Bio of Oberstleutnant Hans Philipp (1917-1943)

Full name: Johannes "Hans" Fritz Philipp
Nickname: Phips

Date of Birth: 17.03.1917 - Meißen, Kingdom of Saxony (German Empire)
Date of Death: 08.10.1943 - near Neuenhaus, Lower Saxony (Germany)

Battles and Operations: Polish Campaign, Battle of France, Battle of Britain, Balkans Campaign, Operation Barbarossa, Eastern Front operations 1941-1943, Defense of the Reich

NSDAP-Number: No information
Religion: No information
Parents: Alma Philipp (unmarried mother) and Leopold Gushurst (physician, biological father who provided alimony)
Siblings: none (only child)
Spouse: none (engaged to Katharina Egger, met in Italy in 1939)
Children: none

Promotions:
April 6th, 1936 Fahnenjunker
January 1st, 1938 Leutnant
June 1st, 1940 Oberleutnant
November 18th, 1941 Hauptmann
March 1943 Major
October 1st, 1943 Oberstleutnant

Career:
1936 joined the Luftwaffe as officer candidate, completed flight training at Luftkriegsschule 2 in Gatow
1937 received Pilot's Badge
1938 assigned to I./JG 76 (formerly I./JG 138)
May 1939 unit redesignated I./JG 76
September 1939 participated in Polish Campaign with first victory on September 5th
1940 Battle of France and Battle of Britain, appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54
April 1941 Balkans Campaign
June 1941 onward Operation Barbarossa and Eastern Front with JG 54
February 17th, 1942 appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 54
April 1st, 1943 appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 1 "Oesau" for Defense of the Reich duties
October 1943 killed in action while leading JG 1 against USAAF raid on Bremen

Awards and Decorations:
Iron Cross 2nd Class October 10th, 1939 (after first victory in Poland)
Iron Cross 1st Class May 31st, 1940 (after four victories in Battle of France)
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe September 28th, 1940 (after 15th victory)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on October 22nd, 1940 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 (150th Luftwaffe award) after achieving his 20th aerial victory during the Battle of Britain. Key actions included intense dogfights over southern England where he flew over 130 combat missions in 1940, scoring multiple kills in single sorties such as on September 27th when he claimed several RAF fighters in one engagement, pushing his total to the threshold that demonstrated exceptional leadership and combat skill as a Staffel leader in JG 54 "Grünherz".
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on August 24th, 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 (33rd award) after his 62nd aerial victory on the Eastern Front. This came during the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa where his unit operated from bases in occupied Poland and the Baltic region. On July 4th, 1941 alone he claimed three Soviet aircraft (his 31st to 33rd), contributing to a rapid score buildup amid heavy air combat against VVS forces, with the 62nd victory sealed through aggressive low-level interceptions and escort missions that protected German ground advances.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern on March 12th, 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 54 (8th Swords award) after his 86th aerial victory claimed that same day. As the first pilot in JG 54 to receive the Swords, this recognized his leadership in commanding the Gruppe during the intense winter and spring fighting on the Eastern Front, including multiple multi-kill days that elevated his personal tally while directing successful operations against numerically superior Soviet air formations.
German Cross in Gold June 18th, 1942
Croatian Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir 2nd Class with Swords September 15th, 1942
Front Flying Clasp in Gold with Pennant October 4th, 1942 (earlier version May 19th, 1941)
Wound Badge in Black (for injuries sustained in aerial combat)
Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht five times (July 7th, 1941 for triple victory on July 4th; June 7th and 27th, 1942 for multi-kill days reaching 101-103 and 108-110; March 18th, 1943 for quadruple victory on March 17th reaching 203; October 12th, 1943 posthumous)

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Hans Philipp was born out of wedlock in modest circumstances in Meißen, Saxony, and raised primarily by his mother Alma. He attended local schools including the Pestalozzi-Schule and passed his Abitur at the Franziskaneum in 1935. As a youth he participated in the Hitler Youth gliding program, earning his A and B licenses and leading the local HJ-Fliegerschar. In April 1936 he volunteered for the Luftwaffe and trained as a fighter pilot. His early career included a brief dissatisfaction with routine training that nearly led him to civilian life, but he persisted and joined fighter units. 

During the Polish Campaign he opened his score with a PZL P.24 on September 5th, 1939. In the West he added victories over France and then excelled in the Battle of Britain, becoming Staffelkapitän and earning the Ritterkreuz. Transferred east in 1941, his victories mounted rapidly against the VVS. He reached 100 on March 31st, 1942 (fourth Luftwaffe pilot to do so), 150 on January 14th, 1943, and on March 17th, 1943 claimed four in one day to hit 203, briefly becoming the Luftwaffe's top scorer ahead of Hermann Graf. In April 1943 he took command of JG 1 in the West for Reich defense against growing USAAF daylight raids, a role he found far more stressful than Eastern Front fighting.

On October 8th, 1943, while intercepting a raid on Bremen, his Fw 190 was hit (likely by a P-47 Thunderbolt). He bailed out at low altitude near Wielen/Neuenhaus but his parachute failed to deploy fully from about 50 meters, leading to his death. His body was recovered and returned to Meißen for burial at Trinitatis Cemetery on October 14th, 1943, with full military honors. A letter he wrote days earlier to Hannes Trautloft expressed the psychological toll of facing massed bomber formations: "Against 20 Russians trying to shoot you down, or even 20 Spitfires, it can be exciting, even fun. But to curve in towards 40 Fortresses and all your past sins flash before your eyes."

Unique and interesting facts include that Philipp was one of the earliest Luftwaffe pilots to exceed 200 victories, achieved this milestone while leading from the front as a Gruppen- and later Geschwaderkommodore, and left a final radio call of "Reinhardt, attack!" to his wingman before being hit. He also appeared in propaganda events back home in Meißen to boost morale.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Philipp
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Philipp_(Jagdflieger)
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1132/Philipp-Hans-Jagdgeschwader-54.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/P/PhilippH.htm
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://grokipedia.com/page/hans_philipp
https://aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?q=units
https://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945, Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 2000
Scherzer, Veit: Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945, Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, 2007
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/ (various Luftwaffe ace references)
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html

Hans-Ulrich Rudel's 1,500th Combat Mission

9 October 1943: The jubilant return from the historic combat sortie of III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2) "Immelmann". At left is Oberfeldwebel Erwin Hentschel (1,200th sortie) with bottles of Champagne, while at right is Gruppenführer Hauptmann Hans-Ulrich Rudel (1,500th sortie) with a piglet. At center is Gruppe Adjutant Leutnant Helmut Fickel.

In the late summer and fall of 1943 Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2) "Immelmann" are devotedly trying to help the striking Wehrmacht units in stopping the Soviet troops, which are attacking in an extended line. However, along with their ground army comrades, they have to retreat ever farther west. The Geschwader's consecutive bases are: Karaychev, Bryansk, Kharkov, Dnepro-petrovsk, Barvinovka, Stalino, Pavlovka, Bolshaya Kostromka and eventually Krivoy Rog. October 1943 sees fierce fighting in the arch of the Don. On the 9th Hauptmann Hans-Ulrich Rudel (Gruppenführer III. Gruppe) becomes the first pilot in history to fly a 1,500th combat sortie. Kriegsberichter (War correspondent) Josef "Jupp" Müller-Marein witnessed this action:

"It's Hptm. Rudel's 1,500th sortie. Morning, about 8 o'clock. The air is misty. Clouds are hanging low. Only for off above the horizon can one see a fragment of clear blue sky framed by white curls of clouds — it looks like a tiny banner, an area of a friendly color above the grim ground, where the frontline runs.

Hptm. Rudel has completed 1,499 combat sorties, so this is going to be the 1,500th. Indeed, if this number be the sum of all the dangers, it shall also be that of all the great and daring combat actions. Yes, a number can become a monument — a monument to great victories.

Hptm. Rudel has appeared. The light-grey of the vest which he has put on his suit is contrasting with his sun-burnt face. It is a proportional face of a very manly but at the same time boyish expression. He climbs into his machine with a sportsman's skill. But later, after he has taken off at the head of his Gruppe, there is occasion to look upon him as an airman: Hauptmann Rudel operates the controls with such ease and feel that one may forget about the heavy bombs carried under the fuselage. From time to time he takes the map and scans it. Sometimes he thoughtfully raises his hand against the forehead to scrutinize the sky in search for enemy fighters. At times, he points his index finger up as if in order to admonish himself or his comrades. Turned in the opposite direction is his radio-operator sitting behind his back, with whom he has been flying for quite some time — they are inseparable like brothers. The Radio-operator, who's flying his 1,200th combat sortie on this mission, is constantly looking into the distance from behind the handle of his machine gun. A farm boy from the heart of Saxony, he remains cold-blooded. Now he's an Oberfeldwebel, but he remembers how it was when instead of flying over trenched fields of crops he slowly and meditatively followed the plough.

How beautiful and powerful the impression is also today, in this misty sky, of the speeding aircraft of our dive-bomber Gruppe! Their bodies with bent wings, clearly outlined against the grey cloud cover, look like armed, dangerous hornets. And over there, where the light-blue fragment of the sky is to be seen, ruins the frontline.

Then sounds a voice indicating the exact target of the raid: enemy troops concentrated at front attacking positions. Yellowish curls of pungent smoke are rising from below — the sign of advanced German positions. Is there no-man's-land here at all? No, right before the German lines are Soviet troops, sticking in the ground and waiting to attack. Gun by gun, tank by tank. Yes, that which is happening below is only a short break before an oncoming strike. The Stukas should hit there.

Attack!' — it is commander Hauptmann's voice, a voice that is so calm on this 1,500" combat sortie as during his first action back in Poland. The dance of the hornets has already begun. Their every turn is just an attempt to break through the net mesh formed by enemy gunfire. And after a while everything follows quickly. The commander is the first to dive. The other aircraft follow him, which looks as if the aircraft were linked with a magnetic tape. The diving and then steeply pulling-up aircraft disappear in the smoke plumes generated by their bombs blowing up. Aircraft cannons and machine guns are dispatching tracers in the direction of the trenches occupied by Soviets, who are cowering under the fire. A Soviet tank is rolling by, seeking shelter among sparse vegetation somewhere aside. The Stukas are circling over the battlefield, repeating low-flying attacks over an over again. This is the 1,500th combat sortie!

Task accomplished, the Gruppe lands on their decent airfield, Hptm. Rude! being first to leave the aircraft, and his face and movements as fresh as before take-off.

The general who commands the Fliegerkorps appears at the airfield. He expresses his congratulations in a few simple words. His comrades bring two squealing pigs to satisfy the superstition. What else can be given to a commander who does not smoke or drink? They bring cakes, pies, flowers. Hptm. Rudel is smiling heartily holding all these gifts in his hands."

Source :
"St.G2 Immelmann" by Marek J. Murawski

1,000th Mission of Georg Jakob

19 June 1944: Generalleutnant Walther Wenck (left, Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Südukraine) and Generaloberst Ferdinand Schörner (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Südukraine) congratulates Major Georg Jakob (Geschwaderkommodore Schlachtgeschwader 10) who has just completed his 1000th Feindflug (combat mission)! For this extraordinary achievement, on 30 September 1944 Jakob was awarded the Eichenlaub for his Ritterkreuz (which he had previously obtained on 27 April 1942). In this photo, Jakob hugs the mascot of SG 10, a pig, with the number "1,000" written on the animal's body.

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/05/album-foto-schnellkampfgeschwader-10.html
https://fotobethge.com/index.php?auswahl=Onlineshop

Ritterkreuzträger with Their Dogs

HEER

Generalleutnant Johann de Boer (5 September 1897 - 14 March 1986).

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LUFTWAFFE


Oberst Gordon Gollob (16 June 1912 – 7 September 1987).

Oberleutnant Fritz Dinger (20 August 1915 – 27 July 1943).

Major Rolf Pingel (1 October 1913 – 4 April 2000).

Oberst Otto Weiß (25 September 1907 - 19 August 1955).

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WAFFEN-SS


SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Dietrich (17 November 1912 - 12 March 1944).



SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Heinz Harmel (29 June 1906 - 2 September 2000.

Source :
https://crainsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=3656
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=93841&hilit=johann+de+Boer

Hermann Graf with Staffelhund

Oberleutnant Hermann Graf (Staffelkapitän 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 52) with the "staffelhund" (squadron's mascot). In the background is a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane.

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/08/album-foto-tokoh-nazi-jerman-dengan_27.html