Rudolf Sinner


Rudolf Sinner was an Austrian-born fighter of the Luftwaffe during World War II. He claimed 40 aerial victories within 305 missions, including four victories while flying the Me-262.

Military career

Born in 1915, Rudolf Sinner got educated at the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna.
At the age of 21, he was drafted into the Austrian Federal Army and trained in the mountain artillery. During the Polish campaign, he served in a horse-drawn flak unit before being transferred to fighter pilot duty in 1940. He absolved his pilot training in Vienna.
Following his training he flew with JG3 on the western front and was then transferred to Jagdgeschwader 27 in North Africa. He was assigned to 2./JG27. On 12 October 1941 he scored his first victory. On 4 June 1942, Sinner was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel of JG 27. He succeeded Oberleutnant Emmerich Fluder who had been killed in action on 31 May. He claimed his 30th victory on 3 September 1942.

Group commander

On 1 June 1943, Sinner was appointed as Gruppenkommandeur of newly formed IV. Gruppe of JG 27 based at Kalamaki, Greece. In consequence, command of 6. Staffel of JG 27 was passed on to Oberleutnant Willy Kientsch. On 14 September 1943, Sinner was transferred to take command of IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 which was based on the Eastern Front. He succeeded Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer who had been transferred on 1 August. Intermittently, the Gruppe had been led by Oberleutnant Alfred Teumer and Oberleutnant Siguurd Hala.
On 11 February 1944, Sinner and Hauptmann Siegfried Schnell, the commander of III. Gruppe of JG 54, exchanged roles with Sinner taking command of III. Gruppe on the Western Front and Schnell leading IV. Gruppe in the east. On 6 March, Sinner managed to shoot down a B-17 bomber, but got wounded in the process and had to bail out near Bassum, southerly of Bremen. After his recovery, on 12 June 1944 he got assigned to I./JG27 to the invasion front in France.
With his current total victories at 36, Sinner was transferred to III./JG7, on 1 January 1945. He would add four more victories to his total, including two B-24 bomber.
On 4 April 1945, Sinner led a formation of seven ME-262s off from Rechlin. Shortly after emerging from the clouds the aircraft were attacked by P-51 Mustangs of the USAAF's 339th Fighter Group. In the ensuing combat, Sinner's aircraft was hit. He bailed out at low altitude, with badly burned face and hands. His parachute deployed only partially and he struck the ground heavily before getting dragged into a barbed-wire fence. Sinner later reported that the P-51s attempted to strafe him, but he feigned death till they withdrew. His injuries were severe enough to keep him out of the rest of the war.

Later life

After the war he worked as a fire-safety engineer in a chemical works in Linz/ Donau, Austria.

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 40 aerial victory claims plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes three claims on the Eastern Front and 37 in the western theatre of operations, including three heavy bombers. He claimed four victories flying the Me 262.

Awards