Rolf Peter Pingel participated as a fighter pilot with 2./J 88 in the Spanish Civil War, where he claimed six Republican aircraft. At the beginning of World War II, he served as Staffelkapitän 2./JG 53 on the Western Front, and became one of the most successful fighter pilots during the "Phony War" in 1939.

His first victory in this conflict was attained on September 10, 1939, when he hit a French Mureaux 113 reconnaissance aircraft of Groupe I/520. The Mureaux crashed near Saarbrücken, killing the crew. On September 26, 1939, he led his Staffel to wipe out an entire formation of five RAF 150 Squadron Battle bombers.

On 5 June, German forces launched Fall Rot (Case Red), the second phase of the conquest of France. That day, Hauptmann Möldes was shot down in combat Pingel was transferred from 2. Staffel and temporarily took command of III. Gruppe as their new gruppenkommandeur.

On 11 June, JG 53 supported the fighting at the Aisne and near Reims where Pingel shot down two M.S. 406. Following the Armistice on 22 June 1940 Mölders returned to III. Gruppe only to be transferred to take command of JG 51 Hauptmann Harro Harder was officially appointed Gruppkommanduer of III. Gruppe and Pingel returned to take command of his old Staffel 2./JG 53.

Taking part in the battles over the Brittish Isle he would score his first on 14 August 1940, The fateful "Eagle Day", when the Luftwaffe lost seventy-one aircraft in a fruitless attempt to knock out RAF Fighter Command on the ground, Hauptmann Pingel participated in escorting one hundred Ju 87s and Ju 88s against Portland. In the ensuing dogfight, I./JG 53 claimed to have shot down five Hurricanes while six bombers went lost. RAF 87, 234, and 601 squadrons filed eight losses. Pingel returned to base with two victories, his eighth and ninth.

The next day, by downing a Spitfire he scored his 10th and final victory while in JG 53. On 22 August, Reichsmarschall Herrmann Göring, appointed Major Adolf Galland as the new Geschwaderkommofore of JG 26 "Schlageter". Göring was convinced that the Luftwaffe's failure to defeat the RAF Fighter Command was caused by the lack of aggressiveness on behalf of the Luftwaffe fighter pilots. In consequence, Göring reassigned every Geschwaderkommodore position to younger and more successful men. Galland shared Göring's opinion, and as a first measure had Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe, Hauptmann Kurt Fischer replaced by Rolf Pingel.

On 29 August Pingel claimed his first aerial victories with JG 26. In terms of aerial victories claimed, it was his first Gruppe's most successful mission so far, for the loss of one of their own, they claimed five RAF fighters. Hptm. Pingel accounted for two Spitfire fighters, shot down near Dungeness. On 14 September, two members of JG 26 received the Ritterkreuz, Oblt. Müncheberg and Hptm. Pingel. At the time, twenty aerial victories were the requirement for a Knight's Cross nomination. Pingel with 15 confirmed victories at this time probably received this award for his leadership skills.

His next claim in the channel area was filed on 5 November, a Spitfire, then followed one Blenheim and a Spitfire on 16 June 1941, thereby Pingel had claimed his ninetheensth abschusse. He would add another three victories, 22 June, a Spitfire, and on the 27th a Spitfire and his final during WW II, a Hurricane downed South of Dunkirk on 7 July.

Three days later, on 10 July 1941 the British dispatched Circus No. 42 with three Stirlings and a large number of escorting Spitfires targeting Chicques. Pingel´s Gruppe filed claims for two Spitfires and to have damage one of the 4-engine Stirling´s for one loss. Hptm. Rolf Pingle, apparently alone, followed the Sterling across the English Channel, where he further damaged the bomber´s tail section. The upper gunner´s return fire hit his Bf 109 F-2 engine, and Pingle descended to low altitude, where a Spitfire attack forced him to belly-land near Dover and St Margaret´s at Cliffe and was taken prisoner.

In total Rolf Pingle is credited with six aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War and further 22 aerial victories on the Western Front of World War II. He flew about 550 combat missions, including approximately 200 in Spain. Note for the period typical German fighter from the Chanell Front, Yellow recognition markings and without any Staffel or Gruppe insignias only sporting the Gruppencommandeur chevrons and the twenty two Red abschussblaken on the Yellow rudder.

Regarding Profile Book No 14. This week we have been working on proof reading the captions.

Included in the Profile Book No 14, the reader would find, Four Bf 109 A and B:s, 17 Bf 109 Emils, 27 Bf 109 Fs, 23 Bf 109 Gs, and another 13 late war Bf 109 Gs including K-4s. When it comes to the Focke Wulfs: 30 Fw 190 A-1 to A-8 would be included and seven Fw 190 Doras, another late war Fw 190 prototyp, one He 162, and another Me 163, This together with a Macchi 202 flown by Marseille. Finally, four Me 262 and a captured P-51B Mustang is included.