5.75X4 B&W satin finish vintage photograph of Erich Rudorffer in the cockpit of his plane. Signed in black ink nicely by Erich Rudorffer. In excellent condition.
(1917-2016) Erich Rudorffer was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace who was one of a handful who served with the Luftwaffe through the whole of World War II. He was one of the most successful fighter pilots in the history of air warfare, with 222 victories claimed. Rudorffer fought in all the major German theaters of war, including the European and Mediterranean Theater of Operations and the Eastern Front. During the war he flew more than 1000 combat missions, engaging in aerial combat over 300 times. Rudorffer was shot down by flak and enemy fighters 16 times and had to take to his parachute nine times.
Comes with a full Letter of Authenticity from Todd Mueller Authentics.
Eastern Front (1943–1944)
Transferred to Jagdgeschwader 54 “Grünherz”, Rudorffer’s combat record exploded.
He achieved:
100th victory in 1943,
200th victory by late 1944.
He became famous for his incredible single-day tallies, reportedly downing 13 Soviet aircraft in 17 minutes during one engagement and 9 aircraft in 10 minutes in another — records among Luftwaffe pilots.
His total on the Eastern Front exceeded 220 victories, primarily against Soviet fighters and bombers.
Rudorffer received some of the highest honors awarded by the German armed forces for valor and leadership.
Major Decorations
Award Date / Details
Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class 14 May 1940
Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class 23 July 1940
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal) 17 November 1941
German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) 2 July 1942
Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz) 1 May 1941 — as Oberfeldwebel, JG 2 “Richthofen”
Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross (No. 422) 11 April 1944 — as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur, JG 54
Swords to the Knight’s Cross (No. 128) 26 January 1945 — as Major, JG 7 (Me 262 jet unit)
Wound Badge in Silver for multiple combat injuries