april september nicknamed german comrades black devil soviet adversaries german fighter pilot world war successful fighter ace history aerial warfare flew combat missions participated aerial combat separate occasions claimed credited shooting allied aircraft soviet american serving luftwaffe course career forced crash land fighter times damage received parts enemy aircraft shot mechanical failure shot forced land enemy fire pre war pilot joined luftwaffe completed fighter pilot training posted eastern fortunate placed supervision luftwaffe experienced fighter pilots guidance steadily developed tactics earned mit und oak leaves swords diamonds august claiming aerial victories time presentation germany highest military decoration scored aerial victory midday hours war ended remainder surrendered united_states_army forces turned attempt pressure service soviet friendly east german tried fabricated charges war crimes convicted conviction posthumously russian court prosecution sentenced years hard labour spent years soviet prison camps released joined newly established west german luftwaffe resigned early largely opposition deployment luftwaffe resulting clashes superiors issue later years military career ended civilian flight instructor died natural causes september early life born april doctor wife economic depression followed world war germany prompted doctor find work china spent early childhood family forced return germany chinese civil war broke world war younger brother alfred joined luftwaffe serving gunner north_africa captured british spent years prisoner war educated april april gymnasium april april april april gymnasium april april received met wife flying career began joined training program fledgling luftwaffe taught fly mother female pilots germany owned light aircraft forced sell german economy collapsed rise power resulted government support helped set flying school year old instructor gained pilot license allowing fly powered aircraft entry luftwaffe began military training october 10th flying regiment march progressed berlin making flight instructor days later followed weeks solo flight completed basic flying training october began advanced flight training pre fighter school november learned combat techniques gunnery skills advanced pilot training completed january march august learned fly time pilot smoothly march gunnery training flight ignored regulations performed airfield punishment month period confinement quarters loss pay fines later recalled incident saved life week confined room actually saved life scheduled gunnery flight afternoon confined roommate took flight instead aircraft scheduled fly shortly took way gunnery range developed engine trouble crash land near railroad killed crash afterward practised adopted new passed young pilots fly head muscles gunnery practice session june hit target allotted rounds machine gun fire feat considered difficult achieve training qualified fly different types powered aircraft following graduation posted august east upper remained october world war october assigned fighter wing based eastern soviet_union wing equipped pilots initially given task flight ended brake failure causing crash destroy controller assigned iii led placed experienced flew experienced pilots days intensive mock practice flights conceded learn combat tactics talented pilot taught surprise attack tactic led decide attack break style aerial combat early aerial combat flew combat mission october encountered enemy aircraft obsessed idea scoring success opened throttle separated engaged enemy fighter failed score hits nearly collided instead ran cover low cloud mission subsequently ended crash landing aircraft ran fuel violated rule air air combat von sentenced days working ground crew days later claimed kill 7th guards ground attack aviation regiment end added victory tally high scoring aces took time establish consistently successful fighter pilot youthful appearance earned nickname form young boy german language ace assigned constantly urge hey closer shot soviet fighter retained control damaged aircraft july large took place shot seven enemy aircraft start august tally stood end month added enemy aircraft month appointed year operational service felt distinct lack respect soviet pilots soviet fighters proper pilots having draw hand early days incredible reason feel fear russian fighter later recalled hand painted couldn pull lead properly hit considered hurricane inferior provide soviets valuable technology german pilots learned tricks enemy oil freezing engines difficult start extreme cold russian winter captured soviet showed pouring fuel aircraft oil oil enable engine start try solution learned soviets fuel engine fighting techniques unlike expert art shooting master stalk ambush tactics account convinced pilots downed realise hit relied powerful engine high power sweeps quick approaches occasionally diving entire enemy formations advantage confusion followed order decorated british test pilot captain asked amassed air victories revealed believe main ground attack aircraft flew like formation didn attempt manoeuvres plane pilots women threat lucky hit didn open fire aircraft filled time favourite method attack hold fire extremely close short burst point blank range technique learned flying commander favoured approach technique opposed long range shooting allowed reveal position possible moment compensate low muzzle velocity slower firing later models victories claimed equipped high velocity cannon place shots accurately minimum waste ammunition prevent adversary taking actions firing close range ran risk having fly debris damaged exploding aircraft damaging fighter process damage sustained combat caused collision flying debris dangerous dog fight break content victory careful approach described motto decide attack reverse observe enemy decide proceed attack attack evaluate situation knight late august aerial victories august combat aircraft damaged debris forced land soviet lines given orders unit support dive bombers led famous pilot counter attack situation changed flight german fighters engaged mass soviet fighter aircraft protecting ground attack mission shot enemy aircraft fighter hit debris forced emergency landing accordance luftwaffe regulations attempted recover precision board clock soviet ground troops approached realising capture faked internal injuries acting convinced soviets placed truck crew chief heard happened took rifle went search waited right moment escape distraction attack attacked single guard jumped truck ran large field giant pursuing soldiers hid waited nightfall dark followed soviet patrol heading west approached german position challenged fired shot passed trousers september credited 100th aerial victory 54th luftwaffe pilot achieve century mark october claimed aerial victories october awarded point tally stood end year risen months claimed kills continued scoring greater pace spectacular rate kills raised claims double triple checked performance closely monitored observer flying formation march reached time soviet pilots familiar radio sign price german pilot head time black design engine near spinner aircraft soviet personnel consequently nicknamed black devil opponents reluctant stay fight noticed personal design result aircraft allocated fly relative safety march scored victory war adversely reluctance soviet airmen fight caused kill rate drop design removed aircraft painted like rest unit consequently following months amassed victories march summoned adolf hitler honoured swords receive train got drunk champagne supporting unable stand arrived major hitler luftwaffe adjutant shocked took german officer hat stand large von upset told hitler ordered romania engaged aircraft time defence flying cover attacked flight romania downing fell victim fellow pilots june shot single mission oil fields later month fifth combat american pilots shot forced bail ran fuel intense managed line close range heard fired run ammunition hanging parachute wondered opportunity kill flown broke away headed straight making camera pass record banked away moment waving went august scoring fighter ace surpassing fellow pilot victory diamonds knight cross august claimed victories combat missions ace day achievement bringing score victories passed mark august day shot aircraft combat missions representing greatest victories day ratio double ace day bringing number aerial victories unprecedented immediately grounded fearful effect german morale hero lost later successfully lobbied reinstated combat pilot german soldiers world war receive diamonds summoned adolf hitler military headquarters near receive award hitler personally arrival asked surrender arm security measure caused aftermath failed assassination attempt july refused threatened decline diamonds trusted carry pistol consulting hitler luftwaffe adjutant allowed arm accepted diamonds meeting hitler discussed length shortcomings fighter pilot training allegedly hitler revealed believed militarily war lost wished luftwaffe like diamonds knight cross earned day leave way vacation ordered general der attend meeting berlin wanted transfer test program requested transfer cancelled grounds deep attachment seeing merit request cancelled transfer jet squadron rescinded order taken combat operations ordered vacation resort fighter pilots september married long time teenage love witnesses wedding included friends combat missions february briefly led acting replaced march score standing aerial victories asked second time general adolf join units forming fly new jet fighter attended jet conversion program led intended fly declined offer preferring remain sources report decision stay unit request telegram claimed aerial victory april vicinity wartime photograph known taken connection victory end war general order fly british sector avoid capture soviet forces later explained war order general ordered fly british sector surrender avoid soviets rest wing surrender soviets leave men bad leadership kill occurred czechoslovakia day war europe early morning ordered fly reconnaissance mission report position soviet forces took spotted soviet units kilometres miles away passing area saw performing soviet columns determined party dove fighters point shot range lined second fighter noticed shiny dots coming west stand caught soviets americans fled low level smoke covered landed learned soviet forces artillery range airfield destroyed large quantities ammunition later recalled final violent action war destroyed aircraft munitions sat fighter fired guns woods fuel dropped jumped destroyed perfectly good fighters nice museums chose surrender unit members prisoner war capture handed pilots ground crew soviet_union imprisoned accordance agreements stated airmen soldiers fighting soviet forces surrender directly unit led americans large open air compound await transfer number prisoners grew living conditions deteriorated american guards turned blind eye escapes cases assisted providing food maps soon handed soviet armed forces experienced following thing russians separate german women girls men followed brutal rape soldiers greatly outnumbered americans tried intervene russians charged firing air threatening kill interfered continued night day russian general arrived immediately ordered cessation later russians violated order assaulted german girl asked identify lineup court martial guilty parties immediately hanged comrades point initially soviets tried convince cooperate asked spy fellow officers refused given days solitary confinement foot chamber slept concrete floor given bread water occasion soviets threatened kidnap murder wife death son kept similar knowledge struck soviet officer cane prompting slam chair head knocking expecting shot transferred small bunker ashamed war service opted hunger strike fold soviet called soviets allowed hunger strike days force feeding subtle efforts soviet authorities convert communism failed offered post east german air force refused home west normal contract offer business deal people sign day world like offer come work accordance contract try work kind resist dying war crimes charges captivity arrested december days later sentenced years prison june sentenced alleged member anti soviet group continuous failed attempts soviets break falsely charged war crimes specifically deliberate shooting soviet civilians village attacking bread factory destroying expensive soviet aircraft refused confess charges conducted defence presiding judge denounced waste time sentenced years hard labor refused work eventually solitary confinement enraged fellow prisoners began revolt guards freed complaint office asking representative moscow international inspection tribunal unlawful conviction refused transferred camp spent months solitary confinement eventually granted tribunal upheld original sentence subsequently sent camp time mother wrote new west german chancellor appealed secure freedom trade agreement west_germany soviet_union reached released german military personnel spending half years soviet camps batch prisoners turned returning west_germany reunited wife written day war january government acting legal successor soviet_union admitting conviction war crimes unlawful post war years luftwaffe returned west_germany military service officer west german air force luftwaffe commanded west_germany jet unit equipped initially later lockheed trips united_states trained equipment aircraft painted spreading black pattern eastern considered fundamentally flawed unsafe aircraft strongly opposed adoption luftwaffe events subsequently low opinion aircraft crashes german pilots killed non combat missions allegations bribes culminating lockheed scandal outspoken criticism proved unpopular superiors general successor general said good pilot good officer forced early retirement civilian life long imprisonment son born died year old father having seen later daughter born february military retirement worked flight instructor near flew team caught cold developed condition killed father age recovered medically cleared fly resumed instructing flying schools fearing second attack cautious limited appearances public events stated retired civilian like rest peace live exhibitions member der died september age summary career combat record flew combat missions world war resulting engagements claimed credited aerial victories allied aircraft russian historian attempted prove score near victories quoted having shot soviet aircraft heavily criticised aviation historians faulty research ring point missions tried use prove claims false false misleading information example claimed mission august claimed victories west single soviet aircraft lost german records single claim area victories recorded east kilometres away claimed reported shot roman romania false claimed single said mistakes work serve expose superficial nature confirm goal compiling article discredit record points article trial soviet charges destruction actual number soviet aircraft said proud fact lost combat number kills shot major joined unit spring bomber pilot fighters scoring fifth victory asked refused initially believing trained mission engaged called turn hard opposite sandwich red fighters standard rate bomber turn got hit saw thing ordered dive bail immediately intense relief saw leave aircraft parachute happy mad fly decorations luftwaffe gold pennant pilot observer badge gold diamonds august 2nd class december 1st class march luftwaffe der luftwaffe september pilot gold october iii knight oak leaves swords diamonds knight cross october pilot oak leaves march 75th swords july 18th diamonds august mentioned twice kept whereabouts secret captors time prisoner war claiming thrown away hiding place small stream managed hide knight cross double cigar box smuggled germany released captivity dates rank joined military service october station east prussia received military basic training luftwaffe recruit
Erich Hartmann