Walter Krupinski (11 November 1920 – 7 October 2000) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II and a senior West German Air Force officer during the Cold War. He was one of the highest-scoring pilots in the war, credited with 197 victories in 1,100 sorties. He was called by his fellow pilots Graf Punski (Count Punski) due to his Prussian origins. Krupinski was one of the first to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in combat as a member of Jagdverband 44 (JV 44—44th Fighter Detachment) led by Adolf Galland.
Born in the Weimar Republic in 1920, Krupinski joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and completed his flight training in 1940. Flying with Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing), he claimed his first victory in August 1941 and his total rose steadily against Soviet Air Forces. In October 1942, Krupinski was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and was appointed squadron leader of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of JG 52 in March 1943. Krupinski was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for 174 aerial victories. He was then transferred, serving with Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) and was then given command of II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) in 1944. Wounded in a flight accident in August, he commanded III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) following his convalescence in September. He finished the war serving with JV 44, flying the Me 262, and surrendered to the Western Allies in May 1945.
After the war, Krupinski joined the German Air Force of the Bundeswehr, serving until 1976 when he was forced into early retirement. Krupinski died in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid on 7 October 2000.
WalterKrupinski (11 November 1920 – 7 October 2000) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II and a senior West German Air Force officer during...
Michał Krupiński (born 1981), Polish economist and government minister Paulina Krupińska (born 1987), Polish beauty pageant titleholder WalterKrupinski (1920–2000)...
ISBN 978-1-903223-91-8. Braatz, Kurt [in German] (2010). WalterKrupinski - Jagdflieger, Geheimagent, General [WalterKrupinski - Fighter Pilot, Spy, General] (in German)...
Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that...
Swords, and second-highest-scoring ace of all time with 301 victories WalterKrupinski, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the...
SS-Obersturmbannführer Fritz Knoechlein, 15 November 1942 (gold) Lieutenant General WalterKrupinski, 27 August 1942 (gold) First Lieutenant Franz Stigler, 1 October 1944...
Walter "Gulle" Oesau (28 June 1913 – 11 May 1944) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until...
raised its first flying school at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base under Major WalterKrupinski. The unit was named Waffenschule der Luftwaffe 30 (Air Force Weapons...
ISBN 978-0-9761034-4-8. Braatz, Kurt [in German] (2010). WalterKrupinski - Jagdflieger, Geheimagent, General [WalterKrupinski - Fighter Pilot, Spy, General] (in German)...
WalterKrupinski (11 November 1920 – 7 October 2000) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II and a senior West German Air Force officer during...
in Wien-Schwechat where he befriended Walter Nowotny. At the JFS 5, his roommates were Nowotny, WalterKrupinski, and Peter Göring, a nephew of the Reichsmarschall...
soldiers, were the German Air Force generals Karl Heinz Franke [de] and WalterKrupinski. Later, the generals publicly compared Rudel's past as a Nazi and Neo-Nazi...
on München Gladbach on 28 February. The 197-victory pilot Hauptmann WalterKrupinski, commanding III Gruppe since 27 September 1944, led the mission which...
and Swords) Alfons Klein Gerhard Köppen (Oak Leaves) Berthold Korts WalterKrupinski (Oak Leaves) Karl-Heinz Leesmann Helmut Lipfert (Oak Leaves) Johann-Hermann...
Wehrmacht so honored. Wiese and fellow JG 52 pilots Erich Hartmann, WalterKrupinski, for the Oak Leaves presentation, and Gerhard Barkhorn, for the Swords...
observe this only jet unit. On 8 November 1944, he was present when ace Walter Nowotny took off with a force of Me 262s in an overcast to engage a USAAF...
politician, President of the European Commission (d. 2003) 1920 – WalterKrupinski, German captain and pilot (d. 2000) 1921 – Terrel Bell, American sergeant...
ISBN 978-0-88740-395-8. Braatz, Kurt [in German] (2010). WalterKrupinski - Jagdflieger, Geheimagent, General [WalterKrupinski - Fighter Pilot, Spy, General] (in German)...
to claim seven victories in a single mission. On 10 October 1943, WalterKrupinski, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern, became an ace in a day. On...
ISBN 978-1-78340-916-7. Braatz, Kurt [in German] (2010). WalterKrupinski - Jagdflieger, Geheimagent, General [WalterKrupinski - Fighter Pilot, Spy, General] (in German)...
Global Information
Nazi Germany (to 1945)
West Germany
Luftwaffe
German Air Force