Hermann-Friedrich Joppien

Hermann-Friedrich Joppien (19 July 1912 – 25 August 1941) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace who claimed 70 enemy aircraft shot down in roughly 270 combat missions. He claimed 42 victories over the Western Front, of which 23 were Supermarine Spitfires, the remaining victories were recorded over the Eastern Front.

Hermann-Friedrich Joppien
Joppien in France, 1940
Born(1912-07-19)19 July 1912
Bochum
Died25 August 1941(1941-08-25) (aged 29)
near Yelnya, southwest of Bryansk
Allegiance Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Reichsheer (1931–35)
 Luftwaffe (1935–41)
Years of service1931–41
RankHauptmann (Captain)
UnitJG 51
Commands held1./JG 51, I./JG 51
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Born in Bochum, Joppien volunteered for military service, at first with the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic and later with the Luftwaffe of Nazy Germany. He was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) in 1939 and fought in the Battle of France and Britain on the Western Front. In October 1940 he was given command of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 51. On account of his 40th aerial victory claimed, he was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. It was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Joppien.[Note 1] Fighting on the Eastern Front, he was killed in action with Soviet fighters on 25 August 1941.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. On 23 November 1939, on the Western Front, Joppien claimed his first victory, an Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 of GC III/7, piloted by Sergent (Sergeant) Guillaume who crash landed at Heillecourt where the aircraft completely burned out. During the encounter, his Messerschmitt Bf 109 was damaged by enemy fire resulting in undercarriage failure on landing. His aircraft overturned, fortunately for Joppien, he escaped unhurt.[2]

Battle of France and Britain

The Battle of France, the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, began on 10 May 1940. During this campaign, Joppien was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) on 10 June 1940.[3] By 25 June 1940, the date which marked the end of the French campaign, he claimed three further victories, which brought his total to four aerial victories. On 6 August 1940 Joppien became Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of JG 51.[4]

He accumulated further victories against the RAF and on account of his 40th victory achieved on 21 April was honorably mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht propaganda radio report, the first of three such mentions, on 22 April.[5]

Operation Barbarossa and death

In June 1941, JG 51 and the majority of the Luftwaffe were transferred to the Eastern Front in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. There, on 30 June 1941, he shot down five Soviet bombers near Bobruysk in eastern Belarus, his aerial victories 47–51. This "ace-in-a-day" achievement earned him his second mention in the Wehrmachtbericht on 1 July 1941.[5] On 5 July 1941, he was wounded following his 58th victory claimed and spent several weeks in convalescence.[4]

On 25 August 1941, Joppien and his wingman, Leutnant Erwin Fleig, engaged in combat with Soviet fighters and bombers near Yelnya, Bryansk Oblast, a village in Krasnovichsky Selsoviet of Unechsky District of Bryansk Oblast, 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Bryansk. In the subsequent action Joppien was shot down and killed in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 9670—factory number) "Black" by a Soviet Polikarpov I-16 fighter.[4][6] Fleig later gave to protocol that he and Joppien had attacked three Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers, escorted by three I-16 fighter aircraft, at an altitude of 600–700 meters (2,000–2,300 feet). Fleig saw that Joppien had attacked a Pe-2 bomber, which trailing smoke, was going down. Fleig then observed Joppien's Bf 109 making a sharp right turn and crashed into the ground. By this date, Joppien had shot down 70 enemy aircraft claimed in roughly 270 combat missions. The Wehrmachtbericht announced his death on 29 August 1941.[7]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 59 confirmed aerial victory claims, plus eleven further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 32 aerial victories on the Western Front and 27 on the Eastern Front.[8]

Awards

Notes
  1. Until late September 1941, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves was second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign, in the military order of Nazi Germany. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves as highest military order was surpassed on 28 September 1941 by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern).[1]
  2. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Bristol Blenheim.[9]
  3. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Hawker Hurricane.[9]
  4. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 20:08.[9]
  5. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at Kenley.[9]
  6. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 12:30.[9]
  7. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Ilyushin Il-2.[21]
  8. According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 51.[23] According to Von Seemen as Staffelkapitän in the I./Jagdgeschwader 51.[24]

References

Citations
  1. Williamson & Bujeiro 2004, pp. 3, 7.
  2. Shores, Foreman & Ehrengardt 1992, p. 116.
  3. Stockert 1996, p. 97.
  4. Obermaier 1989, p. 45.
  5. Aders & Held 1993, p. 271.
  6. Weal 2006, pp. 67–68.
  7. Aders & Held 1993, p. 272.
  8. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 588–589.
  9. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 588.
  10. Prien et al. 2001, p. 276.
  11. Prien et al. 2000, p. 274.
  12. Prien et al. 2002, p. 33.
  13. Prien et al. 2002, p. 34.
  14. Prien et al. 2002, p. 35.
  15. Prien et al. 2002, p. 38.
  16. Prien et al. 2003, p. 248.
  17. Prien et al. 2003, p. 250.
  18. Prien et al. 2003, p. 251.
  19. Prien et al. 2003, p. 252.
  20. Prien et al. 2003, p. 253.
  21. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 589.
  22. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 245.
  23. Scherzer 2007, p. 423.
  24. Von Seemen 1976, p. 182.
  25. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 54.
  26. Von Seemen 1976, p. 25.
  27. Aders & Held 1993, pp. 271–272.

Bibliography
  • Aders, Gebhard; Held, Werner (1993). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente [Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle - Reports - Experiences - Documents] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-01045-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Matthews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001). 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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