Английская Википедия:Günther Radusch

Материал из Онлайн справочника
Перейти к навигацииПерейти к поиску

Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox military person Günther Radusch (11 November 1912 – 29 July 1988) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot and wing commander. As a fighter ace, he claimed 65 enemy aircraft shot down in over 140 combat missions. He claimed one victory in the Spanish Civil War. During World War II, he was credited with 64 aerial victories in Defense of the Reich all of which claimed at night and includes the destruction of 57 four-engined bombers.

Born in Schwetz, Radusch volunteered for military service in the Reichsheer of the Weimar Republic in 1931. In parallel, he was accepted for flight training with the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, a covert military-training organization, and at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school. Following flight training, he served with Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing) and volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War where he claimed one aerial victory. For his service in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords.

At the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, Radusch served with Zerstörergeschwader 1 and was appointed a squadron leader in June 1940. This unit became the nucleus of the newly created night fighter wing Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. He claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on the night of 9/10 April 1941. In August 1943, Radusch was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commande) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5. Following his 25th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 August 1943. In February 1944, Radusch was given command of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 and received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 6 April 1944 after 58 nocturnal aerial victories. In October, he was appointed commander of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3, a position he held until the end of World War II. After the war, Radusch reentered military service in the Bundeswehr in 1958 and retired 1971. Radusch died on 29 July 1988 in Nordstrand, West Germany.

Early life and career

Radusch, the son of a middle school director, was born on 11 November 1912 in Schwetz, present-day Świecie in northern Poland, at the time in West Prussia within the German Empire. While at school, he learned to fly glider aircraft. In April 1931, Radusch began his pilot training at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (DVS—German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim.Шаблон:Sfn

The DVS was headed by Carl Bolle, a World War I fighter pilot, and his flight instructor was Wilhelm Stör, another World War I fighter pilot. He and 29 other trainees were part of Kameradschaft 31 (camaraderie of 1931), abbreviated "K 31". Among the members of "K 31" were future Luftwaffe staff officers Bernd von Brauchitsch, Wolfgang Falck, Günther Lützow, Ralph von Rettberg and Hannes Trautloft. Radusch graduated from the DVS on 19 February 1932.Шаблон:Sfn Radusch and nine others, among them Lützow, Falck and Trautloft, were recommended for training at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school in the Soviet Russia.Шаблон:Sfn Following his return from flight training, Radusch joined 4. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment (4th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment), in Schwerin. There he completed his basic training, attended the Kriegsschule (war school) in Dresden,Шаблон:Sfn and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 October 1934. In 1935, he officially transferred to the newly formed Luftwaffe, at first serving as a fighter pilot instructor at Schleißheim,Шаблон:Sfn and was then assigned to the III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel".Шаблон:Sfn III. Gruppe of JG 134 was formed on 4 January 1936 at Döberitz under the command of Major Oskar Dinort. The Gruppe was initially equipped with the Heinkel He 51 A-1. On 24 February, the unit was ordered to Lippstadt Airfield and participated in the remilitarisation of the Rhineland.Шаблон:Sfn

He was sent to Spain as part of the Condor Legion in October 1936.Шаблон:Sfn He claimed his only aerial victory in the Spanish Civil War on 22 April 1937. Together with fellow pilot Franz Heilmayer of 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 they each claimed one Polikarpov I-15 shot down, one of which was flown by Felipe del Río Crespo, a seven victory flying ace.Шаблон:Sfn Radusch also tested the Heinkel He 112 under combat conditions in Spain.Шаблон:Sfn For his services in Spain, he received the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Шаблон:Lang).Шаблон:Sfn In 1939, Radusch served on the staff of the Inspekteur der Jagdflieger, an organization within the Luftwaffe responsible for the readiness, training and tactics of the fighter force.Шаблон:Sfn

World War II

On Friday 1 September 1939, German forces invaded Poland starting World War II in Europe. Radusch flew the Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter during the Norwegian campaign and during the Battle of France. On the night of 30 April and 1 May, 50 Royal Air Force (RAF) Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Vickers Wellington and Handley Page Hampden bombers attacked Luftwaffe airfields in Norway. Radusch, Falck, Oberleutnant Werner Streib, and another pilot, followed the bombers shortly before sunup on their flight back to England. The pilots attacked the bombers without claiming any aerial victories. Radusch Bf 110 sustained combat damage in the encounter, numerous bullet holes were counted following his landing at Aalborg.Шаблон:Sfn On 1 June, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing), a squadron of I. Gruppe under the command of his "K 31" comrade Falck.Шаблон:Sfn On 22 June 1940, General der Flieger Albert Kesselring called Falck that Hermann Göring, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, had tasked him with the creation of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing).Шаблон:Sfn In consequence, I. Gruppe of ZG 1 became the I. Gruppe of NJG 1.Шаблон:Sfn

Night fighter career

Файл:Kammhuber Line Map - Agent Tegal.png
A map of part of the Kammhuber Line, the 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, bombing missions by the RAF shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.Шаблон:Sfn By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector, named a Himmelbett (canopy bed), would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.Шаблон:Sfn

On 1 July 1940, Radusch was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of NJG 1.Шаблон:Sfn Already on 7 October 1940, he was appointed commander of I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3—3rd Night Fighter Wing), a position he held until 2 October 1941.Шаблон:Sfn Radusch claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on 10 April 1941 when he shot down a Wellington bomber Шаблон:Convert southwest Papenburg.Шаблон:Sfn

Wing commander

On 2 August 1943, Radusch was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commande) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing), succeeding Major Fritz Schaffer in this capacity.Шаблон:Sfn On the night of 17/18 August, Bomber Command launched Operation Hydra, the attack on a German scientific research centre at Peenemünde. Defending against this attack, Radusch claimed three bombers shot down near Peenemünde, taking his total to 25 nocturnal aerial victories.Шаблон:Sfn For this, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Шаблон:Lang) on 29 August.Шаблон:Sfn

Radusch was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) on 1 February 1944.Шаблон:Sfn On 21 January, Major Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, the commander of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing), had been killed in action.Шаблон:Sfn On 4 February, Radusch succeeded Sayn-Wittgenstein in command of NJG 2 while command of NJG 5 was passed on to Major Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld.Шаблон:Sfn Radusch shot down Halifax LV794 from No. 78 Squadron on 26 February. Pilot Flight Lieutenant William Carruthers met Radusch afterwards and recalled how the German pilot him in good English that he had studied at Oxford University before the war before he handed him cigarettes and chocolate. Radusch departed after expressing his regrets at the loss of Carruthers' aircraft and crew.Шаблон:Sfn

He became the 444th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Шаблон:Lang) on 6 April 1944 after 58 nocturnal aerial victories.Шаблон:Sfn The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler at the Berghof, Hitler's residence in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps, on 5 May 1944.Шаблон:Sfn Also present at the ceremony were Anton Hafner, Otto Kittel, Günther Schack, Emil Lang, Alfred Grislawski, Erich Rudorffer, Martin Möbus, Wilhelm Herget, Hans-Karl Stepp, Rudolf Schoenert, Otto Pollmann and Fritz Breithaupt, who all received the Oak Leaves on this date.Шаблон:Sfn

A black-and-white photo of six soldiers standing around a flag-covered coffin.
Hermann Göring speaking at Lent's funeralШаблон:Sfn

On 7 October, Helmut Lent, the Geschwaderkommodore of NJG 3, died of wounds sustained in a flying accident the day before. Lent's state funeral was held in the Reich Chancellery, Berlin, on Wednesday 11 October 1944. Radusch, together with Oberstleutnant Hans-Joachim Jabs, Major Rudolf Schoenert, Hauptmann Heinz Strüning, Hauptmann Karl Hadeball and Hauptmann Paul Zorner, formed the guard of honour.Шаблон:Sfn On 12 November, Radusch succeeded Lent in command of NJG 3 which he led until the German surrender in May 1945.Шаблон:Sfn Radusch was promoted to Oberst (colonel) on 30 January 1945.Шаблон:Sfn He tested the Focke-Wulf Ta 154 as a night fighter aircraft in February but rejected it for its less than impressive performance.Шаблон:Sfn

Later life

On 1 September 1958, Radusch reentered military service in the Bundeswehr holding the rank of Oberst in the West German Air Force. Until March 1964, he commanded the flight school (Шаблон:Lang) at Landsberg-Lech Air Base.Шаблон:Sfn Radusch died on 29 July 1988 in Nordstrand.Шаблон:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Radusch was credited with 64 aerial victories during World War II.Шаблон:Sfn[Note 1] In total, he was credited with 65 aerial victories claimed in over 140 combat missions. He claimed one victory during the Spanish Civil War, the remaining 64 victories were all claimed at night and includes the destruction of 57 four-engine bombers. Foreman, Mathews and Parry, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 64 nocturnal victory claims.Шаблон:Sfn Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Radusch with 65 claims, including one as a daytime fighter pilot in Spain.Шаблон:Sfn

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim
(total) 		Claim
(nocturnal) 		Date Time Type Location Serial No./Squadron No.
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –Шаблон:Sfn
1 22 April 1937 Шаблон:Center I-15 Spain
– Stab I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
2 1 10 April 1941 03:00 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert southwest Papenburg
– Stab II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
3 2 27 February 1942 00:55 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn west Westerland
4 3 26 April 1942 02:08 StirlingШаблон:Sfn south Scheldt Estuary
5 4 28 April 1942 01:05 StirlingШаблон:Sfn Rømø
6 5 29 April 1942 02:18 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn
7 6 17 August 1942 02:42 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Sønderborg
8 7 17 August 1942 02:52 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn
9 8 22 September 1942 01:01 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west Blidsel
10 9 2 October 1942 01:04 StirlingШаблон:Sfn
11 10 2 October 1942 01:22 StirlingШаблон:Sfn
12 11 17 December 1942 19:53 LancasterШаблон:Sfn southeast Ribe
13 12 8 January 1943 20:00 LancasterШаблон:Sfn west Sylt
14 13 17 January 1943 22:14 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west Eiderstedt
15 14 21 April 1943 03:07 StirlingШаблон:Sfn in sea
16 15 21 April 1943 03:32 StirlingШаблон:Sfn in sea
17 16 15 June 1943 01:15 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south Venlo
18 17 15 June 1943 01:20 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west-southwest Venlo Lancaster ED973/No. 100 Squadron RAF,Шаблон:Sfn 7 killedШаблон:Sfn
– 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –
19 18 17 June 1943 01:45 LancasterШаблон:Sfn northeast Neerpelt
20 19 22 June 1943 01:34 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert north-northwest Venlo Halifax HR799/No. 35 Squadron RAFШаблон:Sfn
– Stab I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –
21 20 25 June 1943 00:57 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn Wellen Wellington HF606/No. 300 Polish Bomber SquadronШаблон:Sfn
22 21 25 June 1943 01:15 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn Jasmund Possibly Wellington HZ376/No. 300 Polish Bomber SquadronШаблон:Sfn Perhaps crashed due to anti-aircraft fire.Шаблон:Sfn 4 men killed, 2 capturedШаблон:Sfn
23 22 25 June 1943 01:24 LancasterШаблон:Sfn northwest Venlo
24 23 26 June 1943 01:58 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south Nijmegen Halifax JD261/No. 51 Squadron RAFШаблон:Sfn 7 men killedШаблон:Sfn
25 24 29 June 1943 02:15 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Waalre Halifax JD215/No. 419 Bomber Squadron RCAF,Шаблон:Sfn 7 men killedШаблон:Sfn
26 25 29 June 1943 02:24 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south Eindhoven Halifax II DT783 ZA-Q/No. 10 Squadron RAF, 7 killedШаблон:Sfn
27 26 29 June 1943 02:34 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert north Helmond
28 27 29 June 1943 02:56 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert northwest Eindhoven
– Stab II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
29 28 28 July 1943 00:26 LancasterШаблон:Sfn south Vollerwiek
30 29 28 July 1943 00:43 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Wöhrden
31 30 30 July 1943 00:25 Lancaster Шаблон:Convert north Hemminger
32 31 3 August 1943 01:22 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast Helgoland Lancaster ED705/No. 100 Squadron RAF,Шаблон:Sfn 7 killedШаблон:Sfn
33 32 3 August 1943 02:14 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert north-northwest Helgoland Halifax HR859/No. 51 Squadron RAFШаблон:Sfn
– Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
34 33 18 August 1943 01:46 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Peenemünde Lancaster LM342/No. 467 Squadron RAAFШаблон:Sfn
35 34 18 August 1943 01:55 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Peenemünde
36 35 18 August 1943 02:00 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Peenemünde
– Stab II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
37 36 22 September 1943 01:01 WellingtonШаблон:Sfn
– Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
38 37 27 September 1943 23:24 LancasterШаблон:Sfn southwest Hanover
39 38 9 October 1943 01:51 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west Hanover
40 39 22 October 1943 20:57 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west-northwest Kassel
41 40 22 October 1943 21:04 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert northeast Kassel
42 41 22 October 1943 22:13 LancasterШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert north Kassel
43 42 14 January 1944 19:29 LancasterШаблон:Sfn
44 43 20 January 1944 19:30 LancasterШаблон:Sfn
45 44 20 January 1944 19:39 LancasterШаблон:Sfn
46 45 21 January 1944 23:15 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn
47 46 29 January 1944 03:12 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn
48 47 30 January 1944 20:24 LancasterШаблон:Sfn
49 48 30 January 1944 20:27 LancasterШаблон:Sfn
50 49 30 January 1944 20:30 LancasterШаблон:Sfn
– Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –
51 50 20 February 1944 05:39 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn KH-9 Lancaster ND410/No. 12 Squadron RAFШаблон:Sfn
52 51 25 February 1944 24:00 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Schnee-Eifel
53 52 26 February 1944 00:30 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn south Rottweil Halifax LV794/No. 78 Squadron RAFШаблон:Sfn
54 53 31 March 1944 00:36 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Adenau
55 54 31 March 1944 00:41 LancasterШаблон:Sfn southwest Koblenz
– 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –
56 55 22 May 1944 01:44 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn LK-LL-KL-KK
57 56 22 May 1944 01:56 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn LK-LI-KI-KK
58 57 22 May 1944 02:00 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn IK-KK-KI-II
– Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –
59 58 28 May 1944 02:07 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Meerle
60 59 13 June 1944 01:48 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Amiens
61 60 29 June 1944 00:37 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Compiègne
62 61 29 June 1944 00:44 HalifaxШаблон:Sfn Soissons
63 62 1 July 1944 01:12 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
64 63 1 July 1944 01:14 four-engined bomberШаблон:Sfn Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
65 64 8 July 1944 01:05 LancasterШаблон:Sfn TB-89

Awards

Notes

Шаблон:Reflist

References

Citations

Шаблон:Reflist

Bibliography

Шаблон:Refbegin

Шаблон:Refend

External links

Шаблон:S-start Шаблон:S-mil Шаблон:Succession box Шаблон:Succession box Шаблон:Succession box Шаблон:S-end

Шаблон:Top German World War II night fighter aces

Шаблон:Subject bar

Партнерские ресурсы
Криптовалюты
Магазины
Хостинг
Разное


Ошибка цитирования Для существующих тегов <ref> группы «Note» не найдено соответствующего тега <references group="Note"/>

Источник — http://wikihandbk.com/ruwiki/index.php?title=Английская_Википедия:Günther_Radusch&oldid=15081706