Waldemar Radener

Waldemar Radener (24 January 1921 – 8 January 1957) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II.

He is credited with 37 aerial victories, all of which claimed over the Western Front and in Defense of the Reich.

Born in Lüchtringen, Radener grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.

He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe and was trained as a fighter pilot.

Radener was born on 24 January 1921 at Lüchtrigen, present-day part of Höxter, at the time in the Province of Westphalia, a Free State of Prussia in the Weimar Republic.

Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 26.

Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 26 and at the time under the command of Major Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland and based at Vitry-En-Artois Airfield in northern France.

Radener filed his first aerial victory claim on 13 March which was not confirmed.

The Supermarine Spitfire fighter came from either the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) No. 402 or No. 403 Squadron and claimed shot down east of Étaples.

His first confirmed aerial victory came on 3 May.

That day, he shot down a Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfire 20 km west of the Baie de Somme.

On 30 July he claimed two USAAF P-47 fighters from the 78th Fighter Group and 56th Fighter Group near Arnhem and south of Werkendam.

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland.

Following flight training, Leutnant Radener joined 4.

Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) in February 1943.

Flying with this wing, Radener claimed his first aerial victory on 13 March 1943 on the Western Front over a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft which was not confirmed.

After he had temporarily led 6.

Staffel (6th squadron) of JG 26 in late 1943, he was officially appointed squadron leader of 7.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) on 28 February 1943.

Equipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4, his squadron was part of II.

On 17 August 1943, during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Galland, was killed in action.

In consequence, Hauptmann Johannes Naumann was temporarily given command of II.

Gruppe.

Naumann had led 6.

Staffel (7th squadron) of JG 26 in February 1944.

In late January 1945, Radener was given command of II.

In late February 1945, he transferred to Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing) where he commanded II.

Gruppe of JG 300.

On 12 March, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his service with JG 26.

Defending against this attack, Radener shot down a P-47 from the 56th Fighter Group 10 km north-northwest of Le Tréport.

VIII Bomber Command dispatched 237 B-17 on 4 July, attacking various targets in France, including the aircraft factories at Nantes and Le Mans, as well as the U-boat pen at La Pallice.

This attack force was escorted by RAF Spitfire fighters of which Radener claimed one shot down.

This claim however was not confirmed.

After World War II, he joined the German Air Force and was killed in a flying accident 8 January 1957.

On 14 May, Radener claimed a Herausschuss (separation shot) over a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber from the 351st Bombardment Group northwest of Antwerp.

A Herausschuss was a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which normally was counted as an aerial victory.

In this instance, Radener was not credited with an aerial victory.

The USAAF VIII Bomber Command flew its first daylight mission during the Battle of the Ruhr on 22 June.

In defense of this attack, Radener claimed a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt escort fighter shot down 10 - 15 km northwest of Domburg.

Four days later, the VIII Bomber Command attacked the Villacoublay Airfield.