Walter Krupinski military rank captain
Defense of the Reich
On 11 April 1944, the Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5  (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing), Oberleutnant Edgar Habermann, was killed in action. In consequence, Krupinski was transferred from the Eastern Front to Germany, succeeding Habermann in this capacity. At the time, the squadron is subordinated to I. Gruppe of JG 5, based at Herzogenaurach Airfield and was fighting in Defense of the Reich. The Gruppe was commanded by Major Horst Carganico. Promoted to the rank of Hauptmann (captain) on 1 May 1944, Krupinski was made Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11  (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing). He succeeded Major Rall who had been wounded on 12 May.After the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the Gruppe was moved to Normandy to operate on low-level Army support missions. Krupinski claimed 10 Allied aircraft with JG 11. On 23 July, Krupinski married Ilse Hartung in Braunsberg. The two had known each other since 1936 and at the time were expecting their daughter Carola, born in September 1944. On 12 August, without enemy involvement on a relocation flight, the engine of his Bf 109 G-5 (Werknummer 110244) had exploded in mid-flight near Marburg. Taking to his parachute, he sustained burns to his hands and face, requiring one month of hospitalization. He was replaced by Hauptmann Karl Leonhard as commander of II. Gruppe of JG 11. This was his fifth injury of the war for which he was presented with the Wound Badge in Gold (Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold) in January 1945.Following his convalescence, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26  "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) on 27 September 1944, replacing Klaus Mietusch who had been killed in action on 17 September. At the time, JG 26 was under the command of Oberstleutnant Josef Priller. Caldwell described Krupinski's style of command as too loose. He stated that under his command, III. Gruppe performance as a fighter unit declined. Caldwall attributed this to Krupinski being "weary of the war". On 18 December, Krupinski was involved in an incident that led to the suicide of Oberleutnant Peter Reischer, Staffelkapitän of 11. Staffel. Reischer had led a morning mission which was supposed to take the flight to the combat area over the Ardennes. After the mission, Reischer reported that his flight had attacked Allied armor near Aachen and then had fought an aerial battle. In truth, his flight flew around Lower Saxony, never approaching the combat zone. The lie was revealed by means of the Y-Control System, a radio guidance system, as one of the aircraft was equipped with the FuG16ZY, an airborne transceiver. Krupinski then ordered Reischer to lead a successful second mission or face a court-martial for cowardice. The second mission was inconclusive and upon return, Reischer shot himself.On 25 March 1945, III. Gruppe of JG 26 was disbanded. Priller, who had been transferred and then held a staff position with the General der Jagdflieger (Inspector of Fighters), had recommended to Krupinski to go to Lechfeld where III. Gruppe of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 (EJG 2—2nd Supplementary Fighter Group) under the command of Oberstleutnant Heinrich Bär was based. EJG 2 was a jet fighter training unit where pilots learned to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262. Krupinski asked Bär if he and his pilots from JG 26 could be trained to fly the Me 262. Due to capacity reasons, Bär had to reject the request and Krupinski headed for the fighter pilot recreation facility at Bad Wiessee.
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