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Köppen, Gerhard (Jagdgeschwader 52)

Date of birth:
May 17th, 1918 (Holzendorf/Brandenburg, Germany)
Date of death:
May 5th, 1942 (over the lake of Asowschen, Soviet Union)
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Gerhard Köppen achieved a total of 85 victories in over 380 operational sorties.

Gerhard Köppen was the brother to Eckhardt Köppen, killed in action on 15 January 1945 and posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 15 March 1945

05.05.1942: Leutnant, reported MIA following combat with a Petlyakov Pe-2 while flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 Werknummer 7303 coded "white 4" 10 km north of Ak-Monai / Kam'yans'ke near the Arabat Fortress
Last seen swimming in the Sea of Azov when Soviet boats closed in on him - Feldwebel Alfred Grislawski reported executing a straffing attack on these boats
30.05.1969: officially declared dead by a court in Dillingen

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Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4.Klasse, 4 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 10th, 1940
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer
Awarded on:
November 17th, 1941
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
8. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
December 15th, 1941

Award 2/10.
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 7. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
December 18th, 1941
Awarded after 40 aerial victories.

381st Award.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Awarded on:
February 25th, 1942
Feldwebel Koeppen, pilot in a fighter wing, shot down four opponents yesterday thus achieving his 72nd aerial victory.
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 8. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 52
Awarded on:
February 27th, 1942
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub
Awarded after 72 aerial victories.

79th Award.
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Awarded on:
May 3rd, 1942
Yesterday on the Eastern Front, Leutnant Koeppen achieved his 80th to 84th, Leutnant Graf his 70th to 76th and Feldwebel Steinbatz his 44th to 49th aerial victory.
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Awarded on:
May 6th, 1942
Leutnant Koeppen achieved his 85th aerial victory on the Eastern Front yesterday.
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (Pilot Officer)
Awarded on:
May 9th, 1942
The pilot in a Fighter Wing Leutnant Koeppen, victor in 85 aerial battles and bearer of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, failed to return from a mission against the enemy. With him the Luftwaffe loses one of its most daring and successful fighter pilots.
Wehrmachtbericht

Sources

  • Photo 1: Wilco Vermeer
  • Photo: Wilco Vermeer collection
  • - OBERMAIER, E., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe, Hoffmann, 1989.
    - 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
    - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
    - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
    - Patzwall K.D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Studien zur Geschichte der Auszeichnungen, Band 6, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008, ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3
    - Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945

Photo