Hans-Karl Stepp

Hans-Karl Stepp
Hans-Karl Stepp
Born	14 September 1914 Gießen
Died	12 December 2006 (aged 92) Leipzig
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Oberstleutnant
Unit	StG 2
Commands held	StG 2
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Relations	Dietrich Peltz (brother in law)
Other work	Lawyer

Hans-Karl Stepp (2 September 1914 – 12 December 2006) was a German World War II Luftwaffe Stuka ace.^{[Notes 1]} He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Biography

Hans-Karl Stepp was born on 2 September 1914 in Gießen as son to a University professor. Stepp studied eight semesters of law in Tübingen, Breslau and Munich before joining the Luftwaffe as Fahnenjunker in 1936. He fought in the Invasion of Poland and Battle of France with Sturzkampfgeschwader 76. He also served in the Reichsluftwaffenministerium in Berlin.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (1 November 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (15 June 1940)^[1]
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 9 September 1941 as Oberleutnant^[2]
• German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1941 as Oberleutnant in the 7./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 February 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 7./StG 2 "Immelmann"^[4]
  • 462nd Oak Leaves on 25 April 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of SG 2 "Immelmann"^[4]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 25 April 1944

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
25 April 1944	Das Schlachtgeschwader Immelmann hat sich unter Führung seines Kommodore, Ritterkreuzträgers Oberstleutnant Step (sic), an der Ostfront besonders bewährt.[5]	The Immelmann ground attack wing has especially proven itself under the leadership of its Commodore, Knight's Cross recipient Lieutenant Colonel Step, on the Eastern Front.

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 349.
2. Patzwall 2008, p. 199.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 459.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 723.
5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 88.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2005). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe III Radusch – Zwernemann [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color III Radusch – Zwernemann] (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-22-5.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

"Hans-Karl Stepp". Lexikon der Wehrmacht (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2011.