Date of birth:

March 15th, 1914 (Plauen/Kingdom of Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

February 23rd, 2000 (Esslingen/Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Rudolf Schmidt reached the rank of Major.
Other sources give 28.01.1914 as DOB
Career:
01.10.1932: joined the Reichsmarine and began training for the Luftwaffe at See-Fliegerschule Parow
01.04.1938: transferred to 3./Kü.Fl.Gr. 106
01.07.1938-03.1939: appointed Kdr. K/88 Legion Condor in Spain
04.1939: transferred to3./Kü.Fl.Gr. 706
10.1939: transferred to 3./Kü.Fl.Gr. 906 due to unit renaming
ca.Start of 1940: transferred to KGr. 126 (later I./KG 28)
02.1941: transferred to 6./KG 26
01.04.1941: promoted to Oberleutnant
20.05.1941: Oblt., awarded the Ehrenpokal
01.04.1942: promoted to Hauptmann
13.08.1942: Oblt., awarded DKG, 6./KG 26
11.1942: transferred to 10./KG 26
01.1943: appointed Adj. Stab/KG 26
12.02.1943-02.12.1944: appointed Staka 4./KG 26
01.04.1943: promoted to Hauptmann (Kr.O.) (RDA01.04.42 or 01.07.42?)
03.12.1944-08.05.1945: Hptm., appt Kdr. II./KG 26
28.03.1945: Hptm.,awarded Ritterkreuz, Kdr. II./KG 26
20.04.1945: promoted to Major
06.05.1945: flew his last mission
After the war, he was a dock worker and then studied industrial management, becoming a business manager and later a self-employed entrepreneur.
Credited with 314 missions plus an unknown number in Spain
Author of: Achtung - Torpedos Los!: Der Strategische und Operative Einsatz des Kampfgeschwader 26 (Koblenz:Bernard & Graefe, 1991). ISBN: 3-7637-5885-2.

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• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher
• - 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.