[Michael Miller]

Rudel was a member of the Allgemeine-SS, joining in 1936. His rank as of 19. October 1943 was SS-Sturmmann. I don't know if he held NSDAP membership, but it's not out of the question- he could have joined prior to joining the Luftwaffe. If one held Party membership BEFORE entering any branch of the Wehrmacht, he retained that membership. However, prior to the aftermath of the 20. July 1944 plot against Hitler, serving members of the armed forces were prohibited from joining any political party (although there were a few exceptions- GFM von Blomberg, Grossadmiral Raeder, and others somehow managed to join the Party after Hitler came to power in 1933; Erhard Milch was another member, but he joined in 1931 at which time he was not a member of the armed forces but was a leading Lufthansa figure). After the bomb plot, Wehrmacht members were permitted to join the NSDAP.

Here are a few notes on Rudel:

Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Oberst (Luftwaffe) /
SS-Sturmmann


* 02.07.1916 in Konradswaldau / Kreis Landshut.
+ 18.12.1982 in Rosenheim / Oberbayern.

NSDAP-Nr.:
SS-Nr.: 206 913 (Joined 00.00.1936)

Promotions:
01.01.1939 Leutnant
01.09.1940 Oberleutnant
01.04.1943 Hauptmann (mit RDA vom 01.04.1942)
[19.10.1943] SS-Sturmmann
01.03.1944 Major (mit RDA vom 01.10.1942)
01.09.1944 Oberstleutnant
01.01.1945 Oberst

Decorations & Awards:
29.12.1944 Goldenes Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Only recipient) Schlachtgeschwader 2 “Immelmann”
29.03.1944 Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (10.) as Major and Kdr. III.Gruppe / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
25.11.1943 Schwertern zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (42.) as Hauptmann and Kdr. III.Gruppe / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
14.04.1943 Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (229.) as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 1.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
06.01.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
08.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
18.07.1941 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
10.11.1939 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
00.05.1944 Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer und Beobachterabzeichen in Gold mit Brillanten
00.06.1944 Frontflug-Spange für Schlachtflieger in Gold & Platinum mit Anhänger (“2000” in diamonds)
20.10.1941 Ehrenpokal für Besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Gold mit Anhänger
18.07.1941 Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Gold
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Silber
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Bronze
00.00.19 Flugzeugführerabzeichen
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Gold
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Silber
27.03.1944; 28.03.1944; Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
03.06.1944; 06.08.1944;
and 10.02.1945
00.00.1942 Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”
ca. 1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.194_ Goldenes Hitler-Jugend Ehrenzeichen
16.01.1945 Officer’s Large Gold Bravery Medal (Hungary)

Wartime Accomplishments:
Flew 2,530 sorties (all but approximately 400 in the Ju-87; the remainder in a Focke-Wulf Fw-190), destroying the following Soviet military assets:

9 aircraft (7 fighters and 2 Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack planes; scored while flying the FW-190)
519 tanks
150 artillery pieces
1000 vehicles
70 landing craft
4 warships (including the battleship “Marat”, two cruisers, and a destroyer)
Numerous bunkers, bridges, and supply lines




Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller