Thursday 14 March 2024

Hans-Ulrich Rudel | Timeline

Hans-Ulrich Rudel (2 July 1916 – 18 December 1982) was a German ground-attack pilot during World War II and a post-war neo-Nazi activist. The most decorated German pilot of the war and the only recipient of the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, Rudel was credited with the destruction of 519 tanks, one battleship, one cruiser, 70 landing craft and 150 artillery emplacements. He claimed nine aerial victories and the destruction of more than 800 vehicles. He flew 2,530 ground-attack missions exclusively on the Eastern Front, usually flying the Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bomber. (Intro from Wikipedia)

July 2, 1916 - Konradswaldau (Today Grzędy, SW Poland) - Hans-Ulrich Rudel is born
January(?) 1(?), 1922 - Lauban (Luban, SW corner of Poland) - Attends Elementary School (and later High School) in Lauban
January(?) 1(?), 1933 - Lauban(?) - Joins the Hitler Youth
August 1(?), 1936 - ? - Applies for an officer's career in the Luftwaffe after successfully passing the acceptance test
December 4, 1936 - Wildpark-Werder, near Berlin - Joins the Luftwaffe as a flag Cadet, completing his basic training at Air Warfare School 3
June 1(?), 1937 - Wildpark-Werder(?) - Rudel begins training to become an aircraft pilot
June 1, 1938 - Thalerhof, outside Graz, Austria - Rudel is promoted to Senior Ensign and transfered to I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 168 for dive bomber training =(START)
December 25, 1938 - Thalerhof - Receives his commission as Stuka pilot, and is chosen to attend Recon School
January 1, 1939 - Hildesheim (SE Hanover) - Begins training as an observer at the Hildesheim Reconnaissance School. Promoted to Lieutenant
June 1, 1939 - Prenzlau (SW Stettin) - Transfered to Fernauklärungsgruppe 121 (Long-distance reconnaissance squadron) as an observer
September 1, 1939 - Schneidemühl area (Piła, Poland) - Long-range reconnaisance missions
September 7, 1939 - Breslau (Wrocław, Poland) - Long-range reconnaisance missions
October 15, 1939 - Fritzlar (SW Kassel in Hesse) - Winter at Fritzlar. Missions to the west and northwest
November 10, 1939 - Fritzlar - Rudel receives the Iron Cross 2nd Class
May 1(?), 1940 - near Stuttgart - Training at the Sturzkampffliegerschule (Assault Pilot School)
September 15, 1940 - Crailsheim (SW Nuremberg) - Reassigned to dive bombing
October 1, 1940 - Caen, Normandy - Assigned to I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (StG-3) during the end of the Battle of Britain
November 2, 1940 - Graz, Austria - Sent to Reserve Flight at Graz while his squadron is sent to the Balkans. Distinguishes himself in formation flying, bombing and gunnery
April 13(?), 1941 - Prabichl, NW of Kapfenberg and Leoben - Easter holidays skiing with friends in the vicinity of Prabichl
April 20(?), 1941 - Graz, Austria - Receives orders to report to 1./StG 2 in Greece
April 29(?), 1941 - Skopje, North Macedonia - Stop in Skopje on his way to Greece
April 30(?), 1941 - Argos, Greece - Rudel lands in Greece at Argos, but receives orders to fly to Molaoi in the Peloponnese
May 1, 1941 - Molaoi, Greece - 1./StG 2 moves out in preparaton for the invasion of Crete
May 22, 1941 - Argos, Greece - 1./StG 2 moves out
May 23, 1941 - Cottbus, Eastern Germany - Rudel flies a damaged Stuka from Argos to Cottbus for repair, via Sofia and Belgrade, while his squadron Moves out
June 16, 1941 - Intersburg (E. Königsberg) - 1./StG 2 moves out to East Prussia in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
June 22, 1941 - Raczki (NE corner of Poland) - Flies to Raczki to find his squadron
June 23, 1941 - Raczki - 1st combat missions (I./StG 2) over Grodno / Volkovysk (West Belarus)
June 28, 1941 - Nowogradek (Navahrudak, between Grodno and Minsk, Belarus) - 1./StG 2 moves out
July 15, 1941 - Lepiel (150km NE Minsk) - 1./StG 2 moves out. Rudel is awarded the Iron Cross 1st class
July 28, 1941 - Janavičy, E-NE Vitebsk - Receives the iron Cross 1st class and the Front flight clasp for battle pilots
August 29, 1941 - Tyrkowo, S Luga (Turovo, E. Luga, Russia) - Orders to move to Tyrkowo, South of Luga, north sector of the Front. (Rudel identifies the location as "Tyrkowo," south of Luga; however, the only town with a name resembling Tyrkowo is Turovo, just east of Luga).
September 16, 1941 - Tyrkowo - Mission to Kronstadt harbor, an island in the Gulf of Finland where the russian fleet was based. Rudel attacks the Soviet battleship "Marat" for the first time
September 21, 1941 - Tyrkowo - New 2,000-pound bombs arrive at Turovo
Marat blows up
(artist unknown)
September 23, 1941 - Tyrkowo - Rudel flies over Kronstadt harbor and attacks the Soviet Battleship "Marat" with another Stuka. Rudel hits the battleship and sinks it
October 1, 1941 - Kuleshovka, N. of Vyazma - 1./StG 2 moves out - Operations in the direction of Ostaschkov (NW of Rzhev and Tver)
October 20, 1941 - Staritza, between Rzhev and Tver(?) - Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe as Oberleutnant in a Sturzkampfgeschwader
November 14, 1941 - Gorstowo, Between Mozhaysk and Ruza - 1./StG 2 moves out
December 8, 1941 - Gorstowo - Receives the German Cross in Gold
December 25, 1941 - Gorstowo - Christmas in Gorstowo
December 26, 1941 - Dugino, Between Rzhev and Vyazma - The Squadron moves out to the West because of soviet counterattacks
January 6, 1942 - Dugino - Receives the Knight's Cross as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
January(?) 20(?), 1942 - Riesengebirge Mountains (Germany, Poland, Czechia border) - Enjoying his leave skiing in the Riesengebirge (returns via Vitebsk, Minsk, Warsaw and Germany)
March 1(?), 1942 - Graz, Austria - Rudel returns to Graz as an instructor of a reserve flight, after getting married back in his home town
June 22, 1942 - Sarabus (Hvardiis'ke, N. of Simferopol, Crimea) - Returns to operations, close to Simferopol
July 20, 1942 - Cottbus, Eastern Germany - While the Squadron moves out to Tatsinskaya (N. of Rostov), Rudel flies a damaged stuka to Cottbus for repair
August 1, 1942 - Vyazma - 9./StG 2 moves out
October 1, 1942 - Stalino (Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine) - 9./StG 2 moves out to the Donbass
October 13, 1942 - Karpovka (Between Kalach and Stalingrad) - Appointed commander of 1./StG 2 - supporting the 6th Armee
November 15, 1942 - Rostov-on-Don, Russia - In Hospital. Treated for jaundice
November 21, 1942 - Karpovka - Returns to his squadron
December 22, 1942 - Morozovsk, NE of Shakhty and Rostov - Rudel's squadron moves to an airfield a little further to the West
December 25, 1942 - Morozovsk - Christmas at Morozovsk
January 1(?), 1943 - Tatsinskaya, NE of Shakhty | Voroshilovgrad (Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine) - Rudel's squadron at Tatsinskaya, before moving to Schachty (for sorties to the north, his squadron uses an airfield at Voroshilovgrad
February 10, 1943 - Tatsinkaya | Voroshilovgrad - 1st pilot in history to fly 1000 sorties, near izjum (Roven'ky - Horlivka)
February(?) 15(?), 1943 - Berlin - On leave
February(?) 16(?), 1943 - Rechlin, N. of Berlin - Instructed to proceed to Rechlin, where experiments with anti-tank weapons were being carried
February(?) 25(?), 1943 - St Anton am Arlberg, W. Austria - Skiing at St.Anton
Anti-tank Stuka
March 15, 1943 - Poltava, Ukraine - Returns to the front. Rudel switches to an anti-tank JU-
87G-2 Kanonenvogel, armed with two 37mm cannons
March 16, 1943 - over Belgorod region - 1st tank destroyed with 37mm rounds
April 1, 1943 - Kertsch, Eastern Crimea - The Squadron moves out
May 1, 1943 - Kharkov, Ukraine - The Squadron moves out
May 11, 1943 - Berlin - Flies to Berlin in a Messerchmitt Me109. Receives from Hitler the Oakleaves for his Knight's Cross as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann.
May 13, 1943 - Kertsch, Eastern Crimea - Back with his Wing at Kertsch
June 30(?), 1943 - Kuban Bridgehead - In the spring of 1943, Rudel sinks 70 Soviet landing craft with the Ju 87 G during the fighting for the Kuban bridgehead
July 4, 1943 - Melitopol, Southern Ukraine - Urgent orders to move out of Melitopol
July 5, 1943 - Kharkov - Rudel reaches Kharkov
July 6, 1943 - Belgorod - Moves out to Belgorod, to support the "Totenkopf" division during the Battle of Kursk
July 12, 1943 - Belgorod - Rudel claims 12 soviet tanks in one day
July 15(?), 1943 - Orel - Rudel's squadron moves to the other side of the bulge
July 18, 1943 - Orel - Given command of the III./StG 2 "Immelmann" after Hauptmann Walter Krauß is killed
July 31, 1943 - Karachev, Between Bryansk and Orel -  III./StG 2 moves out to Karachev
September 1, 1943 - Pervomais'k, S. of Kharkov -  III./StG 2 moves out
October 1, 1943 - Novokrasne, W. of Kirovograd (Kropyvnytskyi) -  III./StG 2 moves out
October 30, 1943 - Kostromka, NW of Kherson - 100th tank kill
November 25, 1943 - Wolfschanze, Rastenburg - Receives from Hitler the Swords for his Knight's Cross with Oakleaves as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann", at the same time that fighter ace Dietrich Hrabak is also decorated
December 24, 1943 - Kirovograd (Kropyvnytskyi), Ukraine - Returns to his wing, via Vienna, Kraków, Lemberg, Vinnitsa
January 5, 1944 - Kirovograd - Distinguishes himself again during the Battle of Kirovograd (January 5th - 16th)
Rudel and Hentschel
January 11, 1944 - Kirovograd - 150th tank kill
March 1, 1944 - Pervomais'k, SE of Kirovograd (Kropyvnytskyi) - Rudel reaches the 1,800th mission - 202 tanks destroyed in total
March 13, 1944 - Pervomais'k - Evades aerial combat with soviet ace Lev Shestakov, who crashes
March 14, 1944 - Nikolayev (Mykolaiv, Ukraine) -  III./StG 2 moves out
March 20, 1944 - Raukhivka, N. of Odessa -  III./StG 2 moves out. During the mission targeting the Yampol Bridge, Rudel and his gunner Erwin Hentschel completed their 1,400th mission. Rudel skillfully landed their aircraft behind enemy lines to rescue downed comrades. Tragically, during an unsuccessful attempt to save a seventh comrade, Hentschel drowned in the icy waters of the Dniester River as they fled from pursuing Soviet soldiers.
March 25, 1944 - Iasi (Romania-Moldova border) -  III./StG 2 moves out
March 27, 1944 - Iasi - Rudel destroys 17 tanks in a single day
March 29, 1944 - Iasi - Awarded the Diamonds for his Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"
April 2, 1944 - Berchstesgaden - Hitler's Eagle's Nest - Enjoys two days in the Berghof and receives the award from Hitler
April 5, 1944 - Götlitz (Germany-Poland border) - Returns to Görlitz, where the townspeople give a reception in his honor
April 10, 1944 - Husi (Romania-Moldova border) - Returns to the front (while Barkhorn's JG52 is at the same airfield)
May 31, 1944 - over Husi - Rudel is escorted on a mission by history's two greatest fighter aces, Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn. During the mission, Barkhorn is shot down and wounded.
June 3, 1944 - Husi - Rudel's 2000th mission. Awarded the Front flight clasp for battle pilots in gold with Diamonds and a pendant with the number 2000
June 6(?), 1944 - Near the Berghof - Receives the award from Göring. Short stay at Görlitz
July 13, 1944 - Zamosc, SE Poland - III./StG 2 receives orders to move to central sector
July 22, 1944 - Mielec, NW of Kraków - III./StG 2 moves again as the soviets approach
July 28, 1944 - Insterburg (E Konigsberg) (today Chernyakhovsk) - Orders to move to East Prussia
August 1, 1944 - Wenden (Cēsis), NE of Riga, Latvia - III./StG 2 moves out to Wenden, Latvia
August 6, 1944 - Wenden - 11 Tanks destroyed in a day - 320 in total
August 19, 1944 - Ērgļi, Kurland (Latvia) - Shot down by flak but is able to make an emergency landing near the front German lines
August 30(?), 1944 - Buzau, near Ploiesti, Romania - III./StG 2 receives alarming reports that the soviets are driving into Romania and is transfered overnight to Buzau  (from Latvia), via East Prussia, Kraków and Debrecen
September 1, 1944 - Buzau - Promoted to Oberstleutnant
September 12, 1944 - Tasnad, NW Romania -  III./StG 2 moves out
September 16, 1944 - Zalau, NW Romania -  III./StG 2 moves out
October 1, 1944 - Ferihery, SE Budapest - III./StG 2 moves out to Budapest. Rudel is appointed leader of SG 2
November 15, 1944 - Várpalota, W. of Székesfehérvár - SG 2 moves out
November 17, 1944 - Héviz, W. Lake Balaton, Hungary - Rudel is wounded in the thigh by ground fire and has to make an emergency landing at the fighter airfield in Budapest. He is taken by a Fieseler Storch to a sanatorium in Héviz, Lake Balaton, where two bullet wounds are treated. Rudel ignores the doctor's instructions and leaves the hospital without permission.
December 1, 1944 - Veces, Budapest - Rudel returns to his squadron a short time later with a plaster cast
December 22, 1944 - Várpalota, W. of Székesfehérvár - Back at Várpalota. Rudel completes his 2,400th combat mission. 463 tank kills
December 25, 1944 - Kemenesszentpéter, NW of Pápa, Hungary - Christmas at Kemenesszentpéter
December 30, 1944 - Kemenesszentpéter - Orders arrive to report to Reichmarshall Göring
December 31, 1944 - Vienna | Berlin - Visiting friends in Vienna on his way to Berlin
January 1, 1945 - Frankfurt - Reaches Frankfurt in the Reichmarshall's train. He is surprised to see many Me109 and Fw190s flying westward (Opeation Bodenplatte)
January 2, 1945 - Führer's HQ, Adlerhorst, Langenhain-Ziegenberg - Meets Hitler, Göring, Dönitz, Keitel and Jodl at the Führer's west HQ. Hitler Receives from Hitle the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with golden Oak leaves, Swords and Diamonds as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann", in presence of Göring and Dönitz. Hitler orders him to stop flying, but Rudel convinces him to continue
January 4(?), 1945 - Görlitz | Budapest - Flies to Görlitz to see his family and continues to Budapest on the same day
January 14, 1945 - S. of Sopron, Hungary - Rudel is awarded the Gold Medal for Bravery (Highest hungarian bravery award) by State leader Ferenc Szálasi
January 15, 1945 - Udetfeld, N. of Katowice - Orders to move SG 2 to Upper Silesia
January 18, 1945 - Grottkau (Grodków, Poland) - Rudel reaches 481 tank kills
January 28, 1945 - Märkisch Friedland (Mirosławiec, E.of Stettin) | Ordensburg Krössinsee - Orders to move the Wing to Märkisch Friedland (other squadrons to Frankfurt). Meeting with Heinrich Himmler at the Ordensburg Krössinsee
February 9, 1945 - Fürstenwalde, E. of Berlin - Rudel and Gadermann are hit by a 40mm shell and crash over Frankfurt am der Oder. Rudel was badly wounded in the right foot, and landed inside German lines as his radio operator shouted flight instructions
February 10, 1945 - Berlin - Rudel is taken to the Zoo Flak Tower, where his leg is amputated below the knee. He begins his convalescence there, receiving visits from Goebbels and Otto Skorzeny, among others
March 25, 1945 - Grossenhain, N. of Dresden - Returns to operations - 493 tanks destroyed total
April(?) 1(?), 1945 - Kummer (Hradčany), SW of Liberec, Czechia - SG 2 moves to Kummer
April 19, 1945 - Berlin - Rudel meets with Hitler in the Führerbunker at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin
April 24, 1945 - Kummer (Hradčany) - Destroys his 26th tank since after returning to combat (519 tank kills in total)
April 27, 1945 - Rechlin, N. of Berlin - Due to the impossibility of landing in Berlin, Rudel lands at Rechlin at night in a He 111 bomber
May 1(?), 1945 - Hermannstädtel (Heřmanův Městec, CZE) - Flies to Air Command HQ
May 7, 1945 - Grossenhain, N. of Dresden - Last mission of the War
May 8, 1945 - Kitzingen, NW of Nuremberg - Surrenders to US forces after 2 hour flight westward (519 destroyed tanks in total)
June(?) 15(?), 1945 - RAF Tangmere - Two weeks at Tangmere answering questions, with Günther Rall
April 1(?), 1946 - Kitzingen - Released from captivity
May(?) 20(?), 1948 - Swiss Alps - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 1(?), 1948 - Rome - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 2(?), 1948 - Madrid - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 3(?), 1948 - Lisbon, Portugal - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 4(?), 1948 - Casablanca - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 5(?), 1948 - Cape Verde(?) - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 6(?), 1948 - Natal, Brazil - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June(?) 7(?), 1948 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Emigration route to Argentina without being detected by former allies
June 8, 1948 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Rudel arrives in Buenos Aires
November 1, 1949 - Buenos Aires - Publishes a war diary titled "Trotzdem"
December 30(?), 1951 - Llullaillaco Mountain, Andes, Argentina - Rudel climbs the Llullaillaco (6,739m)
February 27(?), 1953 - Llullaillaco Mountain - Rudel climbs the Llullaillaco again
August 28, 1953 - Bielefeld, Germany - Election campaign speech at a meeting of the Deutsche Reichspartei (DRP) in Bielefeld
August 30, 1953 - Lüneburg, Germany - Attends an election meeting of the Neo-Nazi SRP (Socialist Reich Party)
September 2, 1953 - Bayreuth - Rudel is a candidate in the elections for the Deutschen Reichspartei. Attends a meeting of the DRP in the Rotmain Hall, Bayreuth
June 1(?), 1954 - Buenos Aires, Argentina(?) - Rudel is denied a visa for Germany because he is Persona non Grata for Bonn
September 1(?), 1955 - Paraguay - After Juan Perón's fall, Rudel moves to Paraguay, where he acts as a foreign representative for several German companies.
January(?) 1(?), 1957 - Santiago, Chile - Rudel and Dr. Josef Mengele together travel to Chile to spend a week with Walter Rauff, the inventor of the mobile gas chamber
May 14, 1957 - Munich, Germany - Attends the Roehm Trial and cumpliments the defendants Josef "Sepp" Dietrich and Michael Lippert
June 8, 1958 - Malmö, Sweden - Visits the german football team in Sweden during the 1958 FIFA World Cup
January 1(?), 1960 - Saarbrücken, Germany - DRP (Deutsche Reichspartei) reunion
May 30, 1960 - Neunkirchen, Vienna - Meeting of comrades with Herbert Jaschke
September 1(?), 1968 - Munich - Meets Savitri Devi and Oswald Moskey in Munich
April 26, 1970 - Argentina(?) - Survives a stroke
March 1, 1973 - Madrid, Spain - Visit to Juan Perón
August(?) 1(?), 1973 - Colonia dignidad, 35 km east of Parral, Chile - Moves to Chile after the Pinochet Coup
Knight's Cross with Golden Oakleaves
Swords and Diamonds
January(?), 1(?), 1974 - São Paulo, Brazil - Living in São Paulo, Brazil, during 1974
October 1(?), 1976 - Bremgarten Air Base, SW Freiburg, Germany - Rudel Scandal - During a meeting of former members of the Luftwaffe's Squadron 2 "Immelmann", High-ranking Bundeswehr officers Walter Krupinski and Karl-Heinz Franke compared Rudel's nazi past with the KPD past of the Social Democrat Herbert Wehner
October 15, 1976 - Washington D.C., United States - Attends a two-day conference with various members of the US military and defense industry as part of the development of the A-10 Thunderbolt II
January(?) 1(?), 1977 - Germany - Becomes a spokeman for the Deutsche Volksunion (German People's Union), a nationalist political party
June(?) 1(?), 1978 - Ascochinga, Argentina - Rudel visits the German National Football team at the World Cup training camp in Argentina
January(?) 1(?), 1979 - Rosenheim, Bavaria(?) - Rudel returns to Germany
December 18, 1982 - Rosenheim, Bavaria - Hans-Ulrich Rudel dies following another stroke, aged 66 =(END)

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