Everyone knows the exploits of Soviet aces pilots who showed their heroism during World War II. But little is said about the fact that the German pilots of that period were in no way inferior to our aviators. Moreover, the German pilot Hartmann Erich is the ace with the largest number of victories in the history of world aviation. Let's take a closer look at his biography.
Youth
Hartmann Erich Alfred was born on April 19, 1922 in the small town of Weissach, in Württemberg. He was not the only child in the family, the future ace had a younger brother Alfred, later also a combat pilot.
In the 1920s, the Hartman family decided to move to China. The reason for this was the extreme poverty in which the family was in Germany, which was going through a severe economic crisis at that time. However, already in 1928 Hartman Erich, with his parents and brother, were forced to return to their homeland, where they settled in the town of Weil im Schönbuch in Württemberg.
The love of aviation was in Erich's blood, because his mother Elisa Hartmann was one of the first female pilots in Germany. In the 30s, she even opened her own glider school, which her son successfully completed.
AfterGraduating from the Hartman Erich School in 1936, he entered the National Institute of Political Education. Three years later, he proposes to the girl Ursula, whom he met while studying at the gymnasium in Korntal. Naturally, she could not refuse such an interesting and promising young man as Erich Hartmann. A photo from their family album can be seen below.
Start service
After the outbreak of World War II, the future pilot Erich Hartmann decided to serve in the Luftwaffe - the Wehrmacht's air force. In the wake of the brilliant victories of the German aces, his desire only grew stronger, and in October 1941 he successfully completed his flight training.
In the first months of 1942, one of the best German aces, Hoganen, conducted classes and briefings with Erich. This fact, of course, in the future could not but affect its excellent results. Of paramount importance were their studies on the Messerschmitt Bf109 fighter, with which Hartman Erich connected his entire future career as a pilot.
Finally, in October 1942, the future ace was sent to the North Caucasus as part of the ninth squadron of the 52nd fighter squadron (JG-52), which by that time already had fame and fame, led by its commander Dietrich Grabak.
First pancake lumpy
Erich Hartmann's baptism of fire soon took place. The future ace did nothing heroic or outstanding then. While flying in tandem with his immediate mentor Edmund Rossman, he lostsenior comrade out of sight. In addition, Erich Hartmann's plane was suddenly attacked by a Soviet fighter. But we must pay tribute to the young pilot - he still managed to get away from the enemy and land his device.
Many experts subsequently stated that Erich Hartmann was simply frightened. But fear was characteristic of almost all pilots making their first sortie, and even those who in the future became a recognized ace. However, on further flights, Erich never let fear take over him again.
First win
But, despite such a depressing start to his military career, already in early November Hartman Erich was able to win his first victory over the enemy in the air.
The victim of a twenty-year-old pilot was the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft, which has always been considered a very inconvenient and dangerous enemy for German pilots. But Erich managed to cope with it masterfully. He managed to approach the enemy aircraft at the closest possible distance and aimingly hit his oil cooler. The German ace Alfred Grislavsky taught this battle tactic to the young pilot. Later, pilot Hartman used this trick more than once in battle with devices of this type.
However, as always, there was a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. The proximity of the distance with the downed plane played a cruel joke, and the fragments from it hooked Erich's apparatus. He was forced to make an emergency landing. This served as a good lesson for the young pilot, and henceforth, after striking the enemy at close range, he always tried his bestget your plane out of the way faster.
Highest hour
After this relatively successful battle, a series of fruitless sorties followed. So, Erich Hartman over the next three months was able to shoot down only one enemy apparatus.
The real high point for the young pilot came during the Battle of Kursk, which took place in July-August 1943. Despite the general disastrous outcome of this battle for the German troops, it was then that Erich showed the most impressive results. After the Battle of Kursk, he was rightfully assigned the title of ace pilot. Hartman Erich showed a phenomenal result in just one day of the battle, shooting down seven enemy aircraft.
In the future, the pilot only increased the number of his victories. During August 1943, he shot down 43 Soviet aircraft, and by this time their total number had reached ninety.
A miraculous rescue
Erich Hartman narrowly escaped capture in one of these battles. A memoir, written by himself, details this incident.
When a German pilot fought with Soviet pilots, his plane was seriously damaged. After another enemy vehicle shot down Hartman Erich, a boomerang of fragments covered his own car. This forced the ace to land in enemy territory.
Erich started fixing his plane. But suddenly he saw that a detachment of Soviet soldiers was approaching the place where he was carrying out repairs. The only chance to escape and not be captured was to pretend to be badly wounded. Hartman this opportunitymade great use of it. His acting was so flawless that the Red Army soldiers believed that Erich was in a state of death.
Soldiers loaded the German ace on a stretcher and sent it to the unit by truck. But Erich, having improved the moment, jumped out of the car and fled. Not a single bullet aimed at Hartmann hit the target, but ironically, already on the German side of the front, he was wounded by a sentry of his own army, who mistook the fleeing pilot for the enemy.
It is difficult to judge how true the story was told by Erich Hartmann. The memoirs of this pilot are the only source from which the world knew her.
Further progress
Although the German army retreated further and further to the borders of the Reich, Eric Hartmann increased the number of his personal victories with each battle. By the end of 1943, their number was almost one hundred and sixty. By that time, the ace had already received the Knight's Cross as an award - the highest distinction in the German army.
The huge number of Hartmann's victories sowed a seed of doubt about their reliability even among the German command. But in the future, Eric was able to prove that such suspicions were groundless. At the beginning of March 1944, the number of enemy aircraft shot down by the German ace exceeded two hundred, and on July 1 it reached two hundred and fifty.
By this time, American aircraft entered the war in the European theater of operations. And now it is American planes, mainly Mustangs, that have become the main opponents of the German pilot.
But fame has two sidesmedals. After the number of Erich's victories exceeded three hundred in August 1944, he became a living legend, the most successful ace of all time. This made the leadership of the Wehrmacht think about the fact that in the event of his death, this fact would significantly demoralize the German army. Therefore, it was decided to withdraw the legendary pilot from the area of active hostilities. With great difficulty, Hartman managed to defend his right to be on the front lines.
End of the war
In early 1945, Erich Hartmann was entrusted with the command of the squadron link. He excelled in this position as well.
The German ace fought his last battle on May 8, 1945, in fact, after the signing of the act of surrender of Germany, over the Czechoslovak city of Brno. On that day, he shot down one Soviet fighter. But, realizing the futility of resistance, in the end, Hartman, with the remnants of his link, was forced to surrender to a unit of the US armed forces.
After the war
After the end of the Second World War, according to the agreements between the winners, Erich Hartman was handed over by the Americans to the Soviet side as a soldier who fought against the Red Army.
In the Soviet Union, Hartman was sentenced immediately to 10 years for war crimes. And then 25 years for organizing a prison riot. But in 1955, the legendary ace was released, according to a bilateral agreement between the USSR and the FRG on the repatriation of prisoners of war.
Immediately after returning to his homeland, Hartman was reinstated in military service as an officer. Hiswas appointed squadron commander. The famous ace retired in 1970, although he continued to work as an aviation instructor after that.
Eric Hartman died on September 19, 1993, at the age of 71.
Identity of outstanding ace
Hartman was characterized by his colleagues as a sociable and cheerful person. He quickly joined the new team and invariably enjoyed the respect and sympathy of his comrades. Not every person could win over like Erich Hartman. The photographs that we have at our disposal once again confirm the evidence of his sociable nature. They almost always depict him smiling and cheerful, often in the company of his comrades.
Co-workers gave Hartman a playful nickname "Bubi", which means "Kid". The reason was his short stature and the fact that he looked young for his age.
Erich Hartmann never liked to get involved in long exhausting air battles, preferring to act suddenly and quickly, but at close range. After striking, he tried to leave the battlefield as soon as possible so as not to be covered by fragments from a downed aircraft or overtaken by other enemy pilots. Perhaps it was thanks to this tactic that Hartman was able to achieve such an impressive number of victories.
Achievements and Significance
Currently, many military historians and biographers are studying the life of such an outstanding pilot as Erich Hartmann. Photos, documents, memoirs are the main help in thishard work.
Erich Hartman rightfully bore the title of the greatest ace of all time. In total, during the Second World War, he participated in 802 air battles, of which 352 ended in victories, which is still an unsurpassed result. At the same time, they made 1404 sorties.
