Ernst Kupfer

Dr. Ernst Kupfer
Dr. Ernst Kupfer
Born	(1907-07-02)2 July 1907 Coburg
Died	6 November 1943(1943-11-06) (aged 36) 60 km (37 mi) north of Thessaloniki, Greece
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Heer (1928-1939) Luftwaffe (1939-1943)
Years of service	1928-1943
Rank	Oberst
Unit	StG 2
Commands	StG 2
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of Britain Battle of Crete Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (posthumous)

Oberst Dr. Ernst Kupfer (born 2 July 1907 in Coburg – Killed in aircraft accident 6 November 1943, 60 km (37 mi) north of Thessaloniki in the Kerkini mountain range) was a German World War II Luftwaffe Stuka ace. Kupfer flew 636 missions and was shot down three times, all by ground fire.

Kupfer participated in the Battle of Crete and was instrumental in the sinking of the British cruiser HMS Gloucester. While operating against Kronstadt, he scored a 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb hit on the Russian battleship October Revolution.

After being killed in an air accident on 6 November 1943, his body lay undiscovered until 17 November.

Awards

• Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "600"
• Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
• "Kreta" Cuffband
• German Cross in Gold (15 October 1942)
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
• Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 23 November 1941 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 7./StG 2 "Immelmann"
  • 173rd Oak Leaves on 8 January 1943 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./StG 2 "Immelmann"
  • 62nd Swords on 11 April 1944 (posthumous) as Oberst and former Geschwaderkommodore of StG 2 "Immelmann"

References

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (2000). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
• Brütting, Georg (1995). Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 - 1945. Motorbuch, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Griehl, Manfred (2001) Junker Ju 87 Stuka. Airlife Publishing/Motorbuch, London/Stuttgart. ISBN 1-84037-198-6
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939-1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-021-4.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2004). Eichenlaubträger 1940 - 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe II Ihlefeld - Primozic (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-21-1.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Helden der Wehrmacht - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2004. ISBN 3-924309-53-1.

External links

• "Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Ernst Kupfer. Retrieved 10 July 2007.