caption branch death_place death_date birth_place allegiance unit awards battles birth_date nickname alt rank image article_title name
rudolf rademacher 18px lüneburg 13 june 1953 lüneburg nazi germany jg 54 , ejg 1 , jg 7 knight 's cross of the iron cross world war ii 19 june 1913 '' rudi '' luftwaffe leutnant rudolf rademacher.jpg rudolf rademacher
 rudolf rademacher
rudolf rademacher

rudolf `` rudi '' rademacher -lrb- 19 june 1913 -- 13 june 1953 -rrb- was a german world war ii fighter ace and recipient of the knight 's cross of the iron cross .
the knight 's cross of the iron cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership .
rademacher was credited with 97 , potentially up to 126 , aerial victories -- that is , 97 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft -- claimed in over 500 combat missions .
