Günther Radusch Explained

Günther Radusch
Birth Date:11 November 1912
Birth Place:Schwetz
Death Place:Nordstrand
Allegiance:
Branch:Reichsheer (1931–35)
(1935–45)
German Air Force (1958–71)
Serviceyears:1931–1945
1958–1971
Rank:Oberst (colonel)
Commands:NJG 5, NJG 2, NJG 3
Unit:J/88, ZG 1, NJG 1, NJG 3, NJG 2, NJG 5
Awards:Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

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

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

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

Early life and career

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

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

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

World War II

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

Night fighter career

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

On 1 July 1940, Radusch was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of NJG 1. Already on 7 October 1940, he was appointed commander of I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3—3rd Night Fighter Wing), a position he held until 2 October 1941. Radusch claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on 10 April 1941 when he shot down a Wellington bomber 2km (01miles) southwest Papenburg.

Wing commander

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

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

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

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

Later life

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

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

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

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim
(total)
Claim
(nocturnal)
DateTimeTypeLocationSerial No./Squadron No.
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –
122 April 1937I-15Spain
Stab I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
2110 April 194103:00Wellington2km (01miles) southwest Papenburg
Stab II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
3227 February 194200:55Wellingtonwest Westerland
4326 April 194202:08Stirlingsouth Scheldt Estuary
5428 April 194201:05StirlingRømø
6529 April 194202:18Wellington
7617 August 194202:42HalifaxSønderborg
8717 August 194202:52Halifax
9822 September 194201:01Wellington18km (11miles) west Blidsel
1092 October 194201:04Stirling
11102 October 194201:22Stirling
121117 December 194219:53Lancastersoutheast Ribe
13128 January 194320:00Lancasterwest Sylt
141317 January 194322:14Lancaster5km (03miles) west Eiderstedt
151421 April 194303:07Stirlingin sea
161521 April 194303:32Stirlingin sea
171615 June 194301:15Lancaster10km (10miles) south Venlo
181715 June 194301:20Lancaster20km (10miles) west-southwest VenloLancaster ED973/No. 100 Squadron RAF, 7 killed
– 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –
191817 June 194301:45Lancasternortheast Neerpelt
201922 June 194301:34Halifax16km (10miles) north-northwest VenloHalifax HR799/No. 35 Squadron RAF
Stab I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –
212025 June 194300:57WellingtonWellenWellington HF606/No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
222125 June 194301:15WellingtonJasmundPossibly Wellington HZ376/No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron Perhaps crashed due to anti-aircraft fire. 4 men killed, 2 captured
232225 June 194301:24Lancasternorthwest Venlo
242326 June 194301:58Halifax20km (10miles) south NijmegenHalifax JD261/No. 51 Squadron RAF 7 men killed
252429 June 194302:15HalifaxWaalreHalifax JD215/No. 419 Bomber Squadron RCAF, 7 men killed
262529 June 194302:24Halifax7km (04miles) south EindhovenHalifax II DT783 ZA-Q/No. 10 Squadron RAF, 7 killed
272629 June 194302:34Halifax5km (03miles) north Helmond
282729 June 194302:56Lancaster5km (03miles) northwest Eindhoven
Stab II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
292828 July 194300:26Lancastersouth Vollerwiek
302928 July 194300:43LancasterWöhrden
313030 July 194300:25Lancaster1km (01miles) north Hemminger
32313 August 194301:22Lancaster40km (30miles) east-southeast HelgolandLancaster ED705/No. 100 Squadron RAF, 7 killed
33323 August 194302:14Halifax20km (10miles) north-northwest HelgolandHalifax HR859/No. 51 Squadron RAF
Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
343318 August 194301:46four-engined bomberPeenemündeLancaster LM342/No. 467 Squadron RAAF
353418 August 194301:55four-engined bomberPeenemünde
363518 August 194302:00four-engined bomberPeenemünde
Stab II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 –
373622 September 194301:01Wellington
Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
383727 September 194323:24Lancastersouthwest Hanover
39389 October 194301:51Lancaster20km (10miles) west Hanover
403922 October 194320:57HalifaxNaNkm (-2,147,483,648miles) west-northwest Kassel
414022 October 194321:04Halifax10km (10miles) northeast Kassel
424122 October 194322:13Lancaster20km (10miles) north Kassel
434214 January 194419:29Lancaster
444320 January 194419:30Lancaster
454420 January 194419:39Lancaster
464521 January 194423:15Halifax
474629 January 194403:12Halifax
484730 January 194420:24Lancaster
494830 January 194420:27Lancaster
504930 January 194420:30Lancaster
Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –
515020 February 194405:39four-engined bomberKH-9Lancaster ND410/No. 12 Squadron RAF
525125 February 194424:00HalifaxSchnee-Eifel
535226 February 194400:30Halifaxsouth RottweilHalifax LV794/No. 78 Squadron RAF
545331 March 194400:36four-engined bomberAdenau
555431 March 194400:41Lancastersouthwest Koblenz
– 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –
565522 May 194401:44four-engined bomberLK-LL-KL-KK
575622 May 194401:56four-engined bomberLK-LI-KI-KK
585722 May 194402:00four-engined bomberIK-KK-KI-II
Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –
595828 May 194402:07four-engined bomberMeerle
605913 June 194401:48four-engined bomberAmiens
616029 June 194400:37HalifaxCompiègne
626129 June 194400:44HalifaxSoissons
63621 July 194401:12four-engined bomberSaint-Leu-d'Esserent
64631 July 194401:14four-engined bomberSaint-Leu-d'Esserent
65648 July 194401:05LancasterTB-89

Awards

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces