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Hans Philipp - Pilot Profile - Hans Philipp

Hans Philipp

Victories : 206
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 8th October 1943

This pilot scored 5 or more victories during the Battle of Britain, 10th July - 31st October 1940.

Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron CrossAwarded Oak Leaves to the Knights CrossAwarded Swords to the Knights Cross
Knights
Cross		Oak LeavesSwords

Oberst Hans Philipp was born 13 March 1917 in Meißen, Saxony, he was killed in action 8 October 1943 near Neuenhaus in the Netherlands, he was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until he was killed in action 8 October 1943 by a P-47 Thunderbolt-pilot. It is believed that he was shot down by Robert S. Johnson. Philipp managed to bail out but his parachute never opened.

As part of I./JG 76 (later to renumber as II./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Philipp first flew operations over Poland and scored his first victory. Serving later during the Battles of France and Britain, Hans Philipp was Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 by the end of 1940.

On November 4, 1940 he was awarded the Knight’s Cross for twenty victories.

During the Balkans campaign in April 1941, JG 54 engaged the Bf 109's of Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo in a massive air battle. Hans Philipp claimed two of the JKRV 109s.

Operation Barbarossa saw Philipp's score begin to escalate. On August 24, 1941, Philipp became the 33rd member recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. Philipp appointed as Kommandeur I./JG 54.

In March 1942, he became the first member of JG 54 to be awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross and on March 31, 1942 Philipp became the fourth Luftwaffe fighter pilot to achieve 100 victories.

In April 1943 Philipp was transferred to Defence of the Reich duties as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 1, flying high altitude interception operations over North Sea and Northern Germany. On 4 October 1943 Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring is said to have issued the following instructions after another attack by Eighth Air Force.

1.There are no meteorological conditions which would prevent fighters from taking off and engaging in combat.
2.Every fighter pilot taking off in a machine not showing any sign of combat, or without having recorded a victory will be prosecuted by a court-martial.
3.In the case of where a pilot uses up his ammunition, or if his weapons are unusable, he should ram the enemy bomber.

Geschwaderkommodore Philipp's response was "As far as I'm concerned, I categorically refuse to allow myself to be held to such advice; I know what I have to do!”

On 8 October 1943, the US Eighth Air Force attacked with 156 bombers on targets in Bremen and Vegesack. The bombers were escorted by 250+ Thunderbolts from six different fighter groups. Phillipp's flight were intercepted by P-47's of the 56th Fighter Group. The Stab Flight of the Geschwader heard Philipp announce a victory over a Thunderbolt. The last transmission from him was, "Reinhardt, attack!" Feldwebel Reinhardt was Philipp's wingman on this day. He last saw the Kommodore's aircraft disappear in a cloud. Reinhardt was wounded after colliding with an enemy aircraft, but made a successful forced landing. Later that evening, the Geschwader learned that their Kommodore had been shot down and killed.

Hans Philipp had claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down, 178 on the Eastern front, 29 against the Western Allies. He flew over 500 sorties.


Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command. These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy. On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck. At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles. The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship. The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape. As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941. Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.		 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940. Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.		 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster. Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks. For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.		 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944. Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine. Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came. He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Hans Philipp

Squadrons for : Hans Philipp
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Hans Philipp. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

JG1


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG1		JG1

German World War II fighter unit or wing which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. The name of the unit derives from Jagd, meaning hunt and Geschwader, meaning wing. First formed in May 1939 in eastern Prussia, I./JG 1 was one of the original groups created by the Luftwaffe as part of its expansion plans.

Between 1940 and 1942, JG 1 operated primarily over the Western Front and northern occupied Europe. During the initial days of the war, JG 1 faced little resistance, apart from occasional Royal Air Force (RAF) excursions. The unit was rarely engaged in large-scale confrontations during this time. From late 1942 onwards it was tasked with defense of the Reich duties. After D-Day, elements of JG 1 were moved to France and were tasked with air support to the army Wehrmacht, along with their air defense role. Operation Bodenplatte severely reduced the strength of JG 1.

Towards the end of the war, the unit was disbanded and its remaining pilots and aircraft were re-organized. What remained of these groups surrendered to Allied forces at the end of the war.

JG 1 was the first unit to attempt 'aerial bombing' techniques against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber formations. It was the only unit to be equipped with the Heinkel He 162 jet fighter.

In 1944 the Oesau suffix was added to the unit's title, after its late Geschwaderkommodore Oberst Walter Oesau (127 kills), who was killed in action. Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed shot down during the war.

JG27


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG27		JG27

Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika was a World War II Luftwaffe Geschwader. It was most famous for service in the North African Campaign, supporting the Deutsches Afrikakorps.

Commanders of IV./JG 27

Hauptmann Rudolf Sinner, June 1943
Oberleutnant Dietrich Boesler (acting), September 1943
Oberleutnant Alfred Burk (acting), October 1943
Hauptmann Joachim Kirschner, 18 October 1943
Hauptmann Otto Meyer, 1 February 1943
Hauptmann Hanns-Heinz Dudeck, July 1944
Hauptmann Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, 2 January 1945

JG54


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG54		JG54

I./JG 54 was initially formed as I./JG 70 near Nuremberg in July 1939, just two short months before hostilities broke out. As was to become tradition within Grunherzgeschwader, the Gruppe took the Nurember coat-of-arms (a veritcally divided shield with a black heraldic bird on the left, and red and white diagonal stripes on the right) to represent the region the unit came from.

On September 15, 1939, I./JG 70 was redesignated I./JG 54

The initial unit designation for II./JG 54 was I./JG 138. This unit was raised in 1938 after the Austrian annexation. Naturally many Austrian nationals were recruited when I./JG 138 was formed. The Aspern coat of arms (black lion's head surmounting a white cross on a red field) was taken by the Gruppe for its identity.

I./JG 138 was briefly designated I./JG 76 before finally becoming II./JG 54 on April 6, 1940.

The III./JG 54 has its roots in Prussia. Initially I./JG 21, the members were drawn from the Jesau region in Prussia. The modified Jesau coat-of-arms (a shield with a Jesau cross with three diving aircraft on a red background, with a white outline on the shield) was adopted as the Gruppe's own.

On July 15, 1939, I./JG 21 was redesignated III./JG 54. However, the bureaucratic nature of the young Luftwaffe was such that it was over a year before records would reflect the new designation. Consequently, III./JG 54 fought in Poland and France as I./JG 21.


Kommodoren of JG 54 :

Major Martin Mettig; 2 Feb 40 to 25 Aug 40.
Oberst Hannes Trautloft; 25 Aug 40 to 5 Jul 43.
Major Hubertus von Bonin; 6 Jul 43 to 15 Dec 43.
Oberstleutnant Anton Mader; 28 Jan 44 to Sep 44.
Oberst Dieter Hrabak; 1 Oct 44 to 8 May 45.

JG76


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG76		JG76

JG76
22.7.44 - 8.44 Rotenburg Bf 109G
8.44 - 28.8.44 Athis (France) Bf 109G
28.8.44 - 10.44 Freiburg Bf 109G Controlling:
II./JG52
10.44 - 11.44 Felsoe-Abrany Bf 109G
11.44 - 1.45 Imely (Hungary) Bf 109G Controlling:
I./JG53, II./JG52, II./JG51 and ung. JGr.101
1.45 - 3.45 Veszprem Bf 109G Controlling:
I./JG53, II./JG52, II./JG51 and ung. JGr.101
3.45 - 4.45 Wien Bf 109G Controlling:
I./JG53, II./JG52, II./JG51 and ung. JGr.101

.Gruppe: 1/JG76

Gruppenkommandeure:
Hptm Wilfried Müller-Rienzburg, 1.5.39 - 1.40
Maj Richard Kraut, 2.40 - 4.7.40
Formed 1.5.39 in Wien-Aspern. On 4.7.40 redesignated II./JG54. Used Bf 109E fighters.

Bases:
5.39 - 8.39 Wien-Aspern
8.39 - 9.10.39 Ottmütz - various forward airfields were used in Poland.
9.10.39 - 2.11.39 Gelnhausen
2.11.39 - ?2.40 Frankfurt/Rhein-Main
2.40 - 5.40 Walldorf, Ober-Olm (there 10.5.40)
5.40 - 21.6.40 used various airfields in the West, including Ghent, Evreux, Vitry-en-Artois, Poiz, Paris-Orly and Orleans
21.6.40 - 4.7.40 Waalhaven and Vlissingen