Date of birth:

April 3rd, 1909 (Queissen/Silesia, Germany)

Date of death:

December 31st, 1995 (Siegburg/Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

After the Second WOrld War, Richard Linke served with the BUndeswehr and there reached the rank of Kapitän zur See.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)

Unit:

Kommandeur I. / Kampfgeschwader 54

Awarded on:

September 17th, 1941

Awarded for his successes as a pilot and bomber commander in the northern sector of the Eastern front during the first two months of Operation Barbarossa. In this time his Gruppe destroyed 240 enemy aircraft on the ground as well as many other ground targets. Linke and his crew alone claimed 30 enemy tanks and several artillery positions destroyed.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Major (Squadron Leader)

Unit:

III. / Kampfgeschwader 54

Awarded on:

December 9th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 13th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 10th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 21st, 1942

In the sea and air battle in the Mediterranean a dive bomber wing under the leadership of Major Sigel, the fighter squadron of Captain Belser and the crews of two bombers, with their commanders, group commander Major Linke, and Lieutenant Colonel Schulte distinguished themselves from the rest, in the destruction of British convoys.

• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - URBANKE, AXEL & KAISER, JOCHEN, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger, Luftfahrtverlag-Start, 2011.