Bernhard Jope

Infobox Military Person
name=Bernhard Jope
lived=birth date|1914|5|10|df=y — death date and age|2001|7|31|1914|5|10|df=y


caption=Bernhard Jope
nickname=
placeofbirth=Leipzig
placeofdeath=Königstein im Taunus
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch= Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1935-1945
rank=Oberstleutnant
commands=KG 40, KG 100
unit=KG 30, KG 40, KG 100
battles=World War II
*Battle of France
*Battle of Britain
awards=Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
laterwork=Lufthansa pilot

Oberstleutnant Bernhard Jope (born 10 May 1914 in Leipzig; died 31 July 1995 in Königstein im Taunus) was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot.

Biography

In support of the Kriegsmarine Jope flew the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 on missions across the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. On 26 October 1940 he spotted the troop transport SS "Empress of Britain II" and severely damaged her with two 250 kg bombs. The Empress of Britain was subsequently sunk by U 32, commanded by Hans Jenisch on 28 October 1940.

During his time at KG 100 Jope led an attack on 9 September 1943 on the Italian battle fleet that was sailing from La Spezia en route to Malta, to surrender to the Allies. Jope led a formation of eleven Dornier 217's armed with the Fritz X radio controlled glide bomb and in the ensuing action the 45,000 ton battleship "Roma" was hit twice and sank. The Roma's sister ship, Italia, was hit by a single Fritz X but was able to make it to Malta. In later action Jope and KG 100 scored hits with the Fritz X on HMS Warspite and HMS Uganda and the USS Savannah.

Awards

* German Cross in Gold (5 February 1942)
* Iron Cross
** 2nd Class (1939)
** 1st Class (1940)
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (31 December 1941)
** 431. Oak Leaves (24 March 1944)

References

* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.

Persondata
NAME=Jope, Bernhard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=German World War II bomber pilot
DATE OF BIRTH=May 10, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH=Leipzig, Germany
DATE OF DEATH=July 31, 2001
PLACE OF DEATH=Königstein im Taunus, Germany