Bernhard Jope

Bernhard Jope (10 May 1914 – 31 July 1995) was a German bomber pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. As part of Kampfgeschwader 40 (bomber wing), Jope flew missions across the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean in support of the German navy, damaging in October 1940 the . In 1943, he led Kampfgeschwader 100 in the attacks on the , the British battleship and cruiser , and the US cruiser .

Biography

Bernhard Jope joined the military service of the Luftwaffe on 1 April 1935 after graduating from the ''Königliche Technische Hochschule zu Danzig'' (technical university in Gdańsk- Wrzeszcz) in aircraft construction. Prior to joining the military service he had already almost completed his flight training at the '' Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule'' (German Air Transport School).

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

During his time at Kampfgeschwader 100 (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 Do 217 bombers armed with the Fritz X radio controlled glide bomb and in the ensuing action the 45,000 ton was hit twice and sank. The Roma's sister ship, , was hit by a single Fritz and seriously damaged, but was able to make it to Malta. In later action, Jope and KG 100 scored hits with the Fritz on the British battleship and cruiser , and the US cruiser .

After the war

After the war, Jope worked until his retirement as a pilot for Lufthansa. Jope died on 31 July 1995, in Königstein.

Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (27 September 1939)Kaiser 2010, p. 44. & 1st Class (12 September 1940)
* German Cross in Gold on 5 February 1942 as '' Hauptmann'' in the I./KG 40Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 212.
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross on 30 December 1940 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 2./KG 40Scherzer 2007, p. 423.
** Oak Leaves on 24 March 1944 as ''Major'' and ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of KG 100

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jope, Bernhard
1914 births
1995 deaths
Military personnel from Leipzig
People from the Kingdom of Saxony
Lufthansa people
German World War II bomber pilots
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Condor Legion personnel
Gdańsk University of Technology alumni