Kurt Ubben

Infobox Military Person
name=Kurt Ubben
born=birth date|1911|11|18|df=y
died=death date and age|1944|4|27|1911|11|18|df=y
placeofbirth= Dorstadt, Harz
placeofdeath= near Fere-en-Tardenois, France


caption=Kurt Ubben
nickname="Kuddel"
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Kriegsmarine (1931-1935)
Luftwaffe(1935-1944)
serviceyears=1931-1944
rank=Major
commands= 8./JG 77, III./JG 77, JG 2
unit=JGr 186, JG 77, JG 2
battles=World War II
*Invasion of Poland (1939)
*Battle of Britain
*North African campaign
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves"
laterwork=

Kurt "Kuddel" Ubben (born 18 November 1911 in Dorstadt, Harz, killed in action 27 April 1944 near Fere-en-Tardenois, France) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death on 27 April 1944.

His first aerial success was a Dutch Fokker D XXI fighter claimed over Holland on 10 May 1940.On 22 July 1940 Ubben was made "Staffelkapitän" of 8./JG 77.The unit transferred to the Balkans in April 1941. Ubben claimed an 33 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane fighter over Greece on 19 April, although his Bf 109 was badly damaged in the engagement and Ubben forced-landed behind Allied lines. He was rescued by a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and flown back to his unit. Ubben also carried out many ground attack and fighter-bomber operations against Allied naval forces during mid 1941.

Ubben and JG 77 then participated in the invasion of Russia in June 1941. He claimed 21st victory on 25 July. He was soon awarded the "Ritterkreuz" in September for 32 air kills, 26 aircraft destroyed on the ground and some 15 armoured vehicles claimed destroyed.

In September 1941, Hauptmann Ubben was promoted to "Gruppenkommandeur" of III./JG 77. He achieved 50 kills on 19 October, and was awarded the "Eichenlaub" on 12 March 1942 for 69 victories.

III./JG 77 was then transferred to North Africa, by which time Ubben had 92 victories. He scored his 100th victory on 14 January 1943. In October, Ubben led III./JG 77 into Rumania where it became the aerial protection over the Ploesti oilfields. Major Ubben was next appointed Kommodore of JG 2, based in France in March 1944. By this time he had shot down 110 enemy aircraft in over 500 combat missions. 90 of his victories were claimed over the Eastern front. On 27 April 1944, Ubben engaged USAAF fighters near Fere-en-Tardenois. In the ensuing combat, Ubben was shot down in Fw 190 A-8/R2/R6; W.Nr. 680 113. He bailed out but his parachute failed to open.

Kurt Ubben's descendants currently live in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States of America.

Awards

* German Cross in Gold (9 December 1941)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (4 September 1941)
** 80. Oak Leaves (12 March 1942)

References

*cite web | title=Aces of the Luftwaffe|work=Kurt Ubben| url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/ubben.html|accessdate=23 March| accessyear=2007
*cite web | title=Lexikon der Wehrmacht|work=Kurt Ubben| url=http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/U/UbbenK.htm| accessdate=27 March| accessyear=2007
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.