Hermann Behrbohm

Hermann Behrbohm
File:Hermann Behrbohm Närbild SAAB.jpg Hermann Behrbohm. Photograph circa 1955.
Born	30 October 1907 Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire
Died	October 12, 1977(1977-10-12) (aged 69) Fingelsham, Northbourne, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Education	PhD in Mathematics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (1944)
Occupation(s)	Aircraft design and engineering
Known for	Specialist in aerodynamics and structural strength of fighter aircraft Messerschmitt Bf 109 Messerschmitt Me 262 Messerschmitt Me 163 Lippisch P.13a Saab 32 Lansen Saab 35 Draken Saab 105 Saab 37 Viggen
Title	PhD
Spouse(s)	1940–1964 Lilli Walter (divorced), five children 1964–1977 Pamela Leach (until his death), one child
Awards	Thulin Medal from the Swedish Aeronautical Society (1968)

File:Saab Draken.jpg

Saab 35 Draken

File:Saab AJS-37 Viggen 37098 52 (SE-DXN) (9256079273).jpg

Saab 37 Viggen

Otto Hermann Bernhard Behrbohm, born on 30 October 1907 in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, within the German Empire, passed away on 12 October 1977 in Fingelsham, Northbourne, Kent, United Kingdom. He was a German mathematician who worked extensively in both Sweden and Germany.

His contributions were pivotal to the mathematical foundations underlying the aerodynamic principles of the delta wing design and advancements in supersonic flight technology. Template:Fix/category

Biography

Hermann Behrbohm played a crucial role in the engineering of the Saab 35 Draken and Saab 37 Viggen aircraft. Towards the end of World War II, he provided essential calculations that supported Alexander Lippisch’s development of the delta wing concept. In recognition of his contributions to aviation technology, he was awarded the silver Thulin Medal by the Swedish Aeronautical Society in 1968.

Throughout his career, Behrbohm contributed to aeronautical advancements across multiple countries as a result of varying circumstances. Upon retirement in 1972, he relocated to England with his British spouse, while his children remained residing in Sweden.

He published numerous articles focused on aerodynamics and mathematics within specialized journals, many of which are accessible through libraries and online platforms.

Academic background and doctoral research in Germany

He pursued mechanical engineering studies at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, alongside mathematics and number theory at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

Between 1933 and 1936, Behrbohm served as a research assistant at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, where he composed his doctoral thesis on the algebraic properties of the meromorphisms within an elliptical function field. Due to political circumstances—specifically, his advisor being Jewish during the rise of Nazi Germany—his dissertation was initially rejected. In 1944, however, he was awarded his doctorate in mathematics and physics.

Behrbohm also encountered significant obstacles in marrying his first wife under Nazi legislation. She faced challenges obtaining the required biological purity certificates (due to an unknown paternal lineage), which delayed their marriage until 1940.

Career at Messerschmitt

In 1937, he joined the Aerodynamics division at Messerschmitt in Augsburg.

As a mathematician within the aerospace industry, Hermann Behrbohm was tasked with performing theoretical analyses and conducting experimental tests to advance various development projects.

Augsburg period (1937–1944)

During this time, he contributed to high-speed testing efforts involving the Messerschmitt Bf 109, collaborating with Lukas Schmid.

The primary focus at Messerschmitt’s Augsburg facility throughout these years was the advancement of the jet aircraft Messerschmitt Me 262.

Additionally, from 1939 onward, development of the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163, led by Alexander Lippisch, took place there.

Oberammergau phase (1944–1945)

Following the air raids on Augsburg on 25 February 1944, research and development operations were relocated to an underground site at the Oberbayerische Forschungsanstalt in Oberammergau. The Behrbohm family remained based in Mering, near Augsburg.

Under the leadership of Willy Messerschmitt, work on the jet-powered Messerschmitt P.1101 aircraft resumed from late 1944. This model shared numerous design elements with the earlier-developed Saab 29 Tunnan, as well as with the designs of the MiG-15 and F-86 Sabre.

Wiener Neustadt engagement (1944–1945)

Starting in autumn 1944, Behrbohm divided his time working for the Aviation Research Institute Vienna (LFW) in Wiener Neustadt, where Alexander Lippisch had established his own design office.

Previously affiliated with Messerschmitt through his work on the rocket plane Messerschmitt Me 163, Lippisch had clashed with Willy Messerschmitt over aircraft design preferences—particularly opposing rear wings due to concerns about increased drag and reduced performance.

In Wiener Neustadt, Lippisch focused on advancing the rear-wingless delta wing concept for a small coal-fueled jet fighter, the Lippisch P.13a, which later became part of the wartime Volksjäger program. The delta wing technology developed for the Lippisch P.13a served as a foundational influence for the design of the Saab 35 Draken, a project Hermann would later contribute to during his tenure at Saab AB, as well as for the French Dassault Mirage.

The designs of both the Messerschmitt Me 163 and especially the Lippisch P.13a can be regarded as precursors to all subsequent delta wing fighter aircraft that emerged during the 1950s.

Occupation - BEE

Following the conclusion of World War II in 1945, Hermann found himself unemployed while supporting a family of four children in Mering, located near Augsburg within the American zone of occupation. Their income was supplemented by gifts from American officers they housed, and Hermann also engaged in agricultural and forestry work, receiving natural compensation that helped provide food for his family.

In early 1946, Hermann was hired by BEE (the French Aerodynamic Research and Development Institute, now integrated into the Deutsch-Französisches Forschungsinstitut Saint-Louis), which operated facilities in Emmendingen and Weil am Rhein within the French occupation zone in Germany.

With the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and the conclusion of Allied occupation, opportunities expanded for pursuing scientifically engaging roles abroad. Consequently, Behrbohm received employment proposals from France as well as other nations.

Saab

In 1951, Hermann decided to join Saab, relocating with his family to Linköping, where they eventually became Swedish citizens.

His decision to work at Saab was driven by involvement in projects such as the Saab 32 Lansen and Saab 35 Draken, led by Erik Bratt and Tore Gullstrand. Being an expert in aerodynamics placed him in a specialized field with limited employers worldwide capable of supporting advanced research. Saab’s growing operations and Sweden’s ambitious aerospace goals presented Hermann with valuable opportunities.

During the era marked by the Cold War and the ongoing nuclear arms race, the primary objective for the Swedish Air Force throughout the 1950s to 1970s (notably under the Defence Act of 1958) was to rapidly intercept strategic nuclear-armed bombers like the Tupolev Tu-16 before they could reach their targets. This necessitated cutting-edge supersonic delta wing fighters such as the Saab 35 Draken, where speed and readiness were paramount. Additionally, defense against amphibious landings over adjacent seas required attack aircraft, along with extremely fast reconnaissance planes exemplified by the Saab 37 Viggen. Limitations on speed were influenced by economic factors and materials engineering addressing atmospheric friction heat. These demands resulted in substantial orders for building a large-scale air force and significant funding for ongoing research and development.

Hermann continued his career at Saab until retiring in 1972. Between 1960 and 1964, he served as head of the Aerodynamics department, contributing to projects like the Saab 37 Viggen and Saab 105, while authoring numerous technical papers on aerodynamics. He was highly respected within his field and honored with the Swedish Aeronautical Society's silver Thulin Medal in 1968.

Together with Bertil Dillner, Hermann played a crucial role in designing the Saab 37 Viggen, particularly focusing on the development and testing of its innovative canard wing configuration.

Following his retirement, he relocated with his second wife to her native region in southern England, where he spent his remaining years.

See also

• List of aviators
• Delta wing
• Supersonic flight
• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Messerschmitt Me 262
• Messerschmitt Me 163
• Lippisch P.13a
• Saab 32 Lansen
• Saab 35 Draken
• Saab 105
• Saab 37 Viggen