During Operation Barbarossa, Uffz. Johann Halfmann flew as wingman to 7./JG 54's Oberfeldwebel Karl Kempf. On 13 September 1941, Halfmann achieved his first victory against a MiG-3, probably from 7 IAK-PVO. His second confirmed victory, a Yak-1, was downed on 11 October.

On 2 January 1942, Obfw. Kempf and Uffz. Halfmann carried out a most successful combat mission resulting in six victories, five by Kempf, and one, an I-16, claimed by Halfmann. On 16 February, Halfmann downed an I-15bis, and on 15 March shot down another MiG-3.

Halfmann's sixth victory was achieved against a Yak-1 on 25 May while Oberfeldwebel Kempf brought home his 42nd to 44th victories during the same mission. On 10 June, Kempf shot down two, and Halfmann one MiG-3. On 23 June, Halfmann was awarded with the Iron Cross of the First Class.

And little more than a month later on 27 August he shot down his first heavily-armoured Il-2. This Abschuss would be his last in the Eastern Front. On the first of September 1942, Johann "Hans" Halfmann was promoted to Feldwebel with a total of 11 confirmed victories. I

n late March 1943 III./JG 54 left the Eastern Front and was transferred to Germany and Bad Zwischenlahn for Reichsverteidigung. Based at Oldenburg Fw. Halfmann would start his scoring on 19 May when downing a B-17 over northern Germany. Then on 23 June 1943, III./JG 54 was transferred to Holland in an effort to attack the incoming four-engine bombers before they reached the Reich.

Flying from Amsterdam-Schiphol on 27 July 1943, Halfmann shot down a Typhoon west of Haarlem. However later the day when engaged RAF Spitfires his was wounded and his Bf 109 G-6 was damaged, forcing him to belly-land his crate on a beach close to Katwijk.

Shortly afterwards he was promoted to Oberfeldwebel. Obfw. Halfmann was killed during a training flight while converting to the Fw 190 at Ludwigslust in Germany on 23 January 1944. By that time, Halfmann had served longer than anyone else in 7./JG 54 and was credited with a total of 13 confirmed victories.

Note that this profile is based on a series of stills from a well known color film taken att Siverskaya by Oblt. Werner Pichon-Kalau vom Hofe.

This Bf 109 G-2 is one of seven new profiles made during the week. Please note that this profile would be included in another Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft book, Profile Book No 18.