Rudolf-Heinz Ruffer

Rudolf-Heinz Ruffer
Born	7 January 1920 Regensburg, German Empire
Died	16 July 1944 (aged 24) L'vov, in Poland
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–44
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	10.(Pz)/SG 9
Commands held	Staffelkapitan 10.(Pz)/SG 9
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Rudolf-Heinz Ruffer (7 January 1920 – 16 July 1944) was a German Luftwaffe ground attack ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership and was bestowed upon him after the destruction of 72 Soviet tanks. On 16 July 1944, his aircraft was hit by Soviet flak over Poland while attacking Soviet armoured formations. The airplane exploded, and he was killed instantly. At the time of his death, he had recorded 80 tank kills, placing him high on the list of the most successful aerial tank-killers of World War II and in the history of aerial warfare. Ruffer flew the Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomber, but achieved substantial success in the Henschel Hs 129, the aircraft in which he was killed.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as Hauptmann in the II.(Panzer)/Schlachtgeschwader 9^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 as Hauptmann and Staffelführer of 10.(Panzer)/Schlachtgeschwader 9^[2][3]

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 390.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 367.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 645.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Henry L. De Zeng, Henry Zeng, Douglas G. Stankey, Dive Bomber and Ground Attack Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-45 (Volume 1). Ian Allen, London, 2010. ISBN 978-1906537081.
• Kurowski, Kurowski. Luftwaffe Aces: German Combat Pilots of World War II. Stackpole Books, 2004. ISBN 978-0811731775.
• 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.
• Weal, John. Luftwaffe Schlachtgruppen, Osprey, London. 2003. ISBN 978-1841766089