Rolf Kaldrack

Rolf Kaldrack
Born	25 June 1913 Stargard, Pomerania
Died	3 February 1942 (1942-02-04) (aged 28) south of Toropets, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1934–42
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	Condor Legion (A 88)
Commands held	III./ZG 76
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II Battle of the Heligoland Bight Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Eastern Front  †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Rolf Kaldrack (25 June 1913 – 3 February 1942) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Kaldrack is credited with at least 24 aerial victories, 3 of which claimed during the Spanish Civil War flying with Aufklärungsgruppe 88 of the Condor Legion.

Kaldrack and his aerial gunner Unteroffizier Enke were killed in action on 3 February 1942 south of Toropets. Kaldrack flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110 E-1 "S9+IC" (Werksnummer 4057 — factory number), collided with a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter he had just shot down. Posthumously he received the 70th Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he was credited with approximately 24 aerial victories. This number includes three claims during the Spanish Civil War, 18 on the Western Front, and eight on the Eastern Front.

Awards

• Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (14 April 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (19 December 1939)
  • 1st Class (9 June 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 5 February 1942 (posthumously) as Hauptmann in the II./Schnellkampfgeschwader 210
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 2 November 1940 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of III./Zerstörergeschwader 76
  • 70th Oak Leaves on 9 February 1942 (posthumously) as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of II./Schnellkampfgeschwader 210

References

Bibliography

• Bergström, Christer (2015). The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited. Oxford, UK: Casemate. ISBN 978-1612-00347-4.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (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.
• Goss, Chris (2018). Knights of the Battle of Britain — Luftwaffe Aircrew Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940. Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52672-651-3.
• Laureau, Patrick (2010). Condor: The Luftwaffe in Spain, 1936–39. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0688-9.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Weal, John (2012). Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-527-8.