Günther Rall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Günther Rall
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Rall in the early 1970s
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| Born | 10 March 1918 Gaggenau, German Reich |
| Died | 4 October 2009 (aged 91) Bad Reichenhall, Germany |
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| Service years |
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| Rank | Major (Wehrmacht) Generalleutnant (Bundeswehr) |
| Commands held | 8./JG 52, III./JG 52, II./JG 11, JG 300
3. Luftwaffendivision 1. Luftwaffendivision |
| Wars |
See battles
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| Awards | |
| Other work | arms industry consultant |
| German Representative to the NATO Military Committee | |
| In office 1974–1975 |
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| Preceded by | Peter von Butler |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Trebesch |
| Inspector of the Air Force | |
| In office 1971–1974 |
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| Preceded by | Johannes Steinhoff |
| Succeeded by | Gerhard Limberg |
Günther Rall (born March 10, 1918 – died October 4, 2009) was a famous German military pilot and general. He had a long career in the military, lasting almost 40 years. Rall was the third most successful fighter pilot in history. Only Gerhard Barkhorn and Erich Hartmann had more victories than him.
Rall was born in Gaggenau, Germany, in March 1918. He grew up during a time of big changes in Germany. In 1936, he joined the German Army to become an infantry soldier. Soon after, he moved to the Luftwaffe, which was the German air force. He became a trained fighter pilot in 1938.
Contents
Günther Rall: A Top Fighter Pilot
Starting His Flying Career
In September 1939, World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. Rall joined a fighter wing called Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52). He flew patrols on the Western Front during the early part of the war. He also flew missions in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. In May 1940, he shot down his first enemy aircraft. Because his unit lost many pilots, Rall, who was only 22, became a squadron leader. In April and May 1941, he served in the Balkans Campaign.
Successes on the Eastern Front
In June 1941, JG 52 moved to the Eastern Front, where it stayed until the end of the war. Rall got his first victories there while defending Romania. In November 1941, he was shot down and hurt. He couldn't fly for a year. By then, Rall had shot down 36 enemy planes. For his bravery, he received the German Cross in Gold in December 1941.
Rall returned to flying in August 1942. On September 3, 1942, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for shooting down 65 enemy aircraft. By October 22, Rall had reached 100 victories and was given the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He reached 200 victories in August 1943. On September 12, 1943, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. This was the second-highest military award in Germany at that time. By the end of 1943, Rall had over 250 victories. He was the second pilot to achieve this, after Walter Nowotny.
Moving to the Western Front
In April 1944, Rall left JG 52 and the Eastern Front. He took command of a group in Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11). He then served in the Defense of the Reich, protecting Germany from Allied bombers. During this time, he was wounded for a third time. In November 1944, Rall became an instructor. He flew captured Allied fighter planes to learn about them and teach German pilots. Rall ended the war commanding Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300) near Salzburg, Austria. He surrendered there in May 1945.
During World War II, Rall was credited with shooting down 275 enemy aircraft in 621 combat missions. He was shot down five times and wounded three times. He achieved almost all his victories flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Most of his victories were against Soviet planes.
Life Before the War
Rall was born on March 10, 1918, in Gaggenau, Germany. He was the second child of Rudolf and Minna Rall. In 1922, his family moved to Stuttgart. In 1928, Rall joined the Christian Boy Scouts. Later, this group became part of the Hitler Youth. He went to school in Stuttgart and then to a special boarding school in Backnang. These schools aimed to train future leaders for Germany. After finishing school, Rall volunteered for military service in December 1936.
On December 4, 1936, Rall joined the Army in Ludwigsburg. He attended a military school in Dresden in 1938. In the summer of 1938, Rall asked to join the Luftwaffe. He trained as a pilot at Unterbiberg airfield. On September 1, 1938, he became a second lieutenant. Rall then went to fighter pilot school. In September 1939, he joined 4th squadron of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52).
World War II: Combat and Victories
Early Combat and Leadership
When World War II began in September 1939, JG 52 was in western Germany. Rall did not see combat at first. On March 7, 1940, he moved to 8th squadron. On May 10, 1940, JG 52 supported German forces invading Belgium and France. On May 12, 1940, Rall got his first victory. He shot down a French Curtiss H75-C1 fighter. He said, "I was lucky in my first dogfight, but it did give me a hell of a lot of self-confidence." This was his only victory on the Western Front.
JG 52 then moved to the French coast to fight in the Battle of Britain. Because of many losses, Rall became a squadron leader of 8th squadron JG 52 on July 25, 1940. He was promoted to first lieutenant a week later. Rall's unit faced tough battles and achieved little success during this time.
Defending Romania and Moving East
In late 1940, Rall's unit was sent to Bucharest, Romania. Their main job was to train Romanian Air Force pilots. Rall arrived at Pipera Airfield on October 15. His squadron stayed there until May 1941.
Rall's unit then moved to Greece. They took part in the final part of the Balkans Campaign. He flew missions to support the invasion of Crete. After this, JG 52 went back to Romania to help defend the oil fields at Ploiești.
Fighting in the Soviet Union
On June 21, 1941, Rall's group prepared for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Their main goal was to protect the oil fields at Ploiești. The invasion began on June 22. The next day, Rall's group moved to Mamaia, on the Black Sea coast. The Soviet air force immediately tried to destroy the Romanian oil fields. Rall scored his second, third, and fourth victories by stopping Soviet bombers. Rall noted that the Soviets did not have fighter planes protecting their bombers, which helped the German pilots.
Rall got his fifth victory on August 4, becoming an "ace." An ace is a pilot who has shot down five or more enemy planes. In October 1941, Rall claimed 12 victories as his group fought for control of the sky during the First Battle of Kharkov. On October 14, Rall shot down an Ilyushin Il-2 over his airfield.
On October 23, Rall's group moved to Chaplynka in Crimea. They were ordered to clear the skies. Rall had reached 28 victories by this date. On November 17, he received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe. On November 28, 1941, Rall claimed his 36th victory near Rostov. But he was shot down and crash-landed. He broke his back in three places. Doctors told him he might not fly again. He was sent to a hospital in Vienna. While there, he received the German Cross in Gold on December 15, 1941.
Returning to Combat
Rall returned to his squadron in August 1942. From August 2 to 30, Rall claimed 26 victories. On September 3, Rall received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On October 22, Rall reached his 100th victory. He was the 28th Luftwaffe pilot to do so. On November 2, 1942, Rall met Adolf Hitler and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. After this, Rall went on leave and married Hertha. When he returned, his group helped cover the German retreat after the Battle of Stalingrad.
Kuban Bridgehead Battles
In early 1943, Rall's main area of operations was the Kuban bridgehead. The Luftwaffe sent many planes to support the German 17th Army's defenses. Rall achieved his first victories there on March 21, 1943. By April 30, he had claimed 126 aircraft. On April 20, Rall claimed his 116th victory, which was the 5,000th victory for his fighter wing. Rall noticed that Soviet pilots were getting better trained.
Leading a Group
Rall became the official group commander of III. Gruppe on July 5, 1943. He had 42 aircraft under his command. Rall continued to shoot down enemy planes. On July 9, Rall had to make a forced landing after fighting Soviet fighters. A few days later, he had a mid-air collision with a Soviet plane, leading to another forced landing. Rall claimed 21 victories in July. The German attack slowed down. Rall said that after this battle, his pilots no longer believed they would win the war.
In August 1943, Rall claimed 33 aircraft shot down. On August 29, 1943, he shot down two LaGG-3 fighters, reaching 200 victories. He was the third pilot to do so. This achievement was mentioned in the German military report. On September 12, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He was the 34th person to receive this high honor. Hitler presented the award to him on September 22, 1943.
Rall went on vacation until the end of September. When he returned, he continued to claim Soviet aircraft. In October 1943, he claimed 40 aircraft. On November 1, 1943, Rall was promoted to Major. On November 28, he became the second pilot, after Nowotny, to reach 250 victories. His last victory of the year was his 252nd. Rall was on leave from December 1943 to January 1944.
In 1944, Rall continued to claim victories, but at a slower pace. On April 16, 1944, he claimed his 273rd and last victory on the Eastern Front. It was a Lavochkin La-5 fighter near Sevastopol.
Defending Germany
On April 19, 1944, Rall was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11). He became a group commander, defending Germany from Allied bomber fleets. His unit's job was to fight American escort fighters. This allowed other German planes to attack the bombers.
On April 29, Rall claimed a Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The German fighter force was struggling under the pressure. On May 12, Rall was leading his squadron against American P-47 Thunderbolts. Rall attacked and claimed a Thunderbolt. But his squadron was then attacked by other P-47s. Rall's plane was hit, and his left thumb was badly injured. He had to bail out of his plane. He landed in a tree and then rolled into a gully. Luckily, he didn't hurt his back again. Rall was in the hospital for many months. His thumb could not be saved. Rall later said this wound saved his life because the American air force had become very strong over Germany.
In the autumn of 1944, Rall became an instructor. He flew captured Allied planes like the Spitfire, P-38, P-47, and P-51. He prepared notes for student pilots on how these planes performed.
On February 20, 1945, he became the commander of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300). He found the unit in chaos, with no radar and little fuel or food. JG 300 moved to Salzburg, Austria, as American and French forces advanced. Rall did not claim any enemy aircraft during his time with JG 300.
After the War: A New Air Force
Rall was a prisoner of war for a few weeks. The Americans asked him to help them learn about the German Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. He was sent to England, where he became friends with British fighter pilot Robert Stanford Tuck.
After his release, Rall worked as a salesman from 1947 to 1948. In 1956, Rall joined the newly formed West German military, called the German Air Force (Bundesluftwaffe). He was one of the first officers in this new force. Many veterans were no longer fit to fly. The new German Air Force had to learn modern aviation.
In August 1956, Rall received training on modern jets in the United States. He was one of 15 officers sent there, including Erich Hartmann. The goal was to make the German Air Force similar to the United States Air Force. Rall helped oversee changes to the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter for the German military. This plane had a high accident rate when it was first used in 1960. Rall and other officers visited the United States for more training, which helped reduce accidents.
Rall was promoted to brigadier general and became commander of the 3rd Air Force Division in Münster. In 1967, when former German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer died, Rall was part of the military honor guard. He had to buy new medals because his old ones were stolen during his captivity.
Rall was promoted to major general on November 15, 1967. On April 1, 1968, he took command of the 1st Air Force Division in Meßstetten. On May 1, 1969, Rall became chief-of-staff of the Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) at Ramstein Air Base. He lived near American pilot Chuck Yeager. From 1971 to 1974, he was the Inspector of the Air Force.
Rall then served with NATO from 1974 to 1975. He retired in October 1975.
Later Life
After retiring from the military, Rall worked as a consultant in the aerospace and arms industries. He worked for companies like General Electric and MTU Aero Engines. His work as a consultant ended in 1989.
On July 4, 1985, Rall's wife Hertha died. His book, Mein Flugbuch (My Flight Logbook), was released in 2004.
Günther Rall died on October 4, 2009, in Bad Reichenhall after a heart attack. He was buried with military honors. His damaged flying glove, which he wore when he was shot down in 1944, is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Images for kids
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Rall attended the Napola in Backnang.
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Map indicating Operation Barbarossa's attack plan
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Knight's Cross portrait, 1942
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III./JG 52 emblem
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28 November 1943, Rall after his 250th aerial victory
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Rall (wearing a helmet, 3rd person on the right of the coffin behind the man with the white cap) at Adenauer's funeral.
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Summary of Career and Awards
Rall was credited with 275 aerial victories in 621 combat missions. Three of these were against Western Allied planes, and the rest were against Soviet planes on the Eastern Front.
Awards and Honors
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (May 23, 1940)
- 1st Class (July 1940)
- Wound Badge (1939) in Gold
- Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
- "Crete" Cuffband
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for fighter pilots in Gold with penant "600"
- Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on November 17, 1941
- German Cross in Gold on December 15, 1941
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross on September 3, 1942
- 134th Oak Leaves on October 26, 1942
- 34th Swords on September 12, 1943
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1973)
