Born 30 January 1892 in Mainz, died 06 November 1976.
In Spring 1911, he joined the 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment. He also served with the 4 Guards Field Artillery Regiment. When World War I began, he had moved on to the 76th Baden Field Artillery Regiment and been commissioned a Leutnant.
Waldhausen was wounded in September 1914, but returned to duty and succeeded in winning the Iron Cross Second Class in December 1914. During Summer 1915, he transferred to aviation duty.
Waldhausen was wounded in September 1914, but returned to duty and succeeded in winning the Iron Cross Second Class in December 1914. During Summer 1915, he transferred to aviation duty.
After service with FA 9, he was forwarded to Jastaschule 1 (Fighter School 1) in Valenciennes, France. Fighter training completed, he joined a fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 37, on 26 July 1917. There he was assigned Albatros D.V serial number 2284/17, which he had emblazoned with a star and crescent motif. The wheels were white with a black stripe, another unit marking of Jasta 37 at this time. Flying this aircraft on the Western Front, he was soon dubbed "The Eagle of Lens".
Waldhausen scored his first aerial victory on 19 September 1917, downing a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter from the Royal Flying Corps' 43 Squadron over Fresnes at 0730 hours. A second claim that day, for a Martinsyde Elephant, went unconfirmed.
Five days later, on 24 September, Waldhausen did shoot down a Martinsyde Elephant over Cagnicourt at 1445 hours. The next day, on an evening sortie, he shot down an enemy observation balloon in flames over Béthune on the French/Belgian border.
On 27 September 1917, Waldhausen ignited and destroyed No 10 Section's observation balloon southwest of Roulette at 1705 hours, followed five minutes later by a 9 Squadron Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 sent into Farbus Wood. Waldhausen attacked No 20 Section's (No 37 Section by other sources) balloon south-west of Aix-Noulette and set fire to it with his first burst at 1815 hours, after which he opened fire upon the observer, Section's CO, Lieutenant Thomas Kennie, as he descended beneath his parachute.
Three of No 40 Squadron's Nieuports (Maj. Edward Mannock, Lt John H. Tudhope and one unknown) went up to intercept the Albatros but Mannock suffered engine trouble and was unable to keep up.
As he fired upon Kennie, Waldhausen was in turn attacked by Tudhope, who fired a long burst into the Albatros. As Tudhope disengaged, the attack was continued by Thompson, Fowler and Flt Cdr Charles D. Booker of No 8 Squadron RNAS. Booker managed only a short burst before his engine was crippled by ground fire, forcing him to land. Booker whipped the wheels off of his Camel on the lip of a shell crater and as he crawled clear he was met by Mannock who had landed close by to check on the safety of the Camel pilot and was just in time to prevent Waldhausen being lynched by the Canadian troops who were upset that he had machine-gunned Kennie on his way down.
Despite Tudhope being the only pilot to do more than fire a few rounds, the victory was shared between the two units (as per the RFC Communique). Waldhausen was taken prisoner by a Canadian ammunition detail; Kennie was uninjured.
Waldhausen said in his book that he usually headed straight back to the german lines after a balloon attack. But at the day he was shot down he thought it would be better to reach the clouds. He stated that the balloon he attacked stood at a height of 700 m and the cloud layer was ca. 300 m above him. But unfortunately the climbing ability of his plane was very bad that day. He said that it last an eternity to get the 300 missing meters to the clouds and that AAA had sufficient time to find the range of him. After some time, when the bursts came close and closer, he had enough and decided to dive directly for the own lines and in this situation he was intercepted by three "Sopwith-Einsitzer". He was taken completely by surprise and was wounded with the first few shots...
After being captured, Waldhausen's Albatros was marked G45 (some sources claim G74).
Discharged 01.11.1919. Postwar, he studied law. He became a judge.
Hans Waldhausen wrote a book "Mit entfalteten und beschnittenen Flügeln", Bund der Jagdflieger, Berlin 1924. It was later renamed "Sieg und Sturz", Bernard & Gräfe, Berlin 1939.
During World War II, Waldhausen returned to aviation duty as a military judge in the Luftwaffe. He was assigned variously to the staffs of Jagdgeschwader 51, Jagdgeschwader 54, and Luftflotte 1. In 1943, he became a senior judge.