 Due to the "Rudel Scandal" he was forced into early retirement on 8 November 1976 holding the rank of "Generalleutnant" (lieutenant-general).Krupinski died in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid in 2000.Matthews and Foreman, authors of "Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims", researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 197 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims.