Günther Rall (10 March 1918 – 4 October 2009) was a highly decorated German
military aviator, officer and
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
, whose military career spanned nearly forty years. Rall was the third most successful
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 ...
in aviation history, behind
Gerhard Barkhorn, who is second, and
Erich Hartmann
Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial comb ...
, who is first.
Rall was born in
Gaggenau, 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 ...
, in March 1918. Rall grew up in the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
. In 1933 the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
seized power and Rall, deciding upon a military career, joined the
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
in 1936 to train as an infantry soldier. Rall transferred to 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 ...
soon after and he qualified as a fighter pilot in 1938.
In September 1939
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 ...
began with the German invasion of Poland. Rall was assigned to
''Jagdgeschwader'' 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) and flew combat patrols during the
Phoney War
The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
period on the
Western Front. Rall flew combat missions in the
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 ...
and
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 ...
, claiming one enemy aircraft destroyed in May 1940. Rall's wing sustained heavy casualties and the then 22 year old was appointed to ''
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). He served in the
Balkans Campaign in April and May 1941 without success.
In June 1941, JG 52 moved to the
Eastern Front, where it remained from the start of
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 ...
until the end of the war. Rall claimed his first successes in the air defense of
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
. In November 1941, he was shot down, wounded and invalidated from flying for a year. At this time Rall had claimed 36 aerial victories. His achievements earned him the
German Cross in Gold in December 1941.
Rall returned in August 1942 and 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 3 September 1942 for 65 enemy aircraft shot down. By 22 October Rall had claimed 100 and received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He reached 200 in late August 1943. On 12 September 1943 he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
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 ...
, the second highest military award in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
at the time of the presentation. By the end of 1943 Rall had achieved over 250, the second flier to do so after
Walter Nowotny
Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in ...
, who did so in October 1943.
In April 1944 Rall left JG 52 and the Eastern Front. He was given command of II. ''
Gruppe'' (2nd group) of
''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 and served in the
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the 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 campaign. Its aim ...
where he was wounded for a third time. In November 1944 Rall was appointed as an instructor and flew captured Allied fighter aircraft in order to prepare instruction notes on their performance to German fighter pilots. Rall ended the war with an unsuccessful stint commanding
''Jagdgeschwader'' 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing) near
Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
, Austria, where he surrendered in May 1945.
During World War II Rall was credited with the destruction of 275 enemy aircraft in 621 combat missions. He was shot down five times and wounded on three occasions. Rall claimed all of his victories in a
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 ...
, though he also flew the
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
operationally. All but three of his claims were against Soviet opposition.
Rall joined the West German Air Force in 1956, served as
Inspector of the Air Force
The Inspector of the Air Force () is the commander of the Air Force of the modern-day German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr. The Inspector is responsible for the readiness of personnel and materiel in the German Air Force, in that function reports ...
from 1971 to 1974, and as the German representative to the
NATO Military Committee
The NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Military Committee (MC) is the body that is composed of Member states of NATO, member states' Chief of Defence, Chiefs of Defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the M ...
until 1975. After his retirement Rall became a consultant. Among his post-war achievements was the presentation of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
. It was awarded to him for his post-1945 service.
Early life and career
Rall was born on 10 March 1918, in
Gaggenau, at the time in the
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918.
The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...
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 ...
during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. He was the second child of merchant Rudolf Rall and his wife Minna, née Heinzelmann. His sister Lotte, was four years older than Rall. Rall stated that his father was a member of ''
Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
''Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten'' (German: 'The Steel Helmet, League of Front-Line Soldiers'), commonly known as ''Der Stahlhelm'' ('The Steel Helmet') or ''Stahlhelm BdF'' ('D.S. BdF'), was a Revanchism, revanchist Veteran, ex-servi ...
'' (The Steel helmet, League of front-line Soldiers) and had an affiliation with the
German National People's Party
The German National People's Party (, DNVP) was a national-conservative and German monarchy, monarchist political party in Germany during the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the Nazi Party, it was the major nationalist party in Weimar German ...
.
In 1922, the Rall family moved to
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
. There, in 1928, Rall joined the
Christian Boy Scouts. In 1934, the ''
Gleichschaltung
The Nazi term (), meaning "synchronization" or "coordination", was the process of Nazification by which Adolf Hitler—leader of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, Germany—established a system of totalitarian control and coordination over all ...
'' converted the Christian Boy Scouts into the ''
Deutsches Jungvolk
The ''Deutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend'' (; DJ, also DJV; German for "German Youngsters in the Hitler Youth" or "German Young People") was the separate section for boys aged 10 to 13 of the Hitler Youth organisation in Nazi Germany. Throug ...
'' as part of the
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...
. He attended the ''
Volksschule
The German term ''Volksschule'' () generally refers to compulsory education, denoting an educational institution every person (i.e. the people, ''Volk'') is required to attend.
In Germany and Switzerland it is equivalent to a combined primar ...
'' in Stuttgart. For his secondary education, he first attended the
humanities
Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...
-oriented
''Karls-Gymnasium'' in Stuttgart and then in 1935 transferred to the
National Political Institutes of Education (''Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalt''—Napola) in
Backnang
Backnang (; ) is a town in Germany in the Bundesland (Germany), Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, roughly northeast of Stuttgart. Its population has increased greatly over the past century, from 7,650 in 1900 to 37,957 in 2022.
Backnang was ce ...
, a
secondary boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...
founded under the recently established
Nazi state
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictator ...
. The goal of the Napola schools was to raise a new generation for the political, military and administrative leadership of Nazi Germany. There he received 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 entry qualification). Following graduation, Rall volunteered for military service in December 1936.
On 4 December 1936, Rall joined the
13. (Württembergisches) ''Infanterie-Regiment'' of the
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
in
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a Cities of Germany, city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg (district), Lu ...
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 ...
'' (junior officer candidate). From 1 January to 31 June 1938, he attended the ''
Kriegsschule'', a military school in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
. In the summer of 1938, Rall requested to be transferred to 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 ...
. Now an ''
Oberfähnrich
(OFähnr or OFR) designates in the Heer of the Bundeswehr a military person or member of the armed forces with the last or highest Officer Aspirant (OA – de: ) rank. According to the salary class it is equivalent to the ranks of or , an ...
'', he was trained as a pilot at
Unterbiberg airfield. On 1 September 1938, he was promoted to ''
Leutnant
() is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland.
History
The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...
'' (second lieutenant). Rall then attended the
''Jagdfliegerschule'' Werneuchen (fighter pilot school) from 15 July to 15 September 1939 and was then posted to 4. ''
Staffel'' (4th squadron) of
''Jagdgeschwader'' 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 16 September where he served as a ''Rottenführer'' (flight leader of a ''
Rotte'').''
World War II
World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939 when German forces
invaded Poland. JG 52 did not support the invasion. It was posted to western Germany, protecting the German border during the "
Phoney War
The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
" and Rall did not see combat. On 7 March 1940, he was transferred to 8. ''Staffel'' when JG 52 was augmented by the newly created III. ''
Gruppe'' (3rd group). On 10 May 1940
Fall Gelb began, and JG 52 supported German forces in the
invasion of Belgium 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 ...
. On the third day of the campaign, 12 May 1940, Rall achieved his first victory. Three French
Curtiss H75-C1 fighters were attacking a German reconnaissance aircraft at a height of . Rall attacked them and shot down one, stating: "I was lucky in my first dogfight, but it did give me a hell of a lot of self-confidence ... and a scaring, because I was also hit by many bullets." The victory was his only success on the Western Front.
JG 52 was later moved to
Peuplingues and
Coquelles
Coquelles (; ) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department near Calais in northern France.
The town comprises a shopping centre, hotels and farm in Vieille Coquelles (old Coquelles), part of the L'Européenne autoroute (A16) and the Channel ...
, on the French Channel coast where it fought 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 ...
. Due to heavy losses, he was given command as a ''
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 8. ''Staffel'' JG 52
[For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.] on 25 July 1940 and 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) a week later, on 1 August 1940. Rall replaced ''Oberleutnant'' Lothar Ehrlich, who was killed in action with
No. 610 Squadron RAF the previous day
during the convoy battles. He was one of three pilots killed that day. Rall said of the battle, "probably no one even had time to shout a warning. Suddenly a flock of
Spitfires were on us like hawks on a bunch of chickens." Rall placed the blame for losses on faulty tactics; such as tying the Bf 109s to close escort of the slow
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 ...
''Stuka'' dive-bombers. On the day he was appointed, JG 52 lost another four pilots, including two ''Staffelkapitäns''. Rall's ''Staffel'' lost one pilot missing in action with
No. 65 Squadron RAF over Dover in the early afternoon. Rall and his unit achieved little. Several of the highest claiming pilots of JG 52,
Gerhard Barkhorn,
Alfred Grislawski,
Adolf Dickfeld were not successful over England.
The rise of General
Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc� ...
in Romania in 1940 led to a reorganization of his country's armed forces. In this, he was supported by a military mission from Germany, the ''Luftwaffenmission Rumänien'' (Luftwaffe Mission Romania) under the command of ''
Generalleutnant
() is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Austria
Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...
'' (equivalent to
major general) . III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 was transferred to
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
in mid-October and temporarily renamed I. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 28 (JG 28—28th Fighter Wing) until 4 January 1941. Its primary task was to train
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) () is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five air bases, a logistics base, an air defense brigade, an air defense regiment and an ISR (Intel ...
personnel. Rall arrived at
Pipera Airfield on 15 October where 8. ''Staffel'' stayed until 18 November when they moved to
Leipzig-Mockau Airfield. Three days later, 8. ''Staffel'' moved to
Parndorf in Austria. On 30 November, the ''Staffel'' began relocating back to Pipera Airfield where they arrived on 2 December, staying there until 27 May 1941.
Rall's unit was then transferred to
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 ...
and participated in the final phase of the
Balkans Campaign. On 27 May, Rall flew to
Plovdiv
Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...
,
Saloniki
Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
,
Tatoi Airfield north of
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
and then to
Molaoi
Molaoi () is a town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Monemvasia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 193.167 ...
where he stayed until 10 June. Based at Molaoi, he flew combat missions in support of the airborne invasion and subsequent
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...
. JG 52 was transferred back to Romania to help defend their recently acquired allies'
Ploiești
Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest.
The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Ble ...
oil fields.
Eastern Front

On 21 June 1941, III. ''Gruppe'' was ordered to
Mizil 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. Its primary objective was to provide fighter protection for the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești. The invasion of the Soviet Union began on 22 June. The next day, the ''Gruppe'' moved to
Mamaia
Mamaia () is a resort on the Romanian Black Sea shore and a district of Constanța.
Considered to be Romania's most popular resort, Mamaia is situated immediately north-east of Constanța's city center. It has almost no full-time residents, being ...
, the northern district of
Constanța
Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
on the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
coast. On 22 June, the Axis forces launched the war on the Eastern Front. The majority of JG 52 were supporting
Army Group South
Army Group South () was the name of one of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland, Army Group South was led by Ge ...
, and the invasion of the
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...
.
Rall's contingent remained in eastern Romania. The
Red Air Force (VVS) immediately began a campaign to destroy the Romanian oil fields. Major General Pavel Zhigarev, commanding the VVS ChF (Air Command Crimea), committed the 63 BAP (63rd Bomber Aviation Regiment) and 40 SBAP (40th High Speed Bomber Aviation Regiment). The attacks met with some success, although heavy losses forced the switch to night bombing from mid-July. Rall scored his second, third and fourth victories intercepting Soviet bombers. During a five-day period, III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 claimed between 45 and 50 Soviet aircraft. Rall remarked the reason for the success was the Soviets did not provide fighter escort for their bombers.
The ''Gruppe'' moved to
Belaya Tserkov
Bila Tserkva ( ; , ) is a city in central Ukraine. It is situated on the Ros River in the historical region of right-bank Ukraine. It is the largest city in Kyiv Oblast (which does not include the city of Kyiv) and serves as the administrativ ...
on 1 August during the
Battle of Kiev and also used an airfield at
Yampil from 6 to 8 August. Rall claimed his fifth victory on 4 August thus becoming an "ace". While providing escort for
''Sturzkampfgeschwader'' 77 (StG 77—77th Dive Bomber Wing) on 13 August 1941, with
''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), Rall claimed a
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 () is a Soviet single-engine single-seat fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it is a low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear, and the first such aircraft to attain operational status. It "in ...
as did JG 3's
Günther Lützow. The Soviet pilots were from the 88 IAP Fighter Regiment and identified as
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 ...
s Yakov Kozlov and Ivan Novikov.
[IAP—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Истребительный Авиационный Полк)] III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 supported the encirclement Battle at Kiev in August.
Rall claimed 12 victories in October 1941 as III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 fought for
air superiority
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmospher ...
during the
First Battle of Kharkov
The First Battle of Kharkov was a battle that took place from 20 to 24 October 1941 for control of the city of Kharkov, located in the Ukrainian SSR, during the final stage of Operation Barbarossa. The battle was fought between the German 6t ...
; an autumn offensive to seize the industrialized regions of
Eastern Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine or East Ukraine (; ) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts (provinces). Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are often also regarded as ...
. On 14 October there was heavy air fighting. Rall claimed an
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 ( Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (Cyrillic: штурмовик), the generic Russian term ...
over his group's
Poltava
Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...
airfield after being scrambled in the midst of a Soviet air attack. The Germans had failed in the race for the Ukrainian industrial heartland. After the capture of Kharkov and
Stalino the Germans found 54 medium and 223 large factories; all empty. Some 1.5 million wagonloads had been evacuated.
On 23 October III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 moved to
Chaplynka
Chaplynka () is a rural settlement in Kakhovka Raion, Kherson Oblast, southern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of the Chaplynka settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It had a population of In early 2022, it came under Rus ...
in the
Crimea
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
. With II. ''Gruppe'' JG 3 and JG 77, it was ordered to clear the skies. The
Crimean Campaign
The Crimean campaign was conducted by the Axis powers, Axis as part of Operation Barbarossa during World War II. The invading force was led by Nazi Germany, Germany with support from Kingdom of Romania, Romania and Fascist Italy, Italy, wh ...
lasted into the following year. The German fighter units claimed 140 aircraft from 18 to 24 October over
Perekop
Perekop ( Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is a village located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the Or Qapi fortress, which served as the gateway to Crimea. The villa ...
. Rall had reached 28 victories by this date. At the time, his regular
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 ...
was ''Obergefreiter''
Friedrich Wachowiak.
The ''Gruppe'' then moved to an airfield at
Taganrog
Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population:
Located at the site of a ...
on 2 November where they stayed until 1 January 1942. In November the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
regrouped and conducted a well-orchestrated
recapture of Rostov. The victory denied the Germans access to the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
. Rall received the
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe () on 17 November. On 28 November 1941, Rall claimed his 36th victory near the contested city, but as he watched the burning I-16 fall in the fading light Rall relaxed his vigilance and was shot down. He tried to fly back to German lines with a damaged engine, but crash landed and was knocked unconscious. A German tank crew rescued him from the wreck. His Bf 109 F-4 (''Werknummer'' 7308—factory number) came down in the vicinity of Rostov.
X-rays revealed he had broken his back in three places. Doctors told him he was finished as a pilot and transferred him to a hospital in Vienna in December 1941. Despite the prognosis, Rall defied odds and returned to combat a year later. During his treatment, he met Hertha Schön, whom he married in 1943. While hospitalized, he was awarded the
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 15 December 1941. In Rall's absence third group claimed 90 of the 135 aircraft claimed shot down by
Luftflotte 4
''Luftflotte'' 4For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 4) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 18 March 1939, from Luftwaffenkomm ...
in December. This was achieved without loss; making it the most successful of the German fighter groups. The VVS Southern Front admitted the loss of 44 aircraft from 1 to 22 December. The losses for the remaining nine days are not stated.
Rall came back to 8. ''Staffel'' JG 52 in August 1942. From 2 to 30 August, Rall claimed victory 37 through 62; a run of 26 aerial victories in a four-week period. On 6 August Rall claimed four in one day. At this time Rall's unit was operating in support of the
Battle of the Caucasus
The Battle of the Caucasus was a series of Axis and Soviet operations in the Caucasus as part of the Eastern Front of World War II. On 25 July 1942, German troops captured Rostov-on-Don, opening the Caucasus region of the southern Soviet ...
, deep in southern Russia. His 61st claim was for a victory achieved in the vicinity of
Grozny
Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...
. German forces reached the
Terek River
The Terek () is a major river in the Northern Caucasus. It originates in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of Georgia and flows through North Caucasus region of Russia into the Caspian Sea. It rises near the juncture of the Greater Caucasus ...
in late August 1942 and erected pontoon bridges. The Soviets began air attacks on the crossings, and Rall's III. ''Gruppe'' claimed 32 aerial victories in their defense.
On 3 September, Rall 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 ...
(). The pilots of JG 52 opposed the
Soviet 4th Air Army (4 VA) effectively; and with pilots such as Rall, Dickfeld and Grislawski, they dominated the air space whenever they appeared in strength. The 4 VA reported the loss of 149 aircraft in September 1942. On 30 September 1942 Rall claimed his 90th aerial victim, bringing his total for the month to 28.
On 22 October, Rall was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 28th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. On 2 November 1942, Rall was required to meet
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and was personally 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 ...
(). Rall took the opportunity to ask Hitler when the war would be over. To Rall's surprise Hitler replied that he did not know. After the ceremony Rall was granted leave. Rall travelled by train to Vienna on 11 November and married Hertha. Upon completion of his leave, Rall returned to the front as III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 was ordered to cover the retreat after the
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...
in which several Axis field armies were destroyed.
Kuban bridgehead
The
Kuban bridgehead was the main area of operations for Rall in early 1943. Hitler wished to maintain a foothold in the Caucasus to defend the Crimea and retain the captured facilities at
Maykop
Maykop is the capital city of Adygea, Russia, located on the right bank of the Belaya River. It borders Maykopsky District, from which it is administratively and municipally independent, to the east and south; Giaginsky District to the north, ...
, which had just been repaired. Hitler harbored a forlorn hope he could use the region as a staging area for a renewed offensive against the Soviet oilfields. The Luftwaffe was rushed to the Kuban to support the
German 17th Army's defenses.
StG 2, StG 77, StG 1, JG 3, and JG 52 were sent to the region as powerful close support just as the
Soviet Front began its offensive. The fighter units were able to inflict heavy losses to Soviet aviation. Rall, who was not impressed by the latest
Bell 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 ...
, now in use by Soviet pilots, observed that Soviet fighter aviation displayed a new aggressive posture in late 1942 and early 1943.
Rall achieved his first successes over the combat area of the Kuban bridgehead on 21 March 1943 and by 30 April had claimed 126 aircraft destroyed. The ''Gruppe'' was moved to an airfield at
Taman on 1 April. Operating from Taman until 2 July, III. ''Gruppe'' also flew missions from
Kerch
Kerch, also known as Keriç or Kerich, is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of Crimea. It has a population of
Founded 2,600 years ago as the Colonies in antiquity#Greek colonies, ancient Greek colony Pantik ...
on 12 May, from
Sarabuz and
Saky
Saky ( Ukrainian and ; ) is a city in Crimea. Although it is the administrative centre of the Saky Raion, it does not belong to the raion (district), serving instead as the center and the only locality of Saky Municipality. Population:
Histor ...
on 14 May, Zürichtal, present-day Solote Pole, a village near the urban settlement
Kirovske on 23 May, and
Yevpatoria
Yevpatoria (; ; ; ) is a city in western Crimea, north of Kalamita Bay. Yevpatoria serves as the administrative center of Yevpatoria Municipality, one of the districts (''raions'') into which Crimea is divided. It had a population of
His ...
on 25/26 June. Rall claimed his 116th aerial victory on 20 April, this claim was the ''Geschwader's'' 5,000th victory. In the first week of May, Rall claimed a Soviet-flown Spitfire. After filling out and submitting the combat report Rall was told by his superiors to keep the encounter to himself lest it lower morale. Three weeks later he was credited with a 145th victory. Rall noted the improvement of Soviet pilot training and regarded the Kuban as the first serious test of the German fighter force on the Eastern Front.
Group commander
The German defenses held in the Kuban in 1943, until the autumn. JG 52 moved north in preparation for Operation Citadel and the
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...
. Rall, who had already served as acting ''
Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of III. ''Gruppe'' in February and March 1943, officially replaced ''
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 ...
''
Hubertus von Bonin in this position on 5 July 1943. Command of 8. ''Staffel'' was passed to ''Leutnant''
Friedrich Obleser. Rall had 42 aircraft under his command—two over the full complement of machines and pilots—35 were operational. I. ''Gruppe'' JG 52, by comparison, had 32 Bf 109s operational out of a total of 34. The
''Stab'' (headquarters unit) of JG 52 contributed a further four Bf 109s.
Rall continued to claim enemy aircraft. On 8 July a two-man patrol with
Erich Hartmann
Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial comb ...
resulted in two claims, and a third for Rall. A Soviet after-battle analysis mentioned this specific engagement;
Eight Yak-1s in the Provorot region observed two Me 109s off their flight path. Paying no attention to the enemy aircraft our fighters continued. Seizing a convenient moment, the German fighters attacked our aircraft and shot down three Yak-1s.

On 9 July, following combat with Soviet fighters, Rall made a
forced landing
A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components, or weather which makes continued flight impossible. However, the term also means a landing that has ...
in his Bf 109 G-6 (''Werknummer'' 20019) near Petrovka, north of
Belgorod
Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of
It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...
. Four days later, a
mid-air collision
In aviation, a mid-air collision is an aviation accident, accident in which two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight.
The potential for a mid-air collision is increased by Aviation communication, miscommunication, mistrus ...
with a
Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter resulted in another forced landing at Ugrim airfield. Rall claimed 21 air victories in July but the German offensive rapidly bogged down. The Red Army began a counteroffensive in the region to contain the German operation and destroy its forces (
Operation Kutuzov
Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German ''Ger ...
and
Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev
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 ...
). Rall stated that after Kursk his pilots no longer believed the
endsieg, though the German army managed to stabilize the front somewhat over the following weeks. On 3 August Rall's group had only 22 operational Bf 109s from a total of 29; from its designated strength of 40 aircraft.
The claims of fighter pilots on each side has often been disputed. The
2nd Air Army, responsible for defending the airspace opposite ''Stab''. I. and III. ''Gruppe'' JG 52 at the start of the battle, lost 153 fighters from 5 to 10 July 1943, representing 40 percent of initial strength. The Soviets admitted the loss of 1,000 aircraft in their "defensive" phase of the battle. In the first three days, to 8 July, Soviet records admit the loss of 566 aircraft while the Germans claimed 923; not all of the German claims were confirmed by their own side. The 17th Air Army, opposite II. ''Gruppe'' JG 52, were reduced to 706 aircraft from 1,052. At the beginning of the offensive the only fighter support for JG 52 came from II. and III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 3.
In August 1943 Rall claimed 33 aircraft shot down as JG 52 fought over
Central Ukraine
Central Ukraine (, ) consists of historical regions of left-bank Ukraine and right-bank Ukraine that reference to the Dnieper River. It is situated away from the Black Sea Littoral North and a midstream of the Dnieper River and its basin.
The ...
through the late summer. Rall claimed two LaGG-3 fighters shot down on 29 August 1943 in the vicinity of Kuybyshev, present-day
Samara
Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev (1935–1991), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast in Russia. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with a population of over 1.14 ...
, taking his total to 200 aerial victories. Following
Hermann Graf and
Hans Philipp, Rall was the third fighter pilot to reach the double century mark. This achievement earned him a named reference in the ''
Wehrmachtbericht'' that day and on 12 September was also honored with the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
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 ...
(). He was the 34th 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 on 22 September 1943. Three other Luftwaffe officers were presented with awards that day by Hitler, ''Major''
Hartmann Grasser and ''Hauptmann''
Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (14 August 1916 – 21 January 1944) was a German night fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. At the time of his death, Sayn-Wittgenstein was the highest-scoring night fighter pilot in t ...
were awarded the Oak Leaves, and ''Hauptmann''
Walter Nowotny
Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in ...
also received the Swords to his Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
Following the award ceremony, Rall went on vacation until the end of September. On his return Rall immediately began where he left off, claiming Soviet aircraft consistently. Over the course of October 1943, he claimed exactly 40 aircraft; his first coming on 1 October. The majority were claimed in the
Southern Ukraine
Southern Ukraine (, ) refers, generally, to the territories in the South of Ukraine.
The territory usually corresponds with the Soviet economical district, the Southern Economical District of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The region ...
. With few exceptions, the enemy aircraft claimed were fighters.
On 1 November 1943, Rall was promoted to ''Major'', a rank he retained until the end of the war. In November he claimed 12 aircraft and on the twenty-eighth day became the second fighter pilot after Nowotny to reach 250 aerial victories. Rall filed his last claim of the year on 30 November. It was credited as his 252nd aerial victory. On 11 January 1944, Rall received the certification for the Oak Leaves and Swords, along with the medals from Hitler. Rall was on home leave from 1 December 1943 to 30 January 1944. During his absence, III. ''Gruppe'' was temporarily led by ''Oberleutnant''
Josef Haiböck.
In 1944 Rall continued to claim but at a slower rate. The Soviet
Crimean Offensive opened on 8 April and five weeks later ended the German occupation in the Crimea. Rall claimed his 273rd and last aerial victory on the Eastern Front on 16 April 1944 over a
Lavochkin La-5
The Lavochkin La-5 (Лавочкин Ла-5) was a Soviet Union, Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-3, LaGG-3, replacing the earlier model's Inline engine (aeronaut ...
fighter aircraft in the vicinity of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...
.
Defense of the Reich
On 19 April 1944, Rall was transferred to
''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing), as ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of II. ''Gruppe'' JG 11, flying operations in
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the 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 campaign. Its aim ...
(). Rall replaced ''Major''
Günther Specht who was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of JG 11.
Rall led his unit against the bomber fleets of
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF)
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
. The purpose of his Bf 109-equipped group was to engage the American escorting fighters, to allow the slower, heavier, and well-armed
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
''Sturmbock'' (Battering Ram) aircraft to intercept the bombers.
Within two weeks, Rall was in combat. On 29 April, he claimed a
Lockheed 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 ...
shot down north of Hanover. That day the USAAF targeted Berlin with 679 heavy-bombers escorted by 814 fighter aircraft. The German day fighter force was beginning to falter under the pressure. ''
General der Jagdflieger'' (General of Fighters)
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 ...
reported that from January–April 1944, 1,000 German pilots had been killed or wounded; Rall would soon become one of them.
On 12 May, the Eighth Air Force targeted the German fuel industry. In total 886 four-engined bombers, escorted by 980 fighters, headed for the five main
synthetic fuel
Synthetic fuel or synfuel is a liquid fuel, or sometimes Fuel gas, gaseous fuel, obtained from syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, in which the syngas was derived from gasification of solid feedstocks such as coal or biomass or by ...
factories in middle Germany in the area of
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Böhlen
Böhlen () is a town in Saxony, Germany, south of Leipzig. Its main features are a small airport and a power plant. It is located in the newly built Neuseenland, the lakes created in former open-pit mining areas.
History
The first documente ...
and
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 ...
, and the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...
and
Brüx.
That day, Rall was leading a ''Staffel'' of Bf 109s and bounced a flight of three
Republic 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 ...
s led by Colonel
Hubert Zemke. Zemke was experimenting with a new tactic, the "Zemke fan", in which independent flights scattered in front of the bombers in order to cover as much sky as possible, thereby maximizing the chance of intercepting German fighters. Zemke's flight had strayed too far in front of the bomber stream, and the fighters of JG 11 spotted an opening. The Zemke tactic left flights of P-47s isolated if large numbers of Bf 109s were encountered.
Rall was flying at without cabin heating or pressurization, and above the Fw 190s. Rall attacked claiming a Thunderbolt. His ''Staffel'' was then ambushed by P-47s. Rall dived to escape, but his Bf 109 could not out-dive the Thunderbolts, which were attacking line-abreast, preventing him from turning left or right. Rall was near , but took hits in his engine and radiator by pilots of the
56th Fighter Group. Rall's left thumb was hit, and after he cleared the ice from his windshield with his remaining good hand, he decided there was no escape, and bailed out. He landed in a tree on a steep slope, which rolled down into a gully after releasing his parachute harness. By luck, he avoided aggravating his earlier back injury and was tended to by farmers. Rall was hospitalized for many months in Nassau. Doctors found his thumb was attached only by skin and could not be saved. Rall credited the wound with saving his life as the Eighth Air Force had established air superiority over Germany.
Rall's unit succeeded in this battle, but at a high cost. Besides Rall's claim of one P-47, two
North American P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat 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 by James H. Kin ...
fighters were also claimed by other pilots. The group lost 11 Bf 109s, with two pilots killed and five wounded—all of the ''Stabschwarm'' were shot down.
In the autumn, 1944, Rall moved to
Bad Wörishofen
Bad Wörishofen () is a spa town in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany, known for the water-cure (hydrotherapy) developed by Sebastian Kneipp (1821–1897), a Catholic priest who lived there for 42 years. Many of the resort hotels a ...
and became an instructor at the ''Verbandsführerschule'' of the ''General der Jagdflieger'' (Training School for Unit Leaders). Part of this training involved flying captured Allied aircraft and preparing notes for student pilots on their capabilities and deficiencies. Rall flew in mock-combat with Bf 109s; specifically, he flew the Spitfire, P-38, P-47, and the P-51 fighters.
On 20 February 1945, he was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of
''Jagdgeschwader'' 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing), operating from airfields in southern Germany during the last months of the war. On his arrival Rall found 15 burning German fighters on the airfield, courtesy of a low-level P-51 attack. Rall reported the wing was in chaos, with no radar, while fuel and food had to be sought from day to day. JG 300 withdrew to
Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
in Austria as American and French forces advanced deep into southern Germany. Rall did not claim an enemy aircraft during his time with JG 300.
On 2 March 1945 JG 300 sortied with all four groups for the last time supported by JG 301. The two units sent 198 fighters to contest an American air raid. Only small groups reached the bombers, but any successes had no effect. JG 300 continued to fly and fight into 1945. On one mission, the pilots claimed an optimistic total of 50 to 60 aircraft at the cost of 24 killed to the ever present USAAF fighter escorts, while Rall was hospitalized again due to his wounds.
Later life and service
Rall remained in a prisoner of war camp for a matter of weeks. Rall was approached by the Americans who were recruiting Luftwaffe pilots who had experience with the
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed (German for "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ("Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messers ...
fighter. He was transferred to
Bovingdon
Bovingdon is a village in Hertfordshire, England, south-west of Hemel Hempstead, and a civil parishes in England, civil parish within the local authority area of Dacorum. Situated close to the Buckinghamshire border, it forms the largest part ...
near
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England. It is located north-west of London; nearby towns and cities include Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. The population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 cens ...
, and then based at
RAF Tangmere
Royal Air Force Tangmere or more simply RAF Tangmere is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain.
It was one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The Seco ...
, where he met
RAF fighter pilot
Robert Stanford Tuck
Wing Commander Robert Roland Stanford Tuck, (1 July 1916 – 5 May 1987) was a British fighter pilot, flying ace and test pilot. Tuck joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1935 and first engaged in combat during the Battle of France, over Dunkir ...
, with whom he became close friends.
After his release, Rall settled back into civilian life working for
Siemens & Halske
Siemens & Halske AG (or Siemens-Halske) was a German electrical engineering company that later became part of Siemens.
It was founded on 12 October 1847 as ''Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske'' by Werner von Siemens and Johann Geor ...
as a salesman from July 1947 to May 1948. In 1948 he visited England again. Rall accompanied Hertha Rall and stayed in
Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square ( ) is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of Westminster, Greater London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was deve ...
with Dr Paul Kaspar and Jewish acquaintances, whom she had helped to escape from the Nazis. Rall knew of Hertha's wartime Jewish connections and was concerned it would attract the attention of Nazi authorities. In 1943, Hertha was suspected of Jewish sympathies by the
Gestapo
The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
, but no action was taken.
Of Nazi crimes, Rall acknowledged the pilots at the front knew of
Nazi concentration camps
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe.
The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...
but didn't know exactly what they were used for. When he first heard of
Auschwitz
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...
and
The Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
, initially he believed it to be propaganda. Rall could not believe that Germans would do such things. The criminal nature of the Nazi Party did not occur to Rall when Hitler came to power; "The fact that we did not explore the essence of the Nazi regime when it came to power is, of course, one of our great failings."
By 1954 Hertha was a physician at the ''
Schule Schloss Salem'', near
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...
. There, Rall became a
personal assistant
A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task. It is a subspecialty of secretarial duties ...
to the dean of the school,
Prince George William of Hanover. Through this acquaintance, Rall and his wife were invited by Prince George William of Hanover and met the
Queen of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
and her husband
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
during their first state visit in
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
(18–28 May 1965).
With the German Air Force
Rall rejoined the newly established West German military in 1956 and became one of the first cadre of officers in the
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 ...
, at the time referred to as the ''Bundesluftwaffe''. Around 6,000 veterans survived the war but only 160 were fit to fly through years of idleness. The ''Bundesluftwaffe'' was ten years behind the times in modern aviation experience. The German military cadre knew they would have to spend years as pupils before they could stand on their own.
In August 1956, Rall received a refresher training flying the
North American T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, which was used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Ro ...
at the
Landsberg-Lech Air Base
Landsberg-Lech Air Base (German language, German: ''Fliegerhorst Landsberg/Lech'', International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO: ETSA) is a former German Air Force base located near the town of Landsberg am Lech in Bavaria.
Landsberg was us ...
. He was then sent to
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base ( German: "Fliegerhorst Fürstenfeldbruck" or "Flugplatz Fürstenfeldbruck") is a former German Air Force airfield near the town of Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria, near Munich, Germany.
Fürstenfeldbruck became famous fir ...
where he received further training on the
Lockheed T-33
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
. Rall was sent to the United States to train on modern jets at
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of ...
near
San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
, Texas. Rall was one of fifteen officers sent to the US. Among this group were former Luftwaffe pilots Erich Hartmann and
Friedrich Obleser. The German pilots were then sent to
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States., effective 20 December 2007 It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, Arizona, Glendale, and west of Phoenix, Arizona, P ...
in
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
where they received further training. The idea was to make the ''Bundesluftwaffe'' a carbon copy of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
. The future
chief of staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...
commented on modern USAF training methods compared to the old, highly individualistic training program of the Luftwaffe:
The systematic and consistent American training methods were impressive. All in all, these methods were better, more efficient in view of the aircraft we were being trained to fly. Indeed, we were going to fly jets—for most of us this was a new era. The memories of flying the Me 262 were nostalgic for some of us but not a secure foundation you could build on.
One of his tasks was to oversee modifications to the
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic interceptor. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the " Century Series" of fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force (USAF), it was developed into an ...
to comply with the requirement of the Bundeswehr, leading to the F-104G version. The accident rate of the new version was alarming when introduced in 1960. The machine was nicknamed the (widow maker) after 292 crashes and 116 deaths. Rall may have allegedly been involved in the
Lockheed bribery scandals
The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed bribes and contributions made by officials of U.S. aerospace company Lockheed from the late 1950s to the 1970s in the process of negotiating the sale of aircraft. The scandal caused considerable pol ...
. In 1975, the former
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and merged in 1995 with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but otherwise-u ...
lobbyist Ernest Hauser made a public appearance in a German television show aired by the public broadcaster
ARD. Hauser claimed that Lockheed had made a series of
bribes
Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official duty, to act contrar ...
which included the
Christian Social Union in Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria ( German: , CSU) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. Having a regionalist identity, the CSU operates only in Bavaria while its larger counterpart, the Christian Democra ...
and the head of the F-104 task-force Rall. The party and its leader,
Franz Josef Strauß
Franz Josef Strauss ( ; 6 September 1915 – 3 October 1988) was a German politician. He was the long-time chairman of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) from 1961 until 1988, member of the federal cabinet in different positions between ...
, denied the allegations, and Strauß filed a slander suit against Hauser. As the allegations were not corroborated, the issue was dropped.
Officers like Erich Hartmann and
Johannes Steinhoff believed the type too advanced for German pilots. Rall and Steinhoff thought it was a matter of training. They visited the United States to receive further training which reduced accidents when introduced to the German program. In particular, the training sought to address the fundamental change in role from high-altitude interceptor in the United States to fighter-bomber in Germany; and the radically different climate and weather conditions experienced at low altitudes by German pilots over Germany.
Rall received recommendations for senior commands by his then superior General
Kurt Kuhlmey. Following his promotion to ''
Brigadegeneral'' (
brigadier general), he was appointed commander of the
3. ''Luftwaffendivision'' (3rd Air Force Division) in
Münster
Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
. In the summer 1966, he visited
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Established in 1848, the fort was renamed in 1854 to honor William Wallace Smith Bliss, Bvt.Lieut.Colonel William W.S. Bliss (1815–1853 ...
where the ''Bundesluftwaffe'' had a training facility under command of Rall's former World War II comrade ''Brigadegeneral''
Walter Krupinski
Walter Krupinski (11 November 1920 – 7 October 2000) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II and a senior West German Air Force officer during the Cold War. He was one of the highest-scoring pilots in the war, credited with 197 vic ...
.
When
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman and politician who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of th ...
, the former
Chancellor of Germany
The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal Cabinet of Germany, government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Government of Germany, ...
, died on 19 April 1967, Rall was chosen for the military honor guard on 25 April. He was instructed to appear in full uniform, wearing all his medals and decorations. Since his awards had been stolen by a US soldier during his captivity, Rall had to purchase a new set of medals.
Rall was then promoted to ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...
'' on 15 November 1967 and on 1 April 1968 was given command of the
1. ''Luftwaffendivision'' (1st Air Force Division) in
Meßstetten
Meßstetten () is a town in the Zollernalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which is situated in the Swabian Jura, 24 km southeast of Balingen. At an altitude of , Meßstetten is the highest city (of more than 10,000 inhabitan ...
. The promotion as endorsed by General
Helmut Mahlke, of the
Office of the German Air Force.
On 1 May 1969, Rall was appointed chief-of-staff of the
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force
Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in the southern portion of West Germany. 4 ATAF commanded al ...
(4 ATAF) based at the
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
. There, he lived near
Chuck Yeager
Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager ( , February 13, 1923December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in his ...
, at the time vice-commander of the
Seventeenth Air Force. Rall was then appointed commanding general of
''Luftflottenkommando'' (Air Force Forces Command) at Köln-Wahn, a position he held from 1 October to 31 December 1970. From 1 January 1971 to 31 March 1974, he held the position of
Inspector of the Air Force
The Inspector of the Air Force () is the commander of the Air Force of the modern-day German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr. The Inspector is responsible for the readiness of personnel and materiel in the German Air Force, in that function reports ...
. In this capacity, he visited
Washington DC
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
and Fort Bliss
On 22 November 1973, Rall in his role as Inspector of the Air Force gave
''Jagdgeschwader'' 74 (JG 74—74th Fighter Wing) the honorary name "Mölders".
Werner Mölders
Werner Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot, wing commander, and the leading German fighter ace in the Spanish Civil War. He became the first pilot in aviation history to shoot down 100 ...
was a former Luftwaffe fighter pilot and leader 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 ...
and World War II who had died in a flying accident on 22 November 1941. In his commemorating speech, Rall emphasized Mölders military virtues and achievements. In 1998, on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the bombing of the Spanish town of
Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, the
German Parliament decided that members of the Condor Legion, such as Mölders, should "no longer be honored". In 2005, the
Federal Ministry of Defence decided to remove the name "Mölders" from JG 74. The decision was confirmed on 11 March 2005 by the Federal Minister of Defense
Peter Struck.
Rall then served as a
with
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 ...
from 1 April 1974 to 13 October 1975. Rall's forced retirement in 1975 was as a result of a controversial visit to apartheid-governed
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. Rall received a request from a German journalist, and former ''Bundesluftwaffe'' pilot, to attend a veterans meeting there. When news of the general's ill-advised visit to
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
broke, German weekly magazine
''Stern'' claimed Rall held high-level meetings with South African officials and emphasized the personal nature of the trip.
Despite its policy of
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
, South Africa was seen as strategically important to NATO and the South Africans exploited Rall's visit. The political embarrassment, following a concerted press campaign, encouraged Federal Minister of Defense
Georg Leber to retire Rall in October 1975. Rall subsequently resigned as military attaché to NATO. According to the German news magazine ''
Der Spiegel
(, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
'', Leber had stated that he had not known of Rall's planned visit to South Africa. However, the South African ambassador in West Germany, , had informed Leber six months prior to the visit of Rall's travel plans. Sole had informed the South African government of the conversation between him and Leber in a letter dated 4 April 1974. When ''Der Spiegel'' published a copy of this letter in October 1974, the South African government was forced to recall Sole from West Germany.
Civilian life

Following his retirement from military service, Rall worked in the
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...
and
arms industries
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
* Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
** ...
as a consultant. Companies he worked for included
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston.
Over the year ...
,
MTU Aero Engines and for Gerd H. Buck. His consultancy work ended in 1989. MTU licensed, built and maintained the
General Electric J79
The General Electric J79 is an axial-flow turbojet engine built for use in a variety of fighter and bomber aircraft and a supersonic cruise missile. The J79 was produced by General Electric Aircraft Engines in the United States, and under lice ...
axial-flow
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other ...
turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
engine installed in the F-104 Starfighter. In this capacity, Rall acted as a liaison to various NATO member countries as well as with the
Bolivarian Military Aviation and civilian aviation in Venezuela. Buck was the owner of a company based in Fronau, present-day part of
Schneizlreuth
Schneizlreuth is a municipality in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria in Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the nor ...
, which had specialized on defensive systems against missiles, and
laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
and
radar guided weapons of all types. The company is now a subsidiary of
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG () is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was promoted to the DAX, Germany's leading stock market index, in March 2023. It is the largest German and fifth largest Europe ...
.
On 4 July 1985, Rall's wife Hertha died. The couple had four children. Their first child named Monika, born six months into the pregnancy in 1942, only lived for 24 hours. Their second child, Alex, born in 1945, died following a
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the World War II, Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or " ...
attack. On 28 September 1950, their daughter Franziska was born in Stuttgart and Felizitas was born on 17 March 1955. His memoir ''Mein Flugbuch''
y Flight Logbookwas released in 2004.
On 4 October 2009, Rall died in
Bad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall (; Central Bavarian: ''Reichahoi'') is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgau Alps (including Mount Stau ...
after suffering a heart attack earlier. He was buried with
military honors
A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...
at the following a memorial service held at the in Bad Reichenhall on 15 October. The funeral was attended by the Inspector of the Air Force, .
Rall's damaged flying glove, which he wore when shot down in 1944 by American fighters, is now on display at the
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration.
Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
in Washington, D.C.
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian
David T. Zabecki, Rall was credited with 275 aerial victories. Spick also lists Rall with 275 aerial victories claimed in 621 combat missions. Of these, three were claimed over 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 the remaining 272 on the Eastern Front. 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 274 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes one victory over a French
P-36, one victory over a U.S. P-38 fighter, and 272 Soviet-piloted aircraft on the Eastern Front.
Awards
*
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 (23 May 1940)
** 1st Class (July 1940)
*
Wound Badge
The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...
(1939) in Gold
*
Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* "Crete"
Cuffband
*
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
The Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe () was a World War II German military decoration awarded to aircrew and certain other Luftwaffe personnel in recognition of the number of operational flights flown. It was instituted by '' Reichsmarschall'' ...
for fighter pilots in Gold with penant "600"
*
Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (''Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe'') on 17 November 1941 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 ...
'' and pilot
*
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 15 December 1941 as ''Oberleutnant'' in the 8./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
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 ...
** Knight's Cross on 3 September 1942 as ''
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 8./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52
** 134th Oak Leaves on 26 October 1942 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 8./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52
** 34th Swords on 12 September 1943 as ''
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 ...
'' and ''
Gruppenkommandeur'' in the III/''Jagdgeschwader'' 52
*Commander's Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
(1973)
Publications
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Notes
References
Citations
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External links
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Interview with World War II ''Luftwaffe'' Ace Günther Rall– HistoryNet
– Warbirds
Imperial War Museum Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rall, Gunther
1918 births
2009 deaths
Luftwaffe pilots
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 and Swords
German Air Force pilots
Bundeswehr generals
Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Articles containing video clips
Lieutenant generals of the German Air Force
NATO Defense College alumni
German air attachés
20th-century German diplomats
People from Rastatt (district)
Hitler Youth members
Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg