Rudolf Ehrenberger


Rudolf Ehrenberger was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Ehrenberger was killed on 8 March 1944 near Wittenberge, Nazi Germany. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 6 April 1944. During his career he was credited with 49 aerial victories.

Early life and career

Ehrenberger was born on 25 August 1915 in Arbesthal in the district of Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria.

World War II

The bulk of the Geschwaders air elements were moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen on 8 June 1941. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. The II. Gruppe was transferred to Neusiedel in East Prussia, present-day Malomožaiskojė in Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, between 12–14 June.
On 5 October 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 53 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Insterburg, present-day Chernyakhovsk. The Gruppe was then sent to Leeuwarden Airfield in the Netherlands where they arrived on 12. October.
On 8 March 1944, Ehrenberger was killed in action near Wittenberge in aerial combat with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and escorting Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. He had managed to bail out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 but was then shot in his parachute.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 47 aerial victory claims. This figure includes ten aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 37 over the Western Allies, including three four-engined bombers.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference, for example "PQ 13 Ost 1849". The Luftwaffe grid map 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. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Awards