Editing Imro van Hetten (father) (section)

== Military career ==

Van Hetten was assigned to 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27, which formed part of II. Gruppe. He primarily flew variants of the [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]]. During his service, he developed practical knowledge of aircraft maintenance and frequently inspected or repaired his own aircraft alongside the unit's ground crews. He held no formal aircraft-mechanic qualification.

Van Hetten entered combat during the German invasion of the Netherlands. On 10 May 1940, he recorded his first aerial victory by shooting down a [[Fokker D.XXI]]. He received credit for three victories during the Battle of France. He added another three during the Battle of Britain, bringing his total in Western Europe to six. Following the western campaigns, he was commissioned as a [[Leutnant]].

In April 1941, II./JG 27 was transferred to the Balkans. Van Hetten shot down two [[Hawker Hurricane]] fighters during the German campaign in Greece. He was promoted to [[Oberleutnant]] after the campaign.

Van Hetten then served during II./JG 27's brief deployment on the Eastern Front. He was credited with two Soviet fighters and one bomber. On 24 June 1941, he shot down an [[Ilyushin DB-3]] near [[Grodno]].

II./JG 27 transferred to North Africa in September 1941. Van Hetten recorded nine victories during the North African campaign. These consisted of five [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|Curtiss P-40]] fighters, three Hawker Hurricanes and one [[Bristol Blenheim]] bomber.

After Staffelkapitän [[Rudolf Sinner]] was shot down on 10 June 1942, Van Hetten temporarily assumed command of 6./JG 27 as acting Staffelkapitän. He returned to his previous position after Sinner recovered.

In September 1942, enemy fire damaged Van Hetten's Bf 109 near [[El Daba]], Egypt. He made a forced landing inside Axis-held territory and left the aircraft without injury. He returned to operational service after receiving a replacement aircraft.

Van Hetten later served in Sicily and mainland Italy. He was promoted to Hauptmann in 1943. After returning to Germany, he flew during the Defence of the Reich. His final three victories were recorded in 1944 against one [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17 Flying Fortress]] and two [[North American P-51 Mustang|P-51 Mustangs]]. He recorded no further victories in 1945 but remained in service until the final days of the war.

Van Hetten received the Iron Cross in both classes, the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe and the German Cross in Gold. He did not receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.