Anton-Rudolf Piffer

Anton-Rudolf Piffer
Nickname(s) Toni
Born 16 May 1918
Zirl in Tirol, Austria
Died 17 June 1944 (1944-06-18) (aged 26)
La Cordonniere, France
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1938–44
Rank Leutnant
Unit JG 1
Commands held 1./JG 1
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Anton-Rudolf Piffer (16 May 1918 – 17 June 1944) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Piffer was credited with 35 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front and included 26 four-engine bombers.

Career

He joined the Luftwaffe in 1938. He failed to claim any victory during earlier days of World War II. Piffer was posted to JG 1 on 3 April 1942, based in the Netherlands. Feldwebel Piffer was assigned to 11./JG 1. At last he was successful on 19 September, when he shot down a RAF Mosquito twin-engine photo-reconnaissance aircraft over Osnabrück, Germany. The unit was redesignated 2./JG 1 on 1 April 1943. By the end of 1943, Oberfeldwebel Piffer added 17 victories to his tally. However, he was wounded on 18 October 1943 when his Fw 190 A-6 suffered engine and he had to conduct an emergency landing near Terwolde. He was wounded again in aerial combat with USAAF bombers and fighters on 11 November.

On 8 April 1944, Piffer shot down a USAAF B-24 four-engine bomber near Salzwedel but was shot down himself in Fw 190 A-8 "Black 3". He was wounded again in the encounter. Piffer was promoted to the rank of Leutnant and appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 1 on 1 May 1944.

On 16 June, Piffer shot down two RAF Supermarine Spitfire fighters over the Invasion front. On 17 June 1944, Piffer was shot down and killed in his Fw 190 A-8 "White 3" in aerial combat with P-47 fighters of the 354th Fighter Group over La Cordonniere. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 October 1944.

Piffer was credited with total 35 victories.

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer list him under the name of Rudolf Pfiffer.[2]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 179.
  2. 1 2 Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 350.
  3. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 595.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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. 
  • 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. 

External links

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