{{Infobox military person

|name=Rudolf Rademacher

|birth_date={{birth date|1913|6|19|df=y}}

|death_date={{death date and age|1953|6|13|1913|6|19|df=y}}

|birth_place=[[Lüneburg]]

|death_place=[[Lüneburg]]

|image=Rudolf Rademacher.jpg

|caption=Rudolf Rademacher

|nickname=''Rudi''

|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}

|branch={{Luftwaffe}}

|serviceyears=

|rank=[[Leutnant]]

|commands=

|unit= [[JG 54]], [[EJG 1]], [[JG 7]]

|battles=[[World War II]]

*[[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]

*[[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]]

|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]

|laterwork=}}

'''Rudolf "Rudi" Rademacher''' (19 June 1913 – 13 June 1953) was a [[World War II]] [[fighter ace]] and 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. Rademacher was credited with 97, potentially up to 126, aerial victories—that is, 97 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in over 500 combat missions.

==Career==

Rademacher was born on 19 June 1913 in [[Lüneburg]], [[Province of Hanover]], a [[Provinces of Prussia|province]] of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in the [[German Empire]]. On 1 December 1941, Rademacher, holding the rank of ''[[Unteroffizier]]'' (Staff Sergeant), was posted to 3. ''[[Organization of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945)#Staffel|Staffel]]'' (squadron) of [[Jagdgeschwader 54|''Jagdgeschwader'' 54]] (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]].

As of 1&nbsp;February&nbsp;1943, [[Walter Nowotny]], his wingman [[Karl Schnörrer]], [[Anton Döbele]] and Rademacher, formed a team known as the "chain of devils" (''Teufelskette'') or the ''Nowotny Schwarm'', which during the course of the war was credited with 524&nbsp;combined kills, making them the most successful team in the Luftwaffe.<ref>Held 1998, p. 69.</ref>

He was severely wounded in a [[Defense of the Reich]] mission against the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) on 18 September 1944. Following a period of convalescence, he joined 11. ''Staffel'' of [[Jagdgeschwader 7|''Jagdgeschwader'' 7]] (JG&nbsp;7—7th Fighter Wing) on 30 January 1945.<ref>Forsyth 2008, p. 30.</ref> There on 1 February 1945, flying the [[Messerschmitt Me 262]] first operational [[Fighter aircraft|jet fighter]], he claimed a [[Supermarine Spitfire]] shot down near [[Braunschweig]].<ref group="Note">For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see ''[[List of German World War II Jet aces]]''</ref> The Allies reported a [[Hawker Tempest]] lost in the vicinity of the action.<ref>Forsyth 2008, p. 32.</ref>

Rademacher was credited with 126 victories in over 500 combat missions.{{refn|According to Spick, Rademacher is credited with 126 aerial victories, 90 of which claimed over the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] and 36 in the [[Western Front (World War II)|western theatre of operations]], including 10 [[heavy bomber]]s.<ref>Spick 1996, p. 230.</ref> According to Obermaier, he is credited with 97 aerial victories, 76 of which claimed over the Eastern Front, including 21 Il-2s and 7 Pe-2s. He also claimed 23 further victories on the Eastern Front without witnesses supporting his claim.<ref name="Obermaier p183">Obermaier 1989, p. 183.</ref>|group="Note"}} 90 of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, including 21 [[Ilyushin Il-2|Il-2 Stormoviks]]. At least eight of his victories claimed over the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]] were gained flying the Me&nbsp;262. Rademacher was killed in a glider crash at [[Lüneburg]] on 13 June 1953.

==Awards==

* [[Iron Cross]] (1939) 2nd and 1st class

* [[Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe]] on 19 October 1942 as ''[[Oberfeldwebel]]'' and pilot<ref>Patzwall 2008, p. 165.</ref>

* [[German Cross]] in Gold on 25 March 1943 as ''Oberfeldwebel'' in the 3./''Jagdgeschwader'' 54<ref>Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 364.</ref>

* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 30 September 1944 as ''[[Leutnant]]'' and pilot in the 1./''Jagdgeschwader'' 54<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 348.</ref><ref>Scherzer 2007, p. 610.</ref>

==Notes==

{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

==References==

===Citations===

{{Reflist|25em}}

===Bibliography===

{{Refbegin}}

* {{Cite book

|last1=Bergström

|first1=Christer

|last2=Mikhailov

|first2=Andrey

|year=2001

|title=Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume II, Resurgence January–June 1942

|location=Pacifica, California

|publisher=Pacifica Military History

|isbn=978-0-935553-51-2

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Fellgiebel

|first=Walther-Peer

|authorlink=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

|year=2000

|origyear=1986

|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile

|trans_title=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

|language=German

|location=Friedberg, Germany

|publisher=Podzun-Pallas

|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Forsyth

|first=Robert

|year=2008

|title=Jagdgeschwader 7 'Nowotny'

|location=Oxford, UK

|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]

|isbn=978-1-84603-320-9

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Held

|first=Werner

|year=1998

|title=Der Jagdflieger Walter Nowotny Bilder und Dokumente

|trans_title=The Fighter Pilot Walter Nowotny Images and Documents

|language=German

|location=Stuttgart, Germany

|publisher=Motorbuch Verlag

|isbn=978-3-87943-979-9

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Obermaier

|first=Ernst

|year=1989

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945

|trans_title=The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945

|language=German

|location=Mainz, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Dieter Hoffmann

|isbn=978-3-87341-065-7

}}

* {{Cite book

|last1=Patzwall

|first1=Klaus D.

|last2=Scherzer

|first2=Veit

|year=2001

|title=Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II

|trans_title=The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2

|language=German

|location=Norderstedt, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall

|isbn=978-3-931533-45-8

}}

* {{Cite book

|last1=Patzwall

|first1=Klaus D.

|year=2008

|title=Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg

|trans_title=The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War

|language=German

|location=Norderstedt, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall

|isbn=978-3-931533-08-3

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Scherzer

|first=Veit

|year=2007

|title=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

|trans_title=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

|language=German

|location=Jena, Germany

|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag

|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2

}}

* {{cite book

|last=Spick

|first=Mike

|year=1996

|title=Luftwaffe Fighter Aces

|location=New York

|publisher=[[Ivy Books]]

|isbn=978-0-8041-1696-1

}}

* Weal, John (1998). ''Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front''. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. {{ISBN|1-85532-518-7}}.

* Weal, John (2001). ''Jagdgeschwader 54 'Grünherz'''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. {{ISBN|1-84176-286-5}}.

{{Refend}}

{{Knight's Cross recipients of JG 54}}

{{Top German World War II Aces}}

{{Subject bar

| portal1=Aviation

| portal2=Biography

| portal3=Military of Germany

| portal4=World War II

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rademacher, Rudolf}}

[[Category:1913 births]]

[[Category:1953 deaths]]

[[Category:People from Lüneburg]]

[[Category:Luftwaffe pilots]]

[[Category:German World War II flying aces]]

[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]

[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Germany]]

[[Category:People from the Province of Hanover]]

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{{Germany-WWII-stub}}