1. Hans Henrik "Hasse" Wind was a Finnish fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II, with 75 confirmed air combat victories.
17 Facts About Hans Wind
1. 2.
Hans Wind is one of the four double recipients of the Mannerheim Cross 2nd Class.
3.
Hans Wind was a reserve officer in the Winter War, but did not fly due to a lack of available planes.
4.
Hans Wind had now decided to embark on a military career, and he finished training as a lieutenant on 17 June 1941.
5.
On 22 September 1941, Hans Wind was credited his first kill, an I-15.
6.
On 14 August 1942, Hans Wind shot down two Hurricanes, and four days later a Hurricane and two I-16s.
7.
Hans Wind was awarded his first Mannerheim Cross on 31 July 1943 and his second on 28 June 1944.
8.
Hans Wind was promoted to captain on 19 October 1943 when he was 24 years old and was removed from front-line duty in order to instruct new fighter pilots.
9.
Hans Wind was considered one of the most skillful aerial tacticians in the Finnish Air Force, and Hans Wind's 'Lectures on Fighter Tactics' were written in 1943 and used in the training of new pilots for decades to come.
10.
Hans Wind led six 109s against a formation of Pe-2 bombers, shooting down four of them.
11.
On 20 June 1944, Hans Wind added two La-5s, two Yak-9s and a Pe-2.
12.
Hans Wind was seriously wounded in an aerial battle against some thirty Yak-9s and P-39s on 28 July 1944.
13.
Hans Wind still managed to fly and land at an airfield, even though his plane had been seriously damaged during the attack.
14.
Hans Wind recovered from his wounds, but never flew a combat mission again.
15.
Hans Wind finished the war with a total of 302 combat sorties, scoring 75 kills, and is ranked second on the Finnish aces list.
16.
Hans Wind was married on 26 August 1945, then began his studies at the Helsinki School of Business, having resigned from the Air Force on 10 May 1945.
17.
Hans Wind died on 24 July 1995 and was survived by his wife and five children.