The Me-163 Komet and a Test Pilot
Bernard "Ben" Hohmann - Luftwaffe Test Pilot/Engineer
The Me-163 Komet was a revolutionary aircraft and the only rocket powered aircraft to ever be produced and
deployed to a combat unit.  Once the aircraft had achieved take-off, the trolley would be jettisoned to be used
over and over again for future flights.  After several minutes of powered flight, the ME-163b would  
essentially be transformed into a glider and would glide back for landing.  This was the most dangerous portion
of the mission for Komet pilots as they had little ability to fight off attacking aircraft.  As the aircraft
prepared to land, a skid would extend from the bottom of the aircraft to allow for landing.  The Komet would
slide along the ground until eventually coming to a stop using gravity to slow the aircraft.  The cockpit of the
Komet was pressurized to allow for high altitude flight.  The Komet was generally armed with two 30mm MK
208 cannon in the wing roots.
The first production Me-163Bs entered combat service in July of 1944. The intention of the Luftwaffe was to
place small squadrons of Komets in strategic portions of Germany to intercept Allied bomber formations
enroute to their targets.   A total of 279  ME-163b aircraft entered operational service before the war ended.
  The only squadron to operate the Komet in combat was Jagdgeschwader 400 (JG-400).  JG-400 was able to
accomplish a small number of air victories over Allied aircraft, while losing a little over a dozen aircraft in
operational use.  The majority of the Komets.
and could climb to a maximum altitude of 54,000 feet.  The Komet could achieve an altitude of almost 40,000
feet in under 4 minutes.  The rate of climb of the Komet was approximately 4,862 feet per minute!
American gun camera footage of a Komet.
The story of Bernard "Ben" Hohmann:                                                                                       
Bernard Hohmann's flight career began like most aspiring pilots in Germany, flying sail planes and
gliders.  Eventually joining the Luftwaffe in the early part of the war, he went on to participate in the
Komet program and eventually flew a total of 37 test flights in both the powered and non-powered
versions of the Komet, including one crash landing which resulted in the partial American army at the
end of the war.  He went on to become the Chief of Flight Development Section: Wright Air
Development Center, Wright Patterson Air Force base from 1947 to 1957.  Mr. Hohmann then went to
Cape Kennedy Cape Canaveral and worked for the Aerospace Corporation, working on both the
Gemini and Mercury space programs, working directly with the astronauts who would become the first
Americans in space.  Hohmann was named as the Mercury Team project manager.  He authored two
publications along with noted scientist Joseph F. Wambolt.  Mr. Hohmann passed away on May 11,
1984.  From what I have learned, the items I purchased were sold at an estate sale following his death
and eventually made their way into my collection.  Mr. Hohmann was 68 years old at the time of his
passing.
A number of publication mention Hohmann's particpation in the testing program of the ME-163 Komet.  
One of the best of these include "Top Secret Bird" by Wolfgang Spate and "ME-163 - Rocket
Interceptor Vol. 1" by Stephen Ransom and Hans-Hermann Cammann, which includes a two page
interview with Mr. Hohmann.
All of the photographs, documents and paperwork items shown below are part of the Hohmann
grouping.  All of the items are original, WWII era items and were all obtained from the estate of Mr.
Hohmann.  If anyone has any additional information about Mr. Hohmann, I would be thrilled to hear
from you.  (Click on any of the photographs for a more detailed view. )                              
                                                       
                                                           C. Daniel
                                           webmaster@danielsww2.com
Two early photographs (front and back) of Bernard Hohmann.  Both photographs show him wearing the "C" certificate
for glider flight from the NSFK.  The photographs were accompanied by a business card from the photography studio
where the photographs were taken (see below).  Notice the address, it's located on Adolf-Hitler-Platz.  The two above
photographs are from circa 1940.
The two photographs shown above (front and backs shown) are both dated June 3, 1940.  These photographs
show test pilot Heini Dittmarr preparing for an early, non-powered flight of the prototype to the Komet.  
A Luftwaffe wedding ceremony involving an unknown couple
and what appears to be the mothers of both the bride and
groom.
A photographed showing the DFS-194.  This was the early version of what would eventually become the Me-163b the
photograph is difficult to read, but it appears the photo is dated April of 1941.
A photograph showing the cockpit of an ME-163b
Komet.
Three photographs showing Bernard Hohmann and unknown persons as refugees during the
days following the end of the war.  Notice the make-shirt cart being used to carry their
personal belongings.
Bernard Hohmann Documents:  (Click on any of the documents for a more detailed view)
Above:  Two Ausweis documents for Bernard Hohmann.  The blue
version was issued on January 22, 1945 expiring on January 31,
1946!!  The white version was issued on March 5, 1945 expiring on
February 28, 1946!!  Both documents shows Hohmann as being
associated with Erprobungsstelle Karlshagen.  
Right:  A teletype from Messerschmitt A.G. indicating that Mr.
Hohmann was working on behalf of the Messerschmitt Company to
conduct testing of  the ME-163 model, and that pilot Heini Dittmar was
to be utilized for portions of the test flying.  The document also
indicates that Mr. Hohmann was still receiving "premium pay" as a test
pilot.
Left:  The top teletype indicates that after a
meeting held on April 13, 1945 with the
Reichsfuhrer SS, it was decided to move this unit to
importance of their research.  The document also
importance of their research.  The document also
notes that a previous attempt had been made to
make this move, however it was discovered that the
routes to Southern Germany had been blocked
(apparently by Allied forces).
Image © The Aerospace Corporation. Reprinted with permission.
Above:  Bernard "Ben" Hohmann (blue suit) standing
and others in 1965.
"Like a flea, but wow!"  2/ Staffel insignia for
the Me-163 Komet.
Major Wolfgang Spate: Winner of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
Wolfgang Spate joined JG-54 "Green Hearts" squadron in 1941 in the
Balkans.  He was later awarded the Knights Cross for achieving 45 aerial
victories in Russia, but was then transferred to the Test Kommando unit
for the development and testing of the new rocket fighter, the  Me-163
"Komet."  The testing for this aircraft was conducted at the Luftwaffe
test facility of Peenemunde.  Once the Me-163 became operational,
Spate was given command of JG-400, which became the only unit to use
the Me-163 operationally in combat.  As the war progressed and grew
increasingly adverse for the German military, Spate was re-assigned and
he was moved to JG-7, where he joined the "Expert" squadron and flew
the Me 262 jet fighter.  While flying the Me-262, Spate added another
5 air victories to his total.  Major Wolfgang Spate can lay claim to being
one of the few pilots in history to fly both the Me-262 (a jet powered  
fighter/bomber) and the Me-163 Komet  (a rocket powered fighter) in
combat.  He is credited with a total of 99 aerial victories during his
combat career.
I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to write to and
correspond with Major Spate several times, many years ago.  At the
time, I had sent him laser copies of the photographs above related to the
Me-163 Komet and Mr. Hohmann.  Through his letters, Spate not only
recalled many memories of the time he spent at Peenemunde, but also
reflected on some of his experiences as the commander of the Komet
testing program.  He also mentioned Bernard Hohmann and other pilots in
his letters such as Me-163 test pilot Rudolf Opitz.  Unfortunately, Major
Wolfgang Spate passed away in 1997.
Above:  A wartime, Hoffman collection.  He is
shown wearing his Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.
Me-163 related Autographed items:
Above:  A note card and a post-war photograph of Major
Wolfgang Spate sitting in the cockpit of an Me-163b.
Left:  Photograph of an Me-163b
autographed by Oberleutnant Franz
Woidich.  Right: An art print signed by
Rudolf Opitz.
Above:  The photograph above is one of the photographs I obtained from the estate of test pilot Bernard Hohmann.  The
photographs is an original, wartime era photograph depicting Major Wolfgang Spate (on the left in the foreground) and
test pilot Rudolf Opitz (on the right in the foreground).  After sending a laser copy of this photograph to Major Spate, he
indicated that he recalled the day this photograph was taken and spoke at length about the incident.  Major Spate said
this incident occurred the day that Rudolf Opitz made the first powered flight in an Me-163b.  The Luftwaffe stamp and
date on the reverse side of the photograph corresponds with the same date.  The photo, like those above, is also signed
by "B. Hohmann."  In the photo, Major Spate is seen congratulating Mr. Opitz by placing a makeshift medal around his
neck that was quickly created by the base mechanics, to celebrate this historic occasion.  Note the Knights Cross winner
in the center of the photograph.
Please do not use any of the images on this website, without first obtaining permission.  Have a
question?  Please email me.  Thank you.
Counter
Other ME-163 Komet sites:                                        
Left:  A grainy, war time photograph showing a Luftwaffe pilot wearing one of
the armbands, albeit upside down, on his right arm over his flight suit.
A special thank you to Rob de Bie at www.xs4all.nl/~robdebie/me163.htm for
allowing me use of the photograph from his Me-163b website.
1)  Original photographs of Me-163 Komets or protoypes.
2)  Me-163 pilots near aircraft or in flight gear.
3)  Me-163 aircraft items.
Left:  A photograph of Mr. Hohmann dated February 28, 1945,
showing him sitting in the cockpit of what appears to be a
combat operational Me-163.  
A photograph showing a prototype version of the Komet, dated August 13, 1941.  Note the Luftwaffe stamp on
the reverse.  This specific photograph from my collection can be seen in October/November issue of WWII
Magazine, with a related story of the Me-163 Komet.
Well documented in Wolfgang Spate's book, "Top Secret Bird", this photograph shows an Me-163 Komet which
Bernard Hohmann crash landed.  The aircraft caught fire and was a write off with Hohmann surviving the crash without
injury.  The cause of the fire was the two highly volatile fuels used to power the Komet rocket engine mixing together.
Deutsche Luftwaffe armband:  (left)  These armbands began to be
issued for several reasons:  First the Geneva convention required
that combatants have some form of recognizable insignia indicating
their country of origin and second, a Luftwaffe pilot parachuting back
into Germany and not having some form of identifying insignia, may
encounter some very hostile German citizens.  Although not many
pilots actually wore them, there are numerous examples showing
Luftwaffe pilots in all different types of aircraft wearing the armbands.  
These armbands were also specifically important to Komet pilots as
their protective flight suits generally did not have any form of insignia
or identification.  The armbands were easy to use and simply slipped
over the flight suit and were easy to distinguish.  This one is in my
collection and is an all original, wartime piece.
Additional photographs from the Bernard Hohmann estate:                                                    
Above, the photograph to the left shows an unknown Luftwaffe soldier.  The photograph to the right shows a Christmas
party with many decorated Luftwaffe officers drinking champagne.  The photograph is not dated and I have no additional
information concerning where the photograph was taken.  
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The C.E. Daniel Collection