Luftwaffe Oberst Kulhard?

[Maikäfer]

Does anybody know something more about this officer? His name could also be spelled Külhard.

[Larry deZeng]

No Luftwaffe officer by that name of any rank much less Oberst. I have both the 1 August 1944 and the 1 April 1945 Dienstalterliste der Offiziere der deutschen Luftwaffe, and I also have other full and complete lists of all Luftwaffe officers down to the rank of Hauptmann. There is no Kulhard or Külhard or anything even similar.

--BHS1956

[Gerdan]

It could be helpful:

in the recent German phone book there is n o family name Kulhard/Külhard

or Kulhart/Külhart listed.

Gerdan

[Maikäfer]

Thanks for the replies Gerdan and BHS1956.

I now come to think that his name would rather be Oberst Rothard(t). He held the rank in 1942. Maybe that one is traceable?

[Larry deZeng]

Sorry, no hits on that one either. I have a Cuno GOTTHARDT, but he was only a Hptm.

[Maikäfer]

Argh! How frustrating. Well, here's the last ditch effort then, his name as written by one of his own men;



It definatly ends on "hard".

[Larry deZeng]

I have these:

RUDHART, Dr. Hermann. 01.06.42 promoted to Oberst (Flak).
RUTHARDT, Max. 01.08.42 promoted to Obstlt.(Bau).

That's as close as I can get. Perhaps some others can give an opinion on the signature. When it is decided which one it is, I will give you further career details.

--BHS1956

[Maikäfer]

Of course, it's an R and not a K ... Well spotted, BHS1956 and thank you.

In my opnion it can only be dr. Hermann Rudhart. It just seems, the writer confused the d for a t. Max Rudhardt seems out of question as he was not the correct rank and wrong Waffengattung. Rudhart must have commanded a Flak or a Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Regiment in Russia by the late summer of 1942.

[Larry deZeng]

Of course, it's an R and not a K ... Well spotted, BHS1956 and thank you.
In my opnion it can only be dr. Hermann Rudhart. It just seems, the writer confused the d for a t. Max Rudhardt seems out of question as he was not the correct rank and wrong Waffengattung. Rudhart must have commanded a Flak or a Luftwaffe-Nachrichten-Regiment in Russia by the late summer of 1942.

Here is a somewhat incomplete career bio blurb on Rudhart:

RUDHART, Dr. Hermann. (DKG). 11.38 Maj.?, Kdr. I./Flak-Rgt. 5. 20.07.40 Obstlt., appt Chef d.Stabes/General der Flakwaffe u. Inspekteur der Flakartillerie (L.In.4) (to 14.04.42). 14.04.42 appt Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 34 (v) (to 06.11.42). 01.06.42 promo to Oberst. 08.42 appt Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 91 (to 12.42). 07.11.42 appt Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 42 (mot) (to 11.02.43). 11.02.43 Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 42, trf to Flak-Ers.Abt. 12. 26.06.43 appt Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 35 (mot) (to 01.44). 25.11.43 Oberst, awarded DKG, Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 35. 04.44 appt Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 40 (mot) (to 20.09.44). 10.44 appt acting Kdr. 20. Flak-Div. (to 30.10.44). c.30.10.44 appt Kdr. Flak-Rgt. 71 (to 09.04.45). 28.01.45 concurrently appt Flakeinsatzführer/7. Jagddivision. 02.45 appt acting Kdr. 17. Flak-Brig. (to 02.45).

During the period in 1942 that he commanded Flak-Rgt. 34(v), his Stab was in Roslavl on the central sector of the Russian Front, and Stab/Flak-Rgt. 91 following the line of advance from the Kharkov area to Stalingrad. The dates have him commanding both 34 and 91 at the same time and that's of course wrong. Perhaps you can unscramble it.

--BHS1956