Heinrich Klöpper

Heinrich (Heinz) Klöpper (9 January 1918 – 29 November 1943) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Heinrich Klöpper was credited with 94 victories.

Career Klöpper was born on 9 January 1918 in Größ Bülten, present-day part of Ilsede, at the time in the Province of Hanover within the German Empire.

In 1940 Heinrich (Heinz) Klöpper served with Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing), during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain he recorded his first two victories. On 15 May, elements of 2. Staffel of JG 77 engaged five Armée de l'air Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters west of Dinant. During this encounter, Klöpper claimed a M.S.406 fighter shot down, which was not confirmed, but was himself shot down and had to bail out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E. He landed safely near the advancing German tanks.

On 21 November, I. Gruppe of JG 77 was redesignated and became the IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). In consequence, Klöpper's former 2. Staffel of JG 77 became 11. Staffel of JG 51.

On the first day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, he claimed his first victory on the Eastern Front, when he shot down a Russian SB-3 bomber. On 27 October 1941 he claimed a double Soviet victory, shooting down two LaGG-3 fighters. Another double on 5 July 1942, an Il-2 and an I-16 Rata; and five victories on 7 July 1942. Another five victories on 4 August 1942; a MiG-3, a Pe-2 and three Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.

On 4 September 1942, Klöpper was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 65 aerial victories claimed.

Defense of the Reich In May 1943, Klöpper was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing). He succeeded Hauptmann Günther Specht who was transferred. On the Western Front his 91st victim was a B-17 bomber on 5 November 1943. His 92nd, was a P-38 Lightning fighter on 13 November 1943. His 93rd aerial victory was the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber, "Sack-Time Sally", claimed on 26 November 1943. His 94th and final victory was a P-38 at Hasselt claimed on 29 November 1943.

On 29 November 1943, Klöpper was killed in action following aerial combat with USAAF approximately 20 to 30 Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters of the 55th Fighter Group, supported by few Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. The combat occurred at an altitude of in the area of Groningen, Leeuwarden and Meppel, ending over the Zuiderzee. Following this encounter, Klöpper crashed his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 410 106—factory number) southwest of Meppel after flying through a low cloud cover.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims During his career, he shot down a total of 94 enemy planes in approximately 500 combat missions (18 victories were on the Western Front), of which eight were four engined bombers and seven Il-2 Sturmoviks. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 89 aerial victories, plus further one unconfirmed claim. This figure includes 80 claims on the Eastern Front and nine claims over the Western Allies, including four four-engined heavy bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 05 Ost 0021". The Luftwaffe grid map covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –Battle of France — 10 May – 1 June 1940 15 May 1940 M.S.406 – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –Action at the Channel and over England — 25 August 1940 – 7 June 1941 1 5 October 1940 18:35 Spitfire Dungeness – 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 2 22 June 1941 16:25 SB-3 Mivhatki 15 13 August 1941 09:58 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Yelnya 3 24 June 1941 09:30 SB-3 south of Siemieczewo 16 14 August 1941 15:30 I-18 (MiG-1) southeast of Yelnya 4 26 June 1941 10:48 DB-3 17 8 September 1941 05:40 I-18 (MiG-1) south of Snob 5 30 June 1941 13:15 R-10 (Seversky) west of Sauditsche 18 9 September 1941 12:50 R-3? southwest of Krolowetz 6 11 July 1941 10:32 Pe-2 Kraschino 19 9 September 1941 14:40 DB-3 west of Kostobobr 7 11 July 1941 15:35 I-16 Koely 20 9 September 1941 14:55 DB-3 southeast of Novgorod 8 16 July 1941 10:14 DB-3 east of Gusino 21 6 October 1941 13:20 Pe-2 west of Spas-Demensk 9 26 July 1941 09:12 DB-3 east of Kowali 22 6 October 1941 17:00 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Yukhnov 10 4 August 1941 08:30 Pe-2 south of Alekssino 23 12 October 1941 16:05 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Kremensloje 11 8 August 1941 05:10 Pe-2 northeast of Kochany 24 27 October 1941 15:20 Yak-1? northeast of Weretja 12 9 August 1941 11:20 SB-3 north of Sacharjoskaja 25 27 October 1941 15:23 Yak-1? northeast of Weretja 13 9 August 1941 18:20 I-16 northwest of Bryansk 26 29 October 1941 13:40 I-16 southeast of Moshaisk 14 9 August 1941 18:55 Pe-2 southern edge of Dankowo – 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 27 29 May 1942 13:25 LaGG-3 south of Batischtschewo 55 5 August 1942 11:35 MiG-3 northeast of Zubtsov 28 4 June 1942 15:10 MiG-3 northeast of Batischtschewo 56 9 August 1942 06:00 LaGG-3 southeast of Zubtsov 29 13 June 1942 12:35 MiG-3 57 9 August 1942 12:10 Hurricane south-southwest of Zubtsov 30 5 July 1942 11:30 I-16? northwest of Bjeloj 58 9 August 1942 12:12 Hurricane south of Zubtsov 31 5 July 1942 11:45 I-16 northwest of Bjeloj 5 August 1942 LaGG-3 south of Zubtsov 32♠ 7 July 1942 13:30 LaGG-3 south-southeast of Simnizy 59 10 August 1942 07:50 LaGG-3 south-southeast of Zubtsov 33♠ 7 July 1942 13:40 LaGG-3 west of Simnizy 60 18 August 1942 17:00 LaGG-3 northeast of Wassilijeswkoje south-southeast of Gagarin 34♠ 7 July 1942 16:55 MiG-3 eastern edge of Kosjoslk 61 19 August 1942 14:25 LaGG-3 northwest of Rzhev 35♠ 7 July 1942 17:10 MiG-3 northwest of Belew 62 23 August 1942 18:00 MiG-3 southwest of Zubtsov 36♠ 7 July 1942 17:16 MiG-3 east of Belew 63 23 August 1942 18:15 Il-2 east of Rzhev 37 11 July 1942 05:52 LaGG-3 southwest of Simnizy 64 24 August 1942 07:30 Il-2 southeast of Rzhev 38 11 July 1942 05:53 LaGG-3 south of Simnizy 65 24 August 1942 12:17 P-39 east of Zubtsov 39 11 July 1942 05:57 LaGG-3 southeast of Simnizy 66 25 August 1942 06:40 LaGG-3 northwest of Rzhev 40 11 July 1942 19:45 LaGG-3 north-northwest of Zhizdra 67 28 October 1942 14:20 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa 41 13 July 1942 16:02 MiG-3 west of Suchinitschi 68 28 October 1942 15:03 Yak-1 northeast of Uswjaty 42 27 July 1942 06:00 LaGG-3 east of Mozhaysk 69 29 October 1942 15:15 MiG-3 east of Vitebsksoutheast of Vitebsk 43 1 August 1942 11:07 LaGG-3 northwest of Rzhev 70 29 October 1942 15:20 MiG-3 southeast of Surazhsoutheast of Surazh 44 1 August 1942 11:15 Il-2 southeast of Rzhev 71 30 October 1942 10:15 MiG-3 southeast of Vitebsksoutheast of Vitebsk 45 1 August 1942 11:21? U-2 south of Rzhev 72 30 October 1942 10:20 MiG-3 southeast of Vitebsksoutheast of Vitebsk 46 2 August 1942 14:45 MiG-3 northwest of Rzhev 73 30 October 1942 10:33? MiG-3 northeast of Surazhnortheast of Surazh 47 3 August 1942 09:20 LaGG-3 northeast of Rzhev 74 7 November 1942 12:20 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa west-southwest of Staraya Toropa 48 3 August 1942 10:00 MiG-3 northwest of Rzhev 75♠ 9 November 1942 07:32 Pe-2 northeast of Welish northeast of Maklok 49♠ 4 August 1942 05:20 Pe-2 northeast of Zubtsov 76♠ 9 November 1942 07:41 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa southwest of Staraya Toropa 50♠ 4 August 1942 05:25 Il-2 east of Zubtsov 77♠ 9 November 1942 07:43 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa west-southwest of Staraya Toropa 51♠ 4 August 1942 05:27 Il-2 southeast of Zubtsov 78♠ 9 November 1942 07:45? MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa southwest of Staraya Toropa 52♠ 4 August 1942 15:25 MiG-3 east of Zubtsov 79♠ 9 November 1942 08:10 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa west-southwest of Staraya Toropa 53♠ 4 August 1942 18:35 Il-2 southeast of Zubtsov 80 11 November 1942 12:16 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa 54 5 August 1942 11:30 MiG-3 east of Zubtsov 81 11 November 1942 12:18 MiG-3 southwest of Staraya Toropa west-southwest of Staraya Toropa – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –Western Front — 1 January – April 1943 82? 17 January 1943 15:32 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost 0021 84 13 March 1943? 15:30 Spitfire west of Baie de Somme northwest of Abbeville 83 10 February 1943 11:21 Spitfire Orne estuary 85 28 March 1943 12:31 Spitfire south of Beachy Head northeast of Dieppe – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 –Western Front — May – 29 November 1943 According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Klöpper claimed one undocumented aerial victory in the timeframe 16 August to 30 September 1943. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman. 87 10 October 1943 15:19 B-17 northeast of Münster According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Klöpper claimed one undocumented aerial victory in the timeframe 11 to 31 October 1943. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman. 89 3 November 1943 13:10 B-17 Mellum 91 26 November 1943 13:10 B-24 PQ 05 Ost S/DN-4vicinity of Hasselt 90 5 November 1943 13:54 B-17 PQ 05 Ost S/KH-1vicinity of Haamstede 92 29 November 1943 14:15 P-38 PQ 05 Ost S/FN-4/5

Awards Wound Badge in Black (25 June 1943) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 20 October 1941 as Feldwebel in a Jagdgeschwader German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the VI./Jagdgeschwader 51 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 11./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"