Friedrich Rupp

Nickname"Frieder"

Born26 November 1917

Died15 May 1943 (aged 25)

Allegiance

Friedrich Rupp
Nickname	"Frieder"
Born	26 November 1917 Freiburg im Breisgau, German Empire
Died	15 May 1943(1943-05-15) (aged 25) North Sea
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Service years	1939–1943
Rank	Oberleutnant (Posthumously)
Unit	JG 54
Conflicts	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Friedrich "Frieder" Rupp (26 November 1917 – 15 May 1943) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Rupp was shot down on 15 May 1943 over the North Sea, he was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant. During his career he was credited with 52 victories, 50 over the Eastern Front and 2 over the Western Front.

In mid-February 1943, III. Gruppe of JG 54 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Vendeville, France where it was subordinated to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing). The Gruppe was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 armed with 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons installed in conformal gun pods under the wings. The original plan was to exchange JG 26 which had been fighting on the Western Front with JG 54. The plan was cancelled in March. Instead of III. Gruppe of JG 54 returning to the Eastern Front, the Gruppe was ordered to Bad Zwischenahn on 25 March and then to Oldenburg Airfield two days later. Here, the Gruppe was subordinated to the 2. Jagd-Division (2nd Fighter Division) which was fighting in defense of the Reich.^[1]

On 17 April, III. Gruppe flew its first combat mission in defense of the Reich. That day, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) VIII Bomber Command, later renamed to Eighth Air Force, attacked the Focke-Wulf factory in Bremen. The Gruppe was scrambled at 12:29. At 12:40 approximately 120 to 150 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers were encountered west of Wilhelmshaven. Due to evasive maneuvering of the bombers and the heavy defensive gunfire, the Gruppe initially failed to attack the bombers head-on. At 13:00, III. Gruppe made their first head-on attack while the leading bombers of the 91st and 306th Bombardment Group made their bomb-run. The Gruppe kept pursuing the bombers and claimed four further bombers shot down. Although Rupp did not file a claim in this aerial battle, his Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 16151—factory number) was hit by the defensive gun fire of the bombers, sustaining 20% combat damage.^[2] On 14 May, Rupp claimed his first heavy bomber shot down. That day, the VIII Bomber Command attacked the harbor and ship building at Kiel. III. Gruppe was scrambled at 11:29 and shortly after 12:00 intercepted 125 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers of the 44th Bombardment Group after they had dropped their bombs over the target area. In this encounter, III. Gruppe pilots claimed three B-24 bombers shot down, including one by Rupp.^[3]

The next day, Rupp was killed in action following aerial combat with USAAF B-17 bombers. His Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 16151) crashed into the North Sea west of Heligoland. VIII Bomber Command had attacked Emden and Wilhelmshaven. Elements of the 1st Bombardment Wing failed to find their targets, thus mainly attacking Heligoland with a few bombers dropping bombs on Wangeroog and Emden. III. Gruppe had been scrambled at 10:05 and intercepted the bombers shortly before they reached Heligoland. In the resulting encounter, five B-17 bombers were claimed shot down. Three bombers were later confirmed destroyed while two remained unconfirmed, including one by Rupp. III. Gruppe lost Bf 109s that day, including Rupp and Hauptmann Günter Fink, the commander of 8. Staffel.^[4]^[5] Four weeks later, Rupp's body was washed ashore near Cuxhaven and burried on 19 June. Posthumously, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).^[6]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Rupp was credited with 52 aerial victories.^[7] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 51 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim, all but one four-engined heavy bomber were claimed on the Eastern Front.^[8]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Rupp did not receive credit. This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –^[9] Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
1	24 August 1941	12:30	I-16	Kärmu^[10]	—	11 October 1941	—	ground-attack aircraft^[11]
2	6 October 1941	16:20	I-153?^{[Note 1]}	north of the Neva bend^[11]	4	30 October 1941	09:55	I-26 (Yak-1)	Kobona^[12]
3	11 October 1941	07:40	I-26 (Yak-1)	Ladoskoje^[11]
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –^[13] Defense of the Reich — 27 March – 15 May 1944
51	14 May 1943	12:30	B-24	Surendorf^[14] PQ 0551	—	15 May 1943	—	B-17^[14]^{[Note 2]}

Awards

Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[15]
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 July 1942 as Leutnant and pilot^[16]
German Cross in Gold on 27 October 1942 as Leutnant in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 54^[17]
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 January 1943 as Leutnant and pilot in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 54^[18]^[19]

Notes

References

Citations

↑ Prien et al. 2009, p. 247.
↑ Prien et al. 2009, pp. 248, 251, 284–285.
↑ Prien et al. 2009, pp. 251, 284.
↑ Prien et al. 2009, pp. 251–252, 284, 286.
↑ Weal 2001, p. 89.
↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 191.
↑ Zabecki 2014, p. 1619.
↑ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1073–1974.
1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1073.
↑ Prien et al. 2003, p. 265.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2003, p. 266.
↑ Prien et al. 2003, p. 268.
1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1074.
1 2 Prien et al. 2009, p. 284.
↑ Dixon 2023, p. 6.
↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 175.
↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 391.
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 368.
↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 646.

Bibliography

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Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims – Volume 3 M–R. Walton-on-Thames, UK: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/II—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/II—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-70-0.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2009). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 10/III—Reichsverteidigung—1.1. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 10/III—Defense of the Reich—1 January to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-89-2.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 6. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-286-9.
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