I started out with a Ki-61 over Burma but ended up with a Fw-190 A4 over the Atlas Mountains
.
I have freely interpreted the situation from the situation descriped below.
"Rudorffer- The Berrypicker"
February 9th, 1943 - Erich Rudorffer of the II./J.G.2 .
Location: Tunisia, North Africa.
On 9 February 1943, II./JG 2 achieved its highest tally in the Tunisian campaign, when it downed some 16 aircraft, half of which went to the Gruppenkommandeur himself. In fact, Rudorffer claimed all his eight victories in the space of half an hour during one early afternoon sortie. Just after noon on the 9th, bombers (B-17s of the 301st BG) and fighters (18 P-38s of the 94th FS) were reported approaching II./JG 2’s base, Kairouan, and immediately the unit’s readiness Staffel took off to engage them. Rudorffer was last to take off, and after sighting the enemy formation at 21500 feet, attacked the fighters. He attacked P-40s which were flying in a defensive circle, and by slipping in and out he managed to down six of them. He then sighted P-38s below strafing German ground targets. He shot down two of these south of Maktar at 1521 and 1522 in two passes, giving him a total of eight. The following is Rudorffer's own account of the action:
"It was south of Tunis, about 180 kilometres. We got word - we were based at Kairouan - that bombers and fighters were on the way (B-17s of the 301st BG and P-38s of the 1st FG). One Staffel was already sitting in their aircraft and I ordered them off. I was always last to take off and waited to get the latest information on the enemy's course and speed. Then I took off with my Schwarm of four and we assembled with the others in the air and headed for the "dicke Autos und Indianer". They were coming from the west, about 24 B-17s, 18 P-40s, 20 P-38s and a similar number of Spitfires - some of them may have been Hurricanes because when the dogfight began I thought I saw some Hurricanes also. We were at about 7000 metres and the bombers were below us, the P-40s above.
When we started for the bombers the Curtiss fighters came down on us and that's when the dogfight began. After a time the P-40s, which were not as fast as us, went into a 'Luftbery' circle and I began to slip in from low and high and shoot them donw. I managed to shoot down six in about seven minutes. As I recall the combat report, I got one at 1359 and the last at 1406. By that time the fight had broken up and everyone had scattered. Then I saw somw P-38s strafing below us, and though I had only about four FW 190s with me at this time, I went down at them and surprised them. I got one coming from above and then went up again and came down on another and shot him down. That gave me eight for the day - I remember it because it was one of the best days I ever had."
From: Weal, John. Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front, page 37
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