Rudolf Smola

Rudolf Smola
Born	3 August 1917 Vienna
Died	27 March 1945(1945-03-27) (aged 27) Zinten, East Prussia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	NAGr 15 SG 101 SG 2 SG 151 SG 3
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Operation Barbarossa Crimean Offensive East Prussian Offensive Heiligenbeil Pocket
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Rudolf Smola (3 August 1917 – 27 March 1945) was a highly decorated Hauptmann in the Luftwaffe during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he flew 600+ missions and was credited with 17 aerial victories. Rudolf Smola was killed on 27 March 1945 after being hit by Soviet ground fire near Zinten, East Prussia, during the East Prussian Offensive.

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "600"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 31 March 1943 as Oberleutnant in the 12.(H)/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 13
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 5./Schlachtgeschwader 2

References

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Luftwaffe 1939-1945 History