I just read his autobiography and one thing that is not mention here is that he was truly a considerate and thoughtful man as well as a hell of a pilot. You must respect your enemy and he was one hell of an enemy 2 any armored vehicle on the ground. The smart ass comments about his preferences are unwarranted as he was married, read his autobiography if you really want to know about this guy , he was a true badass and a gentleman. He deserves and has earned respect for his accomplishment
OldEastGermany well.... if the 262 can find any gas they can! But the 8th Airforce sent P-51s over all their airfields just to great them on takeoff. See combat ain't fair. As for Rudel, Read Jeff Coopers book where he interviewed him. Rudel was a true blue Nazi but he really did fight all through the war. Very brave man.
Deaf Smith Germany was better in every respect. Top aces of submarines and air force and tanks, where are the american or englishman? List of Ace aces are only German :-)
Many Thanks For your help! Very nice tribute to the greatest pilot who ever lived. I'm also learning German to do honor to my relatives who fought for The Fatherland, and I salute the good men of my relatives' home country who gave Their Lives in the fight against the Bolsheviks. Thank you, Mr. Ulrich Rudel. You are a German hero, and a knight of the country. You are not forgotten!
There will be a movie about him and the other German soldiers one day. Greatness cannot be thwarted forever, and the meanness of denying a brave enemy soldier respect eats into one's own heart.
Will there? Do you know any movies about dacians and Decebal, that won a war against the romans then they had to send 14 legions to kill him 5 years later ? Off course not. Caesar walked with 8 legions across the Rhine, germans butchered barely 3 legions at Teutoberg, Trajan walked out of Dacia with 4 legions out of 14, in tatters. Who are depicted on Trajan's column? That's right, dacians. No movie was done about them (except a very old romanian one) and their exploits, and 2,000 years have passed. Don't expect different treatment for german heroes, losers don't get to hear their stories.
@@veliostv9089 Probably because he was a nazi? And I don't mean just a member of Nazi Germany's military, but a convinced and fully outed Nazi and later in life a Neo-Nazi
@@mathijsvs4285 yea but if you recognize a-10 warthog one of the greatest plane in the world was inspired by him. american troop love him and never brought him to prison even though he has multiple crime. fbi called him in 1960-70s asking advice to built a new plane and that was a-10.
@@mathijsvs4285 Did you get permission by Simon Wiesenthal to write that gibberish idiocy? Do you even know what you're saying? Have you read Rudel's book Stuka Pilot, have you any understanding of the conditions that lead to WW2 and what Germany was like 1918-1932? Do you even know what communism is and what danger it posed and still poses to the rest of the world? DDUUURRRRR HE A NAZI!
Not to take anything away from this man, but in my humble opinion, the guy with the biggest balls had to be the Ju87 (Stuka) rear gunner. To sit there, with a comparative 'pop-gun' as protection against enemy fighters and then to be facing 'up' as your aircraft screamed earthwards in a near vertical bombing dive, took, I feel sure, nerves of steel. As a 'Brit' I take my hat off to the bravest of the brave on both sides and in my opinion, Stuka gunners were up there amongst the bravest.
I take your point, George, but consider the comparative plight of the rear gunners in the Russians' IL2 Sturmovik ground attack planes, introduced when they realised they were losing so many to the Luftwaffe because the pilot's armour plating restricted his/her view. These rear gunners were allegedly 'criminals, enemies of the state' etc. They did not have any armour plating for protection and as far as I understand it they were not issued with parachutes either. The mortality rate for these poor souls was appallingly high.
the Russian lost the air hero - Lev Shestakov who crashed whist chasing Rudel On 13 March 1944, Rudel may have been involved in aerial combat with Shestakov. Rudel flew into a valley to evade him, at times flying only 10 feet above the ground, constantly performing brutal evasive maneuvres. Rudel was flying so low that he had to evade trees and it was at this point that his rear gunner realized that Shestakov had crashed. Rudel says in his Auto Biography "Stuka Pilot" - "was he shot down by Gadermann [Rudel's rear gunner], or did he go down because of the backwash from my engine during these tight turns? It doesn't matter. My headphones suddenly exploded in confused screams from the Russian radio; the Russians have observed what happened and something special seems to have happened... From the Russian radio-messages, we discover that this was a very famous Soviet fighter pilot, more than once appointed as Hero of the Soviet Union. I should give him credit: he was a good pilot..."
I read that when he first started out, the dive bombers didn't want him, they didn't think he was any good. As the war went on and they were running out of pilots, they sent him to work and he proved them wrong. Not just anybody earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Nothing new about that. The most legendary air aces in history were not promising when they were starting out--Richthofen, Hartman crashed numerous times when they were just beginning their careers.
I´m not a kind of " spezialist " in WWII neither I already read more than a few books about this but, it´s so easy to write or talk about persons - that the history known as flight aces - and to say things like " he does´t like girls , h´was a drunken pilot and another depreciative ones, these days were long ago in time, they flewn for survive only a one day more, if he survived about 30 hits along his career as a fight pilot, he gained my - and a lot of people more - respect !!!
How come no one's made a movie about him is beyound me. Probably the greatest warrior of the twentieth century. If you gave someone a script asking them to make a movie about his life,particularly his wartime experiences they would reject it and say it was too farfetched. Someone! Make the movie!
I am Japanese.Japan won the battle with Germany in the 1914 Battle of Qingdao, and many German prisoners of war were brought to Japan.It is a story in The Bando POW camp.The number of POWs who came to Japan was about 4,600. There were 16 camps in Japan. POWs then entered six camps.There were about 1000 prisoners of war in the Bando camp. They were housed in eight barracks.Toyohisa Matsue was chosen as the chief of the Bando Camp.Matsue was a soldier of the Japanese Army. He ordered his men not to treat German POW absolutely like a criminal.He ordered his men to treat the German POWs with kindness.matsue told the Subordinate not to say anything that would give sense of guilt to POWs.Japan did not want a war with Germany. At that time, Britain and Japan were allies. There was a request from the United Kingdom, and it became a battle with Germany.Japan made the constitution, medicine, the army in by reference to Germany during the Meiji era.The Meiji era was before the beginning of the First World War.Japan's national anthem Kimigayo was made by Hayashi Hiromori and German Franz Eckert. Matsue began talking to the Germans.I will write his words briefly and briefly. "you guys was a patriot and a brave soldier. We Japanese promise to not treat you badly. We do not undermine your honor," the chief said to the Germans. At this time, the Japanese government decided to introduce German technology to Japan from Germans. Japan ordered each camp to receive guidance from German soldiers in all areas.There were leaders in each of the German prisoners of war, such as politics, economics, teaching of musical instruments, bread making, sausages, whiskeys, beer brewing, etc.The Japanese received instruction from them. Germans taught Japanese people about German food and culture in various parts of Japan.The camp consisted of 26 Western-style buildings including a library, a printing shop, a bread factory and a confectionery factory.POWs were free to use those facilities. Beer, cheese, cigarettes and sausages were made in the camp and POWs were free to eat what they had made.It was permitted to smoke too. Also they were free to shop.There were many other sports facilities in the camp, such as tennis courts and soccer fields and Hockey and cricket field and German-style volleyball court.There were also facilities for wrestling, boxing and gymnastics. There were also billiards and bowling alleys. POWs freely enjoyed the sport.Japan bought tools for sports.There were many young men going in and out of the camp.Germans taught them German culture and gymnastics.The Germans were paid a lot.There were farms, dairy farms and painting studios in the camp. There were various other facilities. There was almost no abuse of POWs in the camp.Discipline was least in all camps. In particular, the discipline at Bando Camp was the least. There was no violence or swearing against prisoners who did not keep discipline. If there was a Japanese who was violent to POW, the Japanese would soon become fired. It was also allowed to send money to families in Germany and other countries. They were also able to send mail.We were also able to receive mail from Germany and other countries. Germans received a monthly salary of $ 15,000. This is the highest class. It depends on the class.Salaries were also paid when Germans worked nearby.German Pow and I said. However, people outside Germany were also in prisoners of war.Austrian, Polish, Hungarian,Jewish, Italian, Russian, Luxembourgish,Czech,French. However, there were many Germans overwhelmingly. Japan treated the people of these countries kindly without discrimination. It is more correct to say that it is a German village than a camp. Japan treated Germans as friends.Japan never forced labor to POWs.The Hague Convention states that POWs should not be abused or forced to work. Japan protected this.Japan also forced a check on the health status of POWs once a week. The Japanese were most concerned about the health of POWs. What was forced in the camp was the only roll call that took place in the morning and evening. Every day, German prisoners of war did what they liked.Japan permitted POWs to do sports, cultural activities and arts.There were a lot of people who do sports daily and people who enjoy their hobbies. It was written in the diary of POW who remains in Japan that "The most annoying thing here is boring." There were many excursions at Bando Camp and other camps. To entertain POWs. A lot of swimming in the ocean was also done. A Japanese soldier said that Germans were good at swimming . POW enjoyed the scenic views of Japan during the excursion.The POWs made crafts and pictures. And POWs sold crafts and pictures to nearby residents. It sold well. Many Japanese people bought at a price much higher than the price.Some people bought it for 10 times the price. It was to help the Germans. They introduced good European crafts to Japan. A music group formed by German POWs played the first Ludwig van Beethoven symphony No. 9 in Japan. Matsue encouraged POW voluntary activities. The Japanese provided goods, money, etc. so that Germans would not be troubled in their lives.There were many exercise facilities in the camp. The sports team formed by the prisoners of war played technical training on soccer in Japan by playing against the Japanese team.There was a restaurant in Bando Camp.There was also a cafe. There were also many shops run by Germans. There was also a Japanese-owned store. They were free to shop.There were also merchants coming and going to the camp, where they could buy alcohol, daily necessities and sweets.Germany surrendered in 1918 and World War I ended. Germans were not prisoners of war on June 28, 1919. From that day Germans were completely free to go out. There was a lot of interaction between the people of the city and the Germans. We offered tea and sweets to Germans who came to play, and taught Japanese culture.Some Germans were in love with Japanese women. The Germans gave a present to the Japanese a few days before they returned home. Thanks to that, the Japanese invited them to the town's house and let them eat a lot of food.And we had a farewell party at each house. At the last farewell, the townspeople saw off the marching Germans.Many Germans remained in Japan.The monthly salary of a German who got a job at a Japanese company was over $ 30,000. This was more than 10 times the salary of Japanese office workers at that time.They set up a company in Japan and married a Japanese. The company founded by Germans is now a big company. Japanese people continue to support by buying many at German made shops.After the war, Germans who spent time in the camp sent Japan many letters of thanks to Japan.The place where the Bando camp was located is now the German Village Park.Before returning home, Germans decided to play Beethoven's 9th Symphony because they wanted to thank Japanese people.The performance was performed by 45 people.Before the performance, Major General Heinrich, the governor of Qingdao, thanked the Japanese. Major General Heinrich said: We lost the battle in Qingdao, we became POWs and came to this land. I can now leave this land with pride. That's thanks to Mr. Matsue. Mr. Matsue gave courage and strength at the hardest time of my life. Courage and power-. We want to present Beethoven's delight to everyone as a token of appreciation. Where in the world were there camps like Bando! There is no such wonderful person like Matsue anywhere in the world.Heinrich presented Mr. Matsue with his favorite Cane. He Say that "To my beloved friend".
One should not forget, however, that the Japanese fought against Germany in the First World War. And where Germany lost, the Japanese got German colonies.
They often flew 2-3 sorties per day and on the Eastern Front against often poorly trained Soviet pilots. These Luftwaffe aces' accomplishment is as much a result of simply surviving as in raw skill. But their contribution to the German war effort and ability to survive in the hellish world of aerial combat sets them apart, and they deserve to be remembered.
Rudel's achievements would make a great movie. Don't propagandize for or against political ideology, just focus on the achievements. It would be much better than nearly all of the modern trash Hollywood makes.
Hollywood make mostly anti-german propaganda movies. Even a simple musical like Sound of Music contains anti-german lies. The von Trapps never fled from Germany. Had nothing to do with any anti-Nazi ideology....all lies from Hollywood.
519 tanks 17 in one day, ya can't beat that. The only guy to get the golden oak leave with crosses and diamond. Straight Germanic bling ya touch that. Badass at it's best, makes me proud to be German love this dude...
Rudel was held as a US POW for close to a year, migrated to South America then back to Germany. As the foremost attack pilot of WW2, Rudel's book, Stuka Pilot,contained a large amount of useful data concerning his combat tactics. The group responsible for developing the A-10 was task with reading his book because of the soundness of his tactics and the building of a platform to exploit them.
Germany had the best and bravest soldiers of the world. God bless Germany and put an end to all the liars in the world that spread lies about Germany to cover up their own warcrimes and auf.
I have very little respect for the US soldier which took Rudel captive after landing in West Germany. First thing he did was grab Rudel's decorations at the point of a gun. Give me Rudel the "Nazi" any day.
hellofalotniceguy Honestly I do believe that this would have been different if he would have surrendered to the British military! They were far more professional in this respect as the US military. By the way, I do say this as a German.
The BEST Stuka book, IMHO, is "Stuka Pilot by Hans Ulrich Rudel". (With Intro by RAF Group Captain Sir Douglas R. S. Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, FRAeS) Besides splitting the prime Russian battleship "Marat" into junk by hitting its deep magazine, Hans took out 519 Russian Tanks, (equivalent of THREE [That’s: 3!] FULL Soviet tank CORPS) many billions of dollars of crucial Russian field equipment, flew 3500+ (OMG!) COMBAT missions, shot down nine faster Soviet fighters, was shot down 24 time yet always came back leading his men flying, even on one leg, and flew to surrender to the Americans after the last day of the war. It was said Hans was “worth a division”. Hitler practically licked his boots when having him for tea, and Hans was smart enough to know how and when to say "Screw you Adolph, my men are not doing suicide missions.” in the most correct and proper German military language and manner such that Adolph swallowed it hook, line, and sinker, and said “So wie du sagst Hans”. (HA!:-) The book's a good buy and read. I'm X- Special Forces, and my Beret’s off to Hans’ spirit and memory. IMHO, Hans proved worth several thousand men of the best. Forget the politics. Different issue in a DIFFERENT category. As a SOLDIER, almost certainly the most effective, efficient, focuses, and skilled in all military history. . www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/hans-ulrich-rudel-pilot.html - [$10 Amazon] . Rest in Peace Hans! Rest in Peace.
He was indeed a magnificent pilot and leader of men. However, I would like to add that there are other contenders for that honour. Erich Hartmann and Adolf Galland are two names that come to mind. Although they flew less missions, Galland in particular, they were both fine pilots, and highly respected by those who served under them, and by their opponents. Having said that, it took a particularly brave pilot to fly a Stuka in combat. Respect to a fine opponent.
Hung Vu I have a framed picture (150x200 mm) of my grandfather in his dress uniform in my home office. He looks both handsome and badass in that moment. He saved the picture through war and post-war times and gave it to me 6 months before he died. I am very proud about it because he had 3 sons, one daughter and a couple of grandchildren but he gave it to me.
BewareOfTheKraut The more I think about the German soldiers in WW2, the more I am at a loss to fully express my admiration and respect for these men. How could these men manage to maintain their determination to resist the enemies until the end of the war, even though when all hope is lost. I can only guess, maybe it was their deeply instilled sense of soldierly honor, or their patriotism, or the fear of witnessing their country and people suffering defeat and humiliation at the hand of the enemy. I also admire the unbreakable sense of comradeship that was forged between them, especially among the Fallschirmjager and Waffen SS, that enabled them to maintain their unity and fighting effectiveness throughout the war. We can never deny the fact that the men of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS were among the finest combat soldiers that have ever fought, and their innovative tactics, skills, discipline, courage, and comradeship were truly praiseworthy.
+Hung Vu I agree completely. A lot of people still believe the Hollywood crap about German soldiers in WW II, but we know the truth as so eloquently said in your post. Soldierly loyalty is like no other, and Rudel's sense of loyalty to his men and his cause and his country is probably what I admire most about him.
What I admire most about the German military tradition is the discipline, esprit de corps, comradeship, strong sense of duty, and commitment to military service demonstrated beyond any dispute by the German soldiers in the war. Even in the face of hopelessness and the harsh truth that Germany would lose the war, they still performed their duties with confidence and efficiency, still resisted the enemies until the bitter end and inflicted heavy casualties on their foes. I can't imagine what it took to sustain such high level of discipline and determination to fight until the end. It is absolutely praiseworthy. For other armies, they might as well capitulated. What a shame the Allied dissolved the brilliant German general staffs and extinguish the Prussian state. Germany is no longer as great as it used to be without militarism.
No his highest Knights Cross (in Gold with diamonds) is still owned by his family, despite some collectors have offered nearly a Million $. A steel Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds is actually traded at ca. $ 70.000 and the version without diamonds at ca. $10.000.
That bit about a garrison surrendering to Brown is true...h'ed flowd AHEAD of the Allied front, landed at a Luftwaffe airbase and the Commander surrendered the entire base, personnel and aircraft to him!
In fact Rudel preferred the Ju-87 over some of the more modern a/c he was offered (FW190) because it was more suited to the anti-armor mission. Just as the A-10 is better than the F-16 at CAS.
If he had been American,they would have made quite a few films about him by now! Same for Marseille,Graf,Grislawski,Hartmann,Galland,Rall,Rudorrfer,Nowotny,Bar,Phillip,Lang,Steinhoff, god the list is endless!
If there is a film about the jerk who founded facebook why the hell nobody has done a movie about this extraordinary soldier, read his book, he was amazing!
I have read Stuka Pilot also. The book is very instructive, about Rudel the man I have little respect for his National Socialists views and attitudes. The bravery and professionalism he showed in combat is worthy of respect and the anti-armor tactics he developed were outstanding.
Its incredible,Ernst was indeed a very special kind og man.He actually hated to go on leave,if he could find a reason to stay with his Geschwader,he would.Rudel never got depressed over the massive losses in his squardron or reflected(in a bad way)over his many brushes with death.He voluntered to fly suicide-mission against Russian Oder bridgehead in 45 but was refused----he was better alive.
Hitler didn't quite understand the importance of air power, especially when facing a country as big as Russia. It was a shame how he misused his finest pilots in an absurd air war with Britain, a country that was of no value militarily even if he did conquer it. He lost almost half of his air force over England, then sent them to face the Russians with no real strategy that could win.
Not disagreeing about the understanding of air power - he also didn't seem to grasp the value of the leap forward represented by the ME262 until it was too late to matter. But, concerning the British, I will point out that GB declared war on the Germans, and began incinerating their cities by night bombing using incendiaries to create firestorms in civilian habitation. Retaliation was required, IMO. The value of subduing the British, if he could have done it, was in denying a jumping off point for the bombers and, later, the invasion of France.
Wow i didn't know this, excelent documental, thanks for share it, i admire the luftwaffe pilots, they were amazing on their dutty all of them were great warriors, again thanks for share this =D
I'd be very leary of accepting Soviet claims about anything. They always claimed they killed some 70,000 Germans at Kursk, when in fact the German KIA figures were only some 3,000. They always claimed some 700 Tigers destroyed in the battle, when only 120 or so were present, & most of them survived. They always claimed a smashing victory at Prokhorovka, when in fact, it their 5th Guards Tank Army that was shot to pieces, & not the SS panzer korps. Rudel's tank victory's were genuine enough.
The allied pilots flew their tour and the best ones were sent back to train new pilots. The Germans had a system where they got a good basic training, but should learn combat at their unit. This worked well at the beginning of the war, when the unit had time for training. But later the new pilots had to learn when they were in combat, which meant higher losses. -The high scoring German aces very often had their training already before the war (but not always), and had gained a large experience.
After the war together with President Juan Perón they develop the Fuerza Aerea Argentina (Argentinian Air Force). He lived several years in Argentina ('48 - '53) and then some time around '74 and '78 during FIFA's World Football Cup.
The most important fact about Rudel was, if he could make this with a plane that was so obsolete - as most would think about the Stuka - what he could made with more modern planes... is a hunter that mades a difference, not the gun !!!
If I remember right, there what the Iron Cross (Iron Cross) steel cross (Steel Cross) and the Knight's Cross of highest order.. A steel Knight's cross, if I remember my German, is Stahl Ritterkreuz. If I'm in the wrong, I'm sorry. My mistake
For a very long time, I thought that Rudel wiped out the 500+ tanks by dive bombing them. NEIN. There were 37mm anti-aircraft cannons, mounted one-each on the fairings of his fixed landing gear, and he destroyed the tanks with them. They had barrels about 15 feet long. The only picture that I've seen, of a Stuka armed with those cannons, was in Rudel's autobiography. It's almost a dead certainty that those cannons were designed by John Moses Browning, in the early 1920s.
Good job, Slipknot45862. I am sure that it took extreme bravery to sit for the tattoo. Really, you earned that decoration just by having it tattooed onto you. When you think about it, you and Rudel are really of the same caliber...cut from the same cloth. [did I lay on the sarcasm a bit too thick, or not?]
If you could sight a couple of those studies it would be helpful in addressing your questions about Rudel and the aircraft he flew. My opinion is that over claiming of successes was pandemic in WW2( any conflict for that matter). A more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of a weapon system would be the countermeasures the enemy had to employ to neutralize or defeat it.
1-Read his auto-biography "Stuka Pilot" and you will have an admiration for this German warrior.2-Any native German growing up in the Fatherland pre WWII if left with the choice between Nazi party or communism would support his country,and rightly so. The Japanese supported theirs,I've yet to hear the Japanese who were commited to their cause apologize for fighting or Pearl Harbor.A warrior's loyality runs deep,not so with critics and certain politicians who were far removed in time from WWII.
Not read his book, but considering the number of sorties he achieved coupled with his experience, I would say he undoubtedly KO'd some,if not all 11, of those he claims, while they were in the air.
They had huge victories because the soviet airforce was obsolete in the the first years of conflict, german fighterplanes were superior and the germans in general had complete air superiority, all this changed starting by 1944. As soon as the italian and the french front openend up, the Luftwaffe`s supply lines were massively overstretched and in general it was massively outnumbered.
Correction to this video when it says he was never once shot by a fighter plane. In Rudel's own words in his autobiography, on pages 134 and 135 (in my 1958 PB edition) "They score one hit after another"... "this is the first and last time a fighter hits my plane." They shot up his plane, but he was able to fly it back to his base.
Love him or hate him, dude was pretty much an unstoppable airborne killing machine.
this was the only German pilot my dad, himself an RAF bomber pilot, ever mentioned, somewhat in awe of what the man achieved in his wartime exploits.
I just read his autobiography and one thing that is not mention here is that he was truly a considerate and thoughtful man as well as a hell of a pilot. You must respect your enemy and he was one hell of an enemy 2 any armored vehicle on the ground. The smart ass comments about his preferences are unwarranted as he was married, read his autobiography if you really want to know about this guy , he was a true badass and a gentleman. He deserves and has earned respect for his accomplishment
The most decorated soldier in the history of western man. What an unbelievable service record. Beyond stunning...
Hans Ulrich Rudel is a legend, no American or British Pilot,was as good.
HAHA. The Spitfire owned the Stuka(flying coffin)
The Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter shoots down any Spitfire from the sky :-)
OldEastGermany
well.... if the 262 can find any gas they can! But the 8th Airforce sent P-51s over all their airfields just to great them on takeoff. See combat ain't fair.
As for Rudel, Read Jeff Coopers book where he interviewed him. Rudel was a true blue Nazi but he really did fight all through the war. Very brave man.
Deaf Smith Germany was better in every respect.
Top aces of submarines and air force and tanks, where are the american or englishman?
List of Ace aces are only German :-)
OldEastGermany On battleships and bombing the shit out of your oil refineries.
The absolute master of his craft.
Many Thanks For your help!
Very nice tribute to the greatest pilot who ever lived.
I'm also learning German to do honor to my relatives who fought for The Fatherland, and I salute the good men of my relatives' home country who gave Their Lives in the fight against the Bolsheviks.
Thank you, Mr. Ulrich Rudel. You are a German hero, and a knight of the country. You are not forgotten!
Should make a MOVIE of this man !!
Why can't I find a documentary about Rudel,on youtube. The man was incredible!
So sick that he survived the whole thing
Werner Herzog should make a movie about this man simply because of his masterful ability to fly that craft
the greatest of heroes! He fought for Europe!!!
Rudel wrote an excellent book, "Stuka Pilot," which is amazingly readable and exciting.
In one word,. Magnificent!
Good for him. At least one German that still wanted to be a German stayed true to his convictions.
There will be a movie about him and the other German soldiers one day. Greatness cannot be thwarted forever, and the meanness of denying a brave enemy soldier respect eats into one's own heart.
Will there? Do you know any movies about dacians and Decebal, that won a war against the romans then they had to send 14 legions to kill him 5 years later ? Off course not. Caesar walked with 8 legions across the Rhine, germans butchered barely 3 legions at Teutoberg, Trajan walked out of Dacia with 4 legions out of 14, in tatters. Who are depicted on Trajan's column? That's right, dacians.
No movie was done about them (except a very old romanian one) and their exploits, and 2,000 years have passed. Don't expect different treatment for german heroes, losers don't get to hear their stories.
I predict, there would be no movie in HOLLYWOOD on HANS ULRICH RUDEL.
Ya... Despite politics and all that stuff this would be some stuff for an amazing movie. Sadly I guess this will never happen.
@@veliostv9089 Probably because he was a nazi? And I don't mean just a member of Nazi Germany's military, but a convinced and fully outed Nazi and later in life a Neo-Nazi
@@mathijsvs4285 yea but if you recognize a-10 warthog one of the greatest plane in the world was inspired by him. american troop love him and never brought him to prison even though he has multiple crime. fbi called him in 1960-70s asking advice to built a new plane and that was a-10.
@@superknightlol FBI called him. LMAO
@@mathijsvs4285 Did you get permission by Simon Wiesenthal to write that gibberish idiocy? Do you even know what you're saying? Have you read Rudel's book Stuka Pilot, have you any understanding of the conditions that lead to WW2 and what Germany was like 1918-1932? Do you even know what communism is and what danger it posed and still poses to the rest of the world?
DDUUURRRRR HE A NAZI!
Beware, be very, very proud of your connection to this great man--
Not to take anything away from this man, but in my humble opinion, the guy with the biggest balls had to be the Ju87 (Stuka) rear gunner. To sit there, with a comparative 'pop-gun' as protection against enemy fighters and then to be facing 'up' as your aircraft screamed earthwards in a near vertical bombing dive, took, I feel sure, nerves of steel. As a 'Brit' I take my hat off to the bravest of the brave on both sides and in my opinion, Stuka gunners were up there amongst the bravest.
I take your point, George, but consider the comparative plight of the rear gunners in the Russians' IL2 Sturmovik ground attack planes, introduced when they realised they were losing so many to the Luftwaffe because the pilot's armour plating restricted his/her view. These rear gunners were allegedly 'criminals, enemies of the state' etc. They did not have any armour plating for protection and as far as I understand it they were not issued with parachutes either. The mortality rate for these poor souls was appallingly high.
Yes - when you strip away all the pomp and BS, its just further examples of man's inhumanity to man!
factnotfictionpeople Well put.
@@factnotfictionpeople1313 and it will never cease.
Proof positive that heroes can work on both sides of any conflict.
this man ALONE was like the 300 at the battle of thermopylae
the Russian lost the air hero - Lev Shestakov who crashed whist chasing Rudel
On 13 March 1944, Rudel may have been involved in aerial combat with Shestakov. Rudel flew into a valley to evade him, at times flying only 10 feet above the ground, constantly performing brutal evasive maneuvres. Rudel was flying so low that he had to evade trees and it was at this point that his rear gunner realized that Shestakov had crashed.
Rudel says in his Auto Biography "Stuka Pilot"
- "was he shot down by Gadermann [Rudel's rear gunner], or did he go down because of the backwash from my engine during these tight turns? It doesn't matter. My headphones suddenly exploded in confused screams from the Russian radio; the Russians have observed what happened and something special seems to have happened... From the Russian radio-messages, we discover that this was a very famous Soviet fighter pilot, more than once appointed as Hero of the Soviet Union. I should give him credit: he was a good pilot..."
A true warrior and loyal to Deutschland like no other; one of the greatest of all time in my consideration.
All I can say is amazing!
11 air victories with Ju-87... that is remarkable!
Untouchable. The Last Eagle.
"In all times and all nations..." A TRUE, REAL LEGEND.
"You are only lost, when you give up on yourself"
The greatest warrior in history.
I read that when he first started out, the dive bombers didn't want him, they didn't think he was any good. As the war went on and they were running out of pilots, they sent him to work and he proved them wrong. Not just anybody earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
You meant golden oak leaves, not just oak leaves. You were demoting his accomplishments by a notch.
Nothing new about that. The most legendary air aces in history were not promising when they were starting out--Richthofen, Hartman crashed numerous times when they were just beginning their careers.
!Good Video about Herr ace Oberst Hans Ulrich-Rudel! that live a long time in Argentina!!!
I´m not a kind of " spezialist " in WWII neither I already read more than a few books about this but, it´s so easy to write or talk about persons - that the history known as flight aces - and to say things like " he does´t like girls , h´was a drunken pilot and another depreciative ones, these days were long ago in time, they flewn for survive only a one day more, if he survived about 30 hits along his career as a fight pilot, he gained my - and a lot of people more - respect !!!
How come no one's made a movie about him is beyound me. Probably the greatest warrior of the twentieth century. If you gave someone a script asking them to make a movie about his life,particularly his wartime experiences they would reject it and say it was too farfetched. Someone! Make the movie!
The most outstanding combat pilot of all time? No shit!
I am Japanese.Japan won the battle with Germany in the 1914 Battle of Qingdao, and many German prisoners of war were brought to Japan.It is a story in The Bando POW camp.The number of POWs who came to Japan was about 4,600. There were 16 camps in Japan. POWs then entered six camps.There were about 1000 prisoners of war in the Bando camp. They were housed in eight barracks.Toyohisa Matsue was chosen as the chief of the Bando Camp.Matsue was a soldier of the Japanese Army. He ordered his men not to treat German POW absolutely like a criminal.He ordered his men to treat the German POWs with kindness.matsue told the Subordinate not to say anything that would give sense of guilt to POWs.Japan did not want a war with Germany. At that time, Britain and Japan were allies. There was a request from the United Kingdom, and it became a battle with Germany.Japan made the constitution, medicine, the army in by reference to Germany during the Meiji era.The Meiji era was before the beginning of the First World War.Japan's national anthem Kimigayo was made by Hayashi Hiromori and German Franz Eckert. Matsue began talking to the Germans.I will write his words briefly and briefly. "you guys was a patriot and a brave soldier. We Japanese promise to not treat you badly. We do not undermine your honor," the chief said to the Germans. At this time, the Japanese government decided to introduce German technology to Japan from Germans. Japan ordered each camp to receive guidance from German soldiers in all areas.There were leaders in each of the German prisoners of war, such as politics, economics, teaching of musical instruments, bread making, sausages, whiskeys, beer brewing, etc.The Japanese received instruction from them.
Germans taught Japanese people about German food and culture in various parts of Japan.The camp consisted of 26 Western-style buildings including a library, a printing shop, a bread factory and a confectionery factory.POWs were free to use those facilities. Beer, cheese, cigarettes and sausages were made in the camp and POWs were free to eat what they had made.It was permitted to smoke too. Also they were free to shop.There were many other sports facilities in the camp, such as tennis courts and soccer fields and Hockey and cricket field and German-style volleyball court.There were also facilities for wrestling, boxing and gymnastics. There were also billiards and bowling alleys. POWs freely enjoyed the sport.Japan bought tools for sports.There were many young men going in and out of the camp.Germans taught them German culture and gymnastics.The Germans were paid a lot.There were farms, dairy farms and painting studios in the camp. There were various other facilities. There was almost no abuse of POWs in the camp.Discipline was least in all camps. In particular, the discipline at Bando Camp was the least. There was no violence or swearing against prisoners who did not keep discipline. If there was a Japanese who was violent to POW, the Japanese would soon become fired. It was also allowed to send money to families in Germany and other countries. They were also able to send mail.We were also able to receive mail from Germany and other countries. Germans received a monthly salary of $ 15,000. This is the highest class. It depends on the class.Salaries were also paid when Germans worked nearby.German Pow and I said. However, people outside Germany were also in prisoners of war.Austrian, Polish, Hungarian,Jewish, Italian, Russian, Luxembourgish,Czech,French. However, there were many Germans overwhelmingly. Japan treated the people of these countries kindly without discrimination. It is more correct to say that it is a German village than a camp. Japan treated Germans as friends.Japan never forced labor to POWs.The Hague Convention states that POWs should not be abused or forced to work. Japan protected this.Japan also forced a check on the health status of POWs once a week. The Japanese were most concerned about the health of POWs.
What was forced in the camp was the only roll call that took place in the morning and evening. Every day, German prisoners of war did what they liked.Japan permitted POWs to do sports, cultural activities and arts.There were a lot of people who do sports daily and people who enjoy their hobbies. It was written in the diary of POW who remains in Japan that "The most annoying thing here is boring." There were many excursions at Bando Camp and other camps. To entertain POWs. A lot of swimming in the ocean was also done. A Japanese soldier said that Germans were good at swimming . POW enjoyed the scenic views of Japan during the excursion.The POWs made crafts and pictures.
And POWs sold crafts and pictures to nearby residents. It sold well. Many Japanese people bought at a price much higher than the price.Some people bought it for 10 times the price. It was to help the Germans. They introduced good European crafts to Japan. A music group formed by German POWs played the first Ludwig van Beethoven symphony No. 9 in Japan. Matsue encouraged POW voluntary activities. The Japanese provided goods, money, etc. so that Germans would not be troubled in their lives.There were many exercise facilities in the camp. The sports team formed by the prisoners of war played technical training on soccer in Japan by playing against the Japanese team.There was a restaurant in Bando Camp.There was also a cafe. There were also many shops run by Germans. There was also a Japanese-owned store. They were free to shop.There were also merchants coming and going to the camp, where they could buy alcohol, daily necessities and sweets.Germany surrendered in 1918 and World War I ended. Germans were not prisoners of war on June 28, 1919. From that day Germans were completely free to go out. There was a lot of interaction between the people of the city and the Germans. We offered tea and sweets to Germans who came to play, and taught Japanese culture.Some Germans were in love with Japanese women. The Germans gave a present to the Japanese a few days before they returned home. Thanks to that, the Japanese invited them to the town's house and let them eat a lot of food.And we had a farewell party at each house. At the last farewell, the townspeople saw off the marching Germans.Many Germans remained in Japan.The monthly salary of a German who got a job at a Japanese company was over $ 30,000. This was more than 10 times the salary of Japanese office workers at that time.They set up a company in Japan and married a Japanese. The company founded by Germans is now a big company. Japanese people continue to support by buying many at German made shops.After the war, Germans who spent time in the camp sent Japan many letters of thanks to Japan.The place where the Bando camp was located is now the German Village Park.Before returning home, Germans decided to play Beethoven's 9th Symphony because they wanted to thank Japanese people.The performance was performed by 45 people.Before the performance, Major General Heinrich, the governor of Qingdao, thanked the Japanese.
Major General Heinrich said:
We lost the battle in Qingdao, we became POWs and came to this land. I can now leave this land with pride. That's thanks to Mr. Matsue. Mr. Matsue gave courage and strength at the hardest time of my life. Courage and power-. We want to present Beethoven's delight to everyone as a token of appreciation. Where in the world were there camps like Bando! There is no such wonderful person like Matsue anywhere in the world.Heinrich presented Mr. Matsue with his favorite Cane. He Say that "To my beloved friend".
One should not forget, however, that the Japanese fought against Germany in the First World War.
And where Germany lost, the Japanese got German colonies.
A.M.=Air Medal a decoration ; DSC= Distinguished Service Cross another medal for outstanding performance.
Thank you for your service and your sacrifice, matchless hero.
They often flew 2-3 sorties per day and on the Eastern Front against often poorly trained Soviet pilots. These Luftwaffe aces' accomplishment is as much a result of simply surviving as in raw skill.
But their contribution to the German war effort and ability to survive in the hellish world of aerial combat sets them apart, and they deserve to be remembered.
Rudel's achievements would make a great movie.
Don't propagandize for or against political ideology, just focus on the achievements.
It would be much better than nearly all of the modern trash Hollywood makes.
He write a book or two, on is in german called: Mein Leben Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Hollywood make mostly anti-german propaganda movies. Even a simple musical like Sound of Music contains anti-german lies. The von Trapps never fled from Germany. Had nothing to do with any anti-Nazi ideology....all lies from Hollywood.
519 tanks 17 in one day, ya can't beat that. The only guy to get the golden oak leave with crosses and diamond. Straight Germanic bling ya touch that. Badass at it's best, makes me proud to be German love this dude...
Swords and diamonds, my bad..
What an amazing person.
Rudel was the best, flying that outdated Stuka! How he survived to the end of the war......?
Rudel was held as a US POW for close to a year, migrated to South America then back to Germany. As the foremost attack pilot of WW2, Rudel's book, Stuka Pilot,contained a large amount of useful data concerning his combat tactics. The group responsible for developing the A-10 was task with reading his book because of the soundness of his tactics and the building of a platform to exploit them.
He was a one-man air force!
Germany had the best and bravest soldiers of the world. God bless Germany and put an end to
all the liars in the world that spread lies about Germany to cover up their own warcrimes and auf.
An incredible pilot. Von Kleiga
Pretty impressive résumé for someone brave enough fly a crate like that!
I have very little respect for the US soldier which took Rudel captive after landing in West Germany. First thing he did was grab Rudel's decorations at the point of a gun. Give me Rudel the "Nazi" any day.
AMEN
Son of native americans land robbers, I don't know why anyone would expect anything else. Shiny ! Shiny ! gimme medals now !
hellofalotniceguy
Honestly I do believe that this would have been different if he would have surrendered to the British military! They were far more professional in this respect as the US military.
By the way, I do say this as a German.
The BEST Stuka book, IMHO, is "Stuka Pilot by Hans Ulrich Rudel". (With Intro by RAF Group Captain Sir Douglas R. S. Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, FRAeS) Besides splitting the prime Russian battleship "Marat" into junk by hitting its deep magazine, Hans took out 519 Russian Tanks, (equivalent of THREE [That’s: 3!] FULL Soviet tank CORPS) many billions of dollars of crucial Russian field equipment, flew 3500+ (OMG!) COMBAT missions, shot down nine faster Soviet fighters, was shot down 24 time yet always came back leading his men flying, even on one leg, and flew to surrender to the Americans after the last day of the war. It was said Hans was “worth a division”. Hitler practically licked his boots when having him for tea, and Hans was smart enough to know how and when to say "Screw you Adolph, my men are not doing suicide missions.” in the most correct and proper German military language and manner such that Adolph swallowed it hook, line, and sinker, and said “So wie du sagst Hans”. (HA!:-) The book's a good buy and read. I'm X- Special Forces, and my Beret’s off to Hans’ spirit and memory. IMHO, Hans proved worth several thousand men of the best. Forget the politics. Different issue in a DIFFERENT category. As a SOLDIER, almost certainly the most effective, efficient, focuses, and skilled in all military history.
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www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/hans-ulrich-rudel-pilot.html - [$10 Amazon]
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Rest in Peace Hans! Rest in Peace.
He was indeed a magnificent pilot and leader of men. However, I would like to add that there are other contenders for that honour. Erich Hartmann and Adolf Galland are two names that come to mind. Although they flew less missions, Galland in particular, they were both fine pilots, and highly respected by those who served under them, and by their opponents. Having said that, it took a particularly brave pilot to fly a Stuka in combat. Respect to a fine opponent.
thank you! spottydog. great!
+Frank Goldstein You're welcome....regards
The perfect soldier.
Hung Vu
I have a framed picture (150x200 mm) of my grandfather in his dress uniform in my home office. He looks both handsome and badass in that moment. He saved the picture through war and post-war times and gave it to me 6 months before he died. I am very proud about it because he had 3 sons, one daughter and a couple of grandchildren but he gave it to me.
BewareOfTheKraut The more I think about the German soldiers in WW2, the more I am at a loss to fully express my admiration and respect for these men. How could these men manage to maintain their determination to resist the enemies until the end of the war, even though when all hope is lost. I can only guess, maybe it was their deeply instilled sense of soldierly honor, or their patriotism, or the fear of witnessing their country and people suffering defeat and humiliation at the hand of the enemy. I also admire the unbreakable sense of comradeship that was forged between them, especially among the Fallschirmjager and Waffen SS, that enabled them to maintain their unity and fighting effectiveness throughout the war. We can never deny the fact that the men of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS were among the finest combat soldiers that have ever fought, and their innovative tactics, skills, discipline, courage, and comradeship were truly praiseworthy.
+Hung Vu I agree completely. A lot of people still believe the Hollywood crap about German soldiers in WW II, but we know the truth as so eloquently said in your post. Soldierly loyalty is like no other, and Rudel's sense of loyalty to his men and his cause and his country is probably what I admire most about him.
What I admire most about the German military tradition is the discipline, esprit de corps, comradeship, strong sense of duty, and commitment to military service demonstrated beyond any dispute by the German soldiers in the war. Even in the face of hopelessness and the harsh truth that Germany would lose the war, they still performed their duties with confidence and efficiency, still resisted the enemies until the bitter end and inflicted heavy casualties on their foes. I can't imagine what it took to sustain such high level of discipline and determination to fight until the end. It is absolutely praiseworthy. For other armies, they might as well capitulated. What a shame the Allied dissolved the brilliant German general staffs and extinguish the Prussian state. Germany is no longer as great as it used to be without militarism.
Hung Vu
You are completely right, Sir.
But times, they are changing...
should read his book: Stuka Pilot
You have to read his book.
No his highest Knights Cross (in Gold with diamonds) is still owned by his family, despite some collectors have offered nearly a Million $. A steel Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds is actually traded at ca. $ 70.000 and the version without diamonds at ca. $10.000.
That bit about a garrison surrendering to Brown is true...h'ed flowd AHEAD of the Allied front, landed at a Luftwaffe airbase and the Commander surrendered the entire base, personnel and aircraft to him!
In fact Rudel preferred the Ju-87 over some of the more modern a/c he was offered (FW190) because it was more suited to the anti-armor mission. Just as the A-10 is better than the F-16 at CAS.
Incredibly determined, skilled and lucky.
If he had been American,they would have made quite a few films about him by now!
Same for Marseille,Graf,Grislawski,Hartmann,Galland,Rall,Rudorrfer,Nowotny,Bar,Phillip,Lang,Steinhoff, god the list is endless!
Ja mein Freund! Respeckt für Herr Rudel, Herr Molders, und jeder Deutsch Flugzeugführer der Welt Krieg Zwei! Salutieren!
I love Herr Oberst Hans Ulrich-Rudel!!!!
What a Legend. ..
If there is a film about the jerk who founded facebook why the hell nobody has done a movie about this extraordinary soldier, read his book, he was amazing!
Because the whole filmindustry is owned by those who hate all free White men and especially German heroes.
@@davidallen7481 And they got another JOO to play him.
519 Soviet tanks, a Soviet Destroyer, Cruiser, Battleship and countless other targets...Rudel was the man, enough said.
Erich Hartmann was the best pilot of WWII and the best ace in history.
Truly an amazing warrior and he accomplished his exploits with a slow, outdated aircraft. I had a model of his Stuka when I was a kid.
I have read Stuka Pilot also. The book is very instructive, about Rudel the man I have little respect for his National Socialists views and attitudes. The bravery and professionalism he showed in combat is worthy of respect and the anti-armor tactics he developed were outstanding.
He was getting it done !
Its incredible,Ernst was indeed a very special kind og man.He actually hated to go on leave,if he could find a reason to stay with his Geschwader,he would.Rudel never got depressed over the massive losses in his squardron or reflected(in a bad way)over his many brushes with death.He voluntered to fly suicide-mission against Russian Oder bridgehead in 45 but was refused----he was better alive.
Hitler didn't quite understand the importance of air power, especially when facing a country as big as Russia. It was a shame how he misused his finest pilots in an absurd air war with Britain, a country that was of no value militarily even if he did conquer it. He lost almost half of his air force over England, then sent them to face the Russians with no real strategy that could win.
Not disagreeing about the understanding of air power - he also didn't seem to grasp the value of the leap forward represented by the ME262 until it was too late to matter. But, concerning the British, I will point out that GB declared war on the Germans, and began incinerating their cities by night bombing using incendiaries to create firestorms in civilian habitation. Retaliation was required, IMO. The value of subduing the British, if he could have done it, was in denying a jumping off point for the bombers and, later, the invasion of France.
He really knows how to use a stuka 😎
READ "STUKA PILOT" ABOUT HIS LIFE.
"Solamente está perdido, el que se da por vencido".
Wow i didn't know this, excelent documental, thanks for share it, i admire the luftwaffe pilots, they were amazing on their dutty all of them were great warriors, again thanks for share this =D
I'd be very leary of accepting Soviet claims about anything. They always claimed they killed some 70,000 Germans at Kursk, when in fact the German KIA figures were only some 3,000. They always claimed some 700 Tigers destroyed in the battle, when only 120 or so were present, & most of them survived. They always claimed a smashing victory at Prokhorovka, when in fact, it their 5th Guards Tank Army that was shot to pieces, & not the SS panzer korps. Rudel's tank victory's were genuine enough.
The allied pilots flew their tour and the best ones were sent back to train new pilots. The Germans had a system where they got a good basic training, but should learn combat at their unit. This worked well at the beginning of the war, when the unit had time for training. But later the new pilots had to learn when they were in combat, which meant higher losses. -The high scoring German aces very often had their training already before the war (but not always), and had gained a large experience.
the Hollywood movie about him is very good ohhh there is none just about red tails more important hahaha
After the war together with President Juan Perón they develop the Fuerza Aerea Argentina (Argentinian Air Force). He lived several years in Argentina ('48 - '53) and then some time around '74 and '78 during FIFA's World Football Cup.
The most important fact about Rudel was, if he could make this with a plane that was so obsolete - as most would think about the Stuka - what he could made with more modern planes... is a hunter that mades a difference, not the gun !!!
Again, Vu, very well said.
If I remember right, there what the Iron Cross (Iron Cross) steel cross (Steel Cross) and the Knight's Cross of highest order.. A steel Knight's cross, if I remember my German, is Stahl Ritterkreuz. If I'm in the wrong, I'm sorry. My mistake
@Grendo147 Actually Eisenhower was 1/4 Swiss so the 100% kinda goes out the window :)) But both were true Americans.
For a very long time, I thought that Rudel wiped out the 500+ tanks by dive bombing them. NEIN. There were 37mm anti-aircraft cannons, mounted one-each on the fairings of his fixed landing gear, and he destroyed the tanks with them. They had barrels about 15 feet long. The only picture that I've seen, of a Stuka armed with those cannons, was in Rudel's autobiography. It's almost a dead certainty that those cannons were designed by John Moses Browning, in the early 1920s.
does not matter if he was nazi or not, the best combat pilot of all time.
@sabbathian among his air victories was Lev Shestakov, russian fighter ace and hero of the soviet union. beaten by a Ju-87...
Good job, Slipknot45862. I am sure that it took extreme bravery to sit for the tattoo. Really, you earned that decoration just by having it tattooed onto you. When you think about it, you and Rudel are really of the same caliber...cut from the same cloth. [did I lay on the sarcasm a bit too thick, or not?]
My plane isn’t designed for dog fighting, hold my milk.
Everyone knows the red baron, but no one heard of Rudel, weird.
Best Soviet WW2 ace had 62 victories, no where near 100.
If you could sight a couple of those studies it would be helpful in addressing your questions about Rudel and the aircraft he flew. My opinion is that over claiming of successes was pandemic in WW2( any conflict for that matter). A more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of a weapon system would be the countermeasures the enemy had to employ to neutralize or defeat it.
Hele mooie prestatie
zozo die kerel heeft het goed gedaan hoor. cudos he.
@spottydog4477
you are right,"don't hate the player,hate the game"
Master of Air!
Rudel alone counts for an entire squadron, can't put it better myself, and that is just based on the facts.
1-Read his auto-biography "Stuka Pilot" and you will have an admiration for this German warrior.2-Any native German growing up in the Fatherland pre WWII if left with the choice between Nazi party or communism would support his country,and rightly so. The Japanese supported theirs,I've yet to hear the Japanese who were commited to their cause apologize for fighting or Pearl Harbor.A warrior's loyality runs deep,not so with critics and certain politicians who were far removed in time from WWII.
Not read his book, but considering the number of sorties he achieved coupled with his experience, I would say he undoubtedly KO'd some,if not all 11, of those he claims, while they were in the air.
a badass's badass
They had huge victories because the soviet airforce was obsolete in the the first years of conflict, german fighterplanes were superior and the germans in general had complete air superiority, all this changed starting by 1944. As soon as the italian and the french front openend up, the Luftwaffe`s supply lines were massively overstretched and in general it was massively outnumbered.
are we talking about Rudels 'character' or his actual combat achievments? (they're not the same)
Correction to this video when it says he was never once shot by a fighter plane. In Rudel's own words in his autobiography, on pages 134 and 135 (in my 1958 PB edition) "They score one hit after another"... "this is the first and last time a fighter hits my plane." They shot up his plane, but he was able to fly it back to his base.
Many thanks for the book reference..I appreciate it..
Not THAT is what a man with brass balls looks like!