Rolf Pingel
Encyclopedia
Rolf Pingel was a German
Luftwaffe
ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
during World War II
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Pingel was born 1 October 1913 in Kiel
. Following completion of his flying training in 1937, Leutnant Pingel was posted to I./JG 134. He then served with the Condor Legion
in the Spanish Civil War as a fighter pilot with 2.J 88. He claimed six victories,in some 200 operations, and was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold. Lt. Pingel was then transferred in as Staffelkapitän, 2./JG 334 in October 1937. 2./JG 334 became 2./JG 53 in March 1939.
When the war broke out Oberleutnant Pingel claimed a French Air Force Mureaux 113 of GAO 1/506 near Saarlautern on 10 September 1939. On 30 September, he claimed a RAF Fairey Battle
of No. 150 Squadron over the Saarbrücken-Merzig area, one of five claimed shot down by JG 53. On 11 June Pingel shot down two Morane MS 406 fighters. In August 1940, during the Battle of Britain
Hauptmann Pingel was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 26. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 14 September.
On 28 September, Pingel shot down a 249 Squadron Hawker Hurricane
near Maidstone but his own aircraft was badly damaged, forcing Pingel to ditch off the English coast and be rescued by German air-sea rescue.
After 9 claims during the latter half of 1940, Pingel claimed his 20th air victory on 22 June 1941, a Spitfire near Dunkirk.
On 10 July 1941 Rolf Pingel was forced to land in England after being hit by return fire from a British Short Stirling
bomber that he was pursuing. He descended to low altitude but was harried by several Spitfires, and he crashed landed near St. Margarets Bay
and was taken prisoner by a detachment of Home Guard. He was released in 1947.
Pingel's aircraft, Bf 109 F–2
, Werk Nr. 12764, was returned to flying condition by the RAF and allocated the serial number ES906. It was briefly flown for evalaution testing until it crashed near Fowlmere
on 20 October 1941, killing its Polish pilot F/O J. Skalski.
During his career Pingel was credited with 28 aerial victories, 6 in the Spanish Civil War and another 22 in world war II, in some 550 combat flights.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Pingel was born 1 October 1913 in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. Following completion of his flying training in 1937, Leutnant Pingel was posted to I./JG 134. He then served with the Condor Legion
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
in the Spanish Civil War as a fighter pilot with 2.J 88. He claimed six victories,in some 200 operations, and was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold. Lt. Pingel was then transferred in as Staffelkapitän, 2./JG 334 in October 1937. 2./JG 334 became 2./JG 53 in March 1939.
When the war broke out Oberleutnant Pingel claimed a French Air Force Mureaux 113 of GAO 1/506 near Saarlautern on 10 September 1939. On 30 September, he claimed a RAF Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
of No. 150 Squadron over the Saarbrücken-Merzig area, one of five claimed shot down by JG 53. On 11 June Pingel shot down two Morane MS 406 fighters. In August 1940, during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
Hauptmann Pingel was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 26. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 14 September.
On 28 September, Pingel shot down a 249 Squadron Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
near Maidstone but his own aircraft was badly damaged, forcing Pingel to ditch off the English coast and be rescued by German air-sea rescue.
After 9 claims during the latter half of 1940, Pingel claimed his 20th air victory on 22 June 1941, a Spitfire near Dunkirk.
On 10 July 1941 Rolf Pingel was forced to land in England after being hit by return fire from a British Short Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
bomber that he was pursuing. He descended to low altitude but was harried by several Spitfires, and he crashed landed near St. Margarets Bay
St Margaret-at-Cliffe
St Margaret-at-Cliffe is a three part village situated just off the coast road between Deal and Dover in Kent, England. The heart of the village is about two miles from the sea with the residential area of Nelson Park further inland and St Margaret's Bay situated along and below the cliffs north...
and was taken prisoner by a detachment of Home Guard. He was released in 1947.
Pingel's aircraft, Bf 109 F–2
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
, Werk Nr. 12764, was returned to flying condition by the RAF and allocated the serial number ES906. It was briefly flown for evalaution testing until it crashed near Fowlmere
Fowlmere
Fowlmere is one of the southernmost villages in Cambridgeshire, England. It is very close to the Imperial War Museum Duxford, and 9 miles southwest of the city of Cambridge.- History :...
on 20 October 1941, killing its Polish pilot F/O J. Skalski.
During his career Pingel was credited with 28 aerial victories, 6 in the Spanish Civil War and another 22 in world war II, in some 550 combat flights.
Awards
- Spanienkreuz in Gold mit SchwertenSpanish CrossThe Spanish Cross was an award of Germany given to Germans who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for Franco.- History :With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Germany sent the Condor Legion to give military aid to Francisco Franco's nationalist forces.On April 14, 1939, Germany...
- FlugzeugführerabzeichenAviator BadgeAn Aviator Badge is an insignia used in most of the world’s militaries to designate those who have received training and qualification in military aviation...
- Front Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeFront Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeThe Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe was awarded in Bronze, Silver, and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds. Pennants suspended from the clasp indicated the number of missions obtained in a given type of aircraft...
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 14 September 1940 as HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"
- Knight's Cross on 14 September 1940 as Hauptmann