Hans Philipp was credited with his first victory on the fifth day of WWII, a Polish PZL P.24 near Radomsko. He continued to score during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, and was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 20OCT40 for 20 victories. He then flew in the Balkan Campaign, where he added two Yugoslavian-flown Bf 109’s to his total.
JG 54 was re-equipped with the improved Bf 109F-2 for Operation Barbarossa. Philipp continued to score steadily against the Soviets, who were overmatched in both equipment and in training. In March 1942 he was presented with the Swords and had achieved his 100th victory, the fourth Luftwaffe pilot to do so. A year later he had achieved 200 victories.
Philipp was transferred to the West to command JG 1 in April 1943 to combat the ever-growing streams of American heavy bombers. Like many Luftwaffe fighter pilots, Philipp found the transition from fighting small groups of Soviet tactical aircraft to large formations of American heavy bombers and their escorts difficult. On 08OCT43 he led his Geschwader against a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses escorted by P-47 Thunderbolts. His Fw 190A-6 was hit by defensive fire from a B-17, Philipp bailed out but was too low for his parachute to open and he was killed. Some sources credit LCOL Robert Johnson, an ace with the 56th FG with downing him. Philipp was credited with 206 victories.
The model depicts Philipp’s Bf 109F-2 of 6./JG 54 in Russia, July 1941. RLM 74 / 75 / 76 camo with 70 squiggles on the fuselage sides.
Inch High Guy 