Friedrich “Frieder” Rupp was born on 26 Novemebr 1917 at Freiburg in Breisgau. Rupp participated in the Polish and French campaigns as a photo-reconnaisance pilot with 1.(H)/31. In October 1940, he retrained as a fighter pilot. In spring 1941, Rupp was posted to JG 54 based on the Eastern front. Oberfeldwebel Rupp was assigned to 9./JG 54. He recorded his first victory on 24 August, when he shot down a Russian I-16 fighter. By the end of 1941, he had increased his tally to four. In early March 1942, Rupp transferred to 7./JG 54. On 22 March, he shot down four enemy aircraft to record his 11th through 14th victories. He recorded his 20th victory on 2 June and his 30th on 11 September. Rupp claimed his 40th victory on 31 October. On 6 November, he was shot down in aerial combat with Russian P-39 fighters behind Russian lines. He successfully belly-landed his damaged Bf 109 G-2 (W.Nr. 10 420) near Beresnonuessa, evaded capture and returned to his unit. Leutnant Rupp was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 24 January 1943 for 50 victories.

    III./JG 54 was relocated to the Western front to undertake Reichsverteidigung duties in spring 1943. On 14 May, Rupp shot down a USAAF B-24 four-engine bomber to record his 51st victory. On 15 May 1943, III./JG 54 engaged a formation of USAAF B-17 four-engine bombers over the North Sea. Rupp succeeded in shooting one down to record his 52nd, and last, victory but his Bf 109 G-4 (W.Nr. 16 151) “White 2” was hit by return fire and fell vertically into the sea. Rupp’s body was washed ashore at Cuxhaven four weeks later and he was buried on 16 September. Rupp was posthumously promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant.
    “Frieder” Rupp was credited with 52 victories. He recorded 50 victories over the Eastern front. The two victories recorded over the Western front were both four-engined bombers.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	24.8.1941	12:30	I-16	9./JG 54	-
2	6.10.1941	16:20	I-153	9./JG 54	-
3	11.10.1941	7:40	I-26	9./JG 54	-
4	30.10.1941	9:55	I-26	9./JG 54	-
5	2.1.1942	9:43	I-26	9./JG 54	-
6	2.1.1942	10:55	I-26	9./JG 54	-
7	14.3.1942	15:32	R-5	7./JG 54	-
8	16.3.1942	10:08	P-40	7./JG 54	-
9	16.3.1942	10:15	P-40	7./JG 54	-
10	21.3.1942	19:48	P-40	7./JG 54	-
11	22.3.1942	6:12	R-Z	7./JG 54	-
12	22.3.1942	13:18	I-26	7./JG 54	-
13	22.3.1942	13:22	I-26	7./JG 54	-
14	22.3.1942	13:25	I-26	7./JG 54	-
15	23.3.1942	15:57	I-26	7./JG 54	-
16	23.3.1942	16:20	I-26	7./JG 54	-
17	29.3.1942	8:26	I-26	7./JG 54	-
18	9.5.1942	5:32	Yak-1	7./JG 54	-
19	29.5.1942	6:50	P-40	7./JG 54	20 137 / Tomahawk of 159 IAP, VVS
20	2.6.1942	8:47	P-40	7./JG 54	-
21	20.8.1942	12:47	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	00 253
22	22.8.1942	10:38	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	00 193
23	27.8.1942	12:32	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	10 184
24	2.9.1942	5:17	Yak-1	7./JG 54	10 163
25	2.9.1942	18:30	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	00 263
26	4.9.1942	9:11	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	10 353
27	4.9.1942	9:15	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	10 254
28	5.9.1942	18:32	Il-2	7./JG 54	00 311
29	6.9.1942	17:47	P-40	7./JG 54	10 243
30	11.9.1942	8:42	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	10 183
31	11.9.1942	13:45	P-2	7./JG 54	10 174
32	11.9.1942	13:51	P-2	7./JG 54	10 182
33	12.9.1942	8:49	Yak-1	7./JG 54	10 284
34	12.9.1942	14:02	Yak-1	7./JG 54	10 192
35	23.9.1942	11:33	MiG-3	7./JG 54	20 123
36	29.9.1942	11:34	Hurricane	7./JG 54	1 884
37	1.10.1942	11:23	Yak-1	7./JG 54	00 262
38	4.10.1942	9:22	I-16	7./JG 54	00 263
39	6.10.1942	16:55	Yak-1	7./JG 54	10 271
40	31.10.1942	7:35	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	29 773
41	5.11.1942	10:02	Yak-1	7./JG 54	18 261
42	14.11.1942	11:25	P-40	7./JG 54	20 142
43	14.11.1942	11:31	P-40	7./JG 54	20 151
44	16.12.1942	8:10	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	7km SE Velikye-Luki
45	29.12.1942	8:17	Il-2	7./JG 54	2km SE Location
46	29.12.1942	8:23	Il-2	7./JG 54	Kiev
47	29.12.1942	8:27	Il-2	7./JG 54	7 733
48	30.12.1942	9:25	La-5	7./JG 54	7 552
49	30.12.1942	11:10	LaGG-3	7./JG 54	7 683
50	30.12.1942	12:58	Pe-2	7./JG 54	7 671
51	14.5.1943	12:30	B-24	7./JG 54	551
52	15.5.1943	-	B-17	7./JG 54	-

Victories : 52
Awards : Ehrenpokal (1 July 1943)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (27 October 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (24 January 1943)
Units : JG 54