The Weather Pilot with KC: Rudolf Schütze

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen!

Do you know anything about this Luftwaffe pilot name Rudolf Schütze of Weather Reconnaissance 5? He was said to have flown 5000 weather flights since 1931! He died in a plane crash in 1943. I wonder what decorations did this weather pilot received during World War II? He flown many weather flights over the Polar Sea during the War.

Sincerely,

Edward

[Simon Orchard]

I think he was involved in taking men\equipment to the weather stations established on bjørnøya and Svalbard. He was killed (and had been involved in accidents previoulsy) flying the Arado Ar-232 transport plane. Crashed into a hill near Lakselv in the far North of Norway.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Were there any more weathermen pilots besides Rudolf that won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross? What was the last rank of Rudolf? Guys, these pilots hardly get much recognition during WWII.

Edward

[Simon Orchard]

Oberleutnant at the time of his death.

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/co ... B0C9785385


I ran a quick search at on the 'Das Ritterkreuz' database and came up with 3 RKT belonging to weather units.

Hauptmann Hans Bonath wettererkundungsstaffel 27
Oberleutnant Wilhelm Küster wettererkundungsstaffel 26
And of course Rudolf Schütze.