Stuka Pilot. excellent book. link included.

[Citabria]

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDF_Books/Stuka%20Pilot%20-%20Hans%20Ulrich%20Rudel.pdf

you can read the full book in this link.

I still do not think Rudel was human. The adversity this guy had to overcome from his first flights through 5 years of war mostly in antiquated ju87s...

makes me hope for a ju87g after reading this stuff. though the il2 is just as fun no doubt.

[bbosen]

Yeah. I was VERY impressed when I read that book in paperback form several years back. I was astonished to learn that many German officers really believed America would re-equip surviving German military groups and invite them to join us in an extra chapter of the war, in which we would both turn against Russia.

And I agree with you that Rudel's survival and determination went far beyond the normal bounds of human endurance. Superman indeed!

[MachFly]

Will take a look, thanks for posting.

[Oldman731]

http://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDF_Books/Stuka%20Pilot%20-%20Hans%20Ulrich%20Rudel.pdf

you can read the full book in this link.

I still do not think Rudel was human. The adversity this guy had to overcome from his first flights through 5 years of war mostly in antiquated ju87s...

makes me hope for a ju87g after reading this stuff. though the il2 is just as fun no doubt.

Like some other memoirs, this one has to be taken with some skepticism.

Plus, the guy was such an unadulterated, unrepentant Nazi that I just sit back in shock whenever I read that book.

- oldman.

[007Rusty]

Thanks for posting.......   

[Lusche]

Plus, the guy was such an unadulterated, unrepentant Nazi that I just sit back in shock whenever I read that book.

I cringe whenever I see Rudel presented as a "hero" and people speak of his his achievements in awe. He was a true Nazi all of his life and very active in neo-nazi circles after the war.

[Citabria]

"Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost"

The interest of the book is not politics nor the writers loyalty to what beliefs and creeds he was raised to accept as patriotic. In fact I fear his same zeal to not question his own governments true nature and intentions is rampant in our current society in many nations.

The compelling part that makes up 95% of the 100 pages of this short read draw you right into the grind up from fledgling flyer to seasoned combat pilot. the loss of old friends. the constant flying in bad weather with no rest in mud, snow and undesirable conditions. The shear determination in the face of so much adversity to just not get killed is so far beyond the odds of posibility of simply not being dead... and yet he survived.

Rudel exhibited an amount of survivability and bravery that is mind boggling.

7 times he landed behind enemy lines to pick up his downed aircrews. The 7th time stuck in the mud they set off on foot far behind enemy lines to their own lines... he is the only one who makes it back.

he was shot down 32 times. there are not cats in the world with the amount of luck or skill he had over 5 years that not till the very end of the war did he lose a leg... and still keep flying.

Hartman was quite an amazing pilot but after learning more about Rudel's exploits... (He on occasion blew up il2s and fighters with 37mm btw)

If even half of it is true and I tend to believe that the majority of it is. This guy was the premier BadArse of the second world war.

[Guppy35]

Like some other memoirs, this one has to be taken with some skepticism.

Plus, the guy was such an unadulterated, unrepentant Nazi that I just sit back in shock whenever I read that book.

- oldman.

I'm with Oldman on this one.  Book has been on the shelf for a lot of years. 

In the 404th FG history there are photos of Rudel and some of his crew after they fled to the west and landed at the 404th airfield.  Some of the officers took Rudel and his officers into the ops office and prepared a meal for them.   A pilot who had just returned from being a POW walked in, saw it and grabbed the food and threw it out the window.  He was not impressed with Rudel or his buddies.

[Citabria]

some guy who never met him throws the food someone else made out the window because he was mistreated by someone else therefore we must ignore the compelling part of rudel? the determination to not let your friends down and the skill and strength to avoid being dead.

I feel sorry that you do not see beyond your own clouded vision to the value of the quote by which this person lived by and how completely they took it to extreme levels not to give up in spite of everything.

"Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost"

[Lusche]

some guy who never met him throws the food someone else made out the window because he was mistreated by someone else therefore we must ignore the compelling part of rudel? the determination to not let your friends down and the skill and strength to avoid being dead.

I feel sorry that you do not see beyond your own clouded vision to the value of the quote by which this person lived by and how completely they took it to extreme levels not to give up in spite of everything.

"Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost"

Now a lifetime devoted nazi (no, not just a "patriot"), which did consciously and willingly did fight FOR everything Nazism stood for all of his life, and thus was and still is an icon of neo-nazis,   is being presented as someone to look up at?

Disgusting.

[Guppy35]

some guy who never met him throws the food someone else made out the window because he was mistreated by someone else therefore we must ignore the compelling part of rudel? the determination to not let your friends down and the skill and strength to avoid being dead.

I feel sorry that you do not see beyond your own clouded vision to the value of the quote by which this person lived by and how completely they took it to extreme levels not to give up in spite of everything.

"Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost"

   
As mentioned I've had the book for many years.  Interesting? yeah but I never saw fit to read it twice.   Sure doesn't mean I have to respect what the man stood for nor does it mean I have to see him for anything more then he was.  To imply he was blind to what went on around him and what he fought for, in particular in Russia would be lying.  That he flew to the West to surrender speaks volumes to his awareness of it.  

In terms of compelling stories of WW2, his is way down my list

In terms of clouded visions, I'll take mine over yours

[Citabria]

your missing it.

I will say hands down rudel was the best pilot of the war.

you can wrap this in politics but it does not change this.

I care nothing for this mans politics or yours.

It's the operational level flying that interests me.

now gtfo and go to the oclub with yoru politics

[Guppy35]

your missing it.

I will say hands down rudel was the best pilot of the war.

you can wrap this in politics but it does not change this.

I care nothing for this mans politics or yours.

It's the operational level flying that interests me.

now gtfo and go to the oclub with yoru politics

And to designate any pilot as the best pilot of the war is just silly.  I'm glad he interests you.  We'll have to agree to disagree on Rudel

[Citabria]

I stated that I found his book fascinating as it detailed operational flying over 5 yrs from first flights to the last.

I have had to struggle in trying to land a good flying job and I found Rudel's story and quote "Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost" a bit of an inspiration to keep going in spite of everything.

[Guppy35]

I stated that I found his book fascinating as it detailed operational flying over 5 yrs from first flights to the last.

I have had to struggle in trying to land a good flying job and I found Rudel's story and quote "Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost" a bit of an inspiration to keep going in spite of everything.

I'm sure we could go back and forth on it forever Fester.  I'm glad the quote offers you some inspiration.   I prefer 'they can't kick me off the planet so I might as well keep going"