German pilot Hartman Erich

Everyone knows the exploits of Soviet avi pilots who displayed their heroism during the Second World War. But little is said about the fact that the German pilots of that period were in no way inferior to our aviators. Moreover, German pilot Hartman Erich is an ace having the greatest number of victories in the history of world aviation. Let's take a closer look at his biography.

Youth

Hartman Erich Alfred was born on April 19, 1922 in the small town of Weissach, in the land of 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 extreme poverty, in which there was a family in Germany, experiencing at that time a severe economic crisis. However, already in 1928, Hartmann Erich, with his parents and brother, were forced to return to their homeland, where they settled in the town of Weil im Schönbuh in Württemberg.

The love for aviation was in Erich's blood, because his mother Eliza Hartman was one of the first female pilots in Germany. In the 30's, she even opened her own gliding school, which her son had successfully completed.

After graduation from the school, Hartman Erich entered the National Institute of Political Education in 1936. Three years later he proposed to the girl Ursula, whom he had met while studying at the gymnasium in Korntal. Naturally, she could not refuse such an interesting and promising young man, like Erich Hartmann. Photos from their family album can be seen below.

Getting Started

After the outbreak of World War II, future pilot Erich Hartman decided to serve in the Luftwaffe - the air force of the Wehrmacht. On the wave of brilliant victories of the German aces, his desire was only strengthened, and in October 1941 he successfully completed his flight training.

In the first months of 1942, Erich trained and instructed one of the best German aces - Hoganen. This fact, undoubtedly, in the future could not but affect its excellent results. Of paramount importance were their training on the fighter "Messerschmitt Bf109", with which Hartmann Erich associated 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 already had fame and fame, led by its commander, Dietrich Hraback.

The first pancake is lumpy

Soon there was a military baptism of Erich Hartman. The future ace did not do anything heroic or outstanding then. Making a flight in a pair with his direct mentor Edmund Rossman, he lost the older comrade from sight. In addition, Erich Hartmann's plane was subjected to a sudden attack by a Soviet fighter. But you need to pay tribute to the young pilot - he still managed to escape from the enemy and plant his vehicle.

Many experts subsequently stated that Erich Hartmann was simply frightened. But the fear was characteristic of almost all the pilots making the first combat sortie, and even those who in the future became a recognized ace. However, in future flights, Erich never again gave a fright to take over the upper hand.

The first victory

But, despite such a dismal beginning of the military career, in early November Hartman Erich was able to win his first victory over the enemy in the air.

The victim of the twenty-year-old pilot was the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft, who was always considered a very uncomfortable and dangerous opponent for German pilots. But Erich managed to master him masterfully. He managed to approach the enemy aircraft at the closest possible distance and aim to get into his oil cooler. This tactic of fighting a young pilot was taught by the German ace Alfred Grislavsky. Later, the pilot Hartman used this cunning more than once in combat with devices of this type.

However, as always, in a barrel of honey was a fly in the ointment. The proximity of the distance with the downed plane played a cruel joke, and fragments from it hooked the apparatus of Erich. He had to make an emergency landing. This served as a good lesson for the young pilot, and henceforth he, after striking at the enemy at close range, always tried to take his plane away as quickly as possible.

Starry hour

After this comparatively successful battle a series of unsuccessful flights 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 the Kursk Bulge, which took place in July-August 1943. Despite the general lamentable outcome of this battle for the German troops, it was then that Erich demonstrated the most impressive results. After the Kursk battle, he was rightly entrusted with the title of pilot-ace. Hartmann Erich only in one day of the battle showed a phenomenal result, knocking down seven enemy aircraft.

In the future, the pilot only increased his number of victories. Throughout August 1943, he shot down 43 Soviet aircraft, and the total number of them by this time reached ninety.

Wonderful salvation

In one of these battles, Erich Hartmann narrowly escaped captivity. Memoirs written by him, in detail tell about this incident.

When the German pilot fought with Soviet pilots, his plane was seriously damaged. After the next enemy unit was shot down by Hartmann Erich, the boomerang of the fragments covered his own car. This forced the ASA to land on enemy territory.

Erich started repairing his plane. But suddenly he saw that a detachment of Soviet soldiers was approaching to the place where he was doing repairs. The only chance to escape and not be captured was to pretend to be seriously wounded. Hartman took advantage of this opportunity. His acting was so impeccable that Red Army soldiers believed that Erich was in a state of dying.

The soldiers loaded the German ace into a stretcher and sent it by truck to the unit. But Erich, having improved the moment, jumped out of the car and fled. Not a single bullet directed towards 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 accepted a fledged pilot for the enemy.

It's hard to judge how true the story was told by Erich Hartmann. The memoirs of this pilot are the only source from which the world recognized it.

Further successes

Although the German army retreated farther to the borders of the Reich, Eric Hartmann increased his personal victories with each battle. By the end of 1943, their number was almost one hundred and sixty. By that time, As already had time to receive as a reward the Knight's Cross - the highest difference in the German army.

A huge number of victories Hartman sowed a grain of doubt in their reliability even from the German command. But in the future, Eric was able to prove that such suspicions are groundless. At the beginning of March 1944, the number of enemy aircraft, killed by a German ace, exceeded two hundred, and on July 1 it reached two hundred and fifty.

By that time, the American aircraft had entered the war in the European theater of operations. And now it was the American planes, mainly the Mustangs, who became the main opponents of the German pilot.

But the glory has two sides of the coin. After the number of Erich's victories exceeded 300 in August 1944, he became a living legend, the most successful ace of all time. This made the Wehrmacht leadership think that, in the event of his death, this fact would significantly demoralize the German army. Therefore, it was decided to recall the legendary pilot from the area of active combat operations. With great difficulty, Hartmann managed to defend his right to be on the front line.

End of the war

In early 1945, Erich Hartmann was entrusted with the command of the squadron. He excellently showed himself in this position.

Last German ace fight was held May 8, 1945, in fact, after the signing of the act of surrendering Germany, over the Czechoslovak city of Brno. 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 subdivision of the US armed forces.

After the war

After the end of World War II, according to the agreements between the winners, Erich Hartman was transferred by the Americans to the Soviet side as a soldier who fought against the Red Army.

In the Soviet Union, Hartman was convicted immediately for 10 years for war crimes. And then for 25 years for organizing a riot in prison. But in 1955 the legendary ace was released, according to a bilateral agreement between the USSR and Germany on the repatriation of prisoners of war.

Immediately after his return to his homeland, Hartman recovered in military service in an officer's rank. He was appointed commander of the squadron. In retirement the famous ace left in 1970, although after that he continued to work as an aviation instructor.

Death was overtaken by Eric Hartmann on September 19, 1993, at the age of 71 years.

The personality of an outstanding ace

Hartmann was characterized by his colleagues as a sociable and cheerful person. He quickly joined the new collective and invariably enjoyed the respect and sympathies of his comrades-in-arms. Not every person could be so disposed toward himself, like Erich Hartmann. The photos that we have available, once again confirm the evidence of his sociable nature. They are almost always imprinted on them smiling and cheerful, often in the company of comrades.

Co-workers gave Hartman a playful nickname "Bubi", which means "Kid". The reason was his low growth and the fact that he looked young for his years.

Erich Hartmann never liked to get involved in the long exhausting air battles, preferring to act suddenly and quickly, but at close range. After striking, he tried as soon as possible to withdraw from the battlefield, so as not to be covered with 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 path of such an outstanding pilot, as Erich Hartman. Photos, documents, memoirs are the main help in this hard work.

Erich Hartmann rightfully wore the title of the greatest ace of all time and people. In total for World War II he participated in 802 air battles, of which 352 ended in victories, which is still an unsurpassed result. At the same time, they carried out 1,404 combat sorties.