Rudolf Trenkel

Rudolf Trenkel (17 January 1918 – 26 April 2001) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. As a flying ace, he was credited with 138 victories and was a recipient of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

Career

Trenkel was born on 17 January 1918 in Neudorf in the Province of Saxony within the German Empire. He volunteered for military service in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in 1936. Initially serving in the Army, Trenkel transferred to the Luftwaffe (air force) in 1939 as an Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer).^[1]

Following flight and fighter pilot training,^{["Note" 1]} Trenkel was posted to 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in February 1942. On 1 May, he was transferred to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).^[2]

World War II

On Friday 1 September 1939 German forces had invaded Poland which marked the beginning of World War II, and in June 1941, Germany had invaded the Soviet Union which created the Eastern Front. When in early May 1942 Trenkel joined the Geschwaderstab of JG 52, the unit was based at Pilsen, present-day Plzeň in the Czech Republic, where it received new Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 aircraft.^[3] In preparation for Operation Fredericus, also known as the second Battle of Kharkov, JG 52 moved to the airfield named Kharkov-Waitschenko on 10 May and to Barvinkove on 19 May. Here, Trenkel claimed his first two aerial victories with the Geschwaderstab, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 on 2 June and a Yakovlev Yak-1 on 22 June. He had claimed his first aerial victory while flying with JG 77.^[4]

In late June, Trenkel was transferred to 2. Staffel of JG 52.^[2] The Staffel had just been placed under the command of Hauptmann Johannes Wiese and was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann. The Gruppe was based at Bilyi Kolodyaz, approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Vovchansk, and was fighting in support of Case Blue, the strategic summer offensive in southern Russia with the objective to capture the oil fields of Baku, Grozny and Maykop. While based at Bilyi Kolodyaz, Trenkel claimed two aerial victories, including a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 on 1 July.^[5]

On 3 July, the Gruppe moved to a forward airfield near the village Novy Grinev located approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) south-southwest from Novy Oskol and to Artyomovsk on 9 July.^[6] Here on 12 July, Trenkel claimed a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 shot down.^[7] To support German forces fighting in the Battle of the Caucasus, I. Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Kerch, in the east of Crimea, on 2 August.^[8] At the time, the Gruppe was moved around as a kind of fire brigade, deployed in areas where the Soviet Air Forces was particular active.^[9] The Gruppe then moved to Oryol on 15 August.^[10] On 6 December, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Rossosh. Here on 17 December Trenkel became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time when he claimed six Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down.^[11]

On 28 January 1943, Trenkel was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe).^{[12]["Note" 2]} Following the German defeat at Stalingrad and Soviet advance in Voronezh–Kharkov offensive, I. Gruppe was moved to Anapa located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov on 16 May. While Trenkel reached Anapa on 24 May.^[13] Following 75 aerial victories claimed with JG 52, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 August 1943.^[14] On 1 November, Trenkel made a forced landing in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 140167—factory number) 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) north of Dzhankoi following combat with Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack and Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter aircraft.^[15] In 1944, he was forced to bail out five times within ten days. On 14 July 1944, Trenkel was credited with his 100th aerial victory.^[16] He was the 83rd Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.^[17]

Squadron leader

On 15 August 1944, Trenkel was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the recreated 2. Staffel of JG 52. The original 2. Staffel under the command of Oberleutnant Paul-Heinrich Dähne had been withdrawn from the Eastern Front and transferred west to fight in Defense of the Reich in early June 1944. There the Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) and later became the 12. Staffel of JG 11. Trenkel formed the new 2. Staffel of JG 52 at Kraków from 15 to 26 August.^[18]

On 16 October 1944, JG 52 lost six aircraft in combat with the French Armée de l'Air Normandie-Niemen fighter regiment serving on the Eastern Front. One of the pilots shot down was Trenkel who survived by bailing out.^[19]

Trenkel and other soldiers of JG 52 surrendered to the 90th US Infantry Division near Písek on 8 May 1945 and became a prisoner of war (POW). The soldiers were initially interned at a POW camp at Strakonice where on 14 May, Trenkel married his fiancé Ida Sehnal who was among the civilian refuges. The wedding ceremony was held by Oberst Hermann Graf. The witnesses to the wedding were Major Adolf Borchers and Hauptmann Erich Hartmann. On 15 May, Trenkel and most of the JG 52 personnel were handed over by the American forces to the Soviet Union.^[20]

Later life

Trenkel died on 26 April 2001 at the age of 83 in Vienna, Austria.^[21]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Trenkel was credited with 138 aerial victories.^[22] Spick also lists Trenkel with 138 aerial victories claimed in over 500 combat missions, all but one on the Eastern Front.^[23] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 138 aerial victory claims, plus three further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 131 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and one Western Allies four-engined bomber.^[24]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 59191". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 by 4 km (1.9 by 2.5 mi) in size.^[25]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[2]
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 February 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot^{[51][Note 4]}
• German Cross in Gold on 15 January 1943 as Feldwebel in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 52^[52]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 August 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 52^[53][54]

Notes

1. ^ Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.^[55]
2. ^ According to Obermaier on 11 December 1942.^[1]
3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 10:33.^[56]
4. ^ This unconfirmed claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.^[32]
5. ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.^[56]
6. ^ The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
7. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 07:38 over the Black Sea, southeast of Gelendzhik.^[56]
8. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 07:39 over the Black Sea, southeast of Gelendzhik.^[56]
9. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:45.^[43]
10. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 11:54.^[43]
11. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Lavochkin La-5.^[43]

References

Citations

1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 217.
2. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 30.
3. ^ Barbas 2016, p. 21.
4. ^ Barbas 2016, pp. 21, 70.
5. ^ Barbas 2006, pp. 174–175, 394–395.
6. ^ Schreier 1990, pp. 82–83.
7. ^ Barbas 2006, pp. 175, 395.
8. ^ Barbas 2006, p. 177.
9. ^ Schreier 1990, p. 84.
10. ^ Schreier 1990, p. 85.
11. ^ Barbas 2006, pp. 183, 400.
12. ^ Barbas 2006, p. 351.
13. ^ Barbas 2006, p. 205.
14. ^ Weal 2004, p. 122.
15. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 299.
16. ^ Page 2020, p. 92.
17. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 244.
18. ^ Schreier 1990, pp. 135, 144, 187.
19. ^ Bergström 2008, p. 85.
20. ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, pp. 259–260.
21. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 31.
22. ^ Zabecki 2019, p. 329.
23. ^ Spick 1996, p. 229.
24. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1335–1338.
25. ^ Planquadrat.
26. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1335.
27. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 390.
28. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1335–1336.
29. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 430.
30. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 437.
31. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 438.
32. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 433.
33. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 434.
34. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 435.
35. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 436.
36. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 439.
37. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 282.
38. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 284.
39. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 283.
40. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 285.
41. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 291.
42. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 292.
43. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1337.
44. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 76.
45. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 77.
46. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1337–1338.
47. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 79.
48. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 80.
49. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 81.
50. ^ Barbas 2006, p. 423.
51. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 206.
52. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 479.
53. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 52.
54. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 750.
55. ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
56. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1336.

Bibliography

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1. ^ not listed by PSRB
2. ^ not listed by MF
3. ^ Il-2 m.H.
4. ^ GCinG