Rudolf Wagner (pilot)

This article is about German World War II fighter pilot. For others with the same name, see Rudolf Wagner.

Lt. Rudolf Wagner (29 October 1921 – 11 December 1943) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Rudolf Wagner was credited with 81 aerial victories all over the Eastern Front (World War II). He was missing in action over Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, in 1943 during WWII.

Rudolf Wagner
Born	(1921-10-29)29 October 1921 Essingen (Württemberg), Germany
Died	11 December 1943(1943-12-11) (aged 22) Missing in action over Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine
Buried	Unknown
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1941–1943
Rank	Leutnant (second lieutenant)
Unit	JG 51
Commands	12./JG 51
Battles / wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	German Cross Iron Cross x2 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Wagner scored many of his victories while piloting his Messerschmitt Bf 109^{[Note 1]}

Wagner entered the military on May 11, 1941, as an Oberfeldwebel. When he completed his training he was assigned to o IV./JG 51 - Jagdgeschwader 51.^[1] In early 1942 and he served as Otto Gaiser's wingman.^[2] Wagner scored 81 aerial victories most of then while he was piloting a Messerschmitt Bf 109; he also may have recorded kills while flying a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in 1943.^[3]

Squadron leader and missing in action

In October 1943, when Hauptmann Wilhelm Moritz was transferred, Wagner succeeded him as Staffelführer (squadron leader) of 12. Staffel of JG 51.^[4]

On 11 December, Wagner was posted as missing in action following aerial combat in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 140232—factory number) 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) north of Weprin, present-day Vepryk.^[5] He was succeeded by Oberleutnant Hugo Brönner as commander of 12. Staffel of JG 51.^[4] Posthously on 26 March 1944, Wagner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for his 81 aerial victories claimed.^[6]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Wagner was credited with 81 aerial victories.^[7] Spick also lists him with 81 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions.^[8] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 79 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.^[9]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47594". The Luftwaffe grid map (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 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.^[10]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Wagner an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.   This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
1	10 August 1942	15:45	LaGG-3	PQ 47594[11] vicinity of Rzhev	2	16 December 1942	08:20	Il-2	30 km (19 mi) northwest of Velikiye Luki[12]
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[13] Eastern Front — 4 February – October 1943
3	9 February 1943	10:12	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 26713[14] 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Moschna	40	26 August 1943	13:40	La-5	southeast of Komyschij[15]
4	16 March 1943	15:35	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 35 Ost 36732[14]	41	30 August 1943	16:26	Pe-2	southwest of Taranivka[15]
5	16 March 1943	15:55	MiG-3	PQ 35 Ost 16882[14] 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Demydiv	42	1 September 1943	07:50	Yak-1	west of Yelnya[15]
6	3 April 1943	14:15	Boston	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Nowaiki[14]	43	5 September 1943	06:41	Yak-9	southeast of Yartsevo[15]
7	13 April 1943	14:13	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 45574[14] 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Spas-Demensk	44	5 September 1943	06:43	Yak-9	southeast of Yartsevo[15]
8	23 April 1943	13:52	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 63372[14] 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Glazunowka	45	6 September 1943	09:50	Yak-9	south of Medvedevo[15]
9	24 April 1943	04:45	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 54554[14] 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Bryansk	46	14 September 1943	12:55	La-5	Nowo Kriwoshoje[16]
10	24 April 1943	04:49	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44654[14] 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Bryansk	47	19 September 1943	14:10	Yak-9	west of Ssurjakowo[16]
11	8 June 1943	05:58	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63461[17] 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Kromy	48	19 September 1943	15:10	Il-2 m.H.[Note 2]	west of Lubjanki[16]
12	10 June 1943	19:09	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 34274[17] 20 km (12 mi) east-northeast of Seschtschinskaja	49	20 September 1943	13:20	Il-2 m.H.[Note 2]	northwest of Perwoswanowka[16]
13	10 June 1943	19:19	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 35861[17] 20 km (12 mi) west of Kirov	50	21 September 1943	06:35	Yak-9	west of Sagassnaja[16]
14	5 July 1943	09:36	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63553[18] 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Maloarkhangelsk	51	24 September 1943	13:31	Pe-2	north of Kremenchuk[16]
15	5 July 1943	09:50	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63642[18] 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Maloarkhangelsk	52	24 September 1943	13:39	Pe-2	east of Koselschtschina[16]
16	5 July 1943	18:37	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63531[18] vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk	53♠	26 September 1943	06:10	Yak-1	south of Fukaschewo[16]
17	5 July 1943	18:50	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 63544[18] 10 km (6.2 mi) south-southeast of Trosna	54♠	26 September 1943	08:25	Yak-1	east of Jelenowka[16]
18♠	6 July 1943	07:40	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63571[18] 20 km (12 mi) south-southeast of Trosna	55♠	26 September 1943	13:27	Yak-1	north of Orljansk[16]
19♠	6 July 1943	08:14	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63583[18] 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	56♠	26 September 1943	16:35	Yak-1	Burtschak[16]
20♠	6 July 1943	08:15	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63544[18] 10 km (6.2 mi) south-southeast of Trosna	57♠	26 September 1943	16:50	Yak-1	north of Ssadowy[16]
21♠	6 July 1943	08:16	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63573[19] 20 km (12 mi) south-southeast of Trosna	58♠	27 September 1943	10:25	Yak-1	north of Domotkan[16]
22♠	6 July 1943	08:22	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63543[19] 10 km (6.2 mi) south-southeast of Trosna	59♠	27 September 1943	10:31	Il-2 m.H.[Note 2]	northeast of Lichovka[16]
23	7 July 1943	04:25	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 63611[19] 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Maloarkhangelsk	60♠	27 September 1943	13:30	La-5	northwest of Borodajevka[16]
24	9 July 1943	12:10	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63561[19] 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	61♠	27 September 1943	13:40	Pe-2	north of Mischurin-Rog[16]
25	12 July 1943	05:17	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63252[19] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zalegoshch	62♠	27 September 1943	15:20	La-5	west of Mischurin-Rog[16]
26	13 July 1943	13:37	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 63252[20] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zalegoshch	63♠	27 September 1943	15:34	Pe-2	northwest of Grigoryewk[16]
27	13 July 1943	13:41	Il-2 m.H.[Note 2]	PQ 35 Ost 63253[20] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zalegoshch	64	29 September 1943	14:08	P-39	northeast of Tiefenbrunn[16]
28	15 July 1943	17:03	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 63222[20] 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Zalegoshch	65	29 September 1943	14:10	P-39	east of Ukrainka[16]
29	17 July 1943	05:00	Yak-1	south of Anachina[20]	66	29 September 1943	16:45	Yak-1	west of Wischnewskij[16]
30	17 July 1943	05:02	Yak-1	west of Massalskaya[20]	67	30 September 1943	16:00	Yak-1	southwest of Schulgowka[21]
31	11 August 1943	07:20	La-5	south of Izium[22]	68	1 October 1943	10:37	Yak-1	east of Domotkan[21]
32	12 August 1943	13:30	La-5	southeast of Bogodukhov [22]	69	2 October 1943	15:05	La-5	west of Domotkan[21]
33	13 August 1943	14:05	La-5	southwest of Bogodukhov[22]	70	2 October 1943	17:05?[Note 3]	La-5	southeast of Yakymivka[21]
34	18 August 1943	05:55	P-39	west of Ssemenowka[15]	71	3 October 1943	11:03	Yak-1	south of Borodayevka[21]
35	18 August 1943	15:45	Yak-1	east-northeast of Kuibyschevo[15]	72	3 October 1943	13:45	Yak-1	south of Borodayevka[21]
36	18 August 1943	17:50	Il-2 m.H.[Note 2]	southeast of Ssemenowskij[15]	73	5 October 1943	12:30	Yak-9	east of Domotkan[21]
37	19 August 1943	06:10	La-5	west of Novosselovka[15]	74	5 October 1943	12:39	Yak-9	east of Proletarka[21]
38	21 August 1943	16:28	Il-2 m.H.[Note 2]	east-northeast of Gubarovka[15]	75	6 October 1943	06:47	La-5	south of Borodayevka[21]
39	22 August 1943	18:08	Yak-1	east of Kasarowka[15]	76	6 October 1943	12:42	La-5	west of Karpenki[21]
– 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[13] Eastern Front — November – 11 December 1943
77	30 November 1943	11:05	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 91538[24] 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Radomyshl	79	13 December 1943	14:10	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 91336[24] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Malyn
78	12 December 1943	09:15	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 91328[24] 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Malyn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[25]
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 20 September 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot^[26]
• German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Feldwebel in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51.^{[27][Note 4]}
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 12./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"^{[29][Note 5]}

Notes

1. It is not known how many different aircraft Wagner flew while accumulating his 81 kills, his unit was known for flying the Bf 109. The Luftwaffe also used the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft over the eastern front by 1943.
2. The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:02.^[23]
4. According to Obermaier, posthumously on 10 January 1944.^[28]
5. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders".^[30]