As part of I./JG 76 (later to renumber as II./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Philipp first flew operations over Poland and scored his first victory. Serving later during the Battles of France and Britain, Hans Philipp was Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 by the end of 1940.
On November 4, 1940 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for twenty victories.
During the Balkans campaign in April 1941, JG 54 engaged the Bf 109's of the Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo (JKRV-Yugoslav Royal Air Force) in a massive air battle. Hans Philipp claimed two of the JKRV 109s.
Operation Barbarossa saw Philipp's score begin to escalate. On August 24, 1941, Philipp became the 33rd member recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. Philipp appointed as Kommandeur I./JG 54.
In March 1942, he became the first member of JG 54 to be awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross and on March 31, 1942 Philipp became the fourth Luftwaffe fighter pilot to achieve 100 victories.
In April 1943 Philipp was transferred to Defense of the Reich duties as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 1, flying high altitude interception operations over North Sea and Northern Germany. On 4 October 1943 Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring is said to have issued the following instructions after another attack by Eighth Air Force.[2]
There are no meteorological conditions which would prevent fighters from taking off and engaging in combat.
Every fighter pilot taking off in a machine not showing any sign of combat, or without having recorded a victory will be prosecuted by a court-martial.
In the case of where a pilot uses up his ammunition, or if his weapons are unusable, he should ram the enemy bomber.
Geschwaderkommodore Philipp's response was "As far as I'm concerned, I categorically refuse to allow myself to be held to such advice; I know what I have to do!"[2]
On 8 October 1943, the US Eighth Air Force attacked with 156 bombers on targets in Bremen and Vegesack. The bombers were escorted by 250+ Thunderbolts from six different fighter groups. Phillipp's flight were intercepted by P-47's of the 56th Fighter Group. The Stab Flight of the Geschwader heard Philipp announce a victory over a Thunderbolt. The last transmission from him was, "Reinhardt, attack!" Feldwebel Reinhardt was Philipp's wingman on this day. He last saw the Kommodore's aircraft disappear in a cloud. Reinhardt was wounded after colliding with an enemy aircraft, but made a successful forced landing. Later that evening, the Geschwader learned that their Kommodore had been shot down and killed.[2]
Hans Philipp had claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down, 178 on the Eastern front, 29 against the Western Allies. He flew over 500 sorties.
Awards
Wound Badge in Black[3]
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold with Pennant "500"[3]
Combined Pilots-Observation Badge[3]
Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (28 September 1940)[4]
German Cross in Gold on 18 June 1942 as Hauptmann in the II./JG 54[5]
Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Knight's Cross on 22 October 1940 Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 4./JG 54[6]
33rd Oak Leaves on 24 August 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 4./JG 54[6]
8th Swords on 12 March 1942 Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./JG 54[6]
Mentioned five times in the Wehrmachtbericht on (7 July 1941, 7 June 1942, 27 June 1942, 18 March 1943 and 12 October 1943)