OVA
Description
Erica Hartmann, a Karlsland witch and Flying Officer in the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, hails from Weissach. Born to a doctor father and a former witch mother, she initially pursued medicine but chose the path of a witch after her mother fell ill. Trained at a Bayern academy, she transferred alongside the rebellious Hanna-Justina Marseille, graduating top of her class. Assigned to JG52 4th Staffel, she forged enduring bonds with Gertrud Barkhorn and Waltrud Krupinski.
Her first combat sortie ended in a crash due to depleted magic, but she rapidly evolved into one of humanity's elite aces. By 16, she surpassed 300 confirmed Neuroi kills, ranking among the world's best. Her wartime service included defending Karlsland, participating in the Gallia evacuation, and multiple recapture operations. She was a founding member of the 501st alongside Barkhorn and Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke. Following the 501st's initial disbandment, she remained active with Barkhorn and Wilcke in Sint-Truiden, Belgica, focusing on Karlsland's liberation and Neuroi investigations. She later rejoined the reformed 501st for key missions like the liberation of Venezia and Operation Mars, fighting on the Eastern Front, in Gallia, Romagna, and Berlin. Her 200 kills earned her the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, with further commendations at 300 kills.
Off-duty, Erica is remarkably carefree and undisciplined, maintaining an untidy living space, neglecting chores, and prioritizing sleep and eating—especially potatoes and sweets. Her rebellious attitude towards regulations and disinterest in promotions draw frequent reprimands from Barkhorn, which she typically ignores. However, combat transforms her: she exhibits unwavering focus, profound concern for comrades' safety, strategic brilliance, and calm reliability. She shares deep bonds with Barkhorn and Wilcke, their collaboration predating the 501st. Her relationship with Barkhorn is exceptionally close, marked by mutual trust despite contrasting personalities; Erica intensely worries about Barkhorn's well-being. She also shares a strong rapport with Sanya V. Litvyak and maintains friendships from her JG52 days like Edytha Rossmann. Her notoriously poor cooking led Wilcke and Barkhorn to formally relieve her of kitchen duties. Erica dreams of becoming a doctor and reuniting with her family post-war.
Her combat prowess centers on her signature "Sturm" technique, an offensive barrel roll harnessing ether to generate whirlwind cutting forces or broad-range attacks. This skill uses air currents for evasion and unique flight, amplified when coordinated with Lynette Bishop's "Tonnerre." Her ability to activate Sturm without her striker unit is unique. Demonstrating exceptional situational awareness, tactical intuition, and calm under pressure, she earned the title Karlsland's "ultra ace" and has never lost a wingman. Her striker units, modeled on the Messerschmitt Bf-109 series (the G-6 during her kill surge from 200-250, the K-4 later), feature a distinctive black tulip nose motif. She wields an MG42 machine gun and MP40 submachine gun.
Spin-off media depict her early JG52 experiences in 1941, focusing on civilian evacuations and the evolution of her friendship with Barkhorn. In "Operation Victory Arrow," based in Sint-Truiden during Karlsland recapture operations, she collaborates with her twin sister Ursula (a scientist and witch), Barkhorn, Wilcke, and squadron leader Schnaufer. Here, she investigates reports of new transforming and tower-shaped Neuroi variants with Barkhorn, events prompting the 501st's reformation. Known by the call sign "Karaya-1" and feared as the "Black Devil," a notable incident involved her misplacing her panties before an awards ceremony and stealing Francesca Lucchini's, leading to comedic exposure during the event. Her legacy includes inspiring the "Bubischnitt" hairstyle and a black uniform reminiscent of historical Luftwaffe mechanics. Her story continues through post-war efforts in Gallia's liberation and sustained anti-Neuroi operations across Europe.
Her first combat sortie ended in a crash due to depleted magic, but she rapidly evolved into one of humanity's elite aces. By 16, she surpassed 300 confirmed Neuroi kills, ranking among the world's best. Her wartime service included defending Karlsland, participating in the Gallia evacuation, and multiple recapture operations. She was a founding member of the 501st alongside Barkhorn and Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke. Following the 501st's initial disbandment, she remained active with Barkhorn and Wilcke in Sint-Truiden, Belgica, focusing on Karlsland's liberation and Neuroi investigations. She later rejoined the reformed 501st for key missions like the liberation of Venezia and Operation Mars, fighting on the Eastern Front, in Gallia, Romagna, and Berlin. Her 200 kills earned her the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, with further commendations at 300 kills.
Off-duty, Erica is remarkably carefree and undisciplined, maintaining an untidy living space, neglecting chores, and prioritizing sleep and eating—especially potatoes and sweets. Her rebellious attitude towards regulations and disinterest in promotions draw frequent reprimands from Barkhorn, which she typically ignores. However, combat transforms her: she exhibits unwavering focus, profound concern for comrades' safety, strategic brilliance, and calm reliability. She shares deep bonds with Barkhorn and Wilcke, their collaboration predating the 501st. Her relationship with Barkhorn is exceptionally close, marked by mutual trust despite contrasting personalities; Erica intensely worries about Barkhorn's well-being. She also shares a strong rapport with Sanya V. Litvyak and maintains friendships from her JG52 days like Edytha Rossmann. Her notoriously poor cooking led Wilcke and Barkhorn to formally relieve her of kitchen duties. Erica dreams of becoming a doctor and reuniting with her family post-war.
Her combat prowess centers on her signature "Sturm" technique, an offensive barrel roll harnessing ether to generate whirlwind cutting forces or broad-range attacks. This skill uses air currents for evasion and unique flight, amplified when coordinated with Lynette Bishop's "Tonnerre." Her ability to activate Sturm without her striker unit is unique. Demonstrating exceptional situational awareness, tactical intuition, and calm under pressure, she earned the title Karlsland's "ultra ace" and has never lost a wingman. Her striker units, modeled on the Messerschmitt Bf-109 series (the G-6 during her kill surge from 200-250, the K-4 later), feature a distinctive black tulip nose motif. She wields an MG42 machine gun and MP40 submachine gun.
Spin-off media depict her early JG52 experiences in 1941, focusing on civilian evacuations and the evolution of her friendship with Barkhorn. In "Operation Victory Arrow," based in Sint-Truiden during Karlsland recapture operations, she collaborates with her twin sister Ursula (a scientist and witch), Barkhorn, Wilcke, and squadron leader Schnaufer. Here, she investigates reports of new transforming and tower-shaped Neuroi variants with Barkhorn, events prompting the 501st's reformation. Known by the call sign "Karaya-1" and feared as the "Black Devil," a notable incident involved her misplacing her panties before an awards ceremony and stealing Francesca Lucchini's, leading to comedic exposure during the event. Her legacy includes inspiring the "Bubischnitt" hairstyle and a black uniform reminiscent of historical Luftwaffe mechanics. Her story continues through post-war efforts in Gallia's liberation and sustained anti-Neuroi operations across Europe.