Seeking contact with relative of/info on Oblt./Hptm Harmann-Freiedrich Joppien StaKap 1./JG51 and Gr Kdr of I./JG51 during 1939-40

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

As some of you know, I've previously published requests for info/photos relating to the career and a/c of Oblt./Hptm Hermann-Freiedrich Joppien of I./JG51. As many of you know, 1940 info on the a/c that Joppien flew is scarce, and some aspects of his plane while StaKap of 1./JG51 are still not clearly illustrated in known photos. Ten years ago a person named Brock Dittrick put a post on this board identifying himself as a nephew of Joppien. He was seeking info on his uncle. Unfortunately, I didn't get any contact info with this person, whom I would like to contact to see if the family has any photos/FB, info on Joppien for our EOE Project. Did anyone make a contact with this person back then, and be able to put me in touch with him. Or, did anyone contact him and acquire info/photos from him on Joppien's career?

I'm aware of the recent Luftwaffe im Focus article on him, but his a/c while StaKap of 1./JG51 was only illustrated from a long distance, and some areas are unclear. I've been told that an IPMS publication several years ago featured some heretofore unknown photos of Joppien and his a/c, but I've never seen a copy. Who has a copy of this and could send me a scan of it?

Anyone else who has photos or info that would help us create a series of color profiles of Joppien's a/c during 1939-40 for the EOE Project would be appreciated. I'm aware of Prien's published photo of his "White 5" overturned in 1939, and the photo of his tail scoreboard in the Meyer/Stipdonk book on JG51, and the well known photos of Joppien's Bf109F as Gr Kdre of I./JG51 during 1941. Anything other than those and the LiF photos is unknown to me, and I'd appreciate hearing about them.

Joppien is the earliest Knight's Cross fighter pilot winner whose Bf109E a/c have never been fully published in photos, a problem that I'm hoping to correct.

Thanx for any assistance here,

Regards,