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| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
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Erich Rudorffer
| Major Erich Rudorffer (deceased) Erich Rudorffer was born on November 1st 1917 in the town of Zwickau in Saxony. Erich Rudorffer joined the Luftwaffes I./JG2 Richthofen in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols in January 1940 and was assigned to I/JG 2 Richthofen with the rank of Oberfeldwebel. He took part in the Battle of France, scoring the first of his many victories over a French Hawk 75 on May 14th, 1940. He went on to score eight additional victories during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. Rudorffer recalled an incident in August 1940 when he escorted a badly damaged Hurricane across the Channel - ditching in the English Channel was greatly feared by pilots on both sides. As fate often does, Rudorffer found the roles reversed two weeks later, when he was escorted by an RAF fighter after receiving battle damage. By May 1st 1941 Rudorffer had achieved 19 victories, which led to the award of the Knights Cross. In June 1941 Rodorffer became an Adjutant of II./JG2. In 1942 Rudorffer participated in Operation Cerberus (known as the Channel Dash) and flew over the Allied landings at Dieppe. Erich Rudorffer along with JG2 was transferred to North Africa in December 1942. It was in North Africa that Rudorffer showed his propensity for multiple-victory sorties. He shot down eight British aircraft in 32 minutes on February 9th 1943 and seven more in 20 minutes six days later. After scoring a total of 26 victories in Tunisia, Rudorffer returned to France in April 1943 and was posted to command II./JG54 in Russia, after Hauptmann Heinrich Jung, its Kommodore, failed to return from a mission on July 30th 1943. On August 24th 1943 he shot down 5 Russian aircraft on the first mission of the day and followed that up with three more victories on the second mission. He scored seven victories in seven minutes on October 11th but his finest achievement occurred on November 6th when in the course of 17 minutes, he shot down thirteen Russian aircraft. Rudorffer became known to Russian pilots as the fighter of Libau. On October 28th 1944 while about to land, Rudorffer spotted a large formation of Il-2 Sturmoviks. He quickly aborted the landing and moved to engage the Russian aircraft. In under ten minutes, nine of the of the II-2 Sturmoviks were shot down causing the rest to disperse. Rudorffer would later that day go on and shoot down a further two Russian aircraft. These victories took his total to 113 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves on April 11th 1944. Rudorffer would on the 26th January 1945 on his 210th victory receive the addition of the Swords. In February 1945 Rudorffer took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262. He was one of the first jet fighter aces of the war, scoring 12 victories in the Me262. He shot down ten 4-engine bombers during the 'Defense of the Reich missions'. He was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. Erich Rudorffer never took leave, was shot down 16 times having to bail out 9 times, and ended the war with 222 victories from over 1000 missions. He was awarded the Knights Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords. Erich Rudorffer died on 8th April 2016. |
Items Signed by Major Erich Rudorffer (deceased) |
  | Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman. (C) Price : £185.00 | It was in 1941 that the remarkable Focke-Wulfe FW190 first appeared in the skies of Europe, quickly establishing itself as a most formidable adversary. It proved to be the supreme weapon against all allied bomber forces. Here FW190A-8 of 1 Gruppe, J...... | |
  | Greenheart Warrior by Ivan Berryman. Price : £75.00 | Bf109Fs of the Green Heart Warriors. ...... | |
| | Greenheart Warrior by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Bf109Fs of the Green Heart Warriors. ...... | |
  | Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £260.00 | The Fw190A-4 was introduced in July 1942, and was equipped with the same engine and basic armament as the A-3. A total of 976 A-4s were built between June 1942 and March 1943. Some of the most successful fighter aces of the Luftwaffe flew the Fw190...... | |
  | Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. Price : £75.00 | Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. ...... |
| | Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £90.00 | Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. ...... | |
| | Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £380.00 | Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. ...... | |
| | Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman. (P) SOLD OUT | Erich Rudorffer commanding I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Morning Maintenance by Ivan Berryman. Price : £60.00 | Me262 of I./JG7 is prepared for an early morning sortie. ...... | |
| | Morning Maintenance by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Me262 of I./JG7 is prepared for an early morning sortie. ...... |
| | Morning Maintenance by Ivan Berryman. (P) Price : £450.00 | Me262 of I./JG7 is prepared for an early morning sortie....... | |
  | Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman. Price : £75.00 | Erich Rudorffer's Me 262 brings down a B-17 Flying Fortress during the defence of Germany. ...... | |
| | Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Erich Rudorffer's Me 262 brings down a B-17 Flying Fortress during the defence of Germany....... | |
| | Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £430.00 | Erich Rudorffer's Me 262 brings down a B-17 Flying Fortress during the defence of Germany. ...... | |
| | Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman. (P) SOLD OUT | Erich Rudorffer's Me 262 brings down a B-17 Flying Fortress during the defence of Germany. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman. Price : £80.00 | Gunther Rall sitting on the cockpit side of Bf 109G-2 Black 13 of III/JG 52, Eastern Front, 1943. ...... | |
| | Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Gunther Rall sitting on the cockpit side of Bf 109G-2 Black 13 of III/JG 52, Eastern Front, 1943. ...... | |
| | Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £480.00 | Gunther Rall sitting on the cockpit side of Bf 109G-2 Black 13 of III/JG 52, Eastern Front, 1943. ...... | |
  | Gunther Rall - Black 13 by Ivan Berryman. Price : £60.00 | Bf 109G-2s of III/JG 52 leave their dispersal on the Eastern Front in 1943. Nearest aircraft is Black 13 of Gruppenkommandeur Gunther Rall, then fast approaching his 150th victory. ...... | |
| | Gunther Rall - Black 13 by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Bf 109G-2s of III/JG 52 leave their dispersal on the Eastern Front in 1943. Nearest aircraft is Black 13 of Gruppenkommandeur Gunther Rall, then fast approaching his 150th victory. ...... |
| | Gunther Rall - Black 13 by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £480.00 | Bf 109G-2s of III/JG 52 leave their dispersal on the Eastern Front in 1943. Nearest aircraft is Black 13 of Gruppenkommandeur Gunther Rall, then fast approaching his 150th victory. ...... | |
  | JG2 - Gunther Rall and his Wingman by Ivan Berryman. Price : £75.00 | Gunther Rall and his wingman on patrol in the skies above the Western Front in April 1944 whilst serving with II/JG II. ...... | |
| | JG2 - Gunther Rall and his Wingman by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £90.00 | Gunther Rall and his wingman on patrol in the skies above the Western Front in April 1944 whilst serving with II/JG II. ...... | |
| | JG2 - Gunther Rall and his Wingman by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £480.00 | Gunther Rall and his wingman on patrol in the skies above the Western Front in April 1944 whilst serving with II/JG II. ...... | |
  | Gunther Rall - on the Tail of a Yak by Ivan Berryman. Price : £65.00 | Gunther Rall in action on the Eastern Front in 1944 with III/JG 52, attacking a Yak 4. ...... |
| | Gunther Rall - on the Tail of a Yak by Ivan Berryman. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Gunther Rall in action on the Eastern Front in 1944 with III/JG 52, attacking a Yak 4. ...... |
