When Hannes Trautloft passed away on January 12, 1996, Germany lost "one of the great educators in the fighter arm," in the words of historian Ernst Obermaier.

Trautloft earned great respect for his able command of JG 54 from August 1940 to July 1943. His personal insignia, the "Green heart of Germany" (Thuringia region) was adopted by the entire JG 54, which became famous as Jagdgeschwader Grünherz.

Taking more care of his men in the JG 54 insead of increasing his personal score it was not until the Battle of Britain that Trautloft manage to achieved his first eight abschusse.

When participate in the invasion of the Soviet Union he amassed another six confirmed victories in June and another six on July. Following his nineteenth and twentieth victories on 24 July, two Soviet VVS SB-3 bombers fell before his guns near Dno, Major Trautloft was awarded with the Knight's Cross.

Under Trautloft's command, JG 54 was credited with 1,200 victories on the Eastern Front through 2 January 1942. Geschwaderkommodore Trautloft scored his personal fortieth victory, against a Pe-2 on 9 May 1942.

On 6 July 1943, Trautloft's personal friend, General der Jagdflieger Galland, appointed him inspector of the Fighter Air Arm on the Eastern Front.

Trautloft ended the war with a total of fifty-three victories (plus four in the Spanish Civil War) on 560 combat sorties.