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Opitz, Rudolf

    Date of birth:
    August 9th, 1910 (Landshut/Wilesia, Germany)
    Date of death:
    May 1st, 2010
    Nationality:
    German

    Biography

    Prior to World War Two, Rudolf Opitz was a succesful glider pilot. He was trained at Rossitten and became a glider instructor in 1934. Between 1936 and 1940 he was employed as a test pilot by DFS in Darmstadt.
    On his entry ino the Luftwaffe, he was appointed Technical Officer and instructor on cargo gliders. He took part in the attack on the fort Eben-Emaël in Belgium flying a glider.
    From 1941 onwards he was employed as a test pilot by the Lutwaffe testcenter at Rechlin near Berlin were he was involved in the development of the Mersserschmidt Me 163.
    Rudolf Opitz passed away May 1st, 2010.

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    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Rank:
    Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)
    Unit:
    Erprobungsstelle (Rechlin)
    Awarded on:
    January 1st, 1945

    Date is that of publication in the Luftwaffen-Verordnungsblatt.
    Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

    Sources

    • - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
      - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X

    Photo