Rudi Linz
| Rudi Linz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
14 February 1917 Ilmenau, Germany |
| Died |
9 February 1945 (aged 27) Meistad, Norway |
| Buried at |
German war cemetery Bergen-Solheim Block 1—Row 17—Grave 10 |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Luftwaffe |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | JG 5 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Rudi Linz (14 February 1917 – 9 February 1945) was a Luftwaffe (German air force) fighter ace during the Second World war. Linz was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for a total of 70 aerial victories claimed. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
On 9 February 1945, Linz was shot down and killed in action flying a Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8 (Werknummer 732183—factory number) in defense of the German destroyer Z33 in an operation which was later called Black Friday by the Allied aircrews due to their heavy unit losses.[1] Linz claimed his 70th and final aerial victory in this engagement over a North American P-51 Mustang possibly from No. 65 Squadron RAF.[2] The Fw 190A-8 flown by Linz in his last combat still exists, and is displayed in the Cottbus Hangar of the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo, Virginia, USA as of 2014.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
- German Cross in Gold on 1 January 1945 as Oberfeldwebel in the 12./JG 5[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 March 1945 (posthumously) as Leutnant and pilot in the 12./JG 5[4][5]
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). 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.
- Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1941 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
- 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
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