Avete,
How did Erich Hartmann die? Is Ursula still alive?
Valete,
-Spandau
The Death of Erich Hartmann
Moderator: Commissar D, the Evil
The Death of Erich Hartmann
If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze into you.
I found this biography, dated 1993, but doesn't mention how he died or anything about Ursula.
> Colonel Erich Hartmann, the German fighter ace who has died near Stuttgart
>aged 71, scored the record total of 352 "victories" during the Second World
>War.
> Such a phenomenal number may seem fanciful, but it was carefully validated.
>Most of it was accumulated on the Eastern Front, where the Soviet aircraft
>were no match for his Me 109. Nor, in general, were the opposing pilots in
>"Bubi" Hartmann's league.
> His strike rate accelerated dramatically in the desperate Battle of Kursk on
>the Central Front. On July 7 1943 he destroyed seven Red Air Force aircraft
>over the battle.
> Yet he was unquestionably an "ace of aces", as he demonstrated on the rare
>occasions when he encountered American aircraft. Towards the end of the war
>his piloting skills and marksmanship were tested against American Mustangs.
>In 1945 he shot down five American Mustang fighter pilots over Romania in two
>sorties on one day, and shortly afterwards two more over Czechoslovakia.
>Hartmann ascribed his success to close combat. "My only tactics", he recalled,
>"were to wait until I had the chance to attack the enemy and then close in at
>high speed. I opened fire only when the whole windshield was black with the
>enemy. Then not a single shot went wild. I hit the enemy with all my guns and
>he went down."
> Only once was he himself shot down. On Aug 20 1943 he scrambled out of his
>crippled Me 109 unscathed and into the hands of Soviet soldiers.
> Feigning injury, he was placed on a stretcher in a truck and driven, so he was
>told, to find a doctor. On the way he sprang up, threw his guard against the
>cab and dodged shots as he scrambled through a field full of swaying sunflower
>stalks.
> Sleeping by day and walking by night, he reached the front where he was almost
>shot by a German sentry who challenged him. Shortly afterwards he rejoined his
>fighter group, JG-52.
> Erich Hartmann was born at Weissach in the former kingdom of Wurttemburg on
>April 19 1922. He spent his early boyhood in China where his father was a
>doctor. The family returned to Germany at a time when clandestine preparations
>were being made to rebuild the air force, using gliding centres. From the age
>of 14, young Erich was encouraged by his mother - herself a pilot- to learn
>to glide.
> In 1938, still only 16, he qualified as a gliding instructor. On Nov 15 1940
>he joined Luftwaffe Training Regiment 10, near Konigsberg in East Prussia.
>The next year he moved to the Air Academy School at Gatow airfield, Berlin.
>On graduating he was posted to the Russian front to join 7th Squadron of JG-52,
>which he eventually commanded.
> Fair-haired, blue-eyed and baby-faced, he was nicknamed "Bubi" and "the Blond
>Knight".
> While his score mounted, Hartmann longed to be with his sweetheart, Ursula
>"Usch" Puetsch; a bleeding heart pierced by an arrow was painted on the fuselage
>of his aircraft.
> By the time they married in 1944 he was a celebrated figure in the Third Reich.
>To his Knight's Cross was added a succession of Oak Leaves, Swords and finally
>Diamonds.
> His Aryan features became a familiar sight at Hitler's "Wolf's Lair" battle
>headquarters.
> When Hartmann was summoned to receive the Diamonds after the failed
>assassination attempt on Hitler of July 1944, he was told to disarm himself
>before entering the presence of the Fuhrer. "No pistol", Hartmann insisted,
>"no Diamonds - unless I am trusted". When his point had been accepted, he
>duly surrendered his weapon.
> On other occasions when Hitler commanded his presence, Hartmann arrived in
>such an inebriated state that the Nazi aides were hard put to stop him from
>juggling with the Fuhrer's cap.
> After flying his last operational sortie on May 8 1945 - the day the war in
>Europe ended - Hartmann landed on an airfield under Soviet fire after
>scoring his final and 352nd victory.
> He then marched his group and its camp followers towards the American lines
>at Pisek in Czechoslovakia and surrendered to the 90th US Infantry Division.
>Eight days later the Americans handed the group over to the Russians who
>separated women and girls and raped many of them in front of their menfolk.
>Most of the women were never seen again.
> Hartmann was sent to Russia and imprisoned for 10 bleak years during which he
>suffered intense hardship until Chancellor Adenauer negotiated his repatriation
>in 1956. The next year he resumed with the new German air force and learned
>to fly jets with the Ameicans at Kraut Field, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
>In 1959 he received command of a German fighter wing and was promoted colonel
>before his retirement.
>
>Hartmann and his wife had a daughter.
> Colonel Erich Hartmann, the German fighter ace who has died near Stuttgart
>aged 71, scored the record total of 352 "victories" during the Second World
>War.
> Such a phenomenal number may seem fanciful, but it was carefully validated.
>Most of it was accumulated on the Eastern Front, where the Soviet aircraft
>were no match for his Me 109. Nor, in general, were the opposing pilots in
>"Bubi" Hartmann's league.
> His strike rate accelerated dramatically in the desperate Battle of Kursk on
>the Central Front. On July 7 1943 he destroyed seven Red Air Force aircraft
>over the battle.
> Yet he was unquestionably an "ace of aces", as he demonstrated on the rare
>occasions when he encountered American aircraft. Towards the end of the war
>his piloting skills and marksmanship were tested against American Mustangs.
>In 1945 he shot down five American Mustang fighter pilots over Romania in two
>sorties on one day, and shortly afterwards two more over Czechoslovakia.
>Hartmann ascribed his success to close combat. "My only tactics", he recalled,
>"were to wait until I had the chance to attack the enemy and then close in at
>high speed. I opened fire only when the whole windshield was black with the
>enemy. Then not a single shot went wild. I hit the enemy with all my guns and
>he went down."
> Only once was he himself shot down. On Aug 20 1943 he scrambled out of his
>crippled Me 109 unscathed and into the hands of Soviet soldiers.
> Feigning injury, he was placed on a stretcher in a truck and driven, so he was
>told, to find a doctor. On the way he sprang up, threw his guard against the
>cab and dodged shots as he scrambled through a field full of swaying sunflower
>stalks.
> Sleeping by day and walking by night, he reached the front where he was almost
>shot by a German sentry who challenged him. Shortly afterwards he rejoined his
>fighter group, JG-52.
> Erich Hartmann was born at Weissach in the former kingdom of Wurttemburg on
>April 19 1922. He spent his early boyhood in China where his father was a
>doctor. The family returned to Germany at a time when clandestine preparations
>were being made to rebuild the air force, using gliding centres. From the age
>of 14, young Erich was encouraged by his mother - herself a pilot- to learn
>to glide.
> In 1938, still only 16, he qualified as a gliding instructor. On Nov 15 1940
>he joined Luftwaffe Training Regiment 10, near Konigsberg in East Prussia.
>The next year he moved to the Air Academy School at Gatow airfield, Berlin.
>On graduating he was posted to the Russian front to join 7th Squadron of JG-52,
>which he eventually commanded.
> Fair-haired, blue-eyed and baby-faced, he was nicknamed "Bubi" and "the Blond
>Knight".
> While his score mounted, Hartmann longed to be with his sweetheart, Ursula
>"Usch" Puetsch; a bleeding heart pierced by an arrow was painted on the fuselage
>of his aircraft.
> By the time they married in 1944 he was a celebrated figure in the Third Reich.
>To his Knight's Cross was added a succession of Oak Leaves, Swords and finally
>Diamonds.
> His Aryan features became a familiar sight at Hitler's "Wolf's Lair" battle
>headquarters.
> When Hartmann was summoned to receive the Diamonds after the failed
>assassination attempt on Hitler of July 1944, he was told to disarm himself
>before entering the presence of the Fuhrer. "No pistol", Hartmann insisted,
>"no Diamonds - unless I am trusted". When his point had been accepted, he
>duly surrendered his weapon.
> On other occasions when Hitler commanded his presence, Hartmann arrived in
>such an inebriated state that the Nazi aides were hard put to stop him from
>juggling with the Fuhrer's cap.
> After flying his last operational sortie on May 8 1945 - the day the war in
>Europe ended - Hartmann landed on an airfield under Soviet fire after
>scoring his final and 352nd victory.
> He then marched his group and its camp followers towards the American lines
>at Pisek in Czechoslovakia and surrendered to the 90th US Infantry Division.
>Eight days later the Americans handed the group over to the Russians who
>separated women and girls and raped many of them in front of their menfolk.
>Most of the women were never seen again.
> Hartmann was sent to Russia and imprisoned for 10 bleak years during which he
>suffered intense hardship until Chancellor Adenauer negotiated his repatriation
>in 1956. The next year he resumed with the new German air force and learned
>to fly jets with the Ameicans at Kraut Field, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
>In 1959 he received command of a German fighter wing and was promoted colonel
>before his retirement.
>
>Hartmann and his wife had a daughter.
Cheers,
Patrick
When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
Patrick
When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
Eric Hartmann
I remember reading an account of Hartmann. One of the German pilots doubted his combat skills. So one day Eric took him out on a sortie and displayed his skills. The German pilot never doubted him again. If I can I'll try to dig up the book and provide more information if anyone is interested.
He was truly and exceptional pilot along with Galland, Steinhoff, etc..
He was truly and exceptional pilot along with Galland, Steinhoff, etc..
To those who fought reguardless of nationality
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