Rudolf Schmidt (Major)

Rudolf "Rudi" Schmidt (15 March 1914 – 23 February 2000) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also 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.

Rudolf "Rudi" Schmidt
Nickname(s)	"Rudi"
Born	15 March 1914 Plauen
Died	23 February 2000(2000-02-23) (aged 85) Esslingen
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Reichsmarine (1932–35) Kriegsmarine (1935–?) Luftwaffe (?–1945)
Years of service	1932–45
Rank	Major
Unit	Jagdgruppe 88 Kampfgeschwader 26
Commands	II./Kampfgeschwader 26
Battles / wars	Spanish Civil War World War II Invasion of Poland Norwegian Campaign Battle of France Battle of Britain Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942) Battle of the Mediterranean
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Despite being half Jewish, or Mischling under the Nuremberg Laws, Schmidt enlisted in the Luftwaffe and served with distinction.^[1][2]

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (13 August 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 March 1945 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Kampfgeschwader 26^[3]

References

Citations

1. The Surreal Reich, By Joseph Howard Tyson, page 205
2. Hitler's Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military, Bryan Mark Rigg, page 39
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 310.

Bibliography

• 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.
• 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• TracesOfWar.com
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945

Military offices
Preceded by Major Otto Werner	Commander of II./Kampfgeschwader 26 11 August 1944 - May 1945	Succeeded by None