PropertyValue
rdf:type
rdfs:label
  • Erich Rudorffer
rdfs:comment
  • Major Erich Rudorffer (born 1 November 1917) is a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace, one of a handful who served with the Luftwaffe through the whole of World War II. He is the 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history of air warfare, and currently both the oldest jet fighter ace, and the most successful ace still living. Rudorffer claimed a total of 222 victories, fighting in all the major German theaters of war, including the European and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and the Eastern Front. During the war he flew more than 1000 combat missions, was engaged in aerial combat over 300 times, was shot down by flak and enemy fighters 16 times and had to take to his parachute 9 times. His 222 aerial victories include 58 heavily armoured Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft. He
owl:sameAs
Unit
  • JG 2, JG 7 and JG 54
dcterms:subject
dbkwik:military/property/wikiPageUsesTemplate
serviceyears
  • 1939
Birth Date
  • 1917-11-01
Commands
  • 6
Branch
  • 18
Nickname
  • Fighter of Libau
Name
  • Erich Rudorffer
Caption
  • Erich Rudorffer in 1944
placeofburial label
  • Place of burial
Birth Place
  • Zwochau, Saxony, German Empire
Awards
Rank
abstract
  • Major Erich Rudorffer (born 1 November 1917) is a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace, one of a handful who served with the Luftwaffe through the whole of World War II. He is the 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history of air warfare, and currently both the oldest jet fighter ace, and the most successful ace still living. Rudorffer claimed a total of 222 victories, fighting in all the major German theaters of war, including the European and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and the Eastern Front. During the war he flew more than 1000 combat missions, was engaged in aerial combat over 300 times, was shot down by flak and enemy fighters 16 times and had to take to his parachute 9 times. His 222 aerial victories include 58 heavily armoured Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft. He was also responsible for sinking a British submarine.