IL2

Messerschmitt Bf-109F JG27.6 (Y1+-) $Rudolf Sinner Tmimi, North Africa Jun 1942 00

Profile 01: Messerschmitt Bf-109F-4 Trop Yellow 1 flown by Oblt. Rudolf Sinner, Staffelkapitan of 6./JG27, Tmimi, June 1942 This aircraft was finished in a mid-demarcation 78/79 scheme and was little weathered but showed signs of slight repairs to the fuselage and had been fitted with a replacement rudder, possibly due to airfield conditions rather than combat damage. The W.Nr. 8687 appeared on the tail and the rudder carried six black bars representing Sinners Abschuss tally, the sixth being a P-40 destroyed on 30 May when Sinner was flying with Stab I./JG27.

Messerschmitt Bf-109F JG27.6 (Y1+-) $Rudolf Sinner Tmimi, North Africa Jun 1942 01

Photo 01: After flying with 2./JG27 as a Leutnant, Rudolf Sinner was promoted to Oberleutnant and became part of the Stab of I./JG27. On 4 June 1942, Oblt. Sinner became Staffelkapitan of 6./JG27 and flew 160 sorties in this Bf-109F-4 Trop coded Yellow 1.The photograph shows Oblt. Sinners aircraft at Tmimi later in June. On 24 June, having since moved up to the airfield at Menistir, Oblt. Sinner shot down a Hurricane as his seventh victory.

Pilots JG27 $Rudolf ‘Rudi’ Sinner Martuba Feb 1942 01

Photo 01: Three pilots of 2./JG27 at Martuba in February 1942: from the left, Lt. Friedrich Korner, Lt. Rudi Sinner and the Staffelkapitan, Oblt. Fritz Keller.

Pilots JG27 $Rudolf ‘Rudi’ Sinner 01

Rudolf “Rudi” Sinner was born in 1915 in Austria. In 1936, he was serving in the Austrian Army in the horsedrawn artillery. During the invasion of Poland, he served with an anti-aircraft artillery unit before transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1940. Sinner began his aerial combat career with JG3, based on the Western front, but was then transferred to JG27 serving in North Africa. He was assigned to 2./JG27. It was with JG27 that Sinner gained his greatest successes. He claimed his first victory on 12 October 1941, when he shot down a RAF P-40 fighter near Sidi Omar. On 4 June 1942, Sinner was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG27. On 10 June, Oberleutnant Sinner was shot down near Bir Hacheim by the British Ace, Charles Overton (5.5 confirmed, 1 probable and 0.5 damaged victories), flying a Spitfire Vb fighter of

145 Squadron RAF. Then, on 24 June, Sinner’s aircraft was hit in the engine during combat with RAF Hurricane fighters and he was forced to make a forced-landing. On 10 July, he shot down a Hurricane fighter with only one of his 7.92mm MG17 machine-guns functioning. Sinner recorded his 10th victory on 13 July and his 20th on 24 July. On 31 August, Sinner shot down a Hurricane near Alam el Haifa. His victim was South African Ace, John “Harry” Gaynor (5.5 destroyed and 6 damaged victories) of 1 Sqn, SAAF, who crash-landed unhurt. He claimed his 30th victory on 3 September. In June 1943, Hauptmann Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur IV./JG27 then based at Kalamaki, Greece. However, his stay with the unit was destined to brief. On 30 July 1943, Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG54, based on the Russian front, taking over from Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer (224 victories, RK-S). Sinner led the Gruppe until 10 February 1944. He added three further victories to his victory total during his time with the unit. In March 1944, Hauptmann Sinner became Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG54 located on the Western front. On 6 March 1944, Sinner shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber for his 36th victory. However, his aircraft was hit by the bombers’ defensive fire and Sinner was badly wounded. He successfully baled out of his stricken Bf-109G-6 (W.Nr. 410557) ‘2’. By 12 June 1944, Sinner was again serving with JG27, based on the Invasion front in France, in command of I.Gruppe. He was to lead the Gruppe until 1 August 1944. On 1 January 1945, Major Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG7 flying Me 262 jet fighters. At this time his victory total stood at 36, including 32 victories achieved over North Africa.

Sinner was to add three confirmed victories to his tally flying the jet, including two USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers near Rathenow on 3 March. On 4 April, Sinner led seven other Me-262s off from Rechlin. Emerging from the clouds shortly after take-off, the flight was bounced by P-51 fighters of the 339th Fighter Group, USAAF. In the ensuing combat ‘Rudi’ Sinner’s aircraft was hit. With his face and hands badly burned, he baled out at low level. His parachute deployed at the last moment, but did not completely fill, and he was hanging by just the left strap when he hit the ground heavily in a ploughed field and dragged into a barbed wire fence. He reported that the P-51s then attempted to strafe him, but he feigned death and, as the P-51 fighters departed, he made his way to the safety of a deep furrow. Sinner’s wounds were serious enough to keep him out of the rest of war.

Rudolf Sinner was credited with 39 victories in 305 missions. 36 of his victories were achieved over the Western front, including three four-engine bombers and three flying the Me 262 jet fighter. Three victories were achieved over the Eastern front. He was shot down 12 times, baling out on three occasions, and was wounded five times.

No Date Time A/c Type Unit Location Comments

1. 12.10.1941 9:05 P-40 2./JG27 Sidi Omar Tomahawk IIb (AN355) of 3Sqn, RAAF $Sgt TD Parker, baled out

2. 17.12.1941 11:10 Hurricane 2./JG27 SE Martuba Hurricane of 1Sqn, SAAF $Lt MacRobert

3. 13.2.1942 9:26 Hurricane 2./JG27 ESE Tobruk -

4. 23.2.1942 13:23 P-40 2./JG27 SE Umm-er-Rzem Kittyhawk of 450Sqn, RAF $F/O CKT Thompson

5. 23.2.1942 13:25 P-40 2./JG27 SE Umm-er-Rzem Kittyhawk 450Sqn, RAF $Sgt KM McBride, crash-landed, POW

6. 30.5.1942 14:05 P-40 Stab I./JG27 Bir-el-Harmat -

7. 24.6.1942 10:00 Hurricane 6./JG27 20 km S Bir el Tholata Hurricane of 33Sqn, RAF $P/O Ingelsby

8. 26.6.1942 18:40 Hurricane 6./JG27 SE Marsa Matruh -

9. 10.7.1942 6:15 Hurricane 6./JG27 SW El Alamein Hurricane of 274Sqn, RAF $Sgt Craggs

10. 13.7.1942 12:25 P-40 6./JG27 ENE El Dakar -

11. 17.7.1942 6:37 Spitfire 6./JG27 El Dakar Spitfire of 145Sqn, RAF $Sgt Rostart

12. 17.7.1942 13:22 Hurricane 6./JG27 Haggag-el-Quasaba -

13. 17.7.1942 13:27 Hurricane 6./JG27 S Haggag-el-Quasaba -

14. 19.7.1942 9:15 Hurricane 6./JG27 Bir el Themta Hurricane of 127 or 238Sqn, RAF

15. 19.7.1942 9:19 Hurricane 6./JG27 S El Alamein Hurricane of 127 or 238Sqn, RAF

16. 20.7.1942 11:19 Hurricane 6./JG27 3 km SE Bir-el-Khasa Hurricane of 33Sqn, RAF $Sgt Moher

17. 21.7.1942 18:09 P-40 6./JG27 N Bir-el-Harmat -

18. 21.7.1942 18:16 Hurricane 6./JG27 SW El Alamein -

19. 24.7.1942 9:40 P-40 6./JG27 S Bir el Abd Kittyhawk of 112 Sqn, RAF or 5Sqn, SAAF

20. 24.7.1942 17:19 Hurricane 6./JG27 S Deir ei Raghil 92Sqn, RAF $Sgt Moore, baled out, POW

21. 28.7.1942 18:25 Hurricane 6./JG27 3 km E Deir-el-Taqa 208Sqn, RAF $P/O K Clark, killed

22. 3.8.1942 17:55 Hurricane 6./JG27 SE El Daba Hurricane of 33 or 213Sqn, RAF

23. 3.8.1942 18:00 Hurricane 6./JG27 Bir Ibrahim Hurricane of 33 or 213Sqn, RAF

24. 14.8.1942 6:30 P-40 6./JG27 NW El Alamein Not confirmed

25. 27.8.1942 14:10 Hurricane 6./JG27 NE Kharita Hurricane 1Sqn, SAAF flown by 2/Lt D de Klerk, killed

26. 31.8.1942 10:30 Hurricane 6./JG27 Alam el Haifa “AX-A” 1SAAF Sqn $JH Gaynor (5.5/0/6 victories), crash-landed

27. 31.8.1942 18:30 Spitfire 6./JG27 S Ilmayid -

28. 1.9.1942 6:59 P-40 6./JG27 ENE Deir-el-Taqa Kittyhawk of 450Sqn, RAF

29. 1.9.1942 7:01 P-40 6./JG27 E Deir-el-Taqa Kittyhawk of 450Sqn, RAF

30. 3.9.1942 14:25 P-40 6./JG27 S El Hammam -

31. 3.9.1942 14:35 Spitfire 6./JG27 S Bir Ibrahim -

32. 6.9.1942 17:25 P-39 6./JG27 S Ilmayid -

33. 11.10.1943 15:08 LaGG-3 Stab IV./JG54 NE Ussvyati -

34. 18.10.1943 10:04 P-40 Stab IV./JG54 SE Pushkin -

35. 27.10.1943 13:45 La-5 Stab IV./JG54 10 714 -

36. 6.3.1944 12:06 B-17 Stab III./JG54 Essen-Vechta -

37. 26.11.1944 13:10 P-38 III./JG7 Near Kitzbühl P-38J of 1FG, USAAF $Lt Julius Thomas, baled out, POW

38. 3.3.1945 - B-24 Stab III./JG7 Near Rathenow B-24 of 448BG, USAAF

39. 3.3.1945 - B-24 Stab III./JG7 Near Rathenow B-24 of 448BG, USAAF

? 7.3.1945 - P-51 Stab III./JG7 not confirmed? -

Victories : 39

Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (27 October 1942)

Units : JG3, JG27, JG54, JG7

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