Hans Rudel - Stuka Pilot

jscott · Post by **jscott** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:04 pm

Curious if anyone had a book or website they could reccomend about him. I know he was a Stuka pilot whose specialty was tank busting on the Eastern Front, but about all I have. Would be most appreciated of any help given.

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:35 pm

There is a book called, appropriately, STuka Pilot. I have it in one of my boxes but can't get to it now - I think its an autobiography.

Interesting note - years ago (sixties) I first read the book and not long after saw a newspaper item that surpised me (but shouldn't have). Hans Ulrich Rudel had one a significant ski championship (forgot what). Not bad for a man who'd lost a leg!

cheers
Reb

Nordwest · Post by **Nordwest** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:02 pm

What is your question about Rudel, the very many books, the soldier, the survivor...?

Ein "Held", mit Schatten auf der Seele, auch ein Neo-Nazi, ein Unverbesserlicher, leider.

Aber auch ein Held, der höchstdekorierte Pilot der Geschichte.

Rudel was very "different", high decorated, otherwise..., sorry

Michael

krichter33 · Post by **krichter33** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:02 pm

The name of the book is Stuka Pilot and its by Rudel. If you're interested in the man you should read this book. It is very good, and I'm sure you can find it pretty much anywhere. There is also another book called Stuka Pilot by Gunther Just published by Schiffer. It is mostly a photo book, but it is also quite good.

Nordwest · Post by **Nordwest** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:20 pm

I do not trust to these many books from the USA, especially about "Luftwaffe-Aces"!

Stories over and over again, did anyone here in the Feldgrau Forum had any contact to a german Ace of that time...?

I had, to the elder Wolfgang Späte, a few years, before Herr Späte passed away.

Its not the place, the time to share, sorry.

Michael

Helmut · Post by **Helmut** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:16 am

Servus,
John Toland's book, THE LAST 100 DAYS has some good accounts abour Rudal towards the end of the war. That's where I first heard abour Rudel, back in the '70s when the book first came out.
When I was stationed in Germany back in the 1970s, I was there when Rudel passed away, I remember a couple of high ranking Luftwaffe officers, at the 3 and 4 star level, were relieved for attending his funeral or something to that effect. It turns out that the Defense minister had issued a prohibition against attending the funeral and the 4 star had flown with Rudel during the war.

Regards,

Helmut

jscott · Post by **jscott** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:33 am

Helmut

It just goes to show you how bad political correctnes is, when you cant even honour a fallen commerade. and if you do, you get fired for doing so

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:45 am

yes, intresting story, stupid political correctness...... but probably this might be due to some of Rudel's political behaviour, for example compare this to Manstein, whom the Bundeswehr gave a full funeral and honour guards to, since after the war Manstein did not do political activities like Rudel.

Helmut · Post by **Helmut** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:10 am

Helmut Von Moltke wrote:yes, intresting story, stupid political correctness...... but probably this might be due to some of Rudel's political behaviour, for example compare this to Manstein, whom the Bundeswehr gave a full funeral and honour guards to, since after the war Manstein did not do political activities like Rudel.

Yes, I'm sure his politics played a role , I had heard Rudel described as an " unrepentant Nazi," but, having said that, I would have thought the authorities would ahve been so happy to have gotten rid of him once and for all that it wouldn't have been worth the hassle of prohibiting attendance at his funeral. After all, Rudel might have been an embarassment but the two generals that were prohibited from attending the funeral were a 3 star and 4 star rank and had they not been politically reliable, they would never have attained those ranks, regardless of their competence.

Just my thoughts.

Regards,

Helmut

Wolfgang Pach · Post by **Wolfgang Pach** » Wed May 03, 2006 10:44 am

jscott wrote:Curious if anyone had a book or website they could reccomend about him. I know he was a Stuka pilot whose specialty was tank busting on the Eastern Front, but about all I have. Would be most appreciated of any help given.

If you read the bio of Rudel, you find out that the Brits had him brought to England to teach there Air Force Pilots anti Tank warefare. Besides, he was not the only one politically incorrect, he just choose not to hide his feelings.

W.

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Thu May 04, 2006 12:50 am

Avete,

Having read his book, I would not so much call him a Nazi as a nationalist. In the reading of memoirs I have done in the past, there were a few men who veiled their Nazi ideals behind the guise of super patriotism. Still, when I read Rudel's book, he had a sort of naive sincerety about his book that led me to believe that he was more a patriotic idealist who didn't believe in the more brutal ideas of the Nazi's.

Valete,

-Spandau

Michael Miller / ABR · Fri May 05, 2006 3:53 pm

Interesting little factoid- he was a member of the Allgemeine-SS. I don't know if he held NSDAP membership as well, but it's possible he might have joined prior to his enlistment in the Luftwaffe.

Best wishes,
~ Mike

Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Oberst (Luftwaffe) /
SS-Sturmmann

* 02.07.1916 in Konradswaldau / Kreis Landshut.
+ 18.12.1982 in Rosenheim / Oberbayern.

NSDAP-Nr.: [Unknown if he held Party membership]
SS-Nr.: 206 913 (Joined 00.00.1936)

Promotions:
01.01.1939 Leutnant
01.09.1940 Oberleutnant
01.04.1943 Hauptmann (mit RDA vom 01.04.1942)
[19.10.1943] SS-Sturmmann
01.03.1944 Major (mit RDA vom 01.10.1942)
01.09.1944 Oberstleutnant
01.01.1945 Oberst

Decorations & Awards:
29.12.1944 Goldenes Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Only recipient) as Oberstleutnant and Fhr.
Schlachtgeschwader 2 “Immelmann” (personally presented by Adolf Hitler)
29.03.1944 Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (10.) as Major and Kdr. III.Gruppe / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front (personally presented by Adolf Hitler)
25.11.1943 Schwertern zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (42.) as Hauptmann and Kdr. III.Gruppe / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front (personally presented by Adolf Hitler)
14.04.1943 Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (229.) as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 1.Staffel /
Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
06.01.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
02.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 9.Staffel / Stukageschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front
15.07.1941 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
10.11.1939 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
00.05.1944 Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer und Beobachterabzeichen in Gold mit Brillanten
00.06.1944 Frontflug-Spange für Schlachtflieger in Gold & Platinum mit Anhänger (“2000” in diamonds)
20.09.1941 Ehrenpokal für Besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Gold mit Anhänger
18.07.1941 Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Gold
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Silber
00.00.194_ Frontflug-Spange für Kampfflieger in Bronze
00.00.19 Flugzeugführerabzeichen
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Gold
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Silber
27.03.1944; 28.03.1944; Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
03.06.1944; 06.08.1944;
and 10.02.1945
00.00.1942 Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”
ca. 1939 Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.194_ Goldenes Hitler-Jugend Ehrenzeichen
16.01.1945 Officer’s Large Gold Bravery Medal (Hungary)

Note: Rudel flew 2,530 sorties (all but approximately 400 in the Ju-87; the remainder in a Focke-Wulf Fw-190), destroying the following Soviet military assets:

9 aircraft (7 fighters and 2 Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack planes; scored while flying the FW-190)
519 tanks
150 artillery pieces
1000 vehicles
70 landing craft
4 warships (including the battleship “Marat”, two cruisers, and a destroyer)
Numerous bunkers, bridges, and supply lines

michael kenny · Post by **michael kenny** » Fri May 05, 2006 5:32 pm

Impresive claims. Can I ask if this was after the 33-50% reduction applied to all claims in the East 1943-45?
So did he claim 786 tanks and was awarded 519
Or claim 519 and was awarded 347?

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Sat May 06, 2006 2:49 am

Avete,

He has been officially awarded with 519.

Valete,

-Spandau

michael kenny · Post by **michael kenny** » Sat May 06, 2006 6:41 am

There is a valid point here. In the East claimed kills far outnumber the kills claimed in the West. I would say this is because Western sources are easier to check and thus these claims are kept nearer to the actual number (but still with a significant overclaim)
In the East we are routinely treated to claims of 20+ T34's in one action. Now if you add up total Soviet tank production figures you notice these kill claims are, how shall I say it, excessive.
This was recognised at the time and in 1943 a 33% reduction was applied when the kills were collated for intelligence estimates. In 1944 the reduction applied was 50%. Now as this adjustment took place many levels above the front line Units then clearly the claims of these Units are to say the least, unreliable.
I have yet to see a Unit History or a personal account that even mentions the reduction % and thus it seems all the claimed kills, confirmed or otherwise are grossly overestimated.
If anyone has any information to suggest these intelligence reduction % was passed down the line and then the claims were adjusted to take account of it then I would be grateful if they could post a source here.

Feldgrau.net

Hans Rudel - Stuka Pilot

Hans Rudel - Stuka Pilot

Re: Hans Rudel - Stuka Pilot