Wolfgang Lippert

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.

Early of life and career Lippert was born on 14 September 1911 in Fraureuth of the Kingdom of Saxony within the German Empire. He joined the Luftwaffe and after pilot training, was posted to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". Lippert gained his first aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War flying with the Condor Legion with 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88. He claimed his first aerial victory on 15 July 1938 when he shot down a Polikarpov I-15 fighter. In total, he claimed five victories from mid-1938 until March 1939. For his service in Spain, he received the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords on 14 April 1939.

Following his return from Spain, Lippert was posted I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 133 (JG 133—133rd Fighter Wing) based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim Airfield. On 1 May 1939, the Gruppe was renamed and became the I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). That day, Lippert was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Hauptmann Lothar von Janson who was transferred.

World War II World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. At the time, JG 53 was tasked with patrolling Germany's western border between Trier and Saarbrücken in what would be dubbed the "Phoney War" period of World War II. The Gruppe moved to an airfield at Kirchberg on 26 September. Four days later, Lippert claimed his first victory of World War II on 30 September 1939, a French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighter. In December, I. Gruppe relocated to Darmstadt-Griesheim Airfield. Lippert claimed his second aerial victory on 7 April 1940, a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire. During the Battle of France he claimed six further Allied aircraft shot down.

On 16 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe flew 399 bomber and 1,314 fighter sorties over Britain. That day, I. Gruppe participated on two missions to England, at 13:30 and 17:20. During the second mission, Lippert claimed a Spitfire shot down.

Group commander

On 4 September 1940, Hauptmann Lippert was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). He thus succeeded Oberleutnant Ernst Düllberg who had temporarily replaced Hauptmann Werner Andres after his transfer. In consequence, command of 3. Staffel of JG 53 was given to Oberleutnant Julius Haase. On 7 September, II. Gruppe participated in Operation "Loge", 350 bombers escorted by 648 fighters, attacked various targets in the greater London area. The Gruppe protected those bombers returning from the docks in the East End of London. On this mission, Lippert claimed a Spitfire shot down at 19:05 near London, his first claim with JG 27.

On 24 September, II. Gruppe moved to Saint-Inglevert Airfield located northeast of Boulogne-sur-Mer near the English Channel. That day, Lippert was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 13 World War II victories. Together with Oberleutnant Hans "Assi" Hahn, the presentation was made by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, at his residence Carinhall. On 1 November, he shot down RAF ace S/L Archie McKellar flying a No. 605 Squadron Hurricane Mk.I.

War against the Soviet Union In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, II. Gruppe was moved to a makeshift airfield name Praszniki, located northeast of Suwałki close to the Curzon Line, on 18 June. On 22 June, the first day of the invasion, Lippert claimed a Soviet I-15 fighter shot down south of Knyszyn, and an I-17 fighter, an early Luftwaffe war designation for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1, northeast of Wizna. On 25 June, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Vilnius. That day, Lippert claimed a Tupolev SB bomber north of Nemenčinė and an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber southwest of Vilnius. On 1 July, II. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations, all serviceable aircraft were transferred to III. Gruppe of JG 27 and the personnel was ordered to return to Suwałki, awaiting further orders.

North Africa and death Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, II. Gruppe arrived at Döberitz, located approximately west of Staaken, on 24 July. Here, the Gruppe was equipped with the Bf 109 F-4 and prepared for combat in North Africa to support a German contingent, the Deutsche Afrika Korps under the command of Erwin Rommel. On 29 September, the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) under command of Lippert began the relocation to Ayn al-Ġazāla where they were subordinated to the Fliegerführer Afrika, Generalmajor Stefan Fröhlich. Lipper claimed his first aerial victory in the North African theatre on 23 October. Lippert led a flight of six Bf 109s on a mission which intercepted a flight of Hurricane fighters of the South African Air Force (SAAF) 1 Squadron which lost two Hurricanes, one of which claimed by Lippert in the area south of Buq Buq.

On 23 November, five days after British forces had launched Operation Crusader, Lippert was shot down over Allied lines near Bir el Gubi, probably by Flight Lieutenant Clive Caldwell of No. 250 Squadron. As Lippert bailed out of his Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 8469—factory number), he hit the tailplane. He was hospitalised in Cairo and his legs were amputated. However, his legs were infected by gangrene and he died on 3 December. He is buried at the Fayid War Cemetery (Plot 29, Row D, Grave 22). In consequence, command of II. Gruppe was temporarily given to Oberleutnant Gustav Rödel before Hauptmann Erich Gerlitz took command on 25 December.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 29 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes five claims during the Spanish Civil War, three on the Eastern Front and further 21 over the Western Allies of World War II.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location Spanish Civil War – 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –Spanish Civil War — July – December 1938 1 15 July 1938 I-15 4 4 October 1938 I-16 2 23 July 1938 I-16 5 29 December 1938 I-15 3 14 August 1938 I-16 World War II – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –"Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1940 1 30 September 1939 14:45 M.S.406 Büdingen 2 7 April 1940 12:50 Spitfire southwest of Diedenhofen – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 3 10 May 1940 13:55 Curtiss southwest of Metz 6 20 May 1940 18:35 Curtiss Noyon 4 14 May 1940 19:30 Wellington Sedan 7 3 June 1940 14:20 Spitfire south of Paris 5 15 May 1940 16:13 MB.151 south of Charleville 8 9 June 1940 14:50 Curtiss Boult – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 3 September 1940 9 16 August 1940 18:00 Spitfire 11 2 September 1940 08:55 Hurricane 10 26 August 1940 17:35 Spitfire Portsmouth – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –At the Channel and over England — 4 September – 5 November 1940 12 7 September 1940 19:05 Spitfire London 15 25 October 1940 13:06 Hurricane London 13 17 September 1940 16:48 Hurricane Maidstone 16 1 November 1940 09:15 Hurricane Canterbury 14 25 October 1940 13:05 Hurricane London – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –Operation Barbarossa – 22 June – 19 July 1941 17 22 June 1941 04:15 I-15 south of Knyszyn 19? 25 June 1941 SB-3 north of Nemenčinė 18 22 June 1941 04:18 I-17 (MiG-1) northeast of Wizna 20 25 June 1941 12:15 DB-3 southwest of Vilnius – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –In North Africa — 22 September – 23 November 1941 21 23 October 1941 09:30 Hurricane south of Buq Buq 24 22 November 1941 16:45 Wellington northwest of Bir Hacheim 22 22 November 1941 10:20 P-40 southeast of Ain el Gazala airfield 25 23 November 1941 12:25 Hurricane east of Bir Hacheim 23 22 November 1941 16:30 P-40 northwest of Bir Hacheim

Awards Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (14 April 1939) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 September 1940 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 27