Description:

KNIGHTS CROSS AWARD TO LUFTWAFFE ACE HANS PHILIPP
Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award document issued to the brilliant Luftwaffe ace Hans Philipp, 4pp. 13 1/2" x 17" on parchment with an integral blank front leaf, "Fuhrerhauptquartier" [Berlin], October 22, 1940. The ornately-lettered document is accomplished in India ink and gold with a hand-inked signature of Adolf Hitler at bottom. Produced at the workshop of the brilliant bookbinder and decoration designer Frieda Thiersch. Fine to very fine condition. Sold with a presentation leather folder, which regrettably is in poor condition, with original red leather leather stripped from both front and rear covers, slightly warped with tears in leather joining covers, but string within and vellum interior in surprisingly good condition. Award documents for the Knights Cross are rare, despite the fact that Hitler granted over 7,000 of them. A severe backlog soon developed—and in the end, very few recipients of the award ever received their large award documents (or Gross-Urkunden). HANS PHILIPP (1917 – 8 October 1943) is credited with 206 enemy aircraft shot down in over 500 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 29 claims over the Western Front. The award given here was for valor exhibited in combat during the Battle of Britain. He would receive his Oak Leaves after 62 aerial victories on 24 August 1941 and the Swords to his Knight's Cross on 12 March 1942, his score now at 86. Appointed wing commander of JG 1—1st Fighter Wing conducting Defense of the Reich operations, he was killed in action during an attack on Bremen when he bailed out and his parachute failed to open. At the end of the war, Philipp ranked 12th in total victories out of all Luftwaffe aces.

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February 10, 2015 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

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