Andreas Kuffner (Luftwaffe)
Andreas Kuffner | |
---|---|
Born |
30 May 1918 Munich |
Died |
30 April 1945 26) Schwerin | (aged
Allegiance |
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Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
Years of service | 1937–45 |
Rank | Hauptmann |
Unit |
StG 2 SG 151 SG 3 SG 9 |
Commands held | I.(Pz)/SG 9 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Andreas Kuffner (30 May 1918 – 30 April 1945) was a highly decorated Hauptmann in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he flew 900+ missions and is credited with the destruction of 60+ tanks.[Note 1] Andreas Kuffner was killed on 30 April 1945 when the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 he was flying was bounced and shot down by a Royal Air Force Spitfire XIV from 350 Squadron as he was attempting to land near Schwerin. During the same attack, Knight's Cross recipients Rainer Nossek and Wilhelm Bromen were killed and wounded respectively.
Awards and decorations
- Aviator badge
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "900"
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (25 May 1942)
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Wound Badge (1939)
- in Black
- German Cross in Gold on 25 September 1942 as Leutnant in the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 16 April 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 4./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"[3][Note 2]
- 864th Oak Leaves on 20 December 1944 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 10. (Pz.)/Schlachtgeschwader 3[5]
Notes
- ↑ For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces
- ↑ According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann".[4]
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. 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.
- Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
- 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.
- 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
External links
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