Günther Radusch
Quick Facts
Biography
Günther Radusch (11 November 1912 – 29 July 1988) was a German pilot in the Luftwaffe pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Radusch is credited with 65 aerial victories. He claimed one victory during the Spanish Civil War, the remaining 64 victories were all claimed at night in over 140 combat missions, including the destruction of 57 four-engine bombers.
Radusch, an glider pilot as a student, joined the military service of the Heer before transferring to the Luftwaffe. Radusch and nine others, among them Günther Lützow, Wolfgang Falck and Hannes Trautloft, were recommended for training at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school in the Soviet Russia. He was sent to Spain as part of the Condor Legion in October 1936. He claimed his only aerial victory in the Spanish Civil War on 22 April 1937. Together with fellow pilot Franz Heilmayer of 2./Jagdgruppe 88 they each claimed one Polikarpov I-15 shot down, one of which was flown by Felipe del Río Crespo, a seven victory flying ace. Radusch also tested the Heinkel He 112 5-1 under combat conditions in Spain. For his services in Spain he received the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords.
Aerial victory claims
Radusch was credited with 65 aerial victories claimed in over 140 combat missions. He claimed one victory during the Spanish Civil War, the remaining 64 victories were all claimed at night and includes the destruction of 57 four-engine bombers.
Chronicle of aerial victories | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victory (total) | Victory (nocturnal) | Date | Time | Type | Location | Serial No./Squadron No. |
– 2./Jagdgruppe 88 – | ||||||
1 | 22 April 1937 | — | I-15 | Spain | ||
– Stab I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 – | ||||||
2 | 1 | 10 April 1941 | 03:00 | Wellington | 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest Papenburg | |
– Stab II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 – | ||||||
3 | 2 | 27 February 1942 | 00:55 | Wellington | west Westerland | |
4 | 3 | 26 April 1942 | 02:08 | Stirling | south Scheldt Estuary | |
5 | 4 | 28 April 1942 | 01:05 | Stirling | Rømø | |
6 | 5 | 29 April 1942 | 02:18 | Wellington | ||
7 | 6 | 17 August 1942 | 02:42 | Halifax | Sønderborg | |
8 | 7 | 17 August 1942 | 02:52 | Halifax | ||
9 | 8 | 22 September 1942 | 01:01 | Wellington | 18 km (11 mi) west Blidsel | |
10 | 9 | 2 October 1942 | 01:04 | Stirling | ||
11 | 10 | 2 October 1942 | 01:22 | Stirling | ||
12 | 11 | 17 December 1942 | 19:53 | Lancaster | southeast Ribe | |
13 | 12 | 8 January 1943 | 20:00 | Lancaster | west Sylt | |
14 | 13 | 17 January 1943 | 22:14 | Lancaster | 5 km (3.1 mi) west Eiderstedt | |
15 | 14 | 21 April 1943 | 03:07 | Stirling | in sea | |
16 | 15 | 21 April 1943 | 03:32 | Stirling | in sea | |
17 | 16 | 15 June 1943 | 01:15 | Lancaster | 10 km (6.2 mi) south Venlo | |
18 | 17 | 15 June 1943 | 01:20 | Lancaster | 20 km (12 mi) west-southwest Venlo | |
– 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 – | ||||||
19 | 18 | 17 June 1943 | 01:45 | Lancaster | northeast Neerpelt | |
20 | 19 | 22 June 1943 | 01:34 | Halifax | 16 km (9.9 mi) north-northwest Venlo | |
– Stab I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 – | ||||||
21 | 20 | 25 June 1943 | 00:57 | Wellington | Wellen | |
22 | 21 | 25 June 1943 | 01:15 | Wellington | Jasmund | |
23 | 22 | 25 June 1943 | 01:24 | Lancaster | northwest Venlo | |
24 | 23 | 26 June 1943 | 01:58 | Halifax | 20 km (12 mi) south Nijmegen | |
25 | 24 | 29 June 1943 | 02:15 | Halifax | Waalre | |
26 | 25 | 29 June 1943 | 02:24 | Halifax | 7 km (4.3 mi) south Eindhoven | |
27 | 26 | 29 June 1943 | 02:34 | Halifax | 5 km (3.1 mi) north Helmond | |
28 | 27 | 29 June 1943 | 02:56 | Lancaster | 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest Eindhoven | |
– Stab II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 – | ||||||
29 | 28 | 28 July 1943 | 00:26 | Lancaster | south Vollerwiek | |
30 | 29 | 28 July 1943 | 00:43 | Lancaster | Wöhrden | |
31 | 30 | 30 July 1943 | 00:25 | Lancaster | 1 km (0.62 mi) north Hemminger | |
32 | 31 | 3 August 1943 | 01:22 | Lancaster | 40 km (25 mi) east-southeast Helgoland | |
33 | 32 | 3 August 1943 | 02:14 | Halifax | 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest Helgoland | |
– Stab Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 – | ||||||
34 | 33 | 18 August 1943 | 01:46 | four-engined bomber | Peenemünde | |
35 | 34 | 18 August 1943 | 01:55 | four-engined bomber | Peenemünde | |
36 | 35 | 18 August 1943 | 02:00 | four-engined bomber | Peenemünde | |
– Stab II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 – | ||||||
37 | 36 | 22 September 1943 | 01:01 | Wellington | ||
– Stab Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 – | ||||||
38 | 37 | 27 September 1943 | 23:24 | Lancaster | southwest Hanover | |
39 | 38 | 9 October 1943 | 01:51 | Lancaster | 20 km (12 mi) west Hanover | |
40 | 39 | 22 October 1943 | 20:57 | Halifax | 5–10 km (3.1–6.2 mi) west-northwest Kassel | |
41 | 40 | 22 October 1943 | 21:04 | Halifax | 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast Kassel | |
42 | 41 | 22 October 1943 | 22:13 | Lancaster | 20 km (12 mi) north Kassel | |
43 | 42 | 14 January 1944 | 19:29 | Lancaster | ||
44 | 43 | 20 January 1944 | 19:30 | Lancaster | ||
45 | 44 | 20 January 1944 | 19:39 | Lancaster | ||
46 | 45 | 21 January 1944 | 23:15 | Halifax | ||
47 | 46 | 29 January 1944 | 03:12 | Halifax | ||
48 | 47 | 30 January 1944 | 20:24 | Lancaster | ||
49 | 48 | 30 January 1944 | 20:27 | Lancaster | ||
50 | 49 | 30 January 1944 | 20:30 | Lancaster | ||
– Stab Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – | ||||||
51 | 50 | 20 February 1944 | 05:39 | four-engined bomber | KH-9 | |
52 | 51 | 25 February 1944 | 24:00 | Halifax | Schnee-Eifel | |
53 | 52 | 26 February 1944 | 00:30 | Halifax | south Rottweil | |
54 | 53 | 31 March 1944 | 00:36 | four-engined bomber | Adenau | |
55 | 54 | 31 March 1944 | 00:41 | Lancaster | southwest Koblenz | |
– 8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – | ||||||
56 | 55 | 22 May 1944 | 01:44 | four-engined bomber | LK-LL-KL-KK | |
57 | 56 | 22 May 1944 | 01:56 | four-engined bomber | LK-LI-KI-KK | |
58 | 57 | 22 May 1944 | 02:00 | four-engined bomber | IK-KK-KI-II | |
– Stab Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – | ||||||
59 | 58 | 28 May 1944 | 02:07 | four-engined bomber | Meerle | |
60 | 59 | 13 June 1944 | 01:48 | four-engined bomber | Amiens | |
61 | 60 | 29 June 1944 | 00:37 | Halifax | Compiègne | |
62 | 61 | 29 June 1944 | 00:44 | Halifax | Soissons | |
63 | 62 | 1 July 1944 | 01:12 | four-engined bomber | Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
64 | 63 | 1 July 1944 | 01:14 | four-engined bomber | Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
65 | 64 | 8 July 1944 | 01:05 | Lancaster | TB-89 |
Awards
- Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
- Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 19 October 1942 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur
- German Cross in Gold on 13 February 1943 as Major in the II./NJG 3
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 29 August 1943 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./NJG 3
- 444th Oak Leaves on 6 April 1944 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of NJG 5 on 6 April 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of NJG 5