Wolfgang Lippert (pilot)

Wolfgang Lippert
Born (1914-09-14)14 September 1914
Fraureuth, Kingdom of Saxony
Died 3 December 1941(1941-12-03) (aged 27)
Egypt
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1932/3–1941
Rank Hauptmann
Unit Stab II./JG 27 and 3./JG 53
Battles/wars

Spanish Civil War
World War II

Awards Spanish Cross In Gold with Swords
Ritterkreuz (awarded on 24 September 1940)[1]

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.

Military career

Luftwaffe career

Lippert joined the Luftwaffe and after pilot training, was posted to I./Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". In March 1937 Leutnant Lippert was transferred to I./Jagdgeschwader 53 at Wiesbaden. Lippert gained his first aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War flying with the Condor Legion with 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88. He claimed five victories from mid-1938 until March 1939, receiving the award of the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwerten).

He claimed his first victory of World War II on 30 September 1939, a French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 over Wissembourg. During the Battle of France he destroyed eight Allied aircraft. Hauptmann Lippert was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) on 4 September 1940. During the Battle of Britain, a further seven kills were claimed, including Royal Air Force ace S/L Archie McKellar flying a No. 605 Squadron Hurricane Mk 1, shot down on 1 November 1940. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 September after 13 World War II victories.

In 1941 Lippert participated with II./JG 27 in Operation Barbarossa, scoring four victories against Soviet aircraft. Later that year the unit was transferred to North Africa where he destroyed a further five Allied aircraft.

Death

On 23 November 1941 Lippert was shot down over Allied lines by ace Clive Caldwell of No. 250 Squadron. As Lippert bailed out of his Bf 109, Werk-Nr. 8469, he hit the tailplane. He was hospitalised and his legs were amputated. However his legs were infected by gangrene and he died 10 days later.[2][3]

Wolfgang Lippert was credited with a total of 30 victories, including five victories gained during the Spanish Civil War and four victories over the Eastern Front.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 294.
  2. ↑ Weal 1994, p. 90.
  3. ↑ Weal 1994, p. 72.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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. 
  • Forsyth, Robert (2011). Aces of the Legion Condor. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-347-8. 
  • Holmes, Tony (1998). Hurricane Aces 1939 - 1940. Osprey Publishing. London. ISBN 978-1-85532-597-5.
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Weal, John (2003). Jagdgeschwader 27 'Afrika'. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-538-4.
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