Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

I am attemting to establish a basic career framework around Erich Rudorffer after purchasing a document relating to his career.

I can retrieve his abschuss claims from 'Combat Claims and Casualties' site and the details of his Ritterkreuz, Eichenlaub and Schwerter however I am looking for information on the dates of the preceeding awards and also his promotion dates and the exact dates of his unit re-assignments.

I would also be interested in his promotion dates (and on that subject I see that in some quarters he is listed as a Major at the wars end and by others as a Hauptmann) and anything at all deemed of interest.

As always, any help whatsoever will be very well received indeed.

Regards Richard.

Re: Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

According to a letter to me in 1988:

To 2/JG 2 Jan 40
28 Oct 40 Lt
1 Oct 41 Oblt
1 Jun 41 Gr Adj II/JG 2
15 Jul 41 St Kap 6/JG 2

I was not interested in his subsequent career which according to him was Gr Kdr II/JG 2, Gr Kdr II/JG 54, Gr Kdr I/JG 7. I have DKiG 9 Dec 41 as a Lt with 2/JG 2 but this cannot be right

Re: Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Here is what we have in our files about this fellow:


RUDORFFER, Erich.
(DOB: 01.11.17 in Zwochau/Sachsen).
01.11.39 trf from civil aviation to the Luftwaffe and assigned to 2./JG 2 in the rank of Feldwebel.
1940 Ofw., in I./JG 2.
28.10.40 promo to Lt.
01.05.41 Lt., awarded Ritterkreuz, 6./JG 2.
06.41 Oblt., appt Staka 6./JG 2 (to 06.04.43).
20.12.41 Lt., awarded DKG, 2./JG 2.
02.06.42 Oblt., appt acting Kdr. II./JG 2 (to 15.01.43).
06.04.43 Hptm., appt Kdr. II./JG 2 (to 14.06.43).
c. 01.07.43 Hptm., appt Kdr. IV./JG 54 (to 30.07.43).
01.08.43 Hptm., appt Kdr. II./JG 54 (to c. 14.01.45).
11.04.44 Maj. and Kdr. II./JG 54, awarded the Eichenlaub on achieving 134 victories.
14.01.45 Maj., appt Kdr. I./JG 7 (to 04.04.45).
26.01.45 Maj., awarded the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz on reaching 212 victories.
Credited with a total of 222 air victories in over 1,000 combat missions.
(n.d.) postwar,worked for the Kraftfahrbundesamt and then served in the Bundesluftwaffe.


Kracker says:

Rudorffer, Erich. - Maj 11/1/1917 Zwochau Sachsen - 222 victories 2./JG-2 ("39), Stafkpt 6./JG-2 (11/42), Kdr II./JG-2(5/43), Kdr II./JG-54 (7/43)S.U.), Kdr I./JG-7(2/45) Bf 109F-4 "Yel 9" Wk# 7650 w/ 6/JG-2, Fw 190A-3 & A-6, Fw 190A-4 "Yel 1" in 6./JG-2, Me 262 RK(5/1/41)-EL(4/11/44)-S(1/25/45), DK-G(12/20/41), EK 1 & 2, Wnd Bdg, Fighter Oper.Clasp w/Pend 11 Bombers. Multiple times, 7 to 11 victories in a day! Over 1000 missions, 302 with aerial combat. 136 victories in the East. One known Soviet victory, a Yak-4 on 9 August, 1943. Two Il-2's on 13 August, 1943. Two DB-3F's, an Il-2 and five La-5's on 24 August, 1943. An Il-2, three La-5's and a Yak-7 on 14 September, 1943. Seven Yak-7's in the Yerenzoy on 11 October, 1943. 13 victories on 6 November, 1943. 12 victories in the Me 262 as Kdr II/JG-7. His first victory, a Hawk-75A southwest of les Sees la Gresn, 14 May, 1940, while in 2/JG-2. His 222nd and last victory, a Tempest of RAF No. 274 Sq. near Wesel on 24 March, 1945. I found a 223rd & 224th victory, both P-51's in the Hamburg area on 30 March, 1945. Obermeier suggests he downed 9 B-17's during March, 1945. Shot down 16 times, Bailed out 9 times. A most remarkable pilot! Germany's 8th ranked fighter Ace. Survived the war. The A-3 above, Werk # 432 "Yellow 1", was flown while he was Stfkpt 6/JG-2 in August, 1942. Flew an Fw 190A-4 "Yellow 1" in Feb., 1943 while in 6/JG-2. He flew the Me 262 & Ar 234 in JG-7 at Remagen Bridge.

We hope that this helps

HLdZ
DGS

Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Chris and Doug, many thanks indeed for your time in helping with this request.

His DKiG award according to the Ordenstrager is indeed 09-December-1941 as a Lt with 2/JG 2.

I noticed in his Wiki entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Rudorffer
(and have seen mention in other areas) of "He flew throughout the Battle of Britain, and legend has him being pursued down Croydon High Street below rooftop level by a Hurricane."

I want to ask the question as to whether this can be verified or not, or is this just an 'urban legend' which has grown over the years?

As always, I look forward to any input to expand on what has been posted already and to the 'Croyden High Street' incident accordingly.

Regards Richard.

Re: Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Gentlmen:

Is it known, dates of Rudorffer's shotdowns?

He bailed 9 times, so there must be atleast 9 Bf109/Fw190 with damage state 100%, lost by this pilot.

I searched JG54 losslist, but failed to find even 1 lost Fw190 by him. Also, seems he was not s/d when he was in Afrika...

But I know, he was s/d and wounded (hospitalized) around mid.1942...

What about 1940-41?

Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Hello Evgeny

Prein lists three incidents that he was involved in while serving as Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 2:

12 December 1942: Fw 190 A-3 "Yellow 1" (W.Nr. 0130 432) suffered engine trouble at San Pietro, 20%
17 December 1942: Fw 190 A-4 "Yellow 1" (W.Nr. 0140 749) damaged in aerial combat, emergency landed at Tindja, <10%
20 December 1942: Fw 190 A-4 "Yellow 1" (W.Nr. 0140 749) damaged in aerial combat with Spitfire fighters over Beja, <10%

In none of these incidents was he wounded or injured. I know of no incidents while serving with JG 54 but perhaps some new information may appear.

Horrido!

Leo

Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

In continuing to research Erich Rudorffer, I am interested in the following claim retreived from Tony Wood's Combat Claims & Casualties:

12-08-1943 Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer 6./JG2 B-17 10km W. Maklar: 6500-20m 14:28 which was subsequently confirmed by the RLM.

Is this a simple typing error on the date (or even the unit) of this claim? On this date Erich Rudorffer was fighting on the Eastern Front with Stab II.JG54.

Have I missed something here?

Regards Richard.

Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Hello Richard

This victory was actually claimed on 12 March 1943 and according to Prein at 14:25. It was the last victory recorded in North Africa by both he and II./JG 2. I have no information on which unit this aircraft belonged to. I hope this helps.

Horrido!

Leo

Re: Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Hi
Send me your e.mail address and I'll forward the 220 victories I have for him, and a few unconfirmed. Also many crash areas calculated from grid references.

Regards

Johannes

Researching Erich Rudorffer
 

Gents, thank you very much indeed for your help, it is much appreciated.

Regards Richard.