Hans-Karl Stepp

Hans-Karl Stepp
14 September 1914(1914-09-14) — 12 December 2006 (aged 92)
Place of birth	Gießen
Place of death	Leipzig
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936-1945
Rank	Oberstleutnant
Unit	StG 2
Commands held	StG 2
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Lawyer

Hans-Karl Stepp (2 September 1914 – 12 December 2006) was a German World War II Luftwaffe Stuka ace.^[1]

[edit] 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.

Iron Cross
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class (15 June 1940)
German Cross in Gold (15 October 1941) as Gruppen- and Geschwaderadjutant of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross (4 February 1942) after 418 combat missions
- Oak Leaves (27 April 1944) as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of SG 2 "Immelmann" after over 800 combat missions

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

Brütting, Georg. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 - 1945. Motorbuch, Stuttgart, 1995. ISBN 3-87943-433-6.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.

Military offices
Preceded by Major Dr. Ernst Kupfer	Commander of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann 1 October 1943 – 18 October 1943	Succeeded by Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann
Preceded by Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann	Commander of Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann 18 October 1943 – 31 July 1944	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Hans-Ulrich Rudel