Rudolf Miethig

Rudolf Miethig (17 October 1921 – 10 June 1943) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Miethig was credited with 101 aerial victories—that is, 101 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—and was killed in action following a midair collision with an enemy aircraft on 10 June 1943.

Career
Rudolf Miethig volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe in 1939. He was transferred to the 3./Jagdgeschwader 52 (3./JG 52—3rd squadron of the 52nd fighter wing) in the spring of 1941. 3./JG 52 at the time was stationed in the Netherlands. Miethig claimed his first aerial victory, a Supermarine Spitfire, in the fall of 1941.

Oberleutnant Miethig, Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 3./JG 52 was killed in a crash following combat with Yakovlev fighters on 10 June 1943 roughly 10 km north-east of Krymskaja, over the Kuban bridgehead. Miethig flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 14 602—factory number) had shot down one of the Yakovlev Yak-1 and collided with his crashing opponent, tearing off one of his wings. Miethig was posthumously awarded the German Cross in Gold as well as posthumously promoted to Hauptmann.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 July 1942)
 * German Cross in Gold on 19 January 1944 (posthumously) as Hauptmann in the 3./JG 52
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1942 as Staffelführer and Leutnant of the 3./JG 52