Anton Hackl

Article summary

Anton "Toni" Hackl (25 March 1915 – 10 July 1984) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 192 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 87 claims over the Western Front. Of his 87 victories over the Western Allies, at least 32 were four-engined bombers, a further 24 victories were unconfirmed. Born in Regensburg, Hackl volunteered for military service in the Reichsheer in 1933. He transferred to the Luftwaffe (Air Force) in 1935 and following flight training, Hackl was posted to Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77–77th Fighter Wing) in April 1938. Following the outbreak of World War II, he flew his first combat missions during the winter 1939/40, a period dubbed the Phoney War. Hackl claimed four victories during the Norwegian Campaign and then flew missions on the Channel Front in aftermath of the Battle of Britain. Hackl then fought in the aerial battles of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. On 29 July 1941, Hackl was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of JG 77. He claimed 23 further aerial victories by the end of 1941, and following his 51st victory was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 25 May 1942.…

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1933 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1915-03-25 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of death: 1984-07-10 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of death: 1984-07-10 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1933". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1915-03-25". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of death is "1984-07-10". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of death is "1984-07-10". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1361656526