Biographical Data Sheet

General Günther Rall

General Günther Rall is best known as the world's leading living ace with 275 official aerial combat victories to his credit. General Rall joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 after transferring from Infantry Regiment No. 13 where he was an officer candidate for two years.

General Rall first flew with Jagdstaffel (Fighter Squadron) 8/JG 52 scoring his first aerial combat victory during the Battle of France in July 1940. After amounting a record of 36 victories in November 1941, Rall was seriously wounded with injuries that paralyzed him for six months. Returning to combat with 8/JG 52 in August of 1942, he was awarded his Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) for his 65th victory on September 3rd and his Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) on October 26th for his 100th victory.

In April 1943, General Rall was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) and elevated to Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of Jagdgruppe (Fighter Group) III/JG 52. He received his Schwerten (Swords) on September 12, 1943, for scoring his 200th victory. During October and November 1943, he scored 50 additional victories becoming only the second pilot to have this number of victories.

In the spring of 1944, Rall was transferred to the Western Front to fly combat against the advancing allied bombers. At the rank of Major, he was the Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of Jagdgruppe II/JG 11 until March of 1945 when he became Kommodore (Commander) of Jagdgeschwader (Fighter Wing) JG 300.

General Rall flew a total of 621 combat missions during World War II. With the establishment of the West German Air Force in 1956, Rall was appointed as Major of the Bundeswehr Air Arm (German Military Air Arm). In this assignment, he was responsible for the development of combat systems for the Fokker built Lockheed F-104G Starfighters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Rall became a Brigadegeneral (Brigadier General) in September 1966. One year later he became Kommandeur (Commander) of 3 Luftwaffendivision (Air Force Division). In April 1969, he was promoted to Chef der Stabes (Chief of Staff). In October 1970 he was again promoted to Kommandierender General Luftflotte (Commanding General of the Air Force) with the rank of Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General). In January 1971, Rall was appointed Inspecteur der Luftwaffe (Inspector of the Air Force). General Rall retired from the West German Air Force in 1974.

During World War II, Major Günther Rall was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, Germany's second highest military award.

Selected Readings

For additional reading about air combat operations during World War II, we suggest the following monographs:

• Amadio, Jill. Gunther Rall: A Memoir. Santa Ana, Ca, Tangmere Productions, 2002.
• Craven, Wesley F., and James L. Cate. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. 1-5. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1948.
• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 1983.
• Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 1982.
• Freeman, Roger A. The Mighty Eighth, Units, Men and Machines. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1985.
• Olynyk, Frank. Stars and Bars: A Tribute to the American Fighter Ace 1920 – 1973. London: Grub Street, 1995.
• Toliver, USAF (Ret.), Colonel Raymond F., and Trevor J. Constable. Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe. California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1977.
• Andrade, John M. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials Since 1909. England: Midland Counties Publications, 1979.
• Angelucci, Enzo with Peter Bowers. The American Fighter. New York: Orion Books, 1985.

Biographical information courtesy of General Rall.

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This biography has been prepared by The National Air and Space Society to complement a special lecture given by retired General Günther Rall at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center's Imax Theater on October 1, 2004.

To request additional copies of this biography, call the Membership Office of The National Air and Space Society at (202) 633-2603 or write: Rall Biography c/o The National Air and Space Society, National Air and Space Museum, Independence Avenue at Sixth Street SW Suite 3700, MRC 321 P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012.