Who was the most decorated German soldier in World War II?
Who was the most decorated German soldier in World War II?
Hans-Ulrich Rudel
| Hans-Ulrich Rudel | |
|---|---|
| Hans-Ulrich Rudel in 1945 (Adolf Galland in the background) | |
| Nickname(s) | Adler der Ostfront (“Eagle of the Eastern Front”) |
| Born | 2 July 1916 Konradswaldau, German Empire |
| Died | 18 December 1982 (aged 66) Rosenheim, West Germany |
How did Rudel lose his leg?
On this last mission, a 40 mm shell hit their Ju 87. Rudel was badly wounded in the right foot and crash landed inside German lines. Gadermann saved Rudel’s life by pulling him from the severely damaged Ju 87 and stemming the bleeding. Later, Rudel’s leg was amputated below the knee.
What is a Stuka pilot?
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”) was a German dive-bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 operated with considerable success in close air support and anti-shipping roles at the outbreak of World War II.
Is dive bombing still used?
Most tactical aircraft today allow bombing in shallow dives to keep the target visible, but true dive bombers have not been a part of military forces since the start of the jet age.
How many times was Hans Ulrich Rudel shot down?
Han-Ulrich Rudel was the kind of pilot that every soldier wants overhead. He was a close air support and dive bomber pilot who flew 3,500 combat missions and kept getting into the cockpit even after he was shot down 32 times and wounded five times.
Where is Hans Rudel buried?
December 22, 1982
Hans-Ulrich Rudel/Date of burial
What were Stukas used for?
The Stuka was designed to employ the dive-bombing technique developed earlier by the U.S. Navy—i.e., diving on the target at a steep angle and releasing the bombs at low altitude for maximum accuracy before breaking away.
What is the meaning of the word Stuka?
(ˈstuːkə, German ˈʃtuːkɑː) noun. a German two-seated dive bomber with a single in-line engine, used by the Luftwaffe in World War II.
Who was the Stuka ace in World War 2?
That little boy who dreamed of becoming an airman was Stuka ace Hans Ulrich Rudel. Rudel’s journey to fulfill his dream would not be easy, ultimately earning him the highest decoration of any German serviceman in World War II. Adhering to his maxim, “He is only lost who gives himself up for lost,” Rudel faced death untold times.
Who was the pilot of the Stuka bomber?
Pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel claimed in his memoire Stuka Pilot to have destroyed 519 tanks, sunk the battleship Marat, and shot down 52 aircraft mostly while flying a Stuka.
Where did the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka get its name?
The Junkers Ju-87 Stuka was an infamous dive bomber produced in Germany before and during World War Two (the name was derived from Sturzkampfflugzeug which translates to dive bomber). Approximately 6,500 were built between 1936 to 1944.
Who was the Stuka ace who broke his leg?
The umbrella turned inside out, the boy landed in a flowerbed and broke his leg. That little boy who dreamed of becoming an airman was Stuka ace Hans Ulrich Rudel. Rudel’s journey to fulfill his dream would not be easy, ultimately earning him the highest decoration of any German serviceman in World War II.