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Linke, Richard

Date of birth:
April 3rd, 1909 (Queissen/Silesia, Germany)
Date of death:
December 31st, 1995 (Siegburg/Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Nationality:
German

Biography

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

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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.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Major (Squadron Leader)
Unit:
III. / Kampfgeschwader 54
Awarded on:
December 9th, 1942
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
July 13th, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
March 10th, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
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.
Wehrmachtbericht

Sources

Photo