Rauch, Alfred

Date of birth:: December 29th, 1917 (Eltmann-Unterfranken/Bavaria, Germany)
Date of death:: March 25th, 1991 (Bad Kissingen/Bavaria, Germany)
Nationality:: German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Flew a total of 647 sorties, including 102 fighter bomber and 34 low level ones. In this time he achieved 60 aerial victories.

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel (Flight Sergeant)
Unit:: Flugzeugführer, Stabstaffel, Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders", Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: April 28th, 1945

Rauch’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel Rauch has been a member of Jagdgeschwader Mölders since the 17.05.1940. Throughout his career with the unit he has seen action over the English Channel (May 1940 - February 1941), the Eastern front (November 1941 - October 1942), Africa (October 1942 - March 1943) and again on the Eastern front (October 1943 - present). He has proven himself to be one of his Staffel’s best Schwarm leaders over the course of 524 sorties. By this time he has shot down 52 enemy aircraft following participation in many hard aerial battles with numerically superior enemy forces.”

Over the course of flying 220 escort sorties he not only succeeded in his primary task of protecting his quarry from enemy fighters, but also scored multiple aerial victories in the process. Oberfeldwebel Rauch has also achieved notable success as a fighter-bomber Schwarm leader. In this capacity he brought noticeable relief to our hard-pressed ground troops by flying 102 fighter-bomber missions, during which he achieved 16 direct hits and 83 hits against enemy rolling stock, railway facilities, artillery/field positions, vehicle assemblies, occupied village and assembly areas.

He likewise has inflicted heavy losses in men and materiel on the enemy by fearlessly carrying out 34 low-level attacks. A large number of these were achieved in Africa despite the presence of strong hostile fighter and AA defenses.

His aerial victories from frequently disadvantageous positions are a testament to his tempered recklessness and exemplary bravery. And in all his combat operations he showed no hesitation in entering the fight (as a Schwarm leader he frequently flew up to 7 sorties a day). Both he and the pilots of his Schwarm were able to achieve notable successes thanks to his superb tactics, appropriate aptitude and courage on the battlefield (which inspired his men forwards even in the midst of the strongest enemy AA fire). In all this time his healthy degree of ambition has driven him to demonstrate both outstanding talent as a fighter pilot as well as decisiveness even in the most difficult of situations.

Particularly worthy of note are his most recent aerial victories, which were achieved in the heavy defensive fighting for East Prussia. At this stage the pilots of his Schwarm were relatively young and inexperienced, and so he selflessly made sure to guide and assist them in achieving kills of their own.

His impeccable soldierly disposition and his consistently dependable character are guarantors of even greater achievements to come. Therefore, on the grounds of his heroic battlefield conduct and ongoing devotion to duty, the Staffel considers Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel Rauch to be particularly worthy of being awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”