Wilhelm Philipp

Wilhelm Philipp (31 January 1916 – 10 January 1986) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career Wilhelm Philipp was credited with 81 aerial victories in 500+ missions.

Wilhelm Philipp
Born31 January 1916
Böhla, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Died10 January 1986(1986-01-10) (aged 69)
Duisburg
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1945
RankOberfeldwebel (staff sergeant)
UnitJG 26
JG 54
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Philipp was born on 31 January 1916 in Böhla, present-day part of Priestewitz, at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony, part of the German Empire.[1]

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 31 October 1939, Unteroffizier Philipp joined Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing), which had been named after Albert Leo Schlageter on 1 May 1939.[2] On 27 May 1940 during the Battle of Dunkirk, II. Gruppe reported combat with Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire fighters over Ostend. This encounter is not matched with British records. However, the combat may have been with Hawker Hurricane fighters from No. 17 and No. 605 Squadron. That day at 17:30, Philipp claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down over Ostend.[3]

On 7 June 1940, Philipp was forced to bail out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 following combat with Hurricane fighters near Dieppe.[4]

At the Channel and over England

On 17 August 1942, his Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-3 (Werknummer 5405—factory number) suffered engine fire resulting in an emergency landing at Ligescourt.[5]

During the Dieppe Raid on 19 August, on II. Gruppe's second combat air patrol of the day, at 08:37, Philipp was credited with the destruction of a Spitfire southwest of Dieppe, the aircraft coming from either the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 31st Fighter Group or the RAF No. 350 Squadron.[6] At 17:32, a 4. Staffel Schwarm (flight) intercepted withdrawing Allied aircraft. In this encounter, Philipp claimed a Spitfire fighter west of Dieppe for his 20th aerial victory.[7] For his achievements to date, Philipp was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 24 August.[1]

In November 1942, Philipp was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) which was fighting on the Eastern Front.[8]

War against the Soviet Union

Philipp claimed his first aerial victory on the Eastern Front on 15 January 1943. He had been assigned to 3. Staffel of JG 54 which at the time was commanded by Hauptmann Gerhard Koall. The Staffel was subordinated to I. Gruppe of JG 54 headed by Hauptmann Hans Philipp and was based at Krasnogvardeysk, present-day Gatchina. The Gruppe supported German forces of Army Group North fighting against the Soviet Operation Iskra which aimed to break the Wehrmacht's siege of Leningrad. On 15 January, Philipp was credited with shooting down a Lavochkin La-5 fighter.[9]

On 22 February, his Fw 190 A-4 suffered engine failure resulting in a forced landing at Krasnogvardeysk.[10] On 7 September, Philipp was wounded in combat when his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 550501—factory number) was shot up by Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters resulting in an emergency landing.[11]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Philipp was credited with 81 aerial victories claimed in over 500 combat missions. Of his 81 aerial victories, 22 were claimed during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, 55 on the Eastern Front, and four on the Western Front.[12] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed at least 79 claims. This figure includes 54 claims on the Eastern Front, and over 24 claims on the Western Front.[13]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10243". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) 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 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[14]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Caldwell, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[15]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1 27 May 1940 17:30 Spitfire Ostend[16] 3 29 May 1940 18:45 Spitfire Dover[16]
2 28 May 1940 12:30 Spitfire east-southeast of Dover[16]
English Channel		 4 7 June 1940 19:30 Hurricane east of Dieppe[17]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[15]
Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941
5 16 August 1940 14:06?[Note 1] Spitfire Dover[18]
west of Dover		 7 8 November 1940 17:40 Spitfire Tonbridge[19]
6 22 August 1940 20:05 Spitfire Dover[18]
north-northeast of Dover		 8 5 February 1941 14:15 Spitfire Neufchâtel[19]
– 2. Ergänzungsjagdgruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[15]
Western Front — 22 June – 31 December 1941
9 12 August 1941
—
 Blenheim[20] 10 12 August 1941
—
 Blenheim[20]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[21]
On the Western Front — 1 January – November 1942
11 9 March 1942 16:45 Spitfire Boulogne-sur-Mer[22] 17 31 July 1942 15:13 Spitfire west of Berck[23]
12 17 May 1942 11:37 Spitfire 3 km (1.9 mi) northeast of Calais[24] 18 17 August 1942 19:06 Spitfire west of Dieppe[23]
13 2 June 1942 11:05 Spitfire middle of the English Channel, west of Berck[24]
Bay du Somme, Berck-sur-Mer		 19 19 August 1942 08:37 Spitfire southwest of Dieppe[23]
14 8 June 1942 13:58 Spitfire west-northwest of Dunkirk[24] 20 19 August 1942 17:32 Spitfire west of Dieppe[23]
15 13 July 1942 15:10 Spitfire middle of the English Channel[24] 21 24 August 1942 17:35 Spitfire northwest of Fécamp[23]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Fécamp
16 26 July 1942 13:47 Spitfire off the English Coast[24] 22 29 August 1942 12:53 Mosquito southeast of Hastings[25]
15–20 km (9.3–12.4 mi) southeast of Hastings
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[26]
Eastern Front — November 1942 – 3 February 1943
23 15 January 1943 09:37 La-5 PQ 10243[27]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg		 26 23 January 1943 14:10 Il-2 PQ 00234[28]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Shlisselburg
24 15 January 1943 12:40 Yak-4 PQ 00282[27]
20 km (12 mi) west of Mga		 27 24 January 1943 09:15 MiG-3 PQ 00264[28]
25 23 January 1943 13:51 Il-2 PQ 10151[28]
southeast of Shlisselburg		 28 24 January 1943 09:40 Yak-1 PQ 10183[28]
east of Mga
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[26]
Eastern Front — 4 February – 7 September 1943
29 10 February 1943 12:41 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00412[29]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Pushkin		 46 23 August 1943 07:39 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 40292[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg
30 10 February 1943 15:14 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 00414[29]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Pushkin		 47 25 August 1943 05:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 41691[30]
31 14 February 1943 15:10?[Note 2] Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00254[29]
Pushkin-Mga		 48 26 August 1943 18:20 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51741[30]
20 km (12 mi) southeast of Okhtyrka
32 14 February 1943 15:14 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00283[29]
20 km (12 mi) west of Mga		 49 28 August 1943 11:36 Boston PQ 35 Ost 43674[30]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Sevsk
33 19 February 1943 07:55 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10414[29]
40 km (25 mi) northeast of Lyuban		 50 29 August 1943 06:43 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 43681[30]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Sevsk
34 19 February 1943 07:58 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 10533[29]
10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Lyuban		 51 1 September 1943 18:08 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 25454[31]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Yelnya
35 21 February 1943 11:45 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10473[32]
25 km (16 mi) northeast of Lyuban		 52 1 September 1943 18:10 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 25424[31]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Yelnya
36 21 February 1943 11:47 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10442[32]
30 km (19 mi) southeast of Mga		 53 1 September 1943 18:12 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 25424[31]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Yelnya
37 23 February 1943 10:02?[Note 3] Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10144[32]
south of Shlisselburg		 54 1 September 1943 18:14 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 25452[31]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Yelnya
38 23 February 1943 10:05 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10142[32]
south of Shlisselburg		 55 2 September 1943 17:20 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 25732[31]
20 km (12 mi) south of Schatalowka
39 7 March 1943 11:13?[Note 4] Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 18382[33]
45 km (28 mi) north of Kholm		 56 4 September 1943 06:40 Boston northeast of Roslavl[31]
40 15 March 1943 09:23 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 19734[33]
20 km (12 mi) north of Staraya Russa		 57 4 September 1943 10:55 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 26674[31]
25 km (16 mi) northeast of Moschna
41 15 March 1943 09:24 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 19734[33]
Lake Ilmen		 58 5 September 1943 11:18 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 25463[31]
20 km (12 mi) west of Yelnya
42 15 March 1943 09:29 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 19683[33]
30 km (19 mi) southeast of Novgorod		 59 5 September 1943 11:20 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 35341[31]
5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Yelnya
43?[Note 5] 15 March 1943 16:13 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 18252[33] 60 5 September 1943 11:21 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 25462[31]
20 km (12 mi) west of Yelnya
44 20 March 1943 09:07 MiG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00442[34]
10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Slutsk		 61 6 September 1943 14:03 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 26653[31]
40 km (25 mi) north of Yartsevo
45 20 March 1943 09:10 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 00274[34]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Pushkin

Awards

Notes
  1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:00.[15]
  2. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:11.[26]
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 10:03.[26]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 11:03.[26]
  5. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[26]
  6. According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 54.[38]

References

Citations
  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 179.
  2. Caldwell 1996, pp. 6, 13.
  3. Caldwell 1996, pp. 30–31.
  4. Prien et al. 2000, p. 220.
  5. Prien et al. 2004, p. 378.
  6. Caldwell 1996, pp. 269–271, 278.
  7. Caldwell 1996, pp. 276, 279.
  8. Caldwell 1996, p. 301.
  9. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 77, 81, 98.
  10. Prien et al. 2012, p. 189.
  11. Prien et al. 2012, p. 193.
  12. Spick 1996, p. 236.
  13. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 964–966.
  14. Planquadrat.
  15. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 964.
  16. Prien et al. 2000, p. 218.
  17. Prien et al. 2000, p. 219.
  18. Prien et al. 2002, p. 310.
  19. Prien et al. 2002, p. 312.
  20. Prien et al. 2003, p. 562.
  21. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 964–965.
  22. Prien et al. 2004, p. 371.
  23. Prien et al. 2004, p. 373.
  24. Prien et al. 2004, p. 372.
  25. Prien et al. 2004, p. 375.
  26. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 965.
  27. Prien et al. 2006, p. 98.
  28. Prien et al. 2006, p. 99.
  29. Prien et al. 2012, p. 169.
  30. Prien et al. 2012, p. 182.
  31. Prien et al. 2012, p. 183.
  32. Prien et al. 2012, p. 170.
  33. Prien et al. 2012, p. 171.
  34. Prien et al. 2012, p. 172.
  35. Patzwall 2008, p. 161.
  36. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 350.
  37. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 338.
  38. Scherzer 2007, p. 593.

Bibliography
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  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (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.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
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