Walter Krupinski | |
|---|---|
 Walter Krupinski | |
| Nickname(s) | Graf Punski, The Count |
| Born | (1920-11-11)11 November 1920 Domnau, East Prussia |
| Died | 7 October 2000(2000-10-07) (aged 79) Neunkirchen-Seelscheid |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service |  Luftwaffe German Air Force |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 1955–1976 |
| Rank | Hauptmann (Wehrmacht) Generalleutnant (Bundeswehr) |
| Unit | JG 52,JG 5,JG 11 andJV 44 |
| Commands | 7./JG 52, 1./JG 5, II./JG 11, III./JG 26 JaBoG 33 |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Walter Krupinski (11 November 1920 – 7 October 2000) was a GermanLuftwaffefighter ace inWorld War II and a senior WestGerman Air Force officer during theCold War. He was one of the highest-scoring pilots in the war, credited with 197 victories in 1,100sorties. He was called by his fellow pilots Graf Punski (Count Punski) due to hisPrussian origins. Krupinski was one of the first to fly theMesserschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in combat as a member ofJagdverband 44 (JV 44—44th Fighter Detachment) led byAdolf Galland.
Born in the Weimar Republic in 1920, Krupinski joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and completed his flight training in 1940. Flying withJagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing), he claimed his first victory in August 1941 and his total rose steadily againstSoviet Air Forces. In October 1942, Krupinski was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross and was appointed squadron leader of 7.Staffel (7th squadron) of JG 52 in March 1943. Krupinski was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for 174 aerial victories. He was then transferred, serving withJagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) and was then given command of II.Gruppe (2nd group) ofJagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) in 1944. Wounded in a flight accident in August, he commanded III.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) following his convalescence in September. He finished the war serving with JV 44, flying the Me 262, and surrendered to the Western Allies in May 1945.
After the war, Krupinski joined the German Air Force of theBundeswehr, serving until 1976 when he was forced into early retirement. Krupinski died inNeunkirchen-Seelscheid on 7 October 2000.
Krupinski was born on 11 November 1920, in the town ofDomnau in theProvince of East Prussia, and grew up in Braunsberg, present-dayBraniewo, Poland. He was the first son of Friedrich Wilhelm Krupinski, aObergerichtsvollzieher (bailiff), and his wife Auguste, née Helmke. His two younger brothers were Paul and Günther.[1] Paul joined theKriegsmarine and entered theU-boat service, and was killed in action on 11 November 1944 while serving onU-771 as anOberleutnant zur See (first lieutenant), which was sunk off the Norwegian coast by the British submarineHMS Venturer.[2]
When the naval branch ofHitler Youth in Braunsberg was founded in 1936, Krupinski joined the organization. There, he received nautical training and went on cruises, making him eligible for a nautical patent. That year, he also met Ilse Hartung, a doctor’s daughter, at a dance class whom he married in 1944. On 21 March 1939, Krupinski graduated with hisAbitur (diploma) from theLyceum Hosianum in Braunsberg.[3] On 1 April 1939, Krupinski started his compulsoryReichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labour Service) inFreystadt, present-day Kisielice.[4]
On 1 October, Krupinski joined the military and received his basic training withFliegerausbildungs-Regiment 10 (10th Aviators Training Regiment) based inNeukuhren, present-day Pionersky, as aFahnenjunker (ensign).[5] After six weeks of basic training, he was posted to theLuftkriegsschule 2 (Air War School 2).[6] Krupinski made his maiden flight on 9 November.[Note 1] Over the next nine months, he learned to fly theFocke-Wulf Fw 44,Heinkel He 72 and then the twin-engineFw 58. He was taughtblind flying on theJunkers W 34. He also flew theArado Ar 65 andAr 66,Bücker Bü 131 andBü 133, theFieseler Fi 156 Storch, theFw 56, theGotha Go 145, theHeinkel He 46, theHe 51 and theHenschel Hs 123. On 24 June 1940, Krupinski received his B2 pilot license.[8]
Following two weeks of vacation, Krupinski completed his training atJagdfliegerschule 5 (5th fighter pilot school) inWien-Schwechat to which he was posted on 1 July 1940.Jagdfliegerschule 5 at the time was under the command of theWorld War I flying ace and recipient of thePour le MériteEduard Ritter von Schleich. One of his course mates wasHans-Joachim Marseille, who had been posted to theJagdfliegerschule 5 in late 1939 but had not yet graduated out of disciplinary reasons.[9] His three-roommates at the school wereWalter Nowotny,Paul Galland, the brother ofAdolf Galland, and Peter Göring, a nephew of theReichsmarschall (Empire Marshal)Hermann Göring.[10]
After completing his flight training atJagdfliegerschule 5, Krupinski was sent toErgänzungsjagdgruppe Merseburg, a supplementary training unit based inMerseburg, on 1 October 1940. On 15 October, he was then posted to theErgänzungsstaffel (training squadron) ofJagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).[11] TheErgänzungsstaffel was headed byOberleutnant Werner Lederer and based atKrefeld Airfield where the pilots received further training flying theMesserschmitt Bf 109 E.[12] At Merseburg, Krupinski met and befriendedGerhard Barkhorn andWilli Nemitz.[13] On 13 May 1940, for his service he was awarded theIron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse).[14]
On 1 February 1941, Krupinski was transferred to 6.Staffel.[Note 2] 6.Staffel at the time was under the command ofStaffelkapitän (squadron leader)Rudolf Resch. Resch later gave Krupinski thenickname "Graf Punski" ("Count Punski") or sometimes just "Der Graf" ("The Count"). The nickname had its origins in a late-night conversation between Krupinski and Resch. His father was a professor of Slavic studies inDresden. When Krupinski tried to explain his East Prussian origin, Resch informed him that the ending in "-ski" or "-zky" denoted a landowner, or that it indicated aFreiherr ("free lord"), and thus the lowest level in the medieval noble hierarchy in the East. The witty banter which then followed, led at first in his squadron, then in his group and eventually in the entire German fighter force to his nickname which stuck with for the rest of his life.[15] HisStaffel was subordinated to II.Gruppe of JG 52 which was headed byHauptmannErich Woitke.[16]
In preparation ofOperation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union launched on 22 June 1941, II.Gruppe of JG 52, without a period of replenishment in Germany, was ordered to airfields close to the German-Sovietdemarcation line. While theGruppenstab (group headquarters unit) and 4.Staffel were based atSuwałki in northeastern Poland, 5. and 6.Staffel were transferred to a forward airfield atSobolewo. For the invasion, II.Gruppe of JG 52 was subordinated to theGeschwaderstab (headquarters unit) ofJagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). TheGeschwader was part of theVIII.Fliegerkorps commanded byGeneraloberstWolfram Freiherr von Richthofen which supported the northern wing ofArmy Group Centre.[17]
II.Gruppe was ordered to relocate toSoltsy, 30 kilometers (19 miles) west ofLake Ilmen, on 5 August in support of the16th Army andArmy Group North.[18] Here, theGruppe supported the fighting south of Lake Ilmen, and the German attacks onShlisselburg,Leningrad and the Soviet fleet atKronstadt.[19] On 16 August, Krupinski claimed his first aerial victory. At 05:48, he shot down an I-18 fighter, an alternative Luftwaffe name for aMikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1, north ofShimsk.[20] Since German forces had reached the proximity of Leningrad, II.Gruppe was ordered toLyuban on 1 September, approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) to Leningrad and located on the road toMoscow.[21] TheGruppe stayed at Lyuban until 30 September, flying missions to Shlisselburg, Leningrad andMga.[22] Fighting in this combat area, Krupinski claimed anIlyushin DB-3 bomber on 17 September and aPolikarpov I-153 fighter on 21 September.[23]
On 2 October, German forces launchedOperation Typhoon, the failedstrategic offensive to capture Moscow. In support of this offensive, II.Gruppe was moved to Stabna, located just north of Smolensk.[24] Operating from Stabna, Krupinski shot down aTupolev SB nearKholm fighter on 4 October.[20] On 12 October, II.Gruppe was ordered toNovodugino where it stayed for four days.[25] TheGruppe then moved to an airfield west ofKalinin, present-day Tver, on 16 October.[24] The following day, Krupinski claimed his fifth aerial victory over an I-18 fighter.[26] TheGruppe relocated to an airfield southeast of Kalinin on 22 October.[24] The next day, Krupinski claimed aPolikarpov R-5 reconnaissance bomber shot down.[26] On 4 November, II.Gruppe had moved toRuza.[27] There, Krupinski claimed his last aerial victory during Operation Barbarossa on 28 November when he shot down anIlyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft nearSolnechnogorsk.[28] On 30 November, II.Gruppe moved toKlin located 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Moscow. While Soviet forces retook Klin on 15 December, Krupinski had been sent toInsterburg on 13 December. Woitke had tasked him with organizing transportation of vital technical equipment to theGruppe.[29]
In late January 1942, II.Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Jesau nearKönigsberg for a period of recuperation and replenishment, arriving on 24 January 1942.[30] In Jesau, theGruppe received many factory new Bf 109 F-4 aircraft. On 14 April, II.Gruppe received orders to move toPilsen, present-day Plzeň in the Czech Republic, for relocation to the Eastern Front.[31] TheGruppe had also received a new commander, Woitke had been transferred and was replaced byHauptmannJohannes Steinhoff.[32] Following his home leave, Krupinski had rejoined his unit at Jesau.[33] TheGruppe then moved toWien-Schwechat on 24 April before flying to Zürichtal, present-day Solote Pole, a village near the urban settlementKirovske in theCrimea. There, II.Gruppe participated in OperationTrappenjagd, a German counterattack during theBattle of the Kerch Peninsula, launched on 8 May.[31]
Following a series of relocations, including a short deployment on the Crimea, theGruppe was then ordered to the airfield named Kharkov-Waitschenko on 14 May and participated in theSecond Battle of Kharkov.[34] On 16 May, theGruppe again relocated moving to Artyomovsk, present-dayBakhmut, where they stayed until 23 May supporting German forces fighting in the Second Battle of Kharkov.[35] On 23 May, theGruppe was ordered to relocate toBarvinkove.[35] On 1 June, II.Gruppe moved to an airfield at Grakowo, located approximately halfway betweenKharkov andKupiansk. The main German objectives in that combat area were, breakthrough to the upperDon and capture ofVoronezh.[36] There, Krupinski claimed his first aerial victory in 1942 when he shot down a MiG-1 fighter northwest of Kupiansk on 4 June.[37] TheGruppe stayed at Grakowo until 26 June when it moved toBilyi Kolodiaz.[36] During this period, Krupinski claimed further aerial victories, aLavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter on 5, 14 and 24 June each, and a MiG-1 on 22 June, taking his total to twelve.[38]
On 28 June, theWehrmacht initiatedFall Blau (Case Blue), the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia. The objective was to secure theoil fields ofBaku as well as an advance in the direction ofStalingrad along theVolga River, to cover the flanks of the advance towards Baku. Tasked with aerial support of this offensive wasLuftflotte 4 (Air Fleet 4) to which JG 52 was subordinated.[39] Following the German advance, Krupisnki had increased his number of aerial victories to twenty by the end of July.[40] On 20 August, II.Gruppe reached the airfield at Tusov, approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest ofKalach-na-Donu on the western bank of the Don, from where theGruppe operated in the combat area of Stalingrad. Flying from this airfield, Krupinski's number of aerial victories increased to 31 by end of August.[41]
In September 1942, II.Gruppe was ordered into theBattle of the Caucasus, supportingArmy Group South on the front over theCaucasus. Opposing it was the 4th and 5th Air Armies of theRed Air Force.[42] TheGruppe reached an airfield named Gonschtakowka located north-northeast ofMozdok on theTerek on 6 September.[43] On 25 July 1942, theStaffelkapitän of 4.Staffel,Oberleutnant Barkhorn, his friend from Merseburg, had been injured in combat.[44] During his convalescence, Barkhorn was temporarily replaced byLeutnantWaldemar Semelka who was killed in action on 21 August. Command was then given toLeutnant Otto Leicher who was also killed in action. In consequence, Krupinski was transferred, taking command of 4.Staffel from 10 to 30 September when Barkhorn returned.[45] During his tenure with 4.Staffel, Krupinski had tobail out of his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13537—factory number) due to engine failure on 17 September.[46] Fighting in theNorth Caucasus region in September, Krupinski increased his number of aerial victories to 47.[47]
Following his 50th aerial victory, Krupinski was awarded theHonor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 13 September 1942.[48] On 25 October, his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13861) was severely damaged in aerial combat resulting in aforced landing destryoing the aircraft at the airfield near Soldatskaya, approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north-northwest ofProkhladny.[49] Two days later, he received theGerman Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).[48] By end October, Krupinski increased his number of aerial victories to 59.[50] On 29 October 1942, Krupinski andLeutnantRudolf Miethig from 3.Staffel were awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes).[51]
While Soviet forces launchedOperation Uranus, the operation which led to theencirclement ofAxis forces in the vicinity of Stalingrad, Krupinski was in a hospital atMaykop and had hissynovial bursa removed following an injury sustained to knee. He was then flown toLiegnitz, present-day Legnica, for further treatment. On 12 December, he was met by his future wife Ilse Hartung in Berlin and the couple continued their voyage to Braunsberg.[52] In January 1943, Krupinski learned that he had been transferred toErgänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, a supplementary training unit for fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, as an instructor. At the time, the unit was commanded byOberstleutnantHermann Graf and was based atLa Leu Airfield nearLa Rochelle, France.[53]
On 15 March, Krupinski was transferred back to JG 52 where was madeStaffelkapitän of 7.Staffel. TheStaffel was subordinated to III.Gruppe under the command ofMajorHubertus von Bonin.[54] At the time, III.Gruppe was based at an airfield nearKerch and was fighting over theKuban bridgehead.[55] On 1 April, III.Gruppe moved toTaman where it was headquartered until 2 July.[56] Krupinski claimed his first aerial victory of the year and 67th in total on 2 May when he shot down aYakovlev Yak-1 fighter southwest ofAbinsk[57] Fighting over the Kuban bridgehead, Krupinski's aerial victories increased to 88 claims by the end of June.[58]
JG 52 moved north in preparation forOperation Citadel and theBattle of Kursk. III.Gruppe arrived inUgrim, located south ofKursk, on 3 July.[59]HauptmannGünther Rall, who had already served as actingGruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III.Gruppe in February and March 1943, officially replaced Bonin in this position on 5 July 1943.[54] That day, Krupinski claimed two LaGG-3 fighters shot down but was also severely injured in a landing accident at Ugrim. Krupinski collided with a Bf 109 taking off, causing his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20062) to flip over, severely injuring him.[60] He had sustained injuries to the head, including lacerations, a fracture of theparietal bone and arib. After immediate treatment, Krupinski was flown toHeiligenbein, present-day Mamonovo. He was then taken to a hospital at Braunsberg for further convalescence.[61] He returned to his unit on 6 August.[62] During his absence,LeutnantErich Hartmann, who went on to become the highest scoring fighter pilot of the war, temporarily commanded 7.Staffel.[54]
On 18 August 1943, Krupinski was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 51st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[63] On 24 September, III.Gruppe moved to an airfield located just west ofZaporizhzhia. There, theGruppe fought over the area between the lowerDnieper and the Crimea during theBattle of the Dnieper.[64] On 29 August, Rall claimed his 200th aerial victory andGeneraloberstOtto Deßloch immediately sent him on a lengthy home leave.[65] In consequence, Krupinski was made actingGruppenkommandeur of III.Gruppe until Rall resumed command on 1 October.[66] There, Krupinski became an "ace-in-a-day" on 10 October when he shot down four LaGG-3 and twoBell P-39 Airacobra fighters.[67]
Following his 174th aerial victory, Krupinski was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 2 March 1944. He was the 415th member of the German armed forces to be so honored.[48] At the time of the presentation of the Oak Leaves, his number of aerial of victories had increased to 177 claims. In addition, he had also been credited with the destruction of threeT-34 tanks on the ground.[68]
Both Krupinski and Hartmann were ordered to theReichsluftfahrtministerium (Ministry of Aviation) in Berlin for the Oak Leaves presentation. Both arrived in Berlin on 23 March 1944 only to learn that the presentation would be made at theFührerhauptquartier (Führer Headquarter). They were instructed to go theAnhalter Bahnhof where they would take an overnight train to theFührerhauptquartier. Here they met fellow JG 52 pilots Barkhorn, who was to receive the Swords to his Knight's Cross, andJohannes Wiese. Also present wereKurt Bühligen,Horst Ademeit,Reinhard Seiler,Hans-Joachim Jabs, Dr.Maximilian Otte,Bernhard Jope andHansgeorg Bätcher from the bomber force, and the Flak officerFritz Petersen, all destined to receive the Oak Leaves. Krupinski assumed that they were heading for theWolf's Lair in East Prussia but the train was heading for theBerghof inBerchtesgaden.[69] On the train, all of them got drunk on cognac and champagne. Supporting each other and unable to stand, they arrived at Berchtesgaden.MajorNicolaus von Below, Hitler's Luftwaffe adjutant, was shocked. After some sobering up, they were still intoxicated. Hartmann took a German officer's hat from a stand and put it on, but it was too large. Von Below became upset, told Hartmann it was Hitler's and ordered him to put it back.[70]
On 11 April 1944, theStaffelkapitän of 2.Staffel ofJagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing),Oberleutnant Edgar Habermann, waskilled in action. In consequence, Krupinski was transferred from theEastern Front to Germany, succeeding Habermann in this capacity.[71] At the time, the squadron is subordinated to I.Gruppe of JG 5, based atHerzogenaurach Airfield and was fighting inDefense of the Reich. TheGruppe was commanded byMajorHorst Carganico.[72] Promoted to the rank ofHauptmann (captain) on 1 May 1944, Krupinski was madeGruppenkommandeur of II.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing).[68] He succeededMajor Rall who had been wounded on 12 May.[73]
After the Alliedinvasion of Normandy in June 1944, theGruppe was moved to Normandy to operate on low-level Army support missions. Krupinski claimed 10 Allied aircraft with JG 11. On 23 July, Krupinski married Ilse Hartung in Braunsberg. The two had known each other since 1936 and at the time were expecting their daughter Carola, born in September 1944.[74] On 12 August, without enemy involvement on a relocation flight, the engine of his Bf 109 G-5 (Werknummer 110244) had exploded in mid-flight nearMarburg. Taking to his parachute, he sustained burns to his hands and face, requiring one month of hospitalization.[75] He was replaced byHauptmann Karl Leonhard as commander of II.Gruppe of JG 11.[76] This was his fifth injury of the war for which he was presented with theWound Badge in Gold (Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold) in January 1945.[68]
Following his convalescence, he was appointedGruppenkommandeur of III.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) on 27 September 1944, replacingKlaus Mietusch who had been killed in action on 17 September.[77] At the time, JG 26 was under the command ofOberstleutnantJosef Priller.[78] Caldwell described Krupinski's style of command as too loose. He stated that under his command, III.Gruppe performance as a fighter unit declined. Caldwall attributed this to Krupinski being "weary of the war".[79] On 18 December, Krupinski was involved in an incident that led to the suicide ofOberleutnant Peter Reischer,Staffelkapitän of 11.Staffel. Reischer had led a morning mission which was supposed to take the flight to the combat area over theArdennes. After the mission, Reischer reported that his flight had attackedAllied armor nearAachen and then had fought an aerial battle. In truth, his flight flew aroundLower Saxony, never approaching the combat zone. The lie was revealed by means of theY-Control System, aradioguidance system, as one of the aircraft was equipped with the FuG16ZY, an airborne transceiver. Krupinski then ordered Reischer to lead a successful second mission or face acourt-martial for cowardice. The second mission was inconclusive and upon return, Reischer shot himself.[80]
On 25 March 1945, III.Gruppe of JG 26 was disbanded.[81] Priller, who had been transferred and then held a staff position with theGeneral der Jagdflieger (Inspector of Fighters), had recommended to Krupinski to go toLechfeld where III.Gruppe ofErgänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 (EJG 2—2nd Supplementary Fighter Group) under the command ofOberstleutnantHeinrich Bär was based. EJG 2 was ajet fighter training unit where pilots learned to fly theMesserschmitt Me 262. Krupinski asked Bär if he and his pilots from JG 26 could be trained to fly the Me 262. Due to capacity reasons, Bär had to reject the request and Krupinski headed for the fighter pilot recreation facility atBad Wiessee.[82]
Following the dismissal ofGeneralleutnant Adolf Galland asGeneral der Jagdflieger, Galland was given the opportunity by Hitler to prove his ideas about the Me 262 jet fighter. He had hoped that the Me 262 would compensate for the numerical superiority of the Allies. In consequence, Galland formedJagdverband 44 (JV 44—44th Fighter Detachment) atBrandenburg-Briest on 24 February 1945. Galland was also given a carte blanche with respect to staffing and began recruiting his pilots.[83] On 31 March, JV 44 had relocated toMunich-Riem. Galland drove to Bad Wiessee where Krupinski and Barkhorn were recovering. Both pilots accepted Galland's offer and joined JV 44.[84]
At 3:00 pm on 24 April 1945, Krupinski was one of four pilots to take off from Munich-Riem to intercept aUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF)Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft formation.Günther Lützow, who failed to return from this mission, led the flight of four. Lützow's fate remains unknown to this date.[85] Later that day, Krupinski led a flight of Me 262 fighters againstBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. Damaged by the defensive fire of a bomber he believed to have damaged, he then fired at an escortingRepublic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. The two fighterscollided and the P-47 fell away. Krupinski did not claim an aerial victory.[86]
On 4 May, JV 44 surrendered to U.S. forces atMaxglan, nearSalzburg. Krupinski and other pilots were taken to a makeshift prisoner of war camp nearBad Aibling.[87] Five days later, a U.S. officer was looking for JV 44 pilots and Krupinski, Barkhorn,Erich Hohagen,Karl-Heinz Schnell, andWaldemar Wübke stepped up. The men were then taken toHeidelberg,Wiesbaden-Erbenheim and flown to England for interrogation at theCombined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre atLatimer near London.[88]
In June, Krupinski was taken toSouthampton and then with a ship toCherbourg where he arrived on 6 June. Upon arrival, he was beaten by a French soldier andbutted over the head resulting in a fractured skull. The injury was so severe that he was taken to the Luftwaffe hospital atMünchen-Oberföhring and to the US Army Hospital 1022 B atWasserburg am Inn on 24 July. He was discharged as a prisoner of war on 28 September.[89]
Krupinski was picked up at Wasserburg by his friend Barkhorn who took him home to his family atTegernsee. There, Krupinski learned that his wife and daughter had found refuge with her oldest sister inBad Salzschlirf. Since Krupinski was still suffering from his head injury, the family lived off his wife’s income who was working as a waitress for the US garrison at Bad Salzschlirf.[90]
The former GeneralReinhard Gehlen had offered his services to the Americans in the end of 1945. Gehlen had served as chief ofFremde Heere Ost (FHO), the German Army'smilitary intelligence unit on the Eastern Front. TheGehlen Organization was in need for people who were familiar with the air war. Krupinski was hired and helped gather information about the armed forces in theSoviet occupation zone until 1953. There are many conflicting or missing bits of information about this stage of Krupinski's life. He had done little to lift this veil of uncertainty.[91]
Krupinski entered theAmt Blank (Blank Agency), named afterTheodor Blank, the forerunner of the GermanFederal Ministry of Defense on 7 April 1953.[92] On 19 November 1955, Krupinski joined the newly createdGerman Air Force, at the time referred to as theBundesluftwaffe, holding the rank ofMajor.[93] The first threeBundesluftwaffe pilots to receive jet aircraft training were Johannes Steinhoff, Krupinsk's former group commander during World War II,Dietrich Hrabak andKurt Kuhlmey. All three of them were trained by theUnited States Air Force (USAF) in the USA.[94] Krupinski, along with Barkhorn and Herbert Wehnelt, belonged to the second batch of pilots which were sent to England and were trained by the RAF.[95] The three pilots were welcomed by theGerman ambassador in the UK,Hans von Herwarth. Training began atRAF Feltwell on 19 January 1956 on thePercival Provost, a propeller driventrainer aircraft.[96] The pilots completed their refresher training on 23 March. Krupinski then advanced to thede Havilland Vampire jet aircraft.[97] Krupinski, Barkhorn and Wehnelt complete this training in May 1956. In June, the pilots trained on theHawker Hunter for ten weeks. On 18 June 1956, Krupinski, Barkhorn and Wehnelt received the RAFaircrew brevet fromAir Vice-MarshalGeorge Philip Chamberlain inStanford Park.[98][99]
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Given the rank of major in 1957, Krupinski went to leadJagdbombergeschwader 33 (JaBoG 33—Fighter-Bomber Wing 33) the first postwar German jet fighter wing. In 1966 Krupinski took command of the German forces of theLuftwaffen-Ausbildungs-Kommando inFort Bliss,Texas with the rank of brigadier general. On 19 November 1968, he was appointed Inspector of Aviation Safety, an office within theLuftwaffenamt (Air Force Office). Krupinski held this position until 30 June 1969 when he became commander of the 3rd Luftwaffe division. In 1971 he became chief of staff ofSecond Allied Tactical Air Force. In October 1974 Krupinski was promoted commanding officer of the airfleet. Due to theRudel Scandal he was forced into early retirement on 8 November 1976 holding the rank ofGeneralleutnant (lieutenant-general). Krupinski died inNeunkirchen-Seelscheid on 7 October 2000. He received amilitary funeral on 11 November withJörg Kuebart giving a eulogy.[100]
According to US historianDavid T. Zabecki, Krupinski was credited with 197 aerial victories.[101] Spick also list Krupinski with 197 aerial victories, claimed in approximately 1,100 combat missions. This figure includes 177 aerial victories claimed over the Eastern Front and 20 in thewestern theatre of operations and includes oneheavy bomber.[102] Mathews and Foreman, authors ofLuftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched theGerman Federal Archives and found records for 197 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 178 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 19 on the Western Front, including one four-engined bomber and two victories with the Me 262 jet fighter.[103]
| Military offices | ||
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| New creation | Commander ofJagdbombergeschwader 33 1 October 1958 – 31 December 1962 | Succeeded by OberstGeorg Wroblewski |
| Preceded by GeneralmajorGünter Proll | Commander of3.Luftwaffendivision (Bundeswehr) July 1969 – 30 September 1972 | Succeeded by GeneralmajorGerhard Limberg |
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Herbert Wehnelt | Commanding General ofAir Force Forces Command 1 October 1974 – 9 November 1976 | Succeeded by Generalleutnant Bruno Loosen |
General Aviation Safety in the German Armed Forces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Inspectors of Aviation Safety |
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| Generals of Aviation Safety |
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Media from Commons| International | |
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