From Gordon this afternoon .....

In Jochen Prien's Jagdverband series there are a number of claims for JGrzbV
that list the claimant as not known, but they agree with this pilot's
claims. Officer Candidate (Uffz.) Heinz Keppler (as Prein has him listed)
was a member of 1./JG 77 which was a component of JGrzbV. This unit later
became part of JG 5. The first 3 claims on the victory stick match the claim
dates for an unknown pilot in Prien's book. Unfortunately I cannot see a
match for the fourth claim - on the stick it is listed as a "Ye-160" which
doesn't match any type I know.

Unteroffizier Heinz Käppler (correct spelling) of 2./JG-5 shot down two
Beauforts on May 17,1942, a Pe-3 on March 30,1943, and a B-24 on November
18,1943, before getting promoted to Leutnant and taking command of 15./JG 5.
In his new unit, he destroyed an Aircobra and a Boston III on September
27,1944, an Aircobra on Oct 12,1944, an Aircobra and a YAK-9 on Oct 16, and
two Aircobras on Oct 22,1944, all victories that match the Victory Stick.

The later claims are difficult to equate, but one Mosquito from 235 Squadron
was shot down on December 26,1944, and one 19 Squadron Mustang III (RAF
P-51D) was lost on March 12,1945 in combat w/ JG-5.

Käppler died on April 5,1945 in a takeoff accident while serving as the
Staffel leader of 15./JG-5. After four years in air combat, he broke a leg,
groundlooped and rolled onto his back, crushing his head under the flattened
canopy.

I turned in the following caption for the stick - graphics was printing it
up, along with a photo I found of him, when I left the museum today.


yf Gordon

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"This is an example of a German fighter pilot's "Victory Stick". These
personalized trophies were more common in WWI but the tradition continued
into WWII. The pilot who created this walking stick was Unteroffizier Heinz
Käppler, who flew the Messerschmitt Bf-109E in Jagdgeschwader 5 (Fighter
Wing 5). He served throughout the war, destroying 23 Allied aircraft which
are recorded by date and type on the walking stick. Although not all of his
claims were verified by the Luftwaffe, he was successful in combat, shooting
down a variety of Russian, British, and American aircraft. In 1943, he was
promoted to Leutnant and took command of 15./JG 5 (15th Squadron of JG 5).
He was killed in a takeoff crash on April 5, 1945, one month before the end
of the war. "

Here are the victories listed on the stick:

Type Country Date
*I-16 (biplane fighter) Russia 28.6.1941
*SB-2 (medium bomber) Russia 15.9.1941
*PE-2 (medium bomber) Russia 23.9.1941
Unknown typ Russia 4.10.1941
*Beaufort (med. bomber) UK 17.5.1942
*Beaufort UK 17.5.1942
*PE-2 Russia 30.3.1943
*Liberator (heavy bomber) USA 18.11.1943
*Airacobra (fighter) Russia 27.9.1944
*Boston (med. bomber) Russia 27.9.1944
Boston Russia 9.10.1944
Boston Russia 9.10.1944
IL-2 (ground attack) Russia 9.10.1944
*Airacobra Russia 12.10.1944
Airacobra Russia 16.10.1944
*Yak-9 (fighter) Russia 16.10.1944
*Airacobra Russia 22.10.1944
*Airacobra Russia 22.10.1944
*Mosquito (med. bomber) UK # 26.12.1944
Mosquito UK 26.12.1944
Lancaster UK 19.??.1945
*Mustang (fighter) USA + 12.3.1945
Mustang USA 12.3.1945

* Confirmed by loss of Allied aircraft
# Equates to a lost 235 Squadron RAF Mosquito
+ Actually a British-flown "Mustang III" (P-51D) of 19 Squadron











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Cheers

Dave Kearton

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