Oberst Ernst Kupfer Photo IDs

[Ed Taylor]

I am writing a biography on Oberst Dr Ernst Kupfer the Kommodore of St.G.2 Immelmann and in the fall of 1943 he became the first Inspector General of Ground Attack Aircraft on the Eastern Front. I am attempting to identify individuals in a number of photos that I have of him. Also I am interested in obtaining additional information on him or copies of additional photos of him that could be included in the published book. I am initially attaching photos with this post:

(1) Social get together in Crimea in June 1943.

[Ed Taylor]

(2) Return from 300th combat mission. July 1942. Probably Tazinskaya Russia.

[Ed Taylor]

(3) Following his 500th combat mission. October 1942. Karpowka (Stalingrad) Russia.

[Ed Taylor]

(4) After his 600th combat mission. July 2, 1942. In the Crimea, Russia.

[John Toner]

The two on the right in the first photo look like Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke and Walter Dahl.

The slightly out of focus profile at the right side of photo 4 looks like Alwin Boerst.

John

[Ed Taylor]

John:

Thanks for the information. I did know that the one was Wolf-Dietrich Wilke. WAlter Dahl makes sense. He certainly looks like his photo in Obermayer. Both were with JG3 which was located just to the north of Obliwskaja during the attack on Stalingrad in Aug/Sept 1942 where StG2 was based and were flying aircover for StG2. Wilke is wearing his RK, but Dahl is not. He did not receive his until 1944 (EL in 1945). I have half a dozen other photos of this get together, but in all Dahl is in profile. One does show his "Geschwader Udet" arm band. I am attaching a close up of him from one of the other photos.

The man on the far right in Photo 1 is Kupfer's Bordfunker Oberfeldwebel Barnebeck. I think that most in Photo 3 are from StG2. Could the one 3rd from the left be Boerst? In Photo 4 the man seated to the right of Kupfer with the RK and no jacket is Wolfgand Ewald also from JG3. The two women in the picture may be inteeresting. Kupfer was known to have brought some German movie stars to the front to entertain the troops. I don't know if these are two of them of just some local girls. I think that this photo was taken in July 1943 near Kertsch.

[John Toner]

Ed

I think the date for the 600th mission should be 1943 rather than 1942.

The 400th Mission was at Obliwskaya.

Nice photos.

John

[Ed Taylor]

John:

Thanks. It was a typo. I have several photos after his 400th being greeted by Major Paul-Werner Hozzell in August 1942 at Obliwskaja. His 600th took place on July 2, 1943, at Kertsch in the Crimea and coincided with his 36th birthday and a visit by Albert Speer. The next day StG2 flew to Kertsch for Operation Citadel.

Ed

[harmel]

Kupfer

Brill Ed,thanks for posting them.
Kind Regards Harmel

[Ed Taylor]

Here is another picture of Ernst Kupfer with Lt. Gunther Schmid at the right. He later received the RK and was killed during Operation Citadel. Does anyone know who the RK Trager on the left is? He would be from StG2 and probably II.Gruppe.

[John Toner]

Looks like Martin Möbus.

John

[John Toner]

Is the man to (our) left of Kupfer in picture 3 Paul Werner Hozzel? The one to his left looks more like Armin Thiede than Boerst.

John

[Ed Taylor]

John:

I think that you might be right regarding Martin Mobus. The picture looks like it is on return from one of his centenial combat missions. He flew his 400th in Jan 1943 in the steppes southwest of Stalingrad in Jan 1943 (not sure why there is no snow). I am attaching two additional photos. The first is an original from my collection and the second is from Nauroth's book with a caption (Photos 5&6).

In Photo 3: I agree that it is probably Hozzell. He was Kupfer's Kommodore at the time and would logically be seated to his right. It also looks like him. I'm not sure whether it is Boerst or Thiede. They both had the RK at that time and were both either a Staffelkapitan or Kommandeur and were with with St.G.2. The nose looks a bit more like Boerst. Wish I had a frontal view. Most of the others are members of Kupfer's II.Gruppe. Note the Bamberger Reiter crest on the table. Just a note, Kupfer rescued Thiede in June 1942 from behind Russian lines by landing and picking him and his Bordfunker up.

I appreciate the insights. Thanks.

[Ed Taylor]

(8) I should have numbered the next two photos as 7 & 8 not 5 & 6. The one I was planning to post exceeded the allowance. If you have Holgar Nauroth's book StG2 Immelmann it is on p.226. Nauroth's caption says it is Mobius' (Spelling error) 400th with Kupfer and Schmid. He has the same chimney sweep brush as seen in Photo 7.

Instead I will post a second photo taken at a different angle.

[Jos L C]

Very nice pictures..

I'm a bit of a Stuka fan and I think I've a small serie of photo's of Kupfer somewhere..

Jos.