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Leutnant Rudolf Wagner
Born	(1921-10-29)29 October 1921 Essingen (Württemberg), Germany
Died	11 December 1943(1943-12-11) (aged 22) Missing in action over Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine
Buried	Unknown
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1941–1943
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	JG 51
Commands	12./JG 51
Battles / wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	German Cross Iron Cross x2 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Lt. Rudolf Wagner (29 October 1921 – 11 December 1943) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Rudolf Wagner was credited with 81 aerial victories all over the Eastern Front (World War II). He was missing in action over Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, in 1943 during WWII.

Career

Wagner entered the military on May 11, 1941, as an Oberfeldwebel. When he completed his training he was assigned to o IV./JG 51 - Jagdgeschwader 51. In early 1942 and he served as Otto Gaiser's wingman. Wagner scored 81 aerial victories most of then while he was piloting a Messerschmitt Bf 109; he also may have recorded kills while flying a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in 1943.

Squadron leader and missing in action

In October 1943, when Hauptmann Wilhelm Moritz was transferred, Wagner succeeded him as Staffelführer (squadron leader) of 12. Staffel of JG 51.

On 11 December, Wagner was posted as missing in action following aerial combat in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 140232—factory number) 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) north of Weprin, present-day Vepryk. He was succeeded by Oberleutnant Hugo Brönner as commander of 12. Staffel of JG 51.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, he was credited with 81 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 79 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47594". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 20 September 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Feldwebel in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51.
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 12./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"

Notes

1. It is not known how many different aircraft Wagner flew while accumulating his 81 kills, his unit was known for flying the Bf 109. The Luftwaffe also used the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft over the eastern front by 1943.
2. ^ The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:02.
4. According to Obermaier, posthumously on 10 January 1944.
5. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders".

References

1. deZeng IV, Henry L.; Stankey, Douglas G. "Career Summaries - Luftwaffe Officers 1935 - 1945" (PDF). ww2.dk. Michael Holm. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
2. Page 2020, p. 45.
3. Weal, John (24 April 2007). More BF 109 aces of the Russian front. United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 9781846031779. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
4. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 143.
5. Prien et al. 2012, p. 160.
6. Spick 1996, p. 236.
7. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1365–1367.
8. Planquadrat.
9. Prien et al. 2006, p. 355.
10. Prien et al. 2006, p. 358.
11. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1057–1058.
12. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 147.
13. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 153.
14. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 154.
15. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 148.
16. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 149.
17. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 150.
18. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 151.
19. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 155.
20. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 152.
21. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1367.
22. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 156.
23. Dixon 2023, p. 92.
24. Patzwall 2008, p. 210.
25. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 493.
26. Obermaier 1989, p. 219.
27. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 434.
28. Scherzer 2007, p. 765.

Bibliography

• Bergström, Christer . "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
• Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) . Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Page, Neil (2020). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1943–45. Philadelphia, PA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-879-0.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-05-5.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.

• Aviation
• Biography

• 1921 births
• 1940s missing person cases
• 1943 deaths
• Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II
• German World War II flying aces
• Luftwaffe pilots
• Recipients of the Gold German Cross
• Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
• People from the Free People's State of Württemberg
• Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg
• Missing in action of World War II
• Missing person cases in Ukraine