Rudolf Müller (pilot)

Rudolf "Rudi" Müller (21 November 1920 – 21 October 1943) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Müller was credited with 94 victories, though one source lists 101 victories.[Note 1]

Rudolf Müller
Theodor Weissenberger (left), Heinrich Ehrler (center) and Müller (right)
Born(1920-11-21)21 November 1920
Frankfurt, Germany
Died21 October 1943(1943-10-21) (aged 22)
Temnikov, Russia
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–43
RankOberfeldwebel
UnitJG 77, JG 5
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Müller was born on 21 November 1920 in Frankfurt am Main.[3]

World War II

When Müller first joined the German army he served with the signal corps. In 1940 he transferred to the Luftwaffe, and underwent pilot training. Müller was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 77 (1./JG 77) in August of 1941. His first claimed victory came on September 12th 1941 when he shot down a Russian Polikarpov I-16 fighter. 1./JG 77 was re-designated to Jagdgeschwader 5 in January 1942. On 23 April 1942, he claimed five Hawker Hurricanes shot down.[3] Müller received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 June 1942 for 41 aerial victories. The presentation was made by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff at Petsamo, present-day Pechenga in Murmansk Oblast.[4] He was shot down in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 14810—factory number) by a Hurricane from 609 IAP (609th Fighter Aviation Regiment) on 19 April 1943.[3]

Awards

Notes
  1. Toliver and Constable list Müller with 101 aerial victories while Spick lists him with 94.[1][2]
  2. Obermaier lists Müller with a presentation date of 8 June 1942.[5]

References

Citations
  1. Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 389.
  2. Spick 1996, p. 234..
  3. Stennman & Keskinen 2015, p. 8.
  4. Stennman & Keskinen 2015, p. 9.
  5. Obermaier 1989, p. 171.
  6. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 317.
  7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 318.
  8. Scherzer 2007, p. 557.

Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Stennman, Kari; Keskinen, Kalevi (2015). Luftwaffe over Finland. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-78438-155-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Toliver, Raymond F.; Constable, Trevor J. (1998) [1977]. Die Deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939–1945 [The German Fighter Pilot Aces 1939–1945] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-193-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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