Wolfgang Lippert (pilot)

Infobox Military Person
name=Wolfgang Lippert
born=birth date|1914|9|14|df=y
died=death date and age|1941|12|3|1914|9|14|df=y
placeofbirth=Sachsen, Germany
placeofdeath=Egypt


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=
serviceyears=1932/3–1941
rank=Hauptmann
commands=
unit= Stab II./JG 27 and 3./JG 53
battles=Spanish Civil War
World War II
*Battle of France
*Battle of Britain
*Operation Barbarossa
*North African Campaign
awards= "Ritterkreuz" (awarded on 24 September 1940) [Fellgiebel 2000, p. 294.]
laterwork=

Wolfgang Lippet was a World War Two Luftwaffe Flying ace. Lippert was credited with 29 victories, five of which were scored in the Spanish Civil War.

Military Career

Luftwaffe Career

During the Spanish Civil War Lippert was part of a group of German pilots than joined the Condor Legion. The war gave the pilots valuable combat experience.

During the Battle of France he destroyed eight aircraft Allied aircraft, (a 9th was scored against a French bomber in 1939, during the Phoney War period). During the Battle of Britain a further seven kills were added, including the RAF ace Archie McKellar, who Lippert shot down on 2 November 1940. McKellar was killed in the engagement. [Holmes 1998, p. 106.]

In 1941 Lippert participated in Operation Barbarossa scoring four victories against Soviet aircraft. Later than year he was transferred to North Africa where he destroyed a further five RAF aircraft.

Death

On the 23 November 1941 Lippert was shot down by Clive Caldwell over Allied lines. As Lippert bailed out of his Bf 109, "Werk-Nr. 8469", he hit the tailplane. He was hospitalised, and his legs amputated. However his legs were infected by gangerene and he died 10 days later. [Weal 1994, p. 90.] [Weal 1994, p. 72.]

References

Citations

* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Holmes, Tony. "Hurricane Aces 1939 - 1940". Osprey Publishing. London. 1998. ISBN 978-1-85532-597-5.
* Weal, John. "Jagdgeschwader 27 'Afrika"'. London: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-841765-38-4.