Hasegawa Bf 109 G-6 of Leutnant Anton Hafner in 1/72 Scale

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 of Leutnant Anton Hafner, 8./JG 51, Tilsit-Ost, August, 1944

Anton “Toni” Hafner scored his first victory (a Soviet SB bomber) on the third day of Operation Barbarossa.  He scored steadily against the Soviets.  In October of 1942 II./JG 51 was withdrawn from Russia and transferred to the Mediterranean theater.  He added 20 more victories against the Western Allies until he was shot down and wounded on 02JAN43.  He returned to JG 51 in the East in August, eventually becoming Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 51.  On 17OCT44 Hafner downed a Yak-7 of the French Normandie-Niemen fighter regiment for his 204^th victory, but flew into a tree and was killed.