Date of birth:

May 10th, 1914 (Leipzig/Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

July 31st, 1995 (Königstein im Taunus/Hesse, Germany)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Bernard Jope achieved a total of 410 operational sorties.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 29th, 1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 13th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 29th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer, 2. Staffel, I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 40, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

December 30th, 1940

Awarded for his role in sinking the British troop transport “Empress of Britain” as a Fw 200 pilot. He attacked this warship on the 26.10.1944, and hit it with two bombs that heavily damaged the vessel. Due to the damage the liner had to be taken in tow. However in doing so it lost its most crucial advantage, speed, and could thus be sunk two days later by the German submarine U-32. This ship was England’s second largest vessel, and the largest ship sunk during the entirety of WWII.

173rd Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)

Unit:

I. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 40, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

February 5th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major (Squadron Leader)

Unit:

Kommodore, Kampfgeschwader 100, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

March 24th, 1944

Awarded for his successes as a Geschwader commander. His unit’s greatest achievement during this time was the sinking of the Italian battleship “Roma” on the 09.09.1943 using the new “Fritz-X” glide bombs. By the 15.09.1944 Hope had personally sunk/damaged 130000 GRT worth of enemy shipping, including a battleship. Since he took over the Geschwader on the 01.09.1943, his unit had sunk/damaged a total of 300000 GRT worth of shipping, sunk the battleship “Roma”, damaged another 4 battleships, and sunk/destroyed 8 cruisers and 22 destroyers.

431st Award.

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
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  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - URBANKE, AXEL & KAISER, JOCHEN, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger, Luftfahrtverlag-Start, 2011.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001