Friedrich Rumpelhardt


Friedrich "Fritz" Rumpelhardt was a German air officer during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
During his career Rumpelhardt flew in 130 missions as a Bordfunker with two night fighter wings of the Luftwaffe. He participated in 100 aerial victories as a crewman with Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer from October 1942 until the end of the war. Rumpelhardt was the most successful radar operator—in terms of aerial victories claimed—in the Luftwaffe night fighter force.

Early life and career

Rumpelhardt was born 19 June 1920 in Nordhalden near Konstanz, at the time in the Republic of Baden of the German Reich during the Weimar Republic. He was one of three sons of the teacher Emil Rumpelhardt and his wife Rosa. Both his twin brothers were killed in action as Luftwaffe pilots during the war. Rumpelhardt attended the Gymnasium, a secondary school, in Singen. In 1938, while still at school, he volunteered for military service in Luftwaffe, requesting to be assigned to the Flak. His application was put on hold. In 1939, he passed his Abitur and was called into the compulsory Reichsarbeitsdienst.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Following the outbreak of war, Rumpelhardt was conscripted into the Wehrmacht, initially serving with a construction company. In February 1940, he transferred to the Luftwaffe, not with a Flak unit as he had initially applied for but with the Nachrichtentruppe. Completin his recruit training at Cottbus in July 1940, Rumpelhardt was then posted to the Bordfunkerschule at Nordhausen, which lasted seven months. In February 1941, he transferred to the blind flying school Blindflugschule 4 at Vienna-Aspern. There, he was assigned to a pilot who failed the qualifications. In July 1941, he was then posted to the Zerstörerschule at Wunstorf near Hanover where on 3 July, Rumpelhardt and Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer were assigned as an aircrew team. Since Schnaufer's previous radio operator had proved unable to cope with aerobatics, and Schnaufer thoroughly tested Rumpelhardt's ability to cope with aerobatics before they teamed up. Here the two decided to volunteer to fly night fighters to defend against the increasing Royal Air Force Bomber Command offensive against Germany.

Radar operator with the night fighter force

On 1 June 1942, Rumpelhardt was promoted to Unteroffizier. That night, he and Schnaufer claimed their first aerial victory on their thirteenth combat mission flown. Nominally this was the RAF's second 1,000 bomber raid against Germany, although the attacking force actually numbered 956 aircraft. They shot down a Handley Page Halifax south of Louvain in Belgium. The aircraft probably was a Halifax from No. 76 Squadron piloted by Sergeant Thomas Robert Augustus West, which was shot down at 01:55 on 2 June 1942 and crashed at Grez-Doiceau, south of Louvain. West and another member of the crew were killed. This victory was achieved by ground-controlled interception through the Kammhuber Line. Once near to the target, Rumpelhardt had visually found the bomber and directed Schnaufer into attack position from below and astern. Following two firing passes, the Halifax caught on fire. Both Rumpelhardt and Schnaufer were awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for their first aerial victory.
Rumpelhardt and Schnaufer flew their first combat mission with the Lichtenstein radar on the night 5/6 August 1942. Though they managed to make contact with an enemy aircraft they failed to shoot it down. In February 1943, Rumpelhardt was accepted for officer training and for a period of eight months, did not fly any combat missions with Schnaufer. Following an officer selection course, and an assignment as instructor to a junior non-commissioned officer's course, he attended the Kriegsschule until 18 September 1943. On 1 October 1943, Rumpelhardt was promoted to Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel. On 1 March 1944, he was made an officer, attaining the rank of Leutnant. He also served as Nachrichtenoffizier with the Gruppenstab and Geschwaderstab, the headquarters units of the group and the Geschwader.
On 8 August 1944, Rumpelhardt received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for assisting in 68 nocturnal aerial victories. On 7 March 1945, he reached his 100th nocturnal victory assist. One day later, he was nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, this was not approved. Rumpelhardt flew his last combat mission on 9 April 1945. He was the most successful Bordfunker of the Luftwaffe night fighter force.

Later life

Rumpelhardt was taken prisoner of war by the British Army in Schleswig-Holstein in May 1945. There he was interrogated by a team of twelve officers from the Department of Air Technical Intelligence, led by Air Commodore Roderick Aeneas Chisholm. Rumpelhardt was released on 4 August 1945. He then pursued a career in agriculture. In 1965, Rumpelhardt became head of the agricultural service and the agricultural school of the Hanauerland, headquartered in Kehl. In 1967, he moved to Offenburg, where he directed the agricultural office until his retirement in 1984.
In the late nineties Rumpelhardt self-published a 119-page account of his wartime experiences, Meine Geschichte und die meiner Familie: Die Zeit des Kriegsdienstes.
Rumpelhard died on 20 January 2011 in Kehl and was buried on 28 January 2011 at the cemetery in Kehl.

Awards and decorations