Wolfgang Lippert (pilot)

Wolfgang Lippert
Born(1914-09-14)14 September 1914
Fraureuth, Kingdom of Saxony
Died3 December 1941(1941-12-03) (aged 27)
Egypt
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branch Luftwaffe
RankHauptmann (captain)
UnitJG 53, JG 27
Commands3./JG 53, II./JG 27
Battles / warsSpanish Civil War
World War II
AwardsSpanish Cross In Gold with Swords
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wolfgang Lippert (14 September 1914 – 3 December 1941) was a World War II Luftwaffe Flying ace. Lippert was credited with 30 victories, five of which were scored in the Spanish Civil War.

Early of life and career

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Lippert was born on 14 September 1911 in Fraureuth of the Kingdom of Saxony within the German Empire.[1] He joined the Luftwaffe and after pilot training,[Note 1] was posted to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". Lippert gained his first aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War flying with the Condor Legion with 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88. He claimed his first aerial victory on 15 July 1938 when he shot down a Polikarpov I-15 fighter.[3] In total, he claimed five victories from mid-1938 until March 1939. For his service in Spain, he received the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern) on 14 April 1939.[4]

Following his return from Spain, Lippert was posted I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 133 (JG 133—133rd Fighter Wing) based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim Airfield. On 1 May 1939, the Gruppe was renamed and became the I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). That day, Lippert was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Hauptmann Lothar von Janson who was transferred.[5]

World War II

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World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. At the time, JG 53 was tasked with patrolling Germany's western border between Trier and Saarbrücken in what would be dubbed the "Phoney War" period of World War II.[6] The Gruppe moved to an airfield at Kirchberg on 26 September.[7] Four days later, Lippert claimed his first victory of World War II on 30 September 1939, a French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighter.[8] In December, I. Gruppe relocated to Darmstadt-Griesheim Airfield.[7] Lippert claimed his second aerial victory on 7 April 1940, a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire.[9] During the Battle of France he claimed six further Allied aircraft shot down.

On 16 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe flew 399 bomber and 1,314 fighter sorties over Britain. That day, I. Gruppe participated on two missions to England, at 13:30 and 17:20. During the second mission, Lippert claimed a Spitfire shot down.[10]

Group commander

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II./JG 27 Emblem

On 4 September 1940, Hauptmann Lippert was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). He thus succeeded Oberleutnant Ernst Düllberg who had temporarily replaced Hauptmann Werner Andres after his transfer.[11] In consequence, command of 3. Staffel of JG 53 was given to Oberleutnant Julius Haase.[12] On 7 September, II. Gruppe participated in Operation "Loge", 350 bombers escorted by 648 fighters, attacked various targets in the greater London area. The Gruppe protected those bombers returning from the docks in the East End of London. On this mission, Lippert claimed a Spitfire shot down at 19:05 near London, his first claim with JG 27.[13]

On 24 September, II. Gruppe moved to Saint-Inglevert Airfield located northeast of Boulogne-sur-Mer near the English Channel. That day, Lippert was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) after 13 World War II victories.[14] Together with Oberleutnant Hans "Assi" Hahn, the presentation was made by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, at his residence Carinhall.[15] On 1 November, he shot down RAF ace S/L Archie McKellar flying a No. 605 Squadron Hurricane Mk.I.[16][17]

War against the Soviet Union

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In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, II. Gruppe was moved to a makeshift airfield name Praszniki, located northeast of Suwałki close to the Curzon Line, on 18 June.[18] On 22 June, the first day of the invasion, Lippert claimed a Soviet I-15 fighter shot down south of Knyszyn, and an I-17 fighter, an early Luftwaffe war designation for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1, northeast of Wizna.[19] On 25 June, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Vilnius. That day, Lippert claimed a Tupolev SB bomber north of Nemenčinė and an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber southwest of Vilnius.[20] On 1 July, II. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations, all serviceable aircraft were transferred to III. Gruppe of JG 27 and the personnel was ordered to return to Suwałki, awaiting further orders.[21]

North Africa and death

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Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, II. Gruppe arrived at Döberitz, located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of Staaken, on 24 July. Here, the Gruppe was equipped with the Bf 109 F-4 and prepared for combat in North Africa to support a German contingent, the Deutsche Afrika Korps under the command of Erwin Rommel. On 29 September, the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) under command of Lippert began the relocation to Ayn al-Ġazāla where they were subordinated to the Fliegerführer Afrika, Generalmajor Stefan Fröhlich.[22] Lipper claimed his first aerial victory in the North African theatre on 23 October. Lippert led a flight of six Bf 109s on a mission which intercepted a flight of Hurricane fighters of the South African Air Force (SAAF) 1 Squadron which lost two Hurricanes, one of which claimed by Lippert in the area south of Buq Buq.[23]

On 23 November, five days after British forces had launched Operation Crusader, Lippert was shot down over Allied lines near Bir el Gubi, probably by Flight Lieutenant Clive Caldwell of No. 250 Squadron. As Lippert bailed out of his Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 8469—factory number), he hit the tailplane. He was hospitalised in Cairo and his legs were amputated. However, his legs were infected by gangrene and he died on 3 December.[24][25][26] He is buried at the Fayid War Cemetery (Plot 29, Row D, Grave 22).[27] In consequence, command of II. Gruppe was temporarily given to Oberleutnant Gustav Rödel before Hauptmann Erich Gerlitz took command on 25 December.[28]

Summary of career

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Aerial victory claims

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Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 29 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes five claims during the Spanish Civil War, three on the Eastern Front and further 21 over the Western Allies of World War II.[4]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
Spanish Civil War
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –[4]
Spanish Civil War — July – December 1938
1 15 July 1938
—
 I-15[29] 4 4 October 1938
—
 I-16[29]
2 23 July 1938
—
 I-16[29] 5 29 December 1938
—
 I-15[29]
3 14 August 1938
—
 I-16[29]
World War II
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[4]
"Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1940
1 30 September 1939 14:45 M.S.406 Büdingen[30] 2 7 April 1940 12:50 Spitfire southwest of Diedenhofen[31]
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[4]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
3 10 May 1940 13:55 Curtiss southwest of Metz[32] 6 20 May 1940 18:35 Curtiss Noyon[32]
4 14 May 1940 19:30 Wellington Sedan[32] 7 3 June 1940 14:20 Spitfire south of Paris[32]
5 15 May 1940 16:13 MB.151 south of Charleville 8 9 June 1940 14:50 Curtiss Boult[32]
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[4]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 3 September 1940
9 16 August 1940 18:00 Spitfire[33] 11 2 September 1940 08:55 Hurricane[34]
10 26 August 1940 17:35 Spitfire Portsmouth[34]
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[4]
At the Channel and over England — 4 September – 5 November 1940
12 7 September 1940 19:05 Spitfire London[35] 15 25 October 1940 13:06 Hurricane London[36]
13 17 September 1940 16:48 Hurricane Maidstone[35] 16 1 November 1940 09:15 Hurricane Canterbury[36]
14 25 October 1940 13:05 Hurricane London[36]
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[4]
Operation Barbarossa – 22 June – 19 July 1941
17 22 June 1941 04:15 I-15 south of Knyszyn[37] 19?[Note 2] 25 June 1941
—
 SB-3 north of Nemenčinė[37]
18 22 June 1941 04:18 I-17 (MiG-1) northeast of Wizna[37] 20 25 June 1941 12:15 DB-3 southwest of Vilnius[37]
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[4]
In North Africa — 22 September – 23 November 1941
21 23 October 1941 09:30 Hurricane south of Buq Buq[38] 24 22 November 1941 16:45 Wellington northwest of Bir Hacheim[39]
22 22 November 1941 10:20 P-40 southeast of Ain el Gazala airfield[39] 25 23 November 1941 12:25 Hurricane east of Bir Hacheim[39]
23 22 November 1941 16:30 P-40 northwest of Bir Hacheim[39]

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.[2]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[4]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 159.
  2. ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  3. ^ Forsyth 2011, p. 97.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 762.
  5. ^ Prien et al. 2000, pp. 230, 232.
  6. ^ Prien 1997, p. 39.
  7. ^ a b Prien et al. 2001a, pp. 361, 364.
  8. ^ Prien 1997, p. 45.
  9. ^ Prien 1997, pp. 76, 81.
  10. ^ Prien 1997, p. 141.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2002a, p. 398.
  12. ^ Prien et al. 2002b, p. 197.
  13. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, pp. 52, 553.
  14. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, p. 54.
  15. ^ Stockert 2012, p. 193.
  16. ^ Holmes 1998, p. 106.
  17. ^ Foreman 1988, pp. 21–22.
  18. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, p. 118.
  19. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, pp. 118–119, 554.
  20. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, pp. 119, 554.
  21. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, pp. 121–122.
  22. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, pp. 128, 130.
  23. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012, pp. 279–280.
  24. ^ Weal 2003, p. 90.
  25. ^ Weal 2003, p. 72.
  26. ^ Goss 2018, p. 114.
  27. ^ a b Dixon 2023, p. 37.
  28. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 255.
  29. ^ a b c d e Forsyth 2011, p. 106.
  30. ^ Prien et al. 2001a, p. 368.
  31. ^ Prien et al. 2001a, p. 369.
  32. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2001b, p. 327.
  33. ^ Prien et al. 2002b, p. 201.
  34. ^ a b Prien et al. 2002b, p. 203.
  35. ^ a b Prien et al. 2002a, p. 402.
  36. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2002a, p. 403.
  37. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003, p. 168.
  38. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 259.
  39. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2004, p. 260.
  40. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 510.
  41. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 294.

Bibliography

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  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Foreman, John (1988). Battle of Britain: The Forgotten Months, November And December 1940. London, UK: Air Research Publications. ISBN 978-1-871187-02-1.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2011). Aces of the Legion Condor. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 99. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-347-8.
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  • Holmes, Tony (1998). Hurricane Aces 1939–1940. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-597-5.
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  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
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  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2000). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 1—Vorkriegszeit und Einsatz über Polen—1934 bis 1939 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 1—Pre-War Period and Action over Poland—1934 to 1939] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-54-0.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 2—Der "Sitzkrieg"—1.9.1939 bis 9.5.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 2—The "Phoney War"—1 September 1939 to 9 May 1940] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-59-5.
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  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-63-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-64-9.
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  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis December 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-74-8.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940–1945: Volume One: North Africa: June 1940 – January 1942. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-908117-07-6.
  • Stockert, Peter (2012) [1996]. Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1] (in German) (4th ed.). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-9802222-7-3.
  • Weal, John (2003). Jagdgeschwader 27 "Afrika". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 12. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-538-9.
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