Description
Luftwaffe Wehrpass
Feldwebel Paul Rudolph
Medals:
Iron Cross Class Second Class – 6.1941
Frontflugspange in Bronze – 8.1942
Eastern Front Medal – 9.1942
Medal against Communism (Romania) – 5.1943
Fliegerschützenabzeichen without lightning bundle – 19.1944
Frontflugspange for Transport in Silver – 8.1944
Cuff title – Kreta – 11.1942
Served with:
Transportgeschwader 1
The Transportgeschwader 1 was a unit of the Air Force during World War II. It was originally formed on August 26, 1939 as Kampfgeschwader z.b.V. 1 set up. As a transport squadron, equipped with transport aircraft, initially of the Junkers Ju 52 type.
The formation of the squadron is closely linked to the establishment of the paratrooper school in Stendal, as it was initially intended to serve as a transport squadron for paratrooper and airborne units. At the beginning of the Second World War, all paratrooper and airborne units were combined in the 7th Flieger-Division. So also the KG z.b.V. 1, the I. and II. Groups in Schönfeld-Seifersdorf, the III. Group in Aslau and the IV. Group was in Liegnitz. All groups were equipped with the Junkers Ju 52, a transport aircraft which, with its three BMW 132 engines, achieved a take-off power of 2250 hp and a top speed of 290 km
In the airborne battle of Crete that began on May 20, 1941, the I. and II. Groups were the XI. Air Corps assigned to the 4th Air Fleet. From the Greek airfield Megara , they flew paratroopers and airborne troops to Crete. The entire squadron remained in the Mediterranean area and was based on June 22, 1941 at the Greek airfield Eleusis and subordinated to the X. Fliegerkorps.
In October 1941, the I. Gruppe moved to the Riga-Spilve air base in the northern section of the Eastern Front during the war against the Soviet Union.[8] From February 19 to May 18, 1942, the II. and IV. Gruppe flew supply missions in the Battle of Demjansk.
In June 1942 the III. and IV. Gruppe in Tobruk Libya and Malemes in Crete and were subordinate to the Air Transport Leader Mediterranean, who belonged to Air Fleet 2.
Between November 23, 1942 and February 2, 1943, the I. and II. Groups took part in costly operations to supply the Stalingrad pocket. Within two months, 50% of the machines and personnel used were lost.
On July 25, 1943, the group commander of Group I, Major Ernst Maess, was killed when his Ju 52 (Geschwadkennung 1Z+AB) was shot down by British Spitfires over the Gulf of Saint Euphemia between Calabria and Sicily.
In October 1943 the III. Gruppe sold the Ju 52 transport aircraft they had previously used and received Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 and Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 in return. Both machines performed significantly better. The SM.75, originally a civil airliner, had three Alfa Romeo 126 RC.134 radial engines totaling 2250 hp giving it a top speed of 363 km/h and a payload of 9500 kg. The SM.82 was given 3 nine-cylinder Alfa Romeo 128 RC.21 radial engines, each with 963 hp, a top speed of 347 km/h and a payload of 4000 kg. In November, the III. Group of both types a total of 25 machines in their ranks. In January 1944, the II. Gruppe also received these transport machines.
At the start of the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, the III. Gruppe with 16 Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 in Celle[10] (♁Lage) and was subordinate to Air Fleet 3, which is responsible for the western area.
Comments:
A super nice Wehrpass to a well decorated air crew member. Comes with his capture paperwork. Also his prewar work IDs, show he was working as a mechanic in building aircraft with Dornier. Please note the cover of the Wehrpass is in normal condition with Swastica.
