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]

This article is about the German World War II fighter pilot. For the bishop, see Rudolf Müller (bishop).
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 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in August of 1941. At the time, this squadron was commanded by Oberleutnant Horst Carganico.[4] His first claimed victory came on 12 September 1941 when he shot down a Soviet Air Forces Polikarpov I-16 fighter.[5]

JG 5 Emblem

In January 1942, Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) was newly created and placed under the command of Oberst Carl-Alfred Schumacher. On 3 January, I. Gruppe of JG 77 was renamed and became the I. Gruppe of JG 5. In consequence, Carganico's 1. Staffel became the newly created 1. Staffel of JG 5. On 21 March, 1. Staffel was subordinated to II. Gruppe of JG 5, commanded by Strümpell, and became the 6. Staffel of JG 5.[6] On 23 April 1942, he became an "ace-in-a-day".[3] That day, 6. Staffel escorted Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers from I. Gruppe of Sturzkampfgeschwader 5 and Junkers Ju 88 bombers from Kampfgeschwader 30 on a bombing mission to the Soviet airfield at Vayenga, present-day Severomorsk. The flight was intercepted by Hawker Hurricane fighters from 3 AE/2 GSAP (Aviation Squadron of Guards Composite Aviation Regiment—Aviatsionnya Eskadrilya; Gvardeskiy Smeshannyy Aviatsionnyy Polk). In this encounter, Müller shot down Serzhant Anatoliy Semyonov and Serzhant N. F. Yepanov. Returning to the airbase Petsamo-Luostari Airfield, 6. Staffel intercepted Soviet aircraft on a mission to bomb Petsamo-Luostari Airfield. In this aerial battle, Müller shot down two Hurricanes piloted by Starshiy Leytnant I. Ya and Serzhant A. I. Chibsov from 20 GIAP (Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment—Gvardeskiy Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk), and a Tupolev SB bomber piloted by Mladshiy Leytenant Golovanov from 137 SBAP (High-Speed Bomber Aviation Regiment—Skorostnoy Bombardirovochnyy Aviatsionny Polk)[7]

On 26 April, seven Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers, escorted by fighters from the 95 IAP (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk), attacked the Kirkenes Airfield. The attack force failed to inflict any damage to the airfield as five of the attackers were shot down, including two by Müller and two by Carganico.[5] 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.[8] He was shot down in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 14810—factory number) by a Hurricane from 609 IAP on 19 April 1943 and was captured by Soviet forces.[3][9] Müller was later shot in the escape attempt fro a prisoner of war camp.[10]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and states that Müller was credited with 94 aerial victories, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes 92 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and another two on the Western Front.[11]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 3078". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.[12]

Awards

Notes
  1. Toliver and Constable list Müller with 101 aerial victories while Spick lists him with 94.[1][2]
  2. According to Mombeek claimed as a Tupolev SB.[15]
  3. According to Mombeek claimed as a Polikarpov I-153.[15]
  4. According to Matthews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[13]
  5. According to Mombeek claimed as a I-180, a German designator for a Yakovlev Yak-7.[22]
  6. According to Mombeek claimed on 4 August 1942.[28]
  7. According to Mombeek claimed as a Polikarpov I-16.[28]
  8. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock,[32] nor by Matthews and Foreman.[33]
  9. Listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock as an aerial victory with an unknown date.[34][35]
  10. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock,[32] nor by Mombeek.[38]
  11. This claim is not listed by Matthews and Foreman.[33]
  12. This claim is not listed by Mombeek.[41]
  13. Obermaier lists Müller with a presentation date of 8 June 1942.[47]

References

Citations
  1. Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 389.
  2. Spick 1996, p. 234.
  3. Stennman & Keskinen 2015, p. 8.
  4. Prien et al. 2003, p. 421.
  5. Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 146.
  6. Mombeek 2003, pp. 97–98.
  7. Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, pp. 144, 146.
  8. Stennman & Keskinen 2015, p. 9.
  9. Prien et al. 2012, p. 231.
  10. Mombeek 2010, p. 27.
  11. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 884–886.
  12. Planquadrat.
  13. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 884.
  14. Prien et al. 2003, p. 428.
  15. Mombeek 2011, p. 257.
  16. Prien et al. 2003, p. 429.
  17. Prien et al. 2003, p. 430.
  18. Prien et al. 2004, p. 166.
  19. Mombeek 2011, p. 258.
  20. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 884–885.
  21. Prien et al. 2006, p. 421.
  22. Mombeek 2011, p. 262.
  23. Prien et al. 2006, p. 425.
  24. Prien et al. 2006, p. 422.
  25. Mombeek 2011, p. 259.
  26. Prien et al. 2006, p. 426.
  27. Mombeek 2011, p. 263.
  28. Mombeek 2011, p. 264.
  29. Prien et al. 2006, p. 428.
  30. Mombeek 2011, p. 265.
  31. Prien et al. 2006, p. 423.
  32. Prien et al. 2006, p. 429.
  33. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 885.
  34. Prien et al. 2006, p. 431.
  35. Prien et al. 2012, p. 230.
  36. Prien et al. 2006, p. 424.
  37. Mombeek 2011, p. 261.
  38. Mombeek 2011, p. 266.
  39. Prien et al. 2006, p. 430.
  40. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 886.
  41. Mombeek 2011, p. 267.
  42. Prien et al. 2012, p. 223.
  43. Mombeek 2011, pp. 267–268.
  44. Mombeek 2011, p. 268.
  45. Patzwall 2008, p. 151.
  46. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 317.
  47. Obermaier 1989, p. 171.
  48. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 318.
  49. Scherzer 2007, p. 557.

Bibliography
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  • 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.
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