with his squadron mascot Spit at RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire, England.
PHOTO: Ole Friele Backer

URL : https://www.valka.cz/Haabjorn-Erik-t69434#640639 Version : 0
Discussion post Fact post
Attachments

Join us

We believe that there are people with different interests and experiences who could contribute their knowledge and ideas. If you love military history and have experience in historical research, writing articles, editing text, moderating, creating images, graphics or videos, or simply have a desire to contribute to our unique system, you can join us and help us create content that will be interesting and beneficial to other readers.

Find out more