Stuka Pilot

Autobiography of World War Two Luftwaffe pilot Hans Ulrich Rudel, the most highly decorated German serviceman of WW2, and the only one to be awarded the Third Reich’s most prestigious medal which was specially created for Rudel by Hitler himself, the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Shot down over 24 times, Hans Rudel is credited with destroying over 500 tanks, 2,000 ground targets, the Russian battleship Marat, two cruisers and a destroyer, and was so successful against Russian forces that Joseph Stalin put up a 100,000 rouble ransom on his head. His flying record of over 2,500 combat missions remains unmatched by any pilot since. Hans Rudel remained a complex character, but arguably one of WW2’s most heroic figures. This is a new edition of this classic war epic which includes new maps, photographs, and footnotes, with an introduction by British air ace Group Captain Douglas Bader.