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 Reichs most prestigious medal which was specially created for Rudel by Hitler himself the Knights 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 2000 ground targets the Russian battleship Marat two cruisers and a destroyer and was so successful against Russian forces that Joseph Stalin put up a 100000 rouble ransom on his head. His flying record of over 2500 combat missions remains unmatched by any pilot since.Until his death in 1982 Hans Rudel remained a loyal supporter of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism. Hans Rudel remained a complex character but arguably one of WW2s 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.