Gustav Rödel
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Gustav Siegfried Rödel (24 October 1915 – 6 February 1995) was a German
fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...
and
fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
who served during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
. Rödel was born on 24 October 1915 in
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
. In 1933 the Nazis came to power in Germany. Rödel had to choose a military career and he applied to join the Luftwaffe in late 1935 and was accepted the following year. After basic training he was selected to train as a fighter pilot. In 1938 Rödel completed his training and was assigned to ''Jagdgruppe'' 88, under the command of the
Condor Legion The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...
. J/88 participated in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. There is no record of Rödel claiming any success in combat in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. In July 1939, Rödel was sent to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 21 (JG 21). On 1 September 1939, Nazi Germany attacked
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
beginning World War II in Europe. Operating with 2. ''Staffel'' (2nd Squadron) he claimed his first aerial victory on this day. In November 1939 he was transferred to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 27 and saw action in the
Battle of Belgium The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (; ), formed part of the larger Battle of France, an Military offensive, offensive campaign by Nazi Germany, Germany during ...
and
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
in May and June 1940. Rödel claimed three aircraft shot down. In July 1940 Rödel was moved to 4./JG 27 and eventually appointed ''
Staffelkapitän ''Staffelkapitän'' is a command appointment, rather than a military rank, in the air force units of German-speaking countries. The rank normally held by a ''Staffelkapitän'' has changed over time. In the present-day German ''Luftwaffe'' – p ...
'' (Squadron Leader) of the ''Staffel'' effective from 1 September 1940. Rödel was credited with 10
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) aircraft in the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
. In March 1941 Rödel was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre. Rödel served with JG 27 through the
Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...
and received credit for six aerial victories. In June 1941 Rödel was briefly posted to the Eastern Front to support
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
. He claimed only one victory in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. For his success he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
on 25 June 1941. Rödel was posted to
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
with JG 27 soon after and remained there until November 1942. On 22 April he was appointed ''
Geschwaderkommodore ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or Kapitän zur See (naval captain ...
'' (Wing Commander) of JG 27. Subsequently, Rödel saw action over
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
and Southern
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
in May 1943. On 20 June 1943 he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for 78 victories. In October 1943, JG 27 moved to Nazi Germany for
Defence of the Reich The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the military strategy, strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied Strategic bombing ...
operations and in June 1944 led the wing in the
Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...
. He claimed his 98th and final victory on 5 July 1944. In December 1944 he served as a staff officer with the 2. ''Jagd Division'' until the German surrender in May 1945. Rödel was credited with 97 victories against the
Western Allies Western Allies was a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It primarily refers to the leading Anglo-American Allied powers, namely the United States and the United Kingdom, although the term has also be ...
and a single victory over
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...
in over 980 combat missions. He flew the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
. In 1957, Rödel joined the ''
Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
''. He retired on 30 September 1971, holding the rank of ''
Brigadegeneral Brigadegeneral (; , ) is the Germanic variant of Brigadier general. Belgium The rank of (; ) is used by the Belgian Land Component, Air Component and Medical Component. File:Army-BEL-OF-06.svg, Land Component File:BE-Air Force-OF6.svg, Ai ...
''.


Early life and career

Rödel was born on 24 October 1915 in
Merseburg Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese ...
in the
Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony () was a German monarchy in Central Europe between 1806 and 1918, the successor of the Electorate of Saxony. It joined the Confederation of the Rhine after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, later joining the German ...
, a
federated state A federated state (also State (polity), state, province, region, Canton (administrative division), canton, Länder, land, governorate, oblast, emirate, or country) is a territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federation ...
of the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
. He was the son of Wilhelm Rödel, a metal worker. Following graduation from school with his ''
Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
'' ( university-preparatory high school diploma), he completed his compulsory ''
Reichsarbeitsdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major paramilitary organization established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the Economy of Nazi Germany, German economy, militarise the wo ...
'' (Reich Labour Service) in
Zeitz Zeitz (; , ) is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river White Elster, in the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Saxony. History First a Slavic pagan settlem ...
. Rödel then studied half a semester of
theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
before joining the military service of the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
as a ''
Fahnenjunker ''Fahnenjunker'' (short Fhj or FJ, ; ) is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of some former German armed forces. In earlier German armed forces it was also the collective name for many officer aspirant ranks. It was established by the ''Pre ...
'' (cadet) on 1 April 1936. He then attended the ''Luftkriegsschule Klotzsche'' (Air War School Klotzsche) until 31 January 1938. On 1 February 1938, Rödel was promoted to ''
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
'' (second lieutenant) and transferred to the ''
Jagdfliegerschule The German Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht had seven ''Jagdfliegerschulen'' or Fighter Pilot Schools. Jagdfliegerschule Werneuchen or Jagdfliegerschule 1 Jagdfliegerschule Werneuchen was formed on 1 November 1937 in Werneuchen consisting of 3 ''Staff ...
'' (fighter pilot school) at
Werneuchen Werneuchen () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, in the district of Barnim northeast of Berlin within the metropolitan area. Most of the population of Werneuchen commutes to Berlin. History From 1815 to 1947, Werneuchen was part of the Prussian ...
, at the time under the command of ''
Oberstleutnant () (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
'' (Lieutenant-Colonel)
Theodor Osterkamp Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led Jagdgeschwader 51, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up ...
. From 1 May until 30 June 1938, he was assigned to the school's 2. '' Staffel'' (2nd squadron) and completed its second training course held to date. In 1939, he flew his first combat missions with ''Jagdgruppe'' 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group) of the
Condor Legion The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...
during the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. There, he predominantly flew escort and
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
missions. In Spain, he was also tasked with the
exhumation Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and object ...
and identification of German dead. He also learned to speak Spanish and was employed as an interpreter. For his service in Spain, Rödel was awarded the
Spanish Cross The Spanish Cross () was an award of Nazi Germany given to German troops who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for nationalist general, later Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco. History With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil W ...
in Bronze with Swords () on 6 June 1939.


World War II

On 1 September 1939 the German ''
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
'' invaded
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. 2./JG 21 was based at
Heiligenbeil The term Heiligenbeil can refer to: *The German name of Mamonovo, Russia * Heiligenbeil concentration camp built near Mamonovo *Heiligenbeil Pocket The Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron () was the site of a major encirclement battle o ...
,
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
. On the opening day Rödel claimed a PZL P.24, which was a misidentified
PZL P.7 The PZLP.7 was a Polish gull wing monoplane fighter aircraft designed in the early 1930s at the PZL factory in Warsaw. It was the main fighter of the Polish Air Force between 1933 and 1935. The PZLP.7 was replaced in Polish service by its follow- ...
or P.11c of the
Pursuit Brigade The Pursuit Brigade () was a Polish World War II unit of the Polish Air Force. It took part in the Polish Defensive War of 1939 as the main aerial reserve of the commander in chief and was used for air cover of the Polish capital of Warsaw. It was ...
based at
Okęcie Warszawa Okęcie () is the largest neighbourhood of the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. It is the location of Warsaw Chopin Airport and the PZL Warszawa-Okęcie aircraft works, and home to the Okęcie Warszawa professional association football clu ...
. After the campaign, I./JG 21 was used to form the second and third ''Gruppen'' of JG 27, founded on 1 October 1939. On 10 May 1940 JG 27 supported
Army Group A Army Group A () was the name of three distinct army groups of the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'', the ground forces of the ''Wehrmacht'', during World War II. The first Army Group A, previously known as "Army Group South", was active from Oct ...
and B's invasion of Belgium. Rödel was part of I./JG 27, attached to VIII. ''Fliegerkorps'' (8th Air Corps). Rödel was assigned as
Adolf Galland Adolf Josef Ferdinand Galland (19 March 1912 – 9 February 1996) was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions and fought on the Western Front and in the Defenc ...
's
wingman A wingman (or wingmate) is the pilot of a secondary aircraft providing support or protection to a primary aircraft in a potentially dangerous situation, traditionally flying in formation to the side and slightly behind the primary craft. The t ...
. On 12 May Stab./JG 27 was patrolling near
Huy Huy ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the '' sillon industriel'', the former industrial backbone of Wall ...
led by Galland. The ''Stabsschwarm'' claimed four
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF)
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
s, one of them was claimed by Rödel the other three by Galland. The Hurricanes were probably from
No. 87 Squadron RAF No. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War. World War I 87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was first formed on 1 September 1917 at RAF Upavon, Upavon from elements of t ...
. Stab./JG 27 had 101 Bf 109s on strength on 10 May and it flew 17 missions involving 325 sorties. RAF resistance on the first day cost the Luftwaffe 10
Junkers Ju 87 The Junkers Ju 87, popularly known as the "Stuka", is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the ...
s that were under the protection of JG 27 and I./ ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51. The opposition weakened by 13 May and three weeks passed before Rödel claimed again. Rödel was promoted to ''
Oberleutnant (English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' (first lieutenant) on 1 June 1940. Stab./JG 27 took part in the
Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk () was fought around the French Third Republic, French port of Dunkirk, Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies of World War II, Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle ...
on 2 June and were peripherally involved in
Operation Paula (Operation Paula) is the German codename for a operation to destroy the remaining units of the (AdA, French Air Force) during the Battle of France in 1940. On 10 May the German armed forces () began their invasion of Western Europe. By 3 June ...
on 3 June. Rödel claimed a
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
on 2 June. On 7 June, he claimed his fourth victory and his last in France over a
Potez 630 The Potez 630 and its derivatives were a family of twin-engined, multirole aircraft developed for the French Air Force in the late 1930s. The design was a contemporary of the British Bristol Blenheim (which was larger and designed purely as a b ...
near Dunkirk.


Battle of Britain

JG 27 transferred to the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
and
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in the aftermath of the French capitulation on 25 June 1940. The Luftwaffe began its air offensive against the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in support of a planned invasion codenamed
Operation Sea Lion Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (), was Nazi Germany's code name for their planned invasion of the United Kingdom. It was to have taken place during the Battle of Britain, nine months after the start of the Second World ...
. The air offensive became known as the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
. In July 1940 Rödel was transferred to 4. ''Staffel'' (4th squadron) of JG 27 for the ''
Kanalkampf The (Channel Battle) was the German term for air operations by the against the Royal Air Force (RAF) over the English Channel in July 1940, beginning the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. By 25 June, the Allies of World War II, A ...
'' phase of the battle. Röddel was appointed ''
Staffelkapitän ''Staffelkapitän'' is a command appointment, rather than a military rank, in the air force units of German-speaking countries. The rank normally held by a ''Staffelkapitän'' has changed over time. In the present-day German ''Luftwaffe'' – p ...
'' (Squadron Leader) of 4. ''Staffel'' on 6 September 1940. He replaced ''Oberleutnant'' Hermann Hollweg who took over 2. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 2. On 11 August JG 27 formed part of large-scale fighter sweeps over
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
as
Albert Kesselring Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 – 16 July 1960) was a German military officer and convicted war crime, war criminal who served in the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. In a career which spanned both world wars, Kesselring reached the ra ...
, commander-in-chief ''Luftflotte'' 2 (Air Fleet 2) sought to draw up
No. 12 Group RAF No. 12 Group RAF (12 Gp) of the Royal Air Force was a group, a military formation, that existed over two separate periods, namely the end of the First World War when it had a training function and from just prior to the Second World War until t ...
under Air Officer Commanding
Keith Park Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, (15 June 1892 – 6 February 1975) was a New Zealand-born officer of the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the Second World War, his leadership of the RAF's No. 11 Group RAF, No. 11 Group was pivotal to t ...
. The German fighter wings were despatched far in front of the bomber formations this day, in a bid to catch British fighters at a disadvantage and before they reached the bombers. In a rare tactical mistake,
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
intercepted what it perceived to be an in-coming bomber formation in the early morning attack. Rödel arrived over
Weymouth Bay Weymouth Bay is a sheltered bay on the south coast of England, in Dorset. It is protected from erosion by Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland, and includes several beaches, notably Weymouth Beach, a gently curving arc of golden sand which st ...
with JG 27 to cover the withdrawal of
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...
s from ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 2. A large
dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an air combat manoeuvring, aerial battle between fighter aircraft that is conducted at close range. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat manoeuvring (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requir ...
began at 10:40 GMT as Rödel's unit fought a withdrawal across the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
. He claimed a "Spitfire" shot down. All three JG 27 ''Gruppen'' were involved and were known to have taken three losses in total in combat with
152 Year 152 ( CLII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Glabrio and Homullus (or, less frequently, year 905 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 152 for th ...
,
238 __NOTOC__ Year 238 ( CCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pius and Pontianus (or, less frequently, year 991 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 238 ...
and
145 145 may refer to: *145 (number), a natural number *AD 145, a year in the 2nd century AD *145 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *145 (dinghy), a two-person intermediate sailing dinghy *145 (South) Brigade, a regional brigade of the British Army that ...
squadrons. In return 238 lost five Hawker Hurricanes and four pilots
killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
with Bf 109s. 145 lost three Hurricanes and one pilot and 152 sustained no loss. On 30 August, Rödel claimed another Spitfire. At 11:45 JG 27 became embroiled in battle with Spitfires from
616 __NOTOC__ Year 616 ( DCXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 616 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe f ...
and Hurricanes from 253 Squadrons. JG 27 lost five Bf 109s and four pilots were
missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty (person), casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoner of war, prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been ...
. 253 Squadron lost three Hurricanes and two pilots killed and 616 lost two Spitfires—
Flying Officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...
J. S. Bell was killed and
Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
J. Hopewell survived a force-landing. The losses were reported over Redhill, the area recorded in Rödel's claim. On 1 September Rödel claimed two Spitfires over Ashford and
Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
. Fighter Command lost 15 destroyed and four damaged in combat with five killed and seven wounded. For the second and last time in the campaign, the Luftwaffe suffered the loss of fewer aircraft: five fighters destroyed and two damaged; two bombers destroyed and six damaged. Only Hurricane squadrons reported losses in the afternoon battle at the time of Rödel's claim: 1 Squadron (two destroyed one damaged), 79 (three destroyed), 72 (three destroyed), 85 (five destroyed one damaged) and 253 Squadron (one destroyed). Rödel was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 4./JG 27 on this date. On 3 September, Rödel claimed a Hurricane and Spitfire over
Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...
. JG 27 were involved in combat with Spitfires from
No. 603 Squadron RAF No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron is a squadron (aviation), squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. On reforming on 1 October 1999, the primary role of 603 Squadron was as a ''Survive to Operate'' squadron, a ...
and lost one pilot wounded. The only British losses sustained were by Hurricane squadrons.
No. 46 Squadron RAF No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II. World War I No. 46 Squadron was ...
lost three Hurricanes over Southend at the time of Rödel's claims—Sergeant G. H. Edgworthy, Pilot Officer H. Morgan-Gray and Sergeant E. Bloor were shot down by Bf 109s. Edgworthy was killed. 13 Hurricanes were lost and five damaged in the air battle. Six are recorded as lost to Bf 110s four were lost or damaged in accidents and another by friendly-fire. Rödel was credited with another Spitfire on 6 September. JG 27 lost five Bf 109s and one damaged. Four were missing and two wounded. ''
Gruppenkommandeur ''Gruppenkommandeur'' is a Luftwaffe position (not rank), that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. A ''Gruppenkommandeur'' usually has the rank of Major or ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel), and comman ...
'' Schlichting of III./JG 27 was among the missing. 43 and 303 Squadron are known to have been their opponents. 303 lost two Hurricanes and a further two were damaged by Bf 109s. Two pilots were severely wounded including
Squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
Zdzisław Krasnodębski Zdzisław Krasnodębski, alias ''Król'' (10 July 1904 – 3 July 1980) was a Polish pilot and the founder and commander of No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, and the leader of the 1st Fighter Group. Early life and career Krasnodębski was bor ...
. 43 Squadron suffered no loss. On 11 September Rödel claimed another victory over
Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly Tunbridge Wells) is a town in Kent, England, southeast of Central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone ...
. On 27 September Rödel claimed two Hurricanes. One was claimed at 12:05 GMT. In this battle JG 27 lost three Bf 109s to Spitfires from 19 Squadron and 222 Squadron. 222 Squadron lost one Spitfire and had one pilot severely wounded and 19 Squadron lost two Spitfires and had one pilot wounded and one pilot killed. In the large air battle, 41 (three destroyed, one wounded), 46 (one damaged), 152 (five damaged),
242 Year 242 (Roman numerals, CCXLII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Lepidus (or, less frequently, year 995 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominatio ...
(one destroyed and missing),
501 __NOTOC__ Year 501 ( DI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Avienus and Pompeius (or, less frequently, year 1254 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 501 fo ...
(two destroyed, one dead one wounded),
504 __NOTOC__ Year 504 ( DIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nicomachus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1257 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominati ...
(one destroyed), 602 (one destroyed), 603 (one destroyed one dead) and 616 Squadrons (one destroyed one died of wounds) lost aircraft between 12:05 and 12:30. At least nine German ''Geschwader'' were involved in the battle. The Luftwaffe lost 51 aircraft and 15 damaged to Fighter Command's 28 destroyed and 13 damaged. Rödel probably shot down Squadron leader C. Haw, commanding, No. 504 Squadron RAF. Haw force-landed Hurricane ''P3415'' uninjured. On 5 November, II. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from combat operations on the English Channel, relocating to
Detmold Detmold () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of . It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947. Today it is the administrative center of ...
on 9 November.


Battle of Greece and Eastern Front

While based at Detmold, the pilots were given a period of rest while the ''Gruppe'' received a few factory new
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
 E-7 aircraft. On 2 January 1941, II. ''Gruppe'' received orders to relocate to Romania. On 10 January, the air elements flew to Wien-Schwechat airfield where they stayed two weeks. On 10 February, the ''Gruppe'' relocated to Bucharest-Băneasa airfield. After the Bulgaria joined the
Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
on 1 March, II. ''Gruppe'' was ordered to relocate to an airfield named Sofia-Vrba located approximately halfway between Radomir and
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
to augment the VIII. ''Fliegerkorps'' commanded by ''Generaloberst''
Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen Wolfram Karl Ludwig Moritz Hermann Freiherr von Richthofen (10 October 1895 – 12 July 1945) was a German World War I flying ace who rose to the rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) in the Luftwaffe during World War II. In the ...
. This relocation was already made in preparation for
Operation Marita The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasio ...
, the German invasion of Greece and
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
launched on 6 April. On 6 April 1941, after the failed Italian invasion, it was deployed in the German-led invasion of Greece. On 15 April Rödel led his ''Staffel'' to
Kalambaka Kalabaka (, ''Kalabáka'', alternative transliterations are ''Kalambaka'' and ''Kalampaka'') is a town and seat of the municipality of Meteora in the Trikala regional unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population was 11,492 at the 2021 cens ...
and Vasiliki. Captain George Mokkas, commanding 23 ''Mira'' engaged them but was shot down and killed by Rödel who mistook his Bloch MB.150 for a Hurricane. It was his 15th victory. Minutes later Rödel claimed two
Gloster Gladiator The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. Developed privat ...
s and another three claims were made for Gladiators by his ''Staffel''. The Greek fighters were actually PZL P.24s. Captain Kellas of 21 ''Mira'', Katsarellas of 22 ''Mira'' and First Lieutenant Kontogiorgos were wounded. On 20 April 1941 Rödel claimed three Hurricanes from
No. 80 Squadron RAF Number 80 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was reformed on 15 April 2024 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, after the numberplate was awarded to the British team at the Australia, Canada and United Kingdom Reprogramming Laborato ...
in ten minutes. In preparation for
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, II. ''Gruppe'' was moved to a makeshift airfield name Praszniki, located northeast of
Suwałki Suwałki (; ; or סוּוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. A relatively young ci ...
close to the Curzon Line, on 18 June. On 25 June 1941 Rödel claimed his only victory in this theatre over
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
. The claim was recorded as a
Tupolev SB The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB ( – ''Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik'' – high speed bomber) and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934. The Tup ...
. On 1 July, II. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from combat operations, all serviceable aircraft were transferred to III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 27 and the personnel was ordered to return to Suwałki, awaiting further orders.


North Africa

Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, II. ''Gruppe'' arrived at Döberitz, located approximately west of
Staaken Staaken () is a locality at the western rim of Berlin within the borough of Spandau. History First mentioned in a 1273 deed as ''Stakene'' (from Middle Low German: ''staken'', "stakes") in the Mittelmark region of the Margraviate of Brandenbur ...
, on 24 July. Here, the ''Gruppe'' was equipped with the Bf 109 F-4 and prepared for combat in
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
to support a German contingent, the Deutsche Afrika Korps under the command of
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...
. On 16 September, 4. ''Staffel'' under command of Rödel began the relocation, arriving at Ayn al-Ġazāla on 22 September. On 3 October, Rödel claimed a
Desert Air Force The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allies of World War II, Allied tactical air force ...
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber 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 ...
of No. 112 Squadron RAF shot down. The pilot may have been Sergeant Stirrat. On 10 October he claimed a pair of P-40s. One of the claims may have been from
2 Squadron SAAF 2 Squadron is a squadron in the South African Air Force which was formed in 1940. The squadron has a long history, having been involved in every single combat action in which the SAAF has taken part. During the Second World War it made a name fo ...
which lost two P-40s. Rödel claimed his 25th and 26th victory over a
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...
near Gazala, perhaps belonging to
No. 11 Squadron RAF No. 11 or XI Squadron (sometimes featuring an 'F' to represent its historic fighter role (No. 11(F) or XI(F) Squadron)), is "the world's oldest, dedicated fighter unit" and continues the traditions established by the similarly numbered Royal Fly ...
, and a P-40 near Bir Hacheim. The
British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...
began
Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert campaign during World War II by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (German and ...
on 18 November and a week later, on 25 November, Rödel claimed a Hurricane and P-40 in a large air battle over
Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop ...
. As the German and Italian armies laid siege to the city. Rödel claimed single victories on 1st, 4th, 5 and 6 December—a Hurricane, two P-40s and a
Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufor ...
. The 4 December victory was the P-40 flown by Second Lieutenant Meek of 2 Squadron SAAF over Al Adm. The 6 December claim was probably a No. 274 Squadron RAF Beaufighter flown by Pilot Officer William G. Snow which crashed near Tobruk. Snow and his navigator Sergeant John K. Dutton were captured. On a mission in January 1942 Rödel was accidentally rammed by ''
Unteroffizier () is a junior non-commissioned officer rank used by the . It is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers in Austria and Germany. It was formerly a rank in the Imperial Russian Army. Austria , also , is the collective name to ...
'' Heidel and was forced to carry out a force-landing. On 27 March 1942 1. and 4. ''Staffel'' formed 10 Bf 109s to escort 15 Ju 87s from I. ''Sturzkampfgeschwader'' 3. P-40s from 2 SAAF and 80 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept. Ludwig Franzisket from 1. ''Staffel'' claimed a victory and Rödel claimed two of the three by his own unit. From 2 SAAF Lieutenants Lipawski and E. Smith were shot down and survived crash-landings—the former's aircraft was strafed and burnt out on the ground. Lieutenant Bryant's P-40 was also damaged, lightly. Flight Sergeant Comfort from 80 Squadron was also hit and his Hurricane badly damaged. On 6 April Rödel claimed one of the four claims made by JG 27.
Gerhard Homuth Gerhard Homuth (20 September 1914 – 2 August 1943) was a World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace. He scored all but two of his 63 victories against the Western Allies whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and was one of the top scoring aces in th ...
was among the other claimants. Desert Air Force records show that No. 94 Squadron RAF and Flight Lieutenant D. F. O. Shelford was killed. 2 and
40 Squadron SAAF 40 Squadron SAAF existed as a combat unit from early 1940 through to late 1945. It served in the East African Campaign, Western Desert, Tunisia, and Italy, reaching Austria by the end of World War II. The squadron's motto in those years was ''A ...
lost one P-40 and a Hurricane respectively—Lieutenants R. D. B. Morton and Egner survived. The next day II./JG 27 engaged 94 Sqn, 260 Sqn, 450 Sqn RAAF and
4 Squadron SAAF No. 4 Squadron SAAF was a South African Air Force unit which served during World War II. It was resurrected in 1951 and remained active until 1958. Its final period of active service was from 1961 to 1991. Its final aircraft were Impala Mk IIs. I ...
. 450 Sqn lost one in combat. 260 Sqn lost one P-40 and another badly damaged and one of 4 Sqn SAAF's P-40s was damaged. Rödel shot down the 260 Squadron P-40 piloted by Flying Officer E. T. Thompson. Willy Kientsch appears to have fired at and claimed the same aircraft but both were credited with victories while JG 27 claimed four victories. On 7 April, 4. ''Staffel'' intercepted 40 Squadron SAAF and Rödel made the only claim—although three P-40s were brought down. Lieutenants Gouws, J. P. Blaauw and D. N. Stott all survived. The claim was Rödel's 38th victory. On 25 April JG 27 fought a large air battle over Gazala. The Germans claimed 10. 2, 4 SAAF and 260 Squadron RAF lost 8 destroyed between then and another 5 damaged. Rödel claimed one, while
Günter Steinhausen Günther Steinhausen (15 September 1917 – 6 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. As a fighter ace, Steinhausen claimed 40 aerial victories over the Western Allies during the North African campaign. Born ...
claimed one and
Hans-Joachim Marseille Hans-Joachim Marseille (; 13 December 1919 – 30 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his Bohemian lifestyle. One of ...
claimed two. JG 27 lost four Bf 109s in aerial combat. Rödel was promoted to ''
Hauptmann () is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''. Background While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...
'' (captain) on 1 May 1942. On 20 May 1942, Rödel was appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'' (Group Commander) of II./JG 27, replacing ''Major'' Erich Gerlitz who took over III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53. In the last week of May the desert fighting escalated in the
Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala, also the Gazala Offensive (Italian language, Italian: ''Battaglia di Ain el-Gazala'') was fought near the village of Gazala during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, f ...
and
Battle of Bir Hakeim The Battle of Bir Hakeim () took place at Bir Hakeim, an oasis in the Libyan desert south and west of Tobruk, during the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The 1st Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Kœnig defended the position f ...
. On 23 May Rödel led the formation in an attack on 33 Squadron Hurricanes. He shot down its leader Flight Lieutenant P. D. Wade (not to be confused Lance Wade in the same squadron). Wade survived the ditching into the sea but died, presumably of drowning or wounds. Rödel's combat report stated that he observed the enemy pilot swimming away from his sinking fighter. Rödel claimed one other victory that day. 5. ''Staffel'' lost one Bf 109 with a wounded pilot and ''Lehrgeschwader'' 1 lost one
Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...
in air combat and two on the ground. Italian units suffered no losses. Four Hurricanes were lost and two badly damaged. Two
Martin Baltimore The Martin 187 Baltimore was a twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company in the United States as the A-30. The model was originally ordered by the French in May 1940 as a follow-up to the earlier Martin Maryland, the ...
bombers were destroyed and two badly damaged. Two pilots from 33 and another two from 80 Squadron were killed as well as six men from the Boston-equipped
No. 233 Squadron RAF No. 233 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron (aviation), squadron that operated from 1918–1919, 1937–1945, 1952–1957 and 1960–1964. The squadron was formed from several Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Flight (military unit), flight ...
. Marseille and Homuth claimed the bombers—two by the former and one by the latter. Rödel now had 41. Over Bir Hacheim on 4 June, I./JG 27 escorted Ju 87s from I./StG 3 over the front. 2 SAAF,
3 Squadron SAAF 3 Squadron SAAF was a squadron of the South African Air Force. It was formed in January 1939 at Air Force Base Waterkloof and was equipped with Hawker Hartbees I and Hurricane Mk II aircraft. The squadron was moved to Port Elizabeth in Septe ...
and
5 Squadron SAAF 5 Squadron SAAF was a South African Air Force Fighter / Fighter-Bomber squadron during World War II. It was disbanded at the end of the war and was re-commissioned in 1950. It remained active until 2 October 1992, when it was disbanded; its Atlas ...
led by Major John Frost. The P-40s attacked and claimed eight of the Ju 87s before the Bf 109s could act. Rödel's ''Gruppe'' arrived as the last Ju 87s were going down and attacked the South Africans. 4 SAAF lost three P-40s and two pilots captured. The third, Lieutenant Lane was picked up by Pilot Officer George Keefer who had been seconded from 274 Squadron. Lieutenant Horne, seconded from 260 Squadron, also picked up Major Meaker from 5 SAAF when hit by a Ju 87 gunner. Rödel made one of only two claims by JG 27 in the fight. The Italian Macchi C.202-equipped 10 ''Gruppo'' claimed 13 destroyed and two damaged in the day's fighting. Rödel claimed one P-40 destroyed. The
First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of World War II, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marshal Erwin ...
began on 1 July. Rödel had his most successful day in Africa, claiming three shot down on 10 July. The three P-40s raised his total to 45. Rödel accounted for his 46th and 47th victories on 19 July. The identity of the Allied formation was probably 238 Squadron. Two days later Rödel claimed four Hurricanes from seven submitted by German pilots in combat over the
El Alamein El Alamein (, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. The town is located on the site of the ancient city Antiphrai which was built by th ...
area. They were probably from 238 Squadron. July was particularly successful for Rödel and Homuth's pilots. On 31 August he claimed a solitary victory as the
Battle of Alam el Halfa The Battle of Alam el Halfa took place between 30 August and 5 September 1942 south of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. '' Panzerarmee Afrika'' (''Generalfeldmarschall'' Erwin Rommel), attempted an envelopme ...
began. The 1 September 1942 is remembered for Marseille's 17 claims, but for the Axis ground forces it was not such a success, their armour failing to gain success. Six Kittyhawks of 450 Squadron RAAF provided top cover to 18 Boston bombers at 07:38. Rödel led four Bf 109s shooting down one of the three claimed by his flight. On 5 September he claimed a triple victory. Rödel repeated this feat on 9 October, after 70 P-40s of 112 Sqn RAF, 250 Sqn RAF, 450 Sqn RAAF, 3 Sqn RAAF, 2 Sqn SAAF, 4 Sqn SAAF and 5 Sqn SAAF, with support from the US 66th Fighter Squadron, attacked German and Italian airfields: directly over their own airfield, the pilots of six Bf 109s of II. ''Gruppe'' fought elements of this large Allied formation. Approximately 70 P-40s of 112, 250, 450, 3 RAAF, 2, 4 and 5 Squadrons with support from the US 66th Fighter Squadron were ordered to attack German and Italian airfields and his opponents came from these groups. On 22 October Rödel claimed a
B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served ...
from the US
12th Bombardment Group 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive bra ...
. The bomber was hit by
anti-aircraft artillery Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
, fell out of formation and was then shot down by Rödel. it was the 12th Group's only loss. On the night of the 23 October 1942 the British began the
Second battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...
. The following morning JG 27 flew an all-out operation to support German and Italian forces. Rödel led II./JG 27 and they met 18 bombers and 30 P-40s. Rödel claimed three of the latter between 11:43 and 11:50. On the morning of the 26 October German and Italian forces counter-attacked Outpost Snipe and the Desert Air Force supported the defence of the position by attacking Axis armour. Rödel and eight other Bf 109s from his ''Gruppe'' took off on a ''frei jagd'' (free hunt—or
combat air patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
in modern parlance). They engaged a large formation of P-40s and Rödel probably shot down the P-40 flown by Sergeant Rattle from 260 Squadron. Rödel claimed another trio of RAF fighters on 27 October—a
P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
, P-40 and Spitfire. The Spitfire fell at 10:23 and a Curtiss at 10:42. Rödel's fought to cover the 15th and
21st Panzer Division The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps ...
in another assault on Outpost Snipe. Rödel claimed two more just before 11:00 on 31 October as JG 27 sought to provide determined German-Italian counter-attacks with air support. The following morning Rödel filed his last claim for a victory over
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. At approximately 07:00 he claimed a Spitfire south of Sidi Abdel Rahman.


Air War over Italy and Greece

II./JG 27 avoided the defeat at El Alamein which began with the British breakthrough on 4 November. The Anglo-American
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...
, four days later, caught the Axis armies in a vice which eventually destroyed them in the
Tunisian Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. Th ...
which brought the war in North Africa to an end on 13 May 1943. Along with the ''Stabsstaffel'' (headquarters unit), II. ''Gruppe'' withdrew to Germany for resting. In February 1943 it began staging down the leg of
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
to
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
. Eduard Neumann oversaw the transfer while still flying the ageing Bf 109F-4/Trops. The fighter group was based at San Pietro, inland from the island's southern coast. Rödel supervised an influx of new pilots and re-equipment with Bf 109G-4s and Bf 109G-6 models to replace the depleted ''Staffeln''. Once at established strength it moved some ''Staffeln'' to
Trapani Trapani ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality (''comune'') with 54,887 inhabitants, on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the mai ...
and operated from there. The main task of the fighter group was to escort Axis convoys from Italy to Tunisia. The air and sea threat from British forces based on
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
was now severe. The island was no longer under siege and its forces had taken the offensive. Rödel's command was not successful. On 18 April 1943 less than a dozen of the group's Bf 109s formed an escort for 65
Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. First introduced during 1930 as a civilian airliner, it was adapted int ...
transports flying to Tunisia. With the Allied
Operation Flax Operation Flax was an Allied air operation during the Tunisian campaign, as part of the larger North African campaign of the Second World War. Flax was intended to prevent air supply between Italy and the Axis armies in Tunis, Tunisia, in Apr ...
now in effect, the mission ended with an attack of up to a large number of Allied fighters which shot down 24 of the transports. The German unit claimed only a single Spitfire and the battle became known as the Palm Sunday Massacre. Four days later, on 22 April, the group could not stop the destruction of 14
Messerschmitt Me 321 The Messerschmitt Me 321 ''Gigant'' was a large German cargo glider developed and used during World War II. Intended to support large-scale invasions, the Me 321 had very limited use due to the low availability of suitable tug aircraft, high vul ...
s. The German pilots reported up to 80 Allied fighters and could only claim three of their assailants. The very same day Neumann left JG 27 for a staff appointment with the staff of Galland's '' General der Jagdflieger''. Rödel replaced him as ''
Geschwaderkommodore ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or Kapitän zur See (naval captain ...
'' (Wing Commander) of JG 27. II. Rödel appointed Werner Schröer to command II. ''Gruppe''. Rödel was a firm believer in leading in the air in contrast to the fighter wing's previous commanders. All five of the victories claimed by the ''Stab'' unit in the first two months over Sicily were credited to him. In May 1943 the
Mediterranean Air Command The Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) was a World War II Allied air force command that was active in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) between February 18 and December 10, 1943 . MAC was under the command of Air Chie ...
(MAC) under the command of
Arthur Tedder Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, (11 July 1890 – 3 June 1967) was a British Royal Air Force officer and peer. He was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and h ...
ordered heavy air attacks against Axis airfields in Sicily. II./JG 27 claimed 20
heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually Aerial bomb, bombs) and longest range (aeronautics), range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy ...
s and a similar number of
P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
s but the raids caused heavy damage. From 18 to 22 May Rödel claimed two
B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
heavy bombers and three P-38s. From 18 to 31 May 1943 the JG 27-contingent claimed 25 Allied aircraft destroyed. On 20 June, II./JG 27 was redeployed to
Lecce Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
on the Italian mainland. That day, Rödel was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was lower in precedence than the Grand C ...
() for 78 aerial victories claimed. He was the 255th member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The presentation was made by Hitler at the
Wolf's Lair The Wolf's Lair (; ) was Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the village of Görlitz (now Gierłoż, Kętrzyn County, ...
, Hitler's headquarters in Rastenburg in July 1943. From Lecce, ten days before
Operation Husky Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
and the invasion of Sicily, the group claimed six out of 24-strong formation of
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
bombers—a rare success. Rödel's ''Geschwaderstab'' moved to Kalamaki in occupied
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. Here, Rödel assumed direct control of III. ''Gruppe'' and the newly formed IV. ''Gruppe''. The remaining II. and I. ''Gruppen'' remained far-flung across the Mediterranean. III. ''Gruppe'' had been based at Kastelli on
Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
for the preceding four months. Rödel was ordered to defend the air space above the
Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some . In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea, which in turn con ...
. On 2 July 1943, Rödel claimed a Bristol Beaufighter shot down for his 79th victory near
Milos Milos or Melos (; , ; ) is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete. It is the southwestern-most island of the Cyclades group. The ''Venus de Milo'' (now in the Louvre), the ''Poseidon of Melos'' (now in the ...
. On 8 September 1943 an Allied force landed in the Dodecanese. JG 27 contested the invasion against incursions by the US
Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...
over Greek airspace. Rödel claimed a B-24 on 4 October and a P-38 and B-25 Mitchell on 8 October to bring his tally to 83. The only other pilot to claim a victory in the ''Stab'' unit was Jost Schlang—one time wingman of Hans Joachim Marseille—who claimed a B-17 on 10 October west of
Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...
.


Defence of the Reich

By 9 February 1944 JG 27 had all but abandoned Greece to return to the ''Reich'' for the
Defence of the Reich The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the military strategy, strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied Strategic bombing ...
duty. Only 7. ''Staffel'' was permitted to remain and claimed the last victories on 14 May 1944. I. ''Gruppe'' was based at Fels am Wagram, west of Vienna on 12 August 1943 for the next ten months. II./JG 27 remained in central Germany until June 1944 when it was withdrawn to rest and re-equip at Wels am Wagram. In the final weeks it was joined by III. and IV. ''Gruppen''. Rödel's ''Stab'' unit arrived in February 1944. The ''Kommodore'' continued to lead from the front and claimed 11 of the 25 victories claimed by the command squadron in the last few weeks of operations over
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, Austria and southern Germany. On 13 May the command ''Staffel'' moved to Wien-Seyring near Vienna. On 19 March 1944 Rödel flew his first ''RLV'' operation. The US
Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...
sent a small formation of bombers to southern Germany. En route to
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
one Italian and two groups of German fighters from ''Jafü Oberitalien'' (Fighter Leader Northern Italy) in northern Italy and then '' Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark'' (''Jafü Ostmark''—Fighter Leader Austria) attacked. Rödel led III. and IV. into battle with 87 Bf 109s against of formation of 92 B-24s, which formed part of the USAAF operation. The battle cost Rödel ten Bf 109s and six pilots. The Germans claimed 27 B-24s and were credited with 21. American losses amounted to six B-17s and 12 B-24s for a total of 18. Eight came from the
454th Bombardment Group The 454th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 454th Troop Carrier Wing of Continental Air Command at Portland International Airport, Oregon. It was inactivated on 1 January 1953. The 454th ...
. Rödel claimed two B-17s. III. ''Gruppe'' claimed 12 B-24s for two losses. On 2 April the Fifteenth bombed a ball-bearing and aircraft factory near
Steyr Steyr (; ) is a statutory city (Austria), statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd lar ...
. Rödel claimed a
P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
. 11 B-17s and 31 B-24s were claimed but not confirmed—actual American losses were eight and 20. Only one claim for a P-47 was made—by Rödel—but it appears all returned. The following day JG 27 scrambled to intercept large formations of Fifteenth bombers targeting
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
. Other fighter units of the 7 ''Jagddivision'' could only reach the target area if given amply warning and Rödel's ''Geschwader'' were the only German fighters to make contact. Three ''Gruppen'' attacked.
Royal Hungarian Air Force The Hungarian Air Force (, ), is the air force branch of the Military of Hungary, Hungarian Defence Forces. The primary focus of the present Hungarian Air Force lies in defensive operations. The flying units operate are organised into a single ...
Bf 109s also joined the interception with Bf 109Gs and
Messerschmitt Me 210 The Messerschmitt Me 210 was a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft of World War II. Design started before the war, as a replacement for the Bf 110. The first examples were ready in 1939, but they proved to have unacceptably poor f ...
s. JG 27 claimed four B-17s, one B-24 and one P-38 for no loss. Hungarian pilots claimed an identical number of B-17s and B-24s but no P-38s for one pilot killed. The Fifteenth confirmed lost four B-17s and one B-24 half the total amount Axis pilots claimed. It claimed four Me 210s and three Bf 109s which are not corroborated. Another source gives a loss of nine bombers and one loss for III. ''Gruppe''. Rödel claimed one of the B-17s in the action. On 12 April the Eighth Air Force targeted
Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a town#Germany, city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding Schweinfurt (district), district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultur ...
and the Fifteenth attacked targets around
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. The Eighth operation was suspended because of weather but fighter forces continued a sweep over Germany. I. ''Jagdkorps'' units claimed to have fought off the attacks. In the south, the Fifteenth continued. ''Jagddivision'' 7 committed 190 fighters to battle and lost 21 in dogfights with the USAAF escorts. American losses amounted to just seven bombers: fighter losses are not known. Rödel claimed one of the seven B-17s. The next day the Fifteenth targeted Schweinfurt and
Oberpfaffenhofen Oberpfaffenhofen is a village that is part of the municipality of Weßling in the district of Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is located about from the city center of Munich. Village The village is home to the Oberpfaffenhofen Airport and a ...
, two targets hated by American bomber crews. III./ ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 two JG 27 ''Gruppen'' of ''Jafü Ostmark'' and all of ''Jagdabschnitt Ungarn'' (Fighter Section Hungary)—III./JG 27 and five Hungarian Bf 109 and Me 210 night fighter units—were scrambled to intercept. 18 American bombers were lost. The Me 210s lost 13 to the American escorts. On 12 May the Eighth Air Force struck at the petroleum industry near
Bruz Bruz (, or non-standard: ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. Geography Bruz is located near the center of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, 14 km from Rennes. It is near the confluence o ...
. 886 heavy bombers and 876 fighters began the operation. ''
Luftflotte Reich Luftflotte ReichFor an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet ''Reich'') was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II World War II or the Second Wor ...
'' committed 475 fighters in 22 fighter groups to intercept. II./JG 27 was able to get airborne and with II./JG 53 and were ordered to rendezvous with ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1 but came under attack from
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
s. The Bf 109s were able to break free they intercepted the bomber stream over the Tannus Mountains, near
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. Both groups reported successes but lost 11 Bf 109s. I. ''Grupppe'' claimed seven (plus two P-51s), III., claimed 13, IV., five, while ''Stab'' JG 27 claimed three bombers. Rödel led I. and III. personally but could not prevent his force losing 14 Bf 109s, three killed and seven wounded. The 3rd US Bomb Division alone lost 41 bombers—possibly to attacks from JG 3 and 11—before the escorts intervened. Rödel claimed another pair of heavy bombers. Seven days later he repeated the feat. On 28 May 1944 the Eighth returned to bomb oil targets in central Germany. 1,341 bombers from several bomb divisions participated. Rödel led JG 27 without filing a claim. During the course of the mission the Bf 109s chanced upon and unescorted bombers from the 94th Bombardment Wing. A combat box of 50 B-17s were flying to
Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...
and nearing
Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...
. Rödel's ''Geschwader'' did not normally employ a set formation to attack US heavy bombers but they took advantage of the situation and attacked in ''Staffeln''-strength. IV. ''Gruppe'' was flying as escort to engaged US fighters but came down to join the attack. The P-51s were urgently requested by the lead B-17 but were occupied by other German fighter units. Rödel's men attacked and forced the American formation—in a rare instance of indiscipline—to jettison their bombs to gain speed and escape. Smoke and haze obscured Dessau and the Americans set course for
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
, the secondary target but only six B-17s dropped their bombs. When the 94th returned to England they had lost 15 bombers. JG 27 claimed 16 and one P-51 for four killed and two wounded and seven Bf 109s. The Eighth Air Force lost 32 bombers and 14 fighters. I. ''Jagdkorps'' lost 18 killed, 13 wounded and 52 fighters. The official victories granted to Rödel's command were ''Herausschüsse'' ("shooting-out"—damaging a bomber so severely it drops out of formation and because an easy target for final destruction). JG 27 would never achieve that level of success again and for the remainder of the war rarely claimed a total in double-figures. The following day Rödel scored his last successes in Defence of the Reich operation—one heavy bomber.


Western Front

On 6 June 1944
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
and the
D-Day landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
began. Rödel was ordered to relocate to France immediately and he arrived at
Champfleury Jules François Felix Fleury-Husson (17 September 1821, in Laon, Aisne – 6 December 1889, in Sèvres), who wrote under the name Champfleury (), was a French art critic and novelist, a prominent supporter of the Realist movement in painting an ...
, 60 miles (95 km) southeast of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
late on 6 June. I., III., and IV. ''Gruppen'' were now pitted against the weight of Anglo-American air power. In the battles that followed the units sustained 130 casualties, roughly two-thirds of them killed in action as the Germans retreated from France and across Belgium. The ''Geschwader'' claimed slightly more victories than losses but could not replace their men and machines as opposed to their enemy. ''
Reichsmarschall (; ) was an honorary military rank, specially created for Hermann Göring during World War II, and the highest rank in the . It was senior to the rank of (, equivalent to field marshal, which was previously the highest rank in the ), but ...
''
Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
tried to address the loss of experienced pilots by ordering the ''Geschwaderkommodore'' not to fly unless the size of the formation he was leading surpassed 45. It likely cost Rödel the chance to pass the 100-mark but also improved his chances of survival. Rödel claimed four victories over
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
. On 29 June 1944, in the middle of
Operation Epsom Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a British offensive in the Second World War between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Operation Overlord, Battle of Normandy. The offensive was intended to outflank and seize the ...
and
Martlet A martlet in English heraldry is a mythical bird without feet that never roosts from the moment of its drop-birth until its death fall; martlets are proposed to be continuously on the wing. It is a compelling allegory for continuous effort, expr ...
, Rödel led his command flight into battle over Évreux against P-47 fighter-bombers. On 5 July 1944 he claimed a P-38 for his 98th and final air victory. This was also the last of the 82 claims submitted by the ''Geschwaderstab'' in World War II. Rödel accounted for 28 of these 82 enemy aircraft. Rödel's pilots were now fighting a different war at lower-level with Allied fighters and fighter bombers. On 12 June ''Gruppenkommandeur'' Otto Meyer led IV. ''Gruppe'' claimed nine P-47s west of
Évreux Évreux () is a commune in and the capital of the department of Eure, in the French region of Normandy. History Antiquity In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century AD, was named '' Mediolanum Aulercorum'', "the central town ...
with Meyer claiming three, at a cost of one killed and five wounded. On 14 June Heinrich Bartels, who was an established fighter leader four as the unit claimed eight P-47s and a pair of B-17s without loss. It was not long before experienced pilots were lost. Meyer was killed over
Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...
on 12 July. Within two weeks of Meyer's loss his command had been reduced to nine Bf 109s and was withdrawn in mid-August. In mid-July III. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn. On 1 August, Rödel was promoted to ''
Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...
'' (colonel) making him the youngest living ''Oberst'' of the ''Wehrmacht'' at the time. The four ''Gruppen'' were officially set for re-equipment and re-training on 15 August 1944. The ''Geschwader'' began receiving the Bf 109G-14 and Bf 109K-4 over the early autumn. Each ''Staffel'' received 15 aircraft and each ''Gruppe'' had an established strength of 60 fighters. By mid-autumn it had 250 fighters and was the largest fighter unit at the time and any time in the history of JG 27. The Oil campaign had contributed to a lack of training and most pilots lacked operational and combat experience. The war situation had brought the
Western Allies Western Allies was a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It primarily refers to the leading Anglo-American Allied powers, namely the United States and the United Kingdom, although the term has also be ...
to the German border by this time. The situation meant that the Defence of the Reich and close air support on the frontline were practically one and the same mission. On 2 November 1944 Rödel's command suffered its worst loss of the war. Around 600 Eighth Air Force bombers attacked Merseburg-
Leuna Leuna () is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, south of Merseburg and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle, on the river Saale. The town is known for the ''Leuna works, Leunawerke'', at 13 km2 one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes i ...
. JG 27 could not penetrate the bomber stream but claimed six P-51s battling escorting US fighter groups. In return it lost 50 Bf 109s with 27 pilots killed and 12 wounded. By mid-December another 39 pilots were dead and 14 had suffered wounds. On 16 December 1944 JG 27 participated in the
Ardennes offensive The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
but Rödel flew intermittently. On 23 December the 94th Bomb Group B-17 ''Darling Dott'', formerly ''Big Gas Bird'', became the last of 550 heavy bombers to fall to his command. This same day the unit suffered a blow when Bartels was killed in action with US P-47s. JG 27 was in constant action over Belgium from 16 to 29 December 1944 and suffered significant losses. Rödel was also concerned at the level of morale in JG 27. British intelligence decrypted an
Ultra Ultra may refer to: Science and technology * Ultra (cryptography), the codename for cryptographic intelligence obtained from signal traffic in World War II * Adobe Ultra, a vector-keying application * Sun Ultra series, a brand of computer work ...
message which suggested he suspected nearly 20 percent of pilots broke off their attacks on American bombers without good reason and jettisoned their drop tanks and returned to base prematurely. Rödel issued an order that any pilot who did so again would be court-martialled. Rödel also ordered that, "even in the event of such Allied air activity, a proportion of the fighters must avoid air combat and penetrate without fail into the area above the foremost panzer spearheads" in order to provide air cover for land forces that had begun to diminish. He had no time to carry out the threat. On 29 December 1944 he was relieved of his command. Long-term member ''Major'' Ludwig Franzisket replaced him.


Staff command and end of war

Rödel was informed of a planned air offensive against Allied airfields prior to his departure. This operation was scheduled for mid-December but did not take place until
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
1945. Christened
Operation Bodenplatte Operation Bodenplatte (; "Baseplate"), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the German Luftwaffe to cripple Allies of World War II, Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the World War II, Second World War. The goal of ''Bodenpl ...
, it was a disaster for JG 27. The German wing struck at
Melsbroek Air Base Melsbroek Air Base is a Belgian Air Component facility in Steenokkerzeel, northeast of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. It is located on the northern side of Brussels Airport, with which it shares runways and ground and air control facilities ...
. The pilots of JG 27 and 54 claimed 85 victories and 40 damaged. German reconnaissance was able to "confirm" 49. JG 27 suffered unacceptable losses; 17 Bf 109s, 11 pilots killed, one wounded and three captured. On 1 January 1945, Rödel was appointed commander 2. ''Jagd-Division'' (2nd Fighter Division) based in
Stade Stade (; ), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (, ) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the Stade (district), district () which bears its name. It is located roughly to the wes ...
. In this role, he also attended the meeting with ''Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring in what became known as the " Fighter Pilots Revolt". The meeting took place on 22 January. In April 1945, his oldest son Rüdiger, still in his infancy, was killed in an RAF raid.


Later life

On 16 March 1957, Rödel reentered military service in the West
German Air Force The German Air Force (, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ) was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of West Ger ...
. Following various training courses in the United States, in 1958, he was assigned to the Air Defense Division at
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. SHAPE is situated in the villag ...
(SHAPE) in Paris. His last service position was Sector Commander with the
Second Allied Tactical Air Force Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). 2 ATAF commanded all flying units based within its secto ...
(2 ATAF). On 30 September 1971, Rödel retired from military service. His final rank was ''
Brigadegeneral Brigadegeneral (; , ) is the Germanic variant of Brigadier general. Belgium The rank of (; ) is used by the Belgian Land Component, Air Component and Medical Component. File:Army-BEL-OF-06.svg, Land Component File:BE-Air Force-OF6.svg, Ai ...
'' (brigadier general). Rödel died on 6 February 1995 in
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
-
Bad Godesberg Bad Godesberg () is a borough () of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 to 1999, while Bonn was the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, most foreign embassies were in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings are still used as br ...
and was buried at the (Section II–Grave 708).


Summary of career


Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Rödel was credited with 98 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him with 98 enemy aircraft shot down in 980 combat missions, of which one was claimed in the invasion of Poland, one on the Eastern Front and 52 in the Mediterranean theatre. His 98 aerial victories includes 13 four-engined bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces: Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the
German Federal Archives The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (, lit. "Federal Archive") are the national archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952. They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture ...
and found records for 95 aerial victory claims, plus seven further unconfirmed claims. All but one aerial victory claimed on the Eastern Front were claimed on the Western Front and include eleven four-engined bombers. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ 15 Ost S/GC-8". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15
minutes Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting, protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a statement of the activit ...
of
latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
by 30 minutes of
longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.


Awards

*
Spanish Cross The Spanish Cross () was an award of Nazi Germany given to German troops who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for nationalist general, later Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco. History With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil W ...
in Bronze with Swords (6 June 1939) *
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
(1939) ** 2nd Class (17 September 1939) ** 1st Class (19 June 1940) *
Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe The ''Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe'' (Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe) was a Luftwaffe award established on 27 February 1940 by ''Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring, the ''Reich'' Minister of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was ...
(''Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe'') on 14 December 1940 *
German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leade ...
in Gold on 16 July 1942 as ''
Oberleutnant (English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' in the II./''Jagdgeschwader'' 27 *
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was lower in precedence than the Grand C ...
** Knight's Cross on 22 June 1941 as ''Oberleutnant'' and ''
Staffelkapitän ''Staffelkapitän'' is a command appointment, rather than a military rank, in the air force units of German-speaking countries. The rank normally held by a ''Staffelkapitän'' has changed over time. In the present-day German ''Luftwaffe'' – p ...
'' of the 4./''Jagdgeschwader'' 27 ** 255th Oak Leaves on 20 June 1943 as ''
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
'' and ''
Geschwaderkommodore ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or Kapitän zur See (naval captain ...
'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 27


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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodel, Gustav 1915 births 1995 deaths People from Merseburg Military personnel from the Province of Saxony German World War II flying aces Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Condor Legion personnel Brigadier generals of the German Air Force Reich Labour Service members Military personnel from Saxony-Anhalt