Rudolf Schmidt (Major)
Rudolf "Rudi" Schmidt | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Rudi" |
| Born | 15 March 1914 Plauen |
| Died | 23 February 2000 (aged 85) Esslingen |
| Allegiance |  Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/ | Reichsmarine (1932–35) Kriegsmarine (1935–?) Luftwaffe (?–1945) |
| Years of service | 1932–45 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Jagdgruppe 88 Kampfgeschwader 26 |
| Commands held | II./Kampfgeschwader 26 |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Rudolf "Rudi" Schmidt (15 March 1914 – 23 February 2000) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Despite being half Jewish, or Mischling under the Nuremberg Laws, Schmidt enlisted in the Luftwaffe and served with distinction.[1][2]
Awards and decorations
- Flugzeugführerabzeichen
- Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- German Cross in Gold (13 August 1942)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 March 1945 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Kampfgeschwader 26[3]
References
Citations
- ^ The Surreal Reich, By Joseph Howard Tyson, page 205
- ^ Hitler's Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military, Bryan Mark Rigg, page 39
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 310.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
