Helmut Rüffler Explained

Helmut Rüffler
Birth Date:	18 January 1918
Birth Place:	Waldenburg
Death Place:	Lohmar-Heide
Allegiance:
Branch:	(Wehrmacht) German Air Force (Bundeswehr)
Serviceyears:	1940–1945
Rank:	Oberfeldwebel (master sergeant in the Wehrmacht) Oberstabsfeldwebel (sergeant major in the Bundeswehr)
Unit:	JG 3, JG 51
Battles:	World War II Operation Barbarossa Defense of the Reich
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Helmut Rüffler (18 January 1918 – 21 September 2001) was a German Luftwaffe 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. Rüffler was credited with 88 victories in 690 missions, a further 10 victories were claimed but not confirmed.

Career

Rüffler was born on 18 January 1918 in Waldenburg, present-day Wałbrzych in Poland, at the time in the Province of Lower Silesia within the German Empire. Following flight training, he was posted to the Ergänzungsgruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) on 28 September 1940. Holding the rank of Unteroffizier, Rüffler was transferred to 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of JG 3 on 1 February 1941.

Operation Barbarossa

The Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Moderówka on 18 June where the Gruppe concluded their last preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 was subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps (5th Air Corps), under command of General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim, which was part of Luftflotte 4 (4th Air Fleet), under command of Generaloberst Alexander Löhr. These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South), with the objective of capturing the Ukraine and its capital Kiev.

Defense of the Reich

In early August 1943, II. Gruppe of JG 3 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front for service in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front. The Gruppe spent one-month training in northern Germany before they arrived at the Schiphol airfield near Amsterdam in the Netherlands on 12 September. While based at Uetersen Airfield, Rüffler joined the Gruppe which received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 and was equipped with Y-Control for fighters, a system used to control groups of fighters intercepting United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bomber formations. Rüffler was assigned to 4. Staffel commanded by Oberleutnant Werner Lucas while the Gruppe was headed by Major Kurt Brändle. On 20 October, the USAAF targeted Düren. II. Gruppe intercepted the bombers near Venlo but were fended off by the escorting Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. Elements of II. Gruppe managed to reach the bombers on their return. Two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers were shot down, including one by Rüffler. On 11 December, the USAAF VIII Bomber Command launched an attack on Emden. Defending against this attack, Rüffler was credited with an Herausschuss (separation shot) over a B-17 bomber—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.

On 24 February 1944, the USAAF Eighth and Fifteenth Air Force attacked German aircraft manufacturing during Operation Argument, also known as "Big Week". II. Gruppe intercepted west of Gotha, making several passes through the combat box formations. During this encounter, II. Gruppe pilots claimed seven bombers shot and two Herausschüsse, including one Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber shot down by Rüffler. On 8 April, the USAAF committed 664 bombers in an attack on Luftwaffe airfields in northwest Germany and aircraft manufacturing near Braunschweig. That day, Rüffler claimed one of the attacking B-24 bombers shot down. On 18 April, the Eighth Air Force targeted the industrial area of Berlin. II. Gruppe was scrambled at 13:17 and without sustaining any losses claimed three B-17 bombers shot down, including one by Rüffler. The next day, Rüffler was credited with two aerial victories, a B-17 shot down and an Herausschuss over a second B-17. That day, the USAAF again targeted the German aircraft industry as well as Luftwaffe airfields in Westphalia and Hesse. On 8 May, the Eighth Air Force again headed for Berlin and Braunschweig. II. Gruppe was scrambled at 08:42 and were vectored to Hamburg and then southwest towards Bremen were Rüffler claimed an Herausschuss over a B-17 bomber.

On 18 July 1944, Rüffler engaged in aerial combat with North American P-51 Mustang fighters west of Caen. During this engagement, he claimed two P-51 fighters shot down before he was himself shot down and wounded in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 165 451—factory number). His injuries were so severe that he was out of action for several months. Following his convalescence, Rüffler did not return to JG 3 but was trained to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in February 1945 but did not claim any aerial victories flying the Me 262. He then transferred to Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) where he served as Schwarmführer of 9. Staffel of JG 51. Flying with JG 51 during the final days of the war, Rüffler claimed 25 further aerial victories on the Eastern Front.

Later life

Following World War II, Rüffler joined the German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe of the Bundeswehr. In 1963/64, he flew Sikorsky H-34 helicopters for German VIPs, such us Helmut Schmidt and Kai-Uwe von Hassel. His final rank was Oberstabsfeldwebel (sergeant major), a rank he received thanks to Eduard Adorno. Rüffler died on 21 September 2001 in Lohmar-Heide.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Rüffler was credited with 88 aerial victories, while Spick lists him with 98 aerial victories. Forsyth states that he shot eight four-engined heavy bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed at least 54 aerial victories, with over 50 claims on the Eastern Front and four claims over the Western Allies, including one four-engined bomber.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 15 S/NA-7". The Luftwaffe grid map (German: Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3x in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 6 November 1941
1	22 June 1941	08:10	I-15		6	4 October 1941	16:40	SB-3	10km (10miles) southeast of Dmitrovsk
2	23 July 1941	13:42	DB-3	5km (03miles) northeast of Bila Tserkva	7	5 October 1941	15:40	Pe-2	80km (50miles) southeast of Oryol
3	25 July 1941	18:55	SB-3	15km (09miles) southeast of Bila Tserkva	8	14 October 1941	07:05	SB-3	10km (10miles) northeast of Oryol
4	10 August 1941	10:47	DB-3	15km (09miles) east of Kiev	9	29 October 1941	12:00	R-10 (Seversky)	20km (10miles) southeast of Tula
5	23 September 1941	10:50	Il-2	55km (34miles) northeast of Poltava
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front — 10 February – 14 April 1942
10	4 March 1942	09:06	U-2	15km (09miles) southeast of Staraya Russa	14	28 March 1942	13:53	I-301 (LaGG-3)	18km (11miles) northeast of Staraya Russa
11	9 March 1942	10:55	Pe-2	50km (30miles) southwest of Demyansk	15	28 March 1942	13:55	I-16?	10km (10miles) northeast of Staraya Russa
12	17 March 1942	09:18	I-61 (MiG-3)	6km (04miles) east of Sutschowka	16	29 March 1942	07:53	U-2	12km (07miles) northeast of Demyansk
13	28 March 1942	13:50	I-301 (LaGG-3)	15km (09miles) northeast of Staraya Russa	17	30 March 1942	15:30?	I-61 (MiG-3)	10km (10miles) east of Staraya Russa
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front — July 1942
18	25 July 1942	07:30	MiG-3	northeast of Kalach
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front — August – December 1942
19	5 August 1942	15:15	LaGG-3	5km (03miles) south of Nowo Grigorewskaja	36	17 October 1942	06:02	Il-2	10km (10miles) east of Stalingrad
20	23 August 1942	08:55	LaGG-3	20km (10miles) east of Katschalinsskaja	37	17 October 1942	06:04?	LaGG-3	6km (04miles) northeast of Stalingrad
21	27 August 1942	16:20	LaGG-3	3km (02miles) northeast of Stalingrad	38	17 October 1942	06:05	Il-2	5km (03miles) northeast of Stalingrad
22	28 August 1942	07:26	R-5	4km (02miles) northeast of Stalingrad	39	24 October 1942	13:45	LaGG-3	35km (22miles) north of Stalingrad
23	27 September 1942	08:50	MiG-1	15km (09miles) north of Srednyaya Akhtuba	40	24 October 1942	13:55	Il-2	30km (20miles) north of Leninsk
24	27 September 1942	09:15	LaGG-3	10km (10miles) east of Dubovka	41♠	28 October 1942	09:44	Il-2	3km (02miles) east of Kotluban train station 10km (10miles) north of Gumrak
25	28 September 1942	08:50	Yak-1	15km (09miles) northwest of Dubovka	42♠	28 October 1942	09:47	Il-2	2km (01miles) northeast of Kotluban train station 5km (03miles) north of Grebenka
26	28 September 1942	09:05	Yak-1	25km (16miles) northwest of Dubovka west of Rulew	43♠	28 October 1942	09:49	Il-2	35km (22miles) west of Dubovka
27	28 September 1942	15:15	Il-2	12km (07miles) northeast of Akhtuba	44♠	28 October 1942	09:50	LaGG-3	2km (01miles) southeast of Losnoje
28	30 September 1942	05:35	LaGG-3	3km (02miles) north of Losnoje	45♠	28 October 1942	15:10	LaGG-3	2km (01miles) east of Nowo Nikolskoje
29	1 October 1942	06:45	Yak-4	50km (30miles) northeast of Nowo Nikolskoje	46	31 October 1942	13:50	Il-2	4km (02miles) southeast of Stalingrad
30	2 October 1942	12:20	Il-2	18km (11miles) northeast of Kotluban train station	47	1 November 1942	15:00	LaGG-3	15km (09miles) east of Wladimirowka
31	2 October 1942	12:25	Il-2	22km (14miles) northeast of Kotluban train station	48	1 November 1942	15:12	LaGG-3	20km (10miles) southeast of Kapustin-Jar
32	2 October 1942	15:40	Yak-1	2km (01miles) north of Kotluban train station 10km (10miles) north of Gumrak	49	16 November 1942	10:30	LaGG-3	3km (02miles) east of Grasnoje
33	6 October 1942	11:20	Pe-2	5km (03miles) north of Konylenskij 15km (09miles) southwest of Obliwskaja	50	16 November 1942	10:32	LaGG-3	3km (02miles) east of Grasnoje
34	8 October 1942	08:20	LaGG-3	2km (01miles) south of Iwanowka		24 November 1942	12:05	unknown
35	10 October 1942	07:45	Su-2 (Seversky)	15km (09miles) northeast of Stalingrad
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — 12 September 1943 – 6 June 1944
51?	20 October 1943	14:45	B-17		55?	18 April 1944		B-17
52?	11 December 1943		B-17*		56?	19 April 1944		B-17
53	24 February 1944	13:42	B-24	PQ 15 S/NA-7 southwest of Ansbach	57?	19 April 1944		B-17*
54?	8 April 1944		B-24		58?	8 May 1944		B-17*
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Invasion of Normandy — 7 June – 22 August 1944
59	30 June 1944	20:50	P-51	PQ 05 Ost TA vicinity of Pont-l'Évêque	61	18 July 1944	09:21	P-51	PQ 04 Ost N/AA vicinity of Vimoutiers
60	16 July 1944	20:17	Spitfire	PQ 14 West AT-3/5 vicinity of Vire	62?	18 July 1944	09:21	P-51	PQ 04 Ost N/AA vicinity of Vimoutiers

Awards

• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 19 October 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 3 December 1942 as Feldwebel in the I./Jagdgeschwader 3
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 December 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"

References

Bibliography

• Book: Aders . Gebhard . Held . Werner . 1993 . Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente . Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle – Reports – Experiences – Documents . de . Stuttgart, Germany . Motorbuch Verlag . 978-3-613-01045-1.
• Book: Ahrens , Hans-Werner . 2019 . Die Rettungsflieger der Luftwaffe 1956–1971: Konzeption — Aufbau — Einsatz . The Air Force Rescue Pilots 1956–1971: Concept — Creation — Deployment . de . Carola Hartmann Miles-Verlag . 978-3-945861-93-6.
• Book: Bergström . Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . Antipov . Vlad . Sundin . Claes . 2003 . Graf & Grislawski – A Pair of Aces . Hamilton MT . Eagle Editions . 978-0-9721060-4-7.
• Web site: Bergström . Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat . Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website . 12 December 2023 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20181222042030/http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/bc-rs/planquadrat.htm . 22 December 2018 . dead.
• Book: Dixon , Jeremy . 2023 . Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942 . . 978-1-52677-864-2.
• Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer .

  de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

  . 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 . de . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Book: Forsyth , Robert . 2011 . Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942–45 . Aircraft of the Aces . 101 . Oxford, UK . . 978-1-84908-438-3.
• Book: Mathews . Andrew Johannes . Foreman . John . 2015 . Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R . Walton on Thames . Red Kite . 978-1-906592-20-2.
• Book: Obermaier , Ernst . 1989 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945 . de . Mainz, Germany . Verlag Dieter Hoffmann . 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Book: Page , Neil . 2020 . Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1943–45 . Philadelphia, PA . . 978-1-61200-879-0.
• Book: 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 . de . Norderstedt, Germany . Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall . 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Book: Patzwall . Klaus D. . 2008 . Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg . The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War . de . Norderstedt, Germany . Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall . 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . 1996 . Messerschmitt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei der III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945 . Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Action with the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-33-5.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . 2003 . Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" in WWII: II./JG 3 in Action with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 . Atglen, Pennsylvania . . 978-0-7643-1774-3.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2003 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941 . German . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-69-4.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2005 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6.12.1941 bis 30.4.1942 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-76-2.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2006 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-77-9.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Bock . Winfried . 2018 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/IV—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/IV—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-942943-19-2.
• Book: 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 . de . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Book: Spick , Mike . 1996 . Luftwaffe Fighter Aces . New York . . 978-0-8041-1696-1 . registration .
• Book: Weal , John . 2013 . Aces of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" . Aircraft of the Aces . 116 . Oxford, UK . . 978-1-78096-300-6.
• Book: Zabecki . David T. . David T. Zabecki . Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History . Santa Barbara, California . . 2014 . 978-1-59884-981-3.