Rudel.

This is coolbert:

I have made in a previous post an entry about the superlative performance of some German fighter pilots in World War Two. How these men seemed to be just head and shoulders above their allied counter-parts in the war. There was another German who was perhaps even head and shoulders above all those German aces. This was a man named Hans Ulrich Rudel. "The Eagle of the East". A German dive-bomber pilot whose record was so impressive that it is hard to comprehend. To read about Hans Ulrich click here, here, and here.

Some comments on the above web sites: [my comments in bold].

"His story is especially inspiring when one considers that the man who began the war as a near-washout in pilot training, who was barred from combat flying by his first squadron commander, ended the war as history's most highly decorated aviator."

It is also reputed the famous Red Baron, Richtofen, also crashed six airplanes while mastering the art of flying.

"A note for my Israeli friends: Rudel's story is presented here because of his military exploits, and for no other reason. I do not seek to glorify or apologize for the atrocious crimes committed by the German political leadership against Europe's Jews and other religious and ethnic minorities from 1933-45. Hans Ulrich Rudel was not a member of the Nazi party, participated in no war crimes, did not go into hiding after the war, and was never even accused of any such activities by any organization or Nazi-hunter, including the Shin Bet."

Well, this above statement by the author of the web site would hold true for almost any analysis of the German military in World War Two. Including my own.

"Rudel's personal victories as a ground-attack pilot were achieved exclusively against the Soviets, and despite the most primitive conditions imaginable, including operations solely from dirt, mud, and snow covered airfields, his confirmed victories (those witnessed by two or more fellow pilots) include:

518+ Tanks
700 Trucks
150+ Flak and Artillery positions
9 Fighter/Ground Attack Aircraft
Hundreds of bridges, railway lines, bunkers, etc.
Battleship October Revolution, Cruiser Marat, and 70 landing craft"

This is an unheard of record, and all by one man!!! [note the battleship and cruiser].

"Shot down 32 times. Innumerable aircraft brought back to base that were later written off, due to heavy combat damage. Wounded on many occasions, including the partial amputation of his right leg in the Spring of 45, after which he continued to fly with a prosthetic limb."

"Rudel was pursued by hundreds of Soviet troops who were intent on collecting the 100,000 ruble bounty which Stalin had placed on his head, and he was shot in the shoulder while they chased him with dogs and on horseback. Through incredible ingenuity, audacity, and raw determination, Rudel escaped and made his way, alone and unarmed, back home, despite being more than 30 miles behind Soviet lines when he began his 24 hour trek. He was barefoot and almost naked in the sub-freezing winter weather, without food, compass, or medical attention. His escape stands as the single most legendary example of personal bravery and luck during the Second World War, but he never fully recovered emotionally from Hentschel's death, for which he blamed himself throughout the remainder of his life."

"Unlike the situation with the Soviets, German decorations were awarded without regard to rank. And in contrast to the Western Allies, they were never awarded for single acts of conspicuous bravery, but rather for a consistent record of personal gallantry and success in combat."

"Knight's Cross. Equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor or Britain's Victoria Cross."

Rudel's decorations went four levels beyond this!!!!!

"newly developed tank-busting version of Ju-87 D-3.Modified Stuka armed with two Rheinmetall-Borsig 37mm (BK) Flak 18 guns (each mounted in special canopy under each wing with 6 rounds of ammunition)"

This was a weapon system designed specifically to counter Soviet tanks. More on this later.

"He managed to contact American forces and arranged for himself and other planes to fly over to Kitzingen airfield (near Wurzburg) in the American zone, escaping the capture by the Soviets."

Upon landing and surrendering to American forces, a GI tried to steal the watch off of Rudel's wrist, and Rudel knocked the guy flat. Some surrender!!!

The story of Hans Ulrich does not end with World War Two however.

Now, here is some thing to consider when evaluating the performance of Rudel. All throughout the war, Rudel flew the JU-87 Stuka, the famous dive bomber. However, at least by the 1940, the Stuka was considered to be out of date and an inferior aircraft. It had proven to be a success during the Polish campaign and the Battle of France in 1940, but was ineffective during the Battle of Britain where the aircraft was found to be very susceptible to shoot-down by fighter aircraft. Rudel achieved his success in an aircraft that was not even an average ground attack aircraft by the end of the war!!??




Those 37 mm cannon mounted on the wings of the Stuka's, designed for tank busting, and the tactics developed by Rudel for same, were instrumental in the development of the USAF A-10 aircraft. Also designed specifically as a tank buster, and in the two Gulf Wars, was found to be a very effective aircraft. The tactics of Rudel gave U.S. officers the idea that such an aircraft as the A-10 could be a potent weapon against massed Soviet armor.

During the Falklands Island War between Britain and Argentina in the early 1980's, the British were surprised by the impressive performance of the Argentinean Air Force. This of all the Argentinean military gave a good account of themselves. Pressing the attack against odds, and very good at low level attack, the Argentinean Air Force made themselves known. It seems that their advisor and mentor after the end of World War Two was one Hans Ulrich Rudel!!

coolbert.