Theodor Rossiwall

Theodor Rossiwall
Born12 October 1915
Vienna
Died11 July 1979(1979-07-11) (aged 63)
Vienna
Buried
Zentralfriedhof, Vienna
Allegiance Federal State of Austria (1938)
Nazi Germany (1938 to 1945)
Austria
BranchLuftwaffe
Austrian Air Force
Highest RankOberstleutnant (Luftwaffe)
Oberst (Austrian Air Force)
Commands
WarsSpanish Civil War
World War II
Awards

Theodor Rossiwall (12 October 1915 – 11 July 1979) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Rossiwall claimed 19 aircraft shot down in over 400 missions.[1] Among these 19 aerial victories are 2 victories claimed in the Spanish Civil War. He is one of the two pilots credited with the kill of the Royal Air Force (RAF) top ace Pat Marmaduke Pattle, on 20 April 1941, with Sophus Baagoe.

Early life

Theodor Rossiwall was born 12 October 1915, in Vienna.[2] He joined the Austrian Air Force as a Leutnant around February 1938, and was transferred to the Luftwaffe around March, after the Anschluss, where he eventually ended up in Jagdgeschwader 134.[1]

Spanish Civil War

Rossiwall fought with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War, where he shot down two Republican aircraft.[3][2] He listed a "probable" on 30 October 1938.[4] On 20 December 1938, he claimed a Polikarpov I-16 near Reus, while flying as part of 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88.[5] On 1 April 1939, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutanant).[1] On 1 July 1939, Rossiwall was transferred to Zerstörergeschwader 26.[1]

World War II

Rossiwall is credited with shooting down a total of 17 enemy aircraft during World War II.[3] After Eberhard von Trützschler-d'Elsa was shot down and taken prisoner on May 18, 1940, Rossiwall, who had been with 6. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 26 (6./ZG 26) operating out of an airfield in As, Belgium, was given command of d'Elsa's squadron, 5. Staffel, on May 19.[1][6] However, the staffel was only left with three serviceable planes after the events of the day before.[7] On 31 May 1940, the evacuation of Dunkirk was underway and Oberleutnant Rossiwall was Staffelkapitän of 5. Staffel, II. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 26 (5. II/ZG 26).[8] That day, he is said to have led a lone Schwarm in an ambush against a group of Spitfires ten times as large, sending them scattering with five shot down.[8] In August 1940, Rossiwall's Staffel is said to have been "free hunting" with III/ZG 26, when it returned to France to claim 4 victories on August 18 without any losses.[9] Rossiwall was then promoted to Hauptmann on January 1, 1942.[1] On 22 June 1941, Rossiwall had been moved to the Eastern Front, where he would claim 7 more aerial victories.[2] On 20 April 1941, Rossiwall commanded his Staffel as a Hauptmann which on that day shot down 5 Hurricanes, one attributed to Rossiwall himself.[10][11] During this engagement, he and Sophus Baagoe shared in credit for shooting down British flying ace Pat Pattle over Crete, with both being credited with an individual kill that may have been Pattle.[3][10] Rossiwall was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 August 1941.[3] From 10 January 1942 he commanded II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4, where he achieved two night victories.[1][2]

In November 1942, Rossiwall took command of a fighter group in Nachtjagdschule 1, a Luftwaffe pilot training school.[1] While there, on 1 March 1943, he was promoted to Major.[1] Then, later in March[a] Nachtjagdschule 1 was reorgignized into Nachtjagdgeschwader 101,[12] with Rossiwall commanding Gruppe I of the newly named wing first based out of Schleissheim,[1][13][14] then out of Ingolstadt.[15]

In August 1943, the inactive Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76) was newly formed and established as an anti-bomber unit under the command of the now Oberstleutnant Rossiwall.[16] At the end of 1943, Rossiwall is still noted as commander of Stab/ZG 76, operating out of Ansbach with 3 Bf 110 aircraft specifically designated to his command unit.[17] He shot down 3 B-17s with ZG 76.[2] He was also wounded during a take-off accident with a Bf 110 G-2 on 24 January 1944.[1] In 1945, Rossiwall attended a Nazi education course for the Luftwaffe.[1]

Later life

After the war, Rossiwall served in the Austrian Air Force and retired with the rank of Oberst.[2]

Theodor Rossiwall died 10 July 1976.[3] He is buried in Zentralfriedhof, in Vienna.[3]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Rossiwall was credited with 19 aerial victories, two of which during the Spanish Civil War and 17 during World War II, including four on the Eastern Front, two at night, three heavy bombers and seven British fighter aircraft, claimed in over 400 combat missions.[18] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and also stated that he claimed 19 aerial victories although only seven are specifically listed.[19]

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
Spanish Civil War
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –[20]
Spanish Civil War — October – December 1938
1 31 October 1938
—
 I-16 2 20 December 1938
—
 I-16
World War II
– 5. Staffel of Zerstörrergeschwader 26 –[20]
3 31 May 1940
—
 Spitfire Dunkirk
—
 20 April 1940
—
 Hurricane vicinity of Athens
4 31 May 1940
—
 Spitfire Dunkirk 10 9 May 1941
—
 unknown Greece
– Stab of Zerstörrergeschwader 76 –[20]
—
 4 October 1943 11:48 B-17

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Given dates range from 19 March to after 23 March.

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l deZeng & Stankey 2018, p. 835.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Зефиров 2011, p. 388.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Brazier 2021, p. 406.
  4. ^ Laureau 2010, p. 81.
  5. ^ Johnston 2018, p. 170.
  6. ^ Jacobs 2014, pp. 26–27.
  7. ^ Jacobs 2014, p. 27.
  8. ^ a b Weal 1999, p. 40.
  9. ^ Bergström 2015, p. 141.
  10. ^ a b Mackay 2000, p. 70.
  11. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987, p. 271.
  12. ^ Aders 1978, p. 60.
  13. ^ Aders 1978, p. 231.
  14. ^ Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2003, p. 70.
  15. ^ Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2003, p. 96.
  16. ^ Forsyth 2019, p. 79.
  17. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2014, p. 317.
  18. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 188.
  19. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1059–1060.
  20. ^ a b c Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1060.
  21. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1059.
  22. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 639.
  23. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 364.

Bibliography

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  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish] (2015). The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited. Oxford, UK: Casemate. ISBN 978-1612-00347-4.
  • Brazier, Kevin (2021). The Complete Knight's Cross Volume One The Years of Victory 1939-1941. Fonthill Media. ISBN 9781781557815.
  • Caldwell, Donald; Muller, Richard (2014). The Luftwaffe Over Germany Defense of the Reich. Frontline Books. ISBN 9781848327442. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  • deZeng, Henry L.; Stankey, Douglas G. (1 April 2018). "Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries Section L-R" (PDF). Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Foreman, John; Parry, Simon W.; Matthews, Johannes (2003). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat Claims, 1939-1945. Red Kite. ISBN 9780953806140.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2019). Me 210/410 Zerstörer Units. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472829092.
  • Jacobs, Peter (2014). Aces of the Luftwaffe: the Jagdflieger in the Second World War. Frontline Books. ISBN 9781473840874.
  • Johnston, David (2018). German Eagles in Spanish Skies: The Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Service with the Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9780764356346.
  • Laureau, Patrick (2010). Condor: The Luftwaffe in Spain, 1936–39. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0688-9.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R. Walton-on-Thames, UK: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Mackay, Ron (2000). Messerschmitt Bf 110. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-86126-313-1.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1987). Air war for Yugoslavia, Greece, and Crete, 1940-41. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-07-0.
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  • Зефиров, Михаил (2011). Асы Люфтваффе. Кто есть кто. Выдержка, мощь, внимание (in Russian). Moscow: AST. ISBN 9785170577767.
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