Heinrich Klöpper Explained

Heinrich Klöpper
Birth Date:9 January 1918
Birth Place:Groß Bülten, Kingdom of Prussia
Death Place:Vollenhove, Netherlands
Serviceyears:1939–1943
Rank:Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Commands:7./JG 1
Unit:JG 77, JG 51, JG 2, JG 1
Battles:World War II
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

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 (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) 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 9000abbr=offNaNabbr=off 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 (German: 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 360sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3x in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories
ClaimDateTimeTypeLocationClaimDateTimeTypeLocation
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –
Battle of France — 10 May – 1 June 1940
15 May 1940M.S.406
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –
Action at the Channel and over England — 25 August 1940 – 7 June 1941
15 October 194018:35SpitfireDungeness
– 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
222 June 194116:25SB-3Mivhatki1513 August 194109:58I-18 (MiG-1)20km (10miles) north of Yelnya
324 June 194109:30SB-35km (03miles) south of Siemieczewo1614 August 194115:30I-18 (MiG-1)4km (02miles) southeast of Yelnya
426 June 194110:48DB-3178 September 194105:40I-18 (MiG-1)5km (03miles) south of Snob
530 June 194113:15R-10 (Seversky)10km (10miles) west of Sauditsche189 September 194112:50R-3?15km (09miles) southwest of Krolowetz
611 July 194110:32Pe-2Kraschino199 September 194114:40DB-310km (10miles) west of Kostobobr
711 July 194115:35I-16Koely209 September 194114:55DB-320km (10miles) southeast of Novgorod
816 July 194110:14DB-35km (03miles) east of Gusino216 October 194113:20Pe-215km (09miles) west of Spas-Demensk
926 July 194109:12DB-315km (09miles) east of Kowali226 October 194117:00I-18 (MiG-1)20km (10miles) north of Yukhnov
104 August 194108:30Pe-25km (03miles) south of Alekssino2312 October 194116:05I-18 (MiG-1)15km (09miles) east of Kremensloje
118 August 194105:10Pe-210km (10miles) northeast of Kochany2427 October 194115:20Yak-1?15km (09miles) northeast of Weretja
129 August 194111:20SB-35km (03miles) north of Sacharjoskaja2527 October 194115:23Yak-1?15km (09miles) northeast of Weretja
139 August 194118:20I-1625km (16miles) northwest of Bryansk2629 October 194113:40I-1615km (09miles) southeast of Moshaisk
149 August 194118:55Pe-2southern edge of Dankowo
– 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –
Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
2729 May 194213:25LaGG-315km (09miles) south of Batischtschewo555 August 194211:35MiG-318km (11miles) northeast of Zubtsov
284 June 194215:10MiG-320km (10miles) northeast of Batischtschewo569 August 194206:00LaGG-310km (10miles) southeast of Zubtsov
2913 June 194212:35MiG-3579 August 194212:10Hurricane15km (09miles) south-southwest of Zubtsov
305 July 194211:30I-16?10km (10miles) northwest of Bjeloj589 August 194212:12Hurricane15km (09miles) south of Zubtsov
315 July 194211:45I-1615km (09miles) northwest of Bjeloj5 August 1942LaGG-320km (10miles) south of Zubtsov
32♠7 July 194213:30LaGG-35km (03miles) south-southeast of Simnizy5910 August 194207:50LaGG-37km (04miles) south-southeast of Zubtsov
33♠7 July 194213:40LaGG-33km (02miles) west of Simnizy6018 August 194217:00LaGG-37km (04miles) northeast of Wassilijeswkoje
40km (30miles) south-southeast of Gagarin
34♠7 July 194216:55MiG-3eastern edge of Kosjoslk6119 August 194214:25LaGG-318km (11miles) northwest of Rzhev
35♠7 July 194217:10MiG-312km (07miles) northwest of Belew6223 August 194218:00MiG-36km (04miles) southwest of Zubtsov
36♠7 July 194217:16MiG-35km (03miles) east of Belew6323 August 194218:15Il-210km (10miles) east of Rzhev
3711 July 194205:52LaGG-35km (03miles) southwest of Simnizy6424 August 194207:30Il-23km (02miles) southeast of Rzhev
3811 July 194205:53LaGG-32km (01miles) south of Simnizy6524 August 194212:17P-395km (03miles) east of Zubtsov
3911 July 194205:57LaGG-310km (10miles) southeast of Simnizy6625 August 194206:40LaGG-312km (07miles) northwest of Rzhev
4011 July 194219:45LaGG-325km (16miles) north-northwest of Zhizdra6728 October 194214:20MiG-325km (16miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
4113 July 194216:02MiG-325km (16miles) west of Suchinitschi6828 October 194215:03Yak-15km (03miles) northeast of Uswjaty
4227 July 194206:00LaGG-31km (01miles) east of Mozhaysk6929 October 194215:15MiG-325km (16miles) east of Vitebsk
southeast of Vitebsk
431 August 194211:07LaGG-314km (09miles) northwest of Rzhev7029 October 194215:20MiG-325km (16miles) southeast of Surazh
southeast of Surazh
441 August 194211:15Il-220km (10miles) southeast of Rzhev7130 October 194210:15MiG-325km (16miles) southeast of Vitebsk
southeast of Vitebsk
451 August 194211:21?U-220km (10miles) south of Rzhev7230 October 194210:20MiG-328km (17miles) southeast of Vitebsk
southeast of Vitebsk
462 August 194214:45MiG-310km (10miles) northwest of Rzhev7330 October 194210:33?MiG-38km (05miles) northeast of Surazh
northeast of Surazh
473 August 194209:20LaGG-310km (10miles) northeast of Rzhev747 November 194212:20MiG-325km (16miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
25km (16miles) west-southwest of Staraya Toropa
483 August 194210:00MiG-315km (09miles) northwest of Rzhev75♠9 November 194207:32Pe-235km (22miles) northeast of Welish
15km (09miles) northeast of Maklok
49♠4 August 194205:20Pe-215km (09miles) northeast of Zubtsov76♠9 November 194207:41MiG-327km (17miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
30km (20miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
50♠4 August 194205:25Il-215km (09miles) east of Zubtsov77♠9 November 194207:43MiG-339km (24miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
40km (30miles) west-southwest of Staraya Toropa
51♠4 August 194205:27Il-218km (11miles) southeast of Zubtsov78♠9 November 194207:45?MiG-320km (10miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
15km (09miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
52♠4 August 194215:25MiG-318km (11miles) east of Zubtsov79♠9 November 194208:10MiG-340km (30miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
40km (30miles) west-southwest of Staraya Toropa
53♠4 August 194218:35Il-27km (04miles) southeast of Zubtsov8011 November 194212:16MiG-330km (20miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
545 August 194211:30MiG-315km (09miles) east of Zubtsov8111 November 194212:18MiG-311km (07miles) southwest of Staraya Toropa
25km (16miles) west-southwest of Staraya Toropa
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –
Western Front — 1 January – April 1943
82?17 January 194315:32SpitfirePQ 05 Ost 00218413 March 1943?15:30Spitfire30km (20miles) west of Baie de Somme
50km (30miles) northwest of Abbeville
8310 February 194311:21SpitfireOrne estuary8528 March 194312:31Spitfiresouth of Beachy Head
100km (100miles) 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.
8710 October 194315:19B-1722km (14miles) 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.
893 November 194313:10B-17Mellum9126 November 194313:10B-24PQ 05 Ost S/DN-4
vicinity of Hasselt
905 November 194313:54B-17PQ 05 Ost S/KH-1
vicinity of Haamstede
9229 November 194314:15P-38PQ 05 Ost S/FN-4/5

Awards

References

Bibliography