Kurt Ubben

Kurt Ubben
Kurt Ubben
Nickname	"Kuddel"
Born	(1911-11-18)18 November 1911 Dorstadt, Harz
Died	27 April 1944(1944-04-27) (aged 32) near Fère-en-Tardenois, France
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine (1931 – 1935) Luftwaffe(1935 – 1944)
Years of service	1931 – 1944
Rank	Major
Unit	JGr 186, JG 77, JG 2
Commands held	8./JG 77, III./JG 77, JG 2
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland (1939) Battle of Britain North African campaign
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Kurt "Kuddel" Ubben (born 18 November 1911 in Dorstadt, Harz, killed in action 27 April 1944 near Fere-en-Tardenois, France), was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death on 27 April 1944. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

His first aerial success was a Dutch Fokker D XXI fighter claimed over Holland on 10 May 1940, the opening day of the Battle of France. On 22 July 1940 Ubben was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77). The unit transferred to the Balkans in April 1941. Ubben claimed a No. 33 Squadron Hawker Hurricane fighter over Greece on 19 April, although his Bf 109 was badly damaged in the engagement and Ubben forced-landed behind Allied lines. He was rescued by a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and flown back to his unit. Ubben also carried out many ground-attack and fighter-bomber operations against Allied naval forces during mid-1941.

Ubben and JG 77 then participated in the invasion of Russia in June 1941. He claimed a 21st victory on 25 July. He was soon awarded the Ritterkreuz in September for 32 air kills, 26 aircraft destroyed on the ground and some 15 armoured vehicles claimed destroyed.

In September 1941, Hauptmann Ubben was promoted to Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III./JG 77. He achieved 50 kills on 19 October, and was awarded the Eichenlaub on 12 March 1942 for 69 victories.

III./JG 77 was then transferred to North Africa, by which time Ubben had 92 victories. He scored his 100th victory on 14 January 1943. In October, Ubben led III./JG 77 into Romania where it provided aerial protection over the Ploesti oilfields. Major Ubben was next appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2), based in France in March 1944.

By this time he had shot down 110 enemy aircraft in over 500 combat missions. 90 of his victories were claimed over the Eastern front. On 27 April 1944, Ubben engaged United States Army Air Forces P-47 fighters near Fère-en-Tardenois. In the ensuing combat, Ubben was shot down in Fw 190 A-8/R2/R6; (Werknummer 680 113—factory number). He bailed out but his parachute failed to open either due to insufficient altitude or because of an improperly fastened harness.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (10 May 1940)
  • 1st Class (August 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 9 December 1941 as Oberleutnant in the 8./JG 77
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 September 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 8./JG 77
  • 80th Oak Leaves on 12 March 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./JG 77

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Molesworth, Carl (2011). P-40 Warhawk vs Bf 109, MTO 1942–44. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-469-7.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Scutts, Jerry (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-448-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2300-3.
• Weal, John (1996). Bf 109D/E Aces 1939–41. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-487-3.
• Weal, John (1998). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-518-7.
• Weal, John (2000). Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen'. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-046-3.
• Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.

External links

• "Aces of the Luftwaffe". Kurt Ubben. Retrieved 23 March 2007. 
• "Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Kurt Ubben. Retrieved 27 March 2007. 

Military offices
Preceded by Major Egon Mayer	Commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 2 March 1944 – 27 April 1944	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Kurt Bühligen
Preceded by Major Friedrich-Karl Müller	Acting Commander of Jagdgeschwader 53 Pik As October 1943 – November 1943	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Helmut Bennemann