Stuka Pilot

This is a remarkable read in a number of ways.It must be a toss-up between Rudel and Hartmann (who reputedly shot down over 350 Allied aircraft) as to who was the third most destructive pilot of all time. Rudel must certainly have wreaked more destruction than any bomber pilot in history, apart from the two who flew the atomic bomb raids.Joining the Luftwaffe before the war, Rudel was assigned - unwillingly - to Stukas, but was left out of most operations until 1941 because he didn't get on with a succession of senior officers. His career break came during the German invasion of Russia, where he demonstrated that he was both an exceptionally able pilot and a remarkable marksman as well.Among his earliest exploits was attacking the elderly Soviet battleship Marat, which was providing fire support to the Red Army from offshore. Rudel's well-aimed bomb blew off her bows and sank her, although she was later refloated. He subsequently flew missions against a variety of grounds targets at a prodigiously prolific rate, averaging nearly two sorties per day, every day for four years.Rudel welcomed the arrival of the 3.7cm cannon-armed Stuka because it enabled deadeyes such as himself to aim at and hit a target 20 to 30cm across. This, of course, meant he could pick off the mightiest Russian tanks by flying around behind them and firing into the engine cooling louvres atop the rear deck. His tally of tank kills mounted as high as it did because he was so sparing of ammunition. Although he only had twelve rounds per gun, he rarely needed more than two shots to destroy his targets.He also provides interesting insights into how the air attacks were executed. A typical Rudel-led Stuka strike involved a mixture of cannon- and bomb-equipped aircraft. The latter would look for and attack the flak, and once this was well and truly suppressed, the gun-armed machines would swoop and pick off individual targets in relative safety. The whole raid would typically withdraw only when every round of ammunition had been expended.Rudel also explains how the Stuka, which lasted a matter of weeks in the Battle of Britain, managed to remain a competitive aircraft on the Eastern Front for another five years. Essentially, the length and shifting nature of the battle line made it impossible for either side to maintain a radar-controlled fighter screen. Consequently, well-led Stuka squadrons were able to use the terrain and surprise to carry out air strikes while - usually - evading the enemy fighters before they arrived. As the retreat continued, to the point where swarms of American fighters patrolled the sky, this became a much riskier proposition.One side of Rudel is this meticulous professionalism, but the other side of him revealed here is that he was (and remained post-war) an ardent, unreconstructed Nazi loony. He fails to mention his membership of the Nazi party, but he relates how he was personally decorated by the Fuhrer, who always displayed an impressive grasp of the technical details of air fighting. One can't help wondering why Rudel never questioned the way the war was being fought or why it was that Germany had ended up with the world against her. He appears, too, to be in complete denial of who invaded whom in 1941, seeing the Eastern Front campaign as an altruistic German crusade to preserve what he calls "civilisation" from the Red hordes, and handwaving the genocide away with a casual "if anyone did wrong they should be punished". He reminds me a bit of that other old fraud Hans von Luck, who like Rudel managed to fight for years on the side of an evil regime without noticing any atrocities at all other than those committed by the other side.The translation and porting to Kindle are a bit dodgy and it does read like a translation. Some words aren't translated at all - "wolframkern", for example, is used when "tungsten-cored" would have worked perfectly well.I'd still recommend this overall if you are interested in the Russian campaign and / or in combat pilots' memoirs generally. There are lots of fighter pilots' stories out there, and even a few bomber pilots' stories too, but these memoirs of a Stuka pilot are pretty unique.

This is an amazing insight into a brave man’s devotion to duty. To overcome serious injury and still be a Leader is just incredible.

A brilliant and enthralling book about the eastern front as seen from the cockpit of Rudel's Stuka bomber. And although one does not agree with his philosophy, the book itself is mesmerizing in its detail and pace. The recollection of battles fought and close shaves are almost beyond conception but his record speaks for itself. By the end of the war Stalin had a reward for his head and he was known both in Germany, Russia and England. There are also, amongst the many daring stories, several interesting philosophical moments. And one does get a 'feel' both for Rudel's daring and will, as well as for the relationships he has with his other pilots.The eventual catastrophe that unfolded for Germany, one which began in the east, is explained through the enormity of the German soldiers' task in combating overwhelming odds on a daily basis. Rudel puts Germany's loss down to unlimited Russian resources of amour and manpower and the 'betrayal' of their allies, namely the Romanians. His refusal to see either Hitler or Goring in any bad light or as out of touch with reality is also a theme in the book.All in all a must read if one is interested in the 2nd war and particularly this theater of war. Indeed if one is just interested in the story of a great warrior then you will not be disappointed. At times the translation stutters and there are some obvious mistakes but this in no way detracts from the glory and pain that this memoir recalls.As a political statement the whole book is aimed at 'Bolshevism' and is intended to carry a portent for the rest of the western world. Germany he says is fighting for the west and the west is ignorant of the truth of the communist menace. Curiously he does not mention the Jews and there is only one reference to German atrocities in the last chapters. He also denies any knowledge of concentration camps. His refusal to repent for being part of the Nazi pogrom across Europe is symptomatic of his fighting spirit. Only a man who believes in what he was doing could have done what he did. And if for no other reason than wanting to read about a flyer who was shot down 32 times, who escaped from the enemy, running barefoot for many kilometers, swimming a 600 yard lake just to get back to his lines to get almost straight back in a plane, then it is worth it.

This book is brilliant...well written and educational....WARNING its about a fanatical Nazi who still believed in his cause till the day he died....but even so his achievements still warrent acknowledgement....He was a product of his time and extremely patriotic

Absolutely thrilling account . Extremely well written and very interesting. The author is clearly one of the best combat pilot in history. I learned a lot and enjoyed hearing his perspective.Thought provoking and highly recommended.

Adorei a experiência de ler esse livro. Fácil de ler e entender e magnífica história!!!

Stuff of legends.

I gave it a chance but the translation into English is so awful that I had to quit reading this book. Do not waste your money.La traducción al inglés de este libro es tan nefasta que he tenido que abandonar su lectura. No recomiendo su compra.