Huppertz, Herbert.

Huppertz, Herbert, born 03-06-1919 in Rheydt in Rhineland, the same place where Josef Goebbels was born (did you know).  in the Odenkirchenerstrasse 202. Huppertz joined Hermann Göring’s (did you know) Luftwaffe

    in autumn 1937. Herbert was the son of a postal inspector. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe in 1937. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) in 1939. Flying with this wing, Huppertz claimed his first aerial victory on 28-05-1940 on the Western Front during the Dunkirk evacuation. Fighting on the Eastern Front, Huppertz was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 30-8-1941. He was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 12. Staffel (12th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) in January 1942. Over the course of 1942, he also commanded 9. Staffel and 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing), before he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 2 “Richthofen” (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) in November 1942. With JG 2, he commanded 3. Staffel, 10. Staffel and 12. Staffel. In March 1944, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 2. He was killed in action, shot down by a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt on 08-06-1944 during the Operation Overlord. Posthumously, Huppertz was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 24-06-1944.

In autumn 1939, Huppertz was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51. Leutnant Huppertz was assigned to 6./Jagdgeschwader 51, commander Oberst Theodor “Theo” Osterkamp . Theo Osterkamp survived both wars and died age 82 on 02-02-1975 in Baden-Baden.

Hupperz  gained his first victory during the French campaign on 28-05-1940, when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter near Dunkirk. He participated in the Battle of Britain (see Bomber Harris)

  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 33^rd victory on 09-08-1941, he was shot down in Bf 109 F-2. He baled out unhurt. On 25 August, Huppertz claimed his 34^th victory. On 30 August, Leutnant Huppertz was awarded the Ritterkreuz. In September 1941, Huppertz was transferred to the Ergänzungs-Staffel/JG 51, nickname “Mölders”   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 27-01-1942, Huppertz was appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 1, nickname “Oesau” based initially at Brest, then Jever before being sent to Norway. He participated in Operation Donnerkeil, the aerial protection of the German battle cruisers 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 redesigned III./JG 5. Huppertz retained command of 9./JG 5, nickname “Eismeer” . 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, on 15 September at Morgensbeck.   Huppertz was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 2, nickname “Richthofengeschwader”  based on the Channel front on 09-11-1942. 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 60^th victory. In February 1944, Hauptmann Huppertz was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2 succeeding Hauptmann Bruno Stoll

  . Bruno Stolle survived the war and died age 88 on 22-01-2004 in Rheinbach.

Herbert Huppertz was shot down and wounded  in Fw 190 A-7 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 08-06-1944, age 25, shortly after D-Day, Huppertz was shot down and killed in Fw 190 A-8 by US fighters near Cintheaux in the Caen area. He was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub and promoted to the rank of Major. Huppertz is buried on the war cemetery of La Cambe in France. Near his grave are also buried the man responsibly for the massacre of Oradour sur Glane, SS Sturmbannführer  “ Das Reich Division, Adolf Diekmann

  The original village of Oradour was destroyed on 10-06-1944, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a German Waffen SS company “Das Reich”. A new village was built after the war on a nearby site but on the orders of the then French preident, Charles De Gaulle, the original has been maintained as a permanent memorial and museum. Also buried on La Cambe are Panzer Ace SS Hauptsturmführer, Zugführer 13 SS Pz Reg 1 “LSSAH“, Michael Wittmann

  and his crew. Also the Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur der 6^th Infanterie Division , Arnold von Biegeleben,  Generalmajor der Infanterie, Chef der ST Panzergruppe West, Sigismund Edler von Dawans and Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur 326^th Infanterie Division, Victor Drabich Waechter.