Gustav Rödel
Encyclopedia
Oberst
Gustav Rödel (born 24 October 1915 in Merseburg
– died 6 February 1995 in Bonn
-Bad Godesberg
) was a German
World War II
Luftwaffe
fighter ace. He scored all but one of his 98 victories against the Western Allies in over 980 combat missions whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109
.
, Saxony
. He joined the Luftwaffe with the rank of Fahnenjunker in 1936, and underwent fighter pilot training. Rödel participated in the Spanish Civil War
with the Condor Legion
, serving with JG 88. He was awarded the Spanish Cross
in Bronze with Swords for his achievements in Spain.
On 15 July 1939, Rödel transferred to JG 21. Leutnant Rödel was assigned to 2./JG 21. He achieved his first aerial victory on the first day of World War II
, 1 September 1939, during the Invasion of Poland
. His victim, a Polish P.24
fighter, was shot down near Warsaw
. On 7 September, he was forced down during a ground-strafing mission. However, he managed to fly back his machine close to the border and avoided detection and returned to his unit the next day.
After transferring to the Geschwaderstab of JG 27 on 24 November 1939, he fought in the Battle of France
gaining a further three victories. On May 12, 1940, Rödel flew as wingman
of Adolf Galland
, who claimed his first aerial victory over a Hurricane
that day. The combat took place west of Liège. Rödel himself also claimed a Hurricane near Tienen that day. On June 8 he few a solo intercept mission attacking and shooting down a Blenheim
over the English channel
. In July 1940, Rödel was transferred to 4./JG 27, and on September 7 was appointed Staffelkapitän
of 4./JG 27. By the end of September, he had claimed 14 victories, the majority of these in the Battle of Britain
. His II./JG 27 Gruppe participated in the invasion of the Balkans. Rödel achieved six more victories in the aerial battles over Greece, including three Greek fighters shot down on 15 April 1941 and three Royal Air Force
(RAF) Hurricanes shot down on 20 April.
After the Balkan campaign, Rödel and 4./JG 27 joined in the invasion of Russia. Rödel claimed a Russian SB-3
twin-engine bomber shot down on 25 June 1941 for his 21st victory. Shortly afterwards 4./JG 27 were transferred to North Africa. Here, Rödel claimed his 30th victory on 4 December 1941, when he shot down a South African P-40
near Bir-el-Gobi. On 20 May 1942, Rödel was appointed Gruppenkommandeur
of II./JG 27. He claimed his 40th victory on 23 May, when he shot down another P-40 near Ras el Tin. On 21 July, he claimed four Hurricanes shot down to record his 48th through 51st victories. Later he claimed three P-39s shot down in the El Alamein area on 9 October. However, he had mis-identified his victims, which were, in all probability, RAF P-40s. Altogether Rödel claimed 15 victories, including three RAF P-40 fighters shot down on 24 October and three fighters shot down on 27 October, in October 1942. On 1 November he claimed his 73rd victory, his last in North Africa.
Rödel was appointed Geschwaderkommodore
of JG 27 on 22 April 1943. He saw further combat over Sicily and Greece in May. On 22 May he shot down three enemy aircraft bringing his total to 78. For this, Major
Rödel was awarded the Ritterkreuz
on 20 June 1943. He recorded his 80th victory on 4 October, and his 83rd on 10 October.
Relocated to Germany and Reichsverteidigung
duties, Rödel raised his victory total to 93, including United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) four-engine bombers. In June 1944, he led JG 27 over the Invasion front. On 29 June, he claimed three USAAF Thunderbolt
s shot down for victories 95 to 97. On 5 July, he claimed his 98th, and last, victory, a USAAF Lightning
shot down near Angleur
. In December 1944, Rödel was involved in the planning of Operation Bodenplatte. From the beginning of January 1945, he was serving on the staff of the 2. Jagd-Division, becoming Kommandeur on 1 February, a position he held until the end of the war. In this role, he also attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall
Hermann Göring
in what became known as the "Fighter Pilots Revolt".
In 1957, Rödel joined the Bundeswehr
. He retired on 30 September 1971, holding the rank of Brigadegeneral
.
in Berlin
. Hauptmann
Gustav Rödel flew the "yellow 4" in November 1942 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 27. At this time Rödel had claimed 56 aerial victories.
The Spaniards donated the H.A. 1112 "Buchon"
to the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr after the making of the movie Battle of Britain
still bearing the markings of the "Richthofen" Geschwader. Beginning in 1988, work to reconvert the aircraft back to its original Bf 109 G-2 state began, not an inconsiderable task since the H.A.1112 was a mixture of a German airframe & British engine (Rolls Royce Merlin type 500-45 @ 1600 hp).
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
Gustav Rödel (born 24 October 1915 in Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
– died 6 February 1995 in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
-Bad Godesberg
Bad Godesberg
Bad Godesberg is a municipal district of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 till 1990 , the majority of foreign embassies to Germany were located in Bad Godesberg...
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter ace. He scored all but one of his 98 victories against the Western Allies in over 980 combat missions whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
.
Biography
Gustav Rödel was born on 24 October 1915 in MerseburgMerseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. He joined the Luftwaffe with the rank of Fahnenjunker in 1936, and underwent fighter pilot training. Rödel participated in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
with the Condor Legion
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
, serving with JG 88. He was awarded the Spanish Cross
Spanish Cross
The Spanish Cross was an award of Germany given to Germans who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for Franco.- History :With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Germany sent the Condor Legion to give military aid to Francisco Franco's nationalist forces.On April 14, 1939, Germany...
in Bronze with Swords for his achievements in Spain.
On 15 July 1939, Rödel transferred to JG 21. Leutnant Rödel was assigned to 2./JG 21. He achieved his first aerial victory on the first day of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 1 September 1939, during the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
. His victim, a Polish P.24
PZL P.24
|-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Axworthy, Mark. Third Axis, Fourth Ally. London: Arms and Armour, 1995. ISBN 1-85409-267-7.* Bernád, Dénes. Rumanian Air Force: The Prime Decade 1938-1947. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc, 1999. ISBN 0-89747-402-3.* Cynk, Jerzy B. Polish...
fighter, was shot down near Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. On 7 September, he was forced down during a ground-strafing mission. However, he managed to fly back his machine close to the border and avoided detection and returned to his unit the next day.
After transferring to the Geschwaderstab of JG 27 on 24 November 1939, he fought in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
gaining a further three victories. On May 12, 1940, Rödel flew as wingman
Wingman
A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
of Adolf Galland
Adolf Galland
Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts...
, who claimed his first aerial victory over a Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
that day. The combat took place west of Liège. Rödel himself also claimed a Hurricane near Tienen that day. On June 8 he few a solo intercept mission attacking and shooting down a Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
over the English channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. In July 1940, Rödel was transferred to 4./JG 27, and on September 7 was appointed Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of 4./JG 27. By the end of September, he had claimed 14 victories, the majority of these in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. His II./JG 27 Gruppe participated in the invasion of the Balkans. Rödel achieved six more victories in the aerial battles over Greece, including three Greek fighters shot down on 15 April 1941 and three Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Hurricanes shot down on 20 April.
After the Balkan campaign, Rödel and 4./JG 27 joined in the invasion of Russia. Rödel claimed a Russian SB-3
Tupolev SB
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB , and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934....
twin-engine bomber shot down on 25 June 1941 for his 21st victory. Shortly afterwards 4./JG 27 were transferred to North Africa. Here, Rödel claimed his 30th victory on 4 December 1941, when he shot down a South African P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
near Bir-el-Gobi. On 20 May 1942, Rödel was appointed Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position , that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. Gruppenkommandeur usually has the rank of Hauptmann or Major, and commands a Gruppe, which is a sub-division of a Geschwader. A Gruppe usually consists of three or four...
of II./JG 27. He claimed his 40th victory on 23 May, when he shot down another P-40 near Ras el Tin. On 21 July, he claimed four Hurricanes shot down to record his 48th through 51st victories. Later he claimed three P-39s shot down in the El Alamein area on 9 October. However, he had mis-identified his victims, which were, in all probability, RAF P-40s. Altogether Rödel claimed 15 victories, including three RAF P-40 fighters shot down on 24 October and three fighters shot down on 27 October, in October 1942. On 1 November he claimed his 73rd victory, his last in North Africa.
Rödel was appointed Geschwaderkommodore
Geschwaderkommodore
Geschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position , originating during World War II, that is the equivalent of a RAF Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander. A Geschwaderkommodore is usually of Oberstleutnant or Oberst rank...
of JG 27 on 22 April 1943. He saw further combat over Sicily and Greece in May. On 22 May he shot down three enemy aircraft bringing his total to 78. For this, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Rödel was awarded the Ritterkreuz
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 20 June 1943. He recorded his 80th victory on 4 October, and his 83rd on 10 October.
Relocated to Germany and Reichsverteidigung
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies...
duties, Rödel raised his victory total to 93, including United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) four-engine bombers. In June 1944, he led JG 27 over the Invasion front. On 29 June, he claimed three USAAF Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s shot down for victories 95 to 97. On 5 July, he claimed his 98th, and last, victory, a USAAF Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
shot down near Angleur
Angleur
Angleur is a district of the Walloon city of Liège, Belgium, since 1977. It is located at the foot and on the slope of a hill in the southern part of Liège, located between the rivers Ourthe and Meuse. The lower part involves an area known as "Renory" and a railway station called "Angleur", and the...
. In December 1944, Rödel was involved in the planning of Operation Bodenplatte. From the beginning of January 1945, he was serving on the staff of the 2. Jagd-Division, becoming Kommandeur on 1 February, a position he held until the end of the war. In this role, he also attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall
Reichsmarschall
Reichsmarschall literally in ; was the highest rank in the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II after the position of Supreme Commander held by Adolf Hitler....
Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
in what became known as the "Fighter Pilots Revolt".
In 1957, Rödel joined the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
. He retired on 30 September 1971, holding the rank of Brigadegeneral
General (Germany)
General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
.
Awards
- Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
2nd and 1st Class - Ehrenpokal der LuftwaffeEhrenpokal der LuftwaffeThe Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe was a Luftwaffe award established on February 27, 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Reich Minister of Aviation and Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was officially known as the Ehrenpokal "für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg", or Honor Goblet "For...
(14 December 1940) - German Cross in GoldGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
(16 July 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 22 June 1941 as OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
and StaffelkapitänStaffelkapitänStaffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of the 4./JG 27 - 255th Oak Leaves on 20 June 1943 as MajorMajor (Germany)Major is a rank of the German military which dates back to the Middle Ages.It equates to Major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO.During World War II, the SS equivalent was Sturmbannführer....
and GeschwaderkommodoreGeschwaderkommodoreGeschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position , originating during World War II, that is the equivalent of a RAF Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander. A Geschwaderkommodore is usually of Oberstleutnant or Oberst rank...
of JG 27
- Knight's Cross on 22 June 1941 as Oberleutnant
Gustav Rödel Bf 109-G2
Aircraft is on display at the Luftwaffenmuseum der BundeswehrLuftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr
The Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr , together with the Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, is one of the major military history museums in Germany. The museum acts as an independent military department...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Gustav Rödel flew the "yellow 4" in November 1942 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 27. At this time Rödel had claimed 56 aerial victories.
The Spaniards donated the H.A. 1112 "Buchon"
Hispano Aviacion Ha 1112
|-References:* Original pictures and data of this article were taken from Museo del Aire, Cuatro Vientos, Madrid, Spain* Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed...
to the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr after the making of the movie Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain (film)
Battle of Britain is a 1969 Technicolor film directed by Guy Hamilton, and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz. The film broadly relates the events of the Battle of Britain...
still bearing the markings of the "Richthofen" Geschwader. Beginning in 1988, work to reconvert the aircraft back to its original Bf 109 G-2 state began, not an inconsiderable task since the H.A.1112 was a mixture of a German airframe & British engine (Rolls Royce Merlin type 500-45 @ 1600 hp).