Aces of the Luftwaffe - Herbert Huppertz

Herbert Huppertz
Major

Herbert Huppertz was born on 3 June 1919 at Rheydt in Rhineland. He joined the Luftwaffe in autumn 1937. In autumn 1939, Huppertz was posted to JG 51. Leutnant Huppertz was assigned to 6./JG 51. He gained his first victory during the French campaign on 28 May 1940, when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter near Dunkirk. He participated in the Battle of Britain gaining four victories in the aerial battles over England. In spring 1941, Huppertz was transferred to 12./JG 51 operating over the Eastern front. After gaining his 33rd victory on 9 August, he was shot down in Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 8938). He baled out unhurt. On 25 August, Huppertz claimed his 34th victory. On 30 August, Leutnant Huppertz was awarded the Ritterkreuz. In September 1941, Huppertz was transferred to the Ergänzungs-Staffel/JG 51 to undertake instructing duties. He returned to the Eastern front at the end of December. He was assigned to the Gruppenstab of III./JG 51 where he gained a further five victories. On 27 January 1942, Huppertz was appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 1, based initially at Brest, then Jever before being sent to Norway. He participated in Operation Donnerkeil, the aerial protection of the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen on their epic dash through the Channel from Brest. He claimed an RAF Spitfire fighter shot down on 12 February during this operation. In March, IV./JG 1 was redesignated III./JG 5. Huppertz retained command of 9./JG 5. On 2 April, he claimed a RAF Mosquito twin-engine bomber shot down off the Norwegian coast. He was injured in a forced landing of Fw 190 A-2 (W.Nr. 2208) on 15 September at Morgensbeck. Huppertz was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 2 based on the Channel front on 9 November 1942. His stay with the unit was short as he was transferred to take command 10./JG 2 shortly afterwards. On 30 December, Huppertz recorded his 60th victory. In February 1944, Hauptmann Huppertz was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2. He was shot down and wounded in Fw 190 A-7 (W.Nr. 340 275) on 22 February in aerial combat with USAAF four-engine bombers. On the first day of the Allied invasion in Normandy, Huppertz claimed five victories over Allied fighters shot down (73-77). On 8 June 1944, Huppertz was shot down and killed in Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 730 440) by US fighters near Cintheaux in the Caen area. He was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 512) and promoted to the rank of Major.
Herbert Huppertz was credited with at least 78 victories. He recorded 33 victories over the Eastern front. Of the 45 victories recorded over the Western front, 17 were four-engine bombers.

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	28.5.1940	13:08	Spitfire	6./JG 51	NW Dunkirk
2	7.7.1940	21:38	Spitfire	6./JG 51	NW Dungeness
3	25.10.1940	13:30	Hurricane	6./JG 51	Tunbridge Wells
4	29.10.1940	18:05	Spitfire	6./JG 51	20km NW London
5	14.11.1940	16:02	Spitfire	6./JG 51	Thames Estuary
6	11.3.1941	19:25	Hurricane	6./JG 51	25km N Dungeness
7	22.6.1941	16:30	SB-2	12./JG 51
?	24.6.1941	9:30	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	24.6.1941	9:50	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	28.6.1941	16:03	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	29.6.1941	18:20	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	30.6.1941	12:02	R-10	12./JG 51
?	2.7.1941	17:32	I-17	12./JG 51
?	3.7.1941	19:35	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	7.7.1941	17:15	I-16	12./JG 51
?	14.7.1941	12:40	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	14.7.1941	12:45	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	22.7.1941	10:25	I-15	12./JG 51
?	22.7.1941	18:20	I-15	12./JG 51
?	22.7.1941	18:25	I-15	12./JG 51
?	23.7.1941	12:55	Pe-2	12./JG 51
?	23.7.1941	18:20	Pe-2	12./JG 51
?	23.7.1941	18:25	Pe-2	12./JG 51
?	26.7.1941	5:02	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	26.7.1941	8:02	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	26.7.1941	10:02	DB-3	12./JG 51
?	26.7.1941	18:15	Pe-2	12./JG 51
33	9.8.1941	-	E/a	9./JG 51
34	25.8.1941	16:10	I-16	9./JG 51
35	1941/42	-	E/a	III./JG 51
36	1941/42	-	E/a	III./JG 51
37	1941/42	-	E/a	III./JG 51
38	1941/42	-	E/a	III./JG 51
39	1941/42	-	E/a	III./JG 51
40	12.2.1942	-	Spitfire	12./JG 1	Channel
41	2.4.1942	-	Mosquito	9./JG 5	off Norwegian coast
42	15.5.1943	17:10	Spitfire	3./JG 2	7-8km W Bonnieres
43	17.5.1943	10:54	Spitfire	3./JG 2	10km S Caen
44	29.6.1943	16:37	P-38	10./JG 2	St Nazaire / F-5 of USAAF
45	4.7.1943	13:10	B-17	8./JG 2	4881/ 14 West
46	5.7.1943	16:53	Whitley	8./JG 2	59363/14 West
47	3.8.1943	20:30	Typhoon	8./JG 2	14 West N/5947
48	27.8.1943	9:45	Mitchell	8./JG 2	05 Ost S/002
49	30.8.1943	16:12	Mustang	8./JG 2	15 West S/5967
50	31.8.1943	16:49	Spitfire	8./JG 2	15 West S/4074
51	11.9.1943	18:07	Spitfire	8./JG 2	05 Ost S/00483
52	15.9.1943	19:43	B-17	8./JG 2	2km N St. Germain-en-Laye
53	23.9.1943	9:29	B-17	8./JG 2	5846 / 14 West
54	23.9.1943	18:39	B-17	8./JG 2	3973 / 14 West
55	24.9.1943	17:00	Spitfire	8./JG 2	05 Ost S/20378
56	3.10.1943	18:33	Spitfire	12./JG 2	Hécourt
57	14.10.1943	16:00	B-17	12./JG 2	W Pont-a-Mousson / not confirmed?
58	26.11.1943	10:36	Spitfire	11./JG 2	W St. Sauveur
59	1.12.1943	13:15	B-17	11./JG 2	3271 / 05 Ost
60	30.12.1943	11:45	B-24	11./JG 2	206 / 05 Ost
61	30.12.1943	14:43	B-17	11./JG 2	203 / 05 Ost
62	31.12.1943	14:53	B-17	11./JG 2	15 West S/3035
63	7.1.1944	13:04	B-24	11./JG 2	04 Ost N/2977-8
64	7.1.1944	13:17	B-24	11./JG 2	198/04 Ost Nord
65	6.2.1944	10:40	B-17	11./JG 2	QO-8
66	6.2.1944	13:00	P-38	11./JG 2	04 Ost N/BD
67	8.2.1944	10:39	B-17	11./JG 2	05 Ost S/203
68	20.2.1944	15:16	B-17	Stab III./JG 2	12km NW Mons
69	22.2.1944	12:20	B-24	Stab III./JG 2	Helmond-Rosendaal
70	16.3.1944	10:40	B-17	Stab III./JG 2	St. Dizier
71	18.3.1944	14:50	B-17	Stab III./JG 2	SW to W Ulm
72	18.3.1944	15:02	P-51	Stab III./JG 2	SW to W Ulm
73	6.6.1944	12:14	Typhoon	Stab III./JG 2	E Caen
74	6.6.1944	12:15	Typhoon	Stab III./JG 2	E Caen
75	6.6.1944	18:20	Typhoon	Stab III./JG 2	E Caen
76	6.6.1944	20:35	P-51	Stab III./JG 2	3km NW Évreux
77	6.6.1944	20:59	P-47	Stab III./JG 2	10km WNW Evreux
78	7.6.1944	19:07	P-47	Stab III./JG 2	Arromanches / not confirmed?

Victories : 78
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (26 December 1943)
Ritterkreuz (30 August 1941)
Eichenlaub (24 June 1944)
Units : JG 51, JG 1, JG 5, JG 2