Rudolf Sinner

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Rabe

Many thanks for your contributions. I was aware that Sinner was shot down on 6 March 1944 but until now was only aware that he had baled out wounded as Ethell/Price mention. The JG 54 loss list by Rösipal only states that he was wounded in aerial combat over Bassum and his Bf 109 G-6 "2" (W.Nr. 410 557) suffered 100% damage so it is very interesting to read that there is a source that states that he force-landed with 30% damage. I am very glad to know that the aircraft was a "Blue 2" as this was totally new to me. Returning to Sinner, I am also aware that he was shot down a second time in June 1942, this time on 24 June when he had to force-land following aerial combat with Hurricane fighters. I believe that his fighter on this occasion may have been Bf 109 F-4/Trop "Yellow 1" (W.Nr. 8687) but this information may be wrong. Then again on 4 April 1945, when he was lucky to survive the shoot down and the following strafing. Many thanks for all your new information!

Horrido!

Leo

[Brian Bines]

Hello Leo,

When I was looking at Me262 losses some years ago I made some notes about Sinner ( born 1915 )from I think the Horrido book. This states he was drafted into the Austrian Army as an Artilleryman, served in a Flak unit in Poland and commenced pilot training in 1940. In all he was shot down 12 times baling out on three occasions and was wounded 5 times. He crash-landed on several ocassions 3 of them behind enemy lines and once landed behind Russian line to pick up a downed comrade. If all this is correct he was a very lucky pilot, who also claimed he was fired at on his chute and on the ground when he baled out of his 262,

Regards

Brian Bines