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|serviceyears=1931–44 |rank=Major |commands= 8./JG 77, III./JG 77, JG 2 |unit=SSS ''Gorch Fock'' JGr 186, JG 77, JG 2 |battles= |awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |laterwork=}} Kurt "Kuddel" Ubben (18 November 1911 in Dorstadt, Harz – 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. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ((ドイツ語:Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub)). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. ==Career== His first aerial success was a Dutch Fokker D XXI fighter claimed over the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, the opening day of the Battle of France.〔Weal 1996, p. 95.〕 On 22 July 1940 Ubben was made ''Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader) of 8./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77). The unit transferred to the Balkans in April 1941. Ubben claimed a No. 33 Squadron 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. No. 33 Squadron claimed four Bf 109s during the battle, though only three were brought down. Among the claimants was RAF ace Marmaduke Pattle, who claimed two Bf 109s shot down. Ubben may have been one of his victims. Ubben also carried out many ground-attack and fighter-bomber operations against Allied naval forces during mid-1941. On 22 May 1941 he damaged the British battleship HMS ''Warspite''. Ubben and JG 77 then participated in the invasion of Russia in June 1941. He claimed a 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'' (group commander) of III./JG 77. He achieved 50 kills on 19 October, and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves () on 12 March 1942 for 69 victories. The presentation was made on 5 April 1942 by Adolf Hitler at the ''Führer'' Headquarter ''Wolfsschanze'' in Rastenburg (now Kętrzyn in Poland). Also present at the award ceremony were the fighter pilots ''Hauptmann'' (Captain) Hans Philipp who received the Swords and ''Oberleutnant'' Max-Hellmuth Ostermann who also received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.〔Steinecke 2012, p. 25.〕 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. He was the 33rd ''Luftwaffe'' pilot to achieve the century mark.〔Obermaier 1989, p. 244.〕 In October, Ubben led III./JG 77 into Romania where it provided aerial protection over the Ploiești oilfields. Major Ubben was next appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (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 United States Army Air Forces P-47 fighters near Fère-en-Tardenois. In the ensuing combat, Ubben was shot down in Fw 190 A-8/R2/R6; (Werknummer 680 113—factory number). He bailed out but his parachute failed to open either due to insufficient altitude or because of an improperly fastened harness.〔Weal 2000, p. 106.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kurt Ubben」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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