Friedrich Rupp

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.

Defense of the Reich and death 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 Gruppe of JG 54 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Vendeville, France where it was subordinated to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"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.

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. 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.

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. Four weeks later, Rupp's body was washed ashore near Cuxhaven and burried on 19 June. Posthumously, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Rupp was credited with 52 aerial victories. 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.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 1 24 August 1941 12:30 I-16 Kärmu 11 October 1941 ground-attack aircraft 2 6 October 1941 16:20 I-153? north of the Neva bend 4 30 October 1941 09:55 I-26 (Yak-1) Kobona 3 11 October 1941 07:40 I-26 (Yak-1) Ladoskoje – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Defense of the Reich — 27 March – 15 May 1944 51 14 May 1943 12:30 B-24 SurendorfPQ 0551 15 May 1943 B-17

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