German Ace talks about FW190...
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vO9NKJNjiw&feature=related

275 kills! I guess the Russians provided ample targets during the first part of the war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASpqx0t0rio&feature=related

I think I am going to read Erich Hartmann's book next, seems like an interesting person. 352 kills.

Hans Ulrich Rudel
 

The best bio I ever read about a German war ace was "Stuka Pilot" by Hans Ulrich Rudel, you should get it.

He flew on the Eastern front and never quit. First and only German Ace who ever got the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross, with swords, oak leaves and diamonds.

In 1945 he defied Hitler and still flew, with one leg amputated and the other in a cast!

He NEVER renounced the Nazi beliefs, and after the war, lived in Argentina, where he thrived, and published a Neo Nazi newspaper that was called "Der Weg" (The Path).

Even as an amputee he climbed mountains and skiied in Western Argentina.

He died in 1982

His motto - (in German, can be found on my signature

"Verloren ist nur, wer sich selbst aufgibt."


) translates roughly as follows:


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


A true hero, by ANY measure, so far as I am concerned....

A fantastically skilled and determined pilot, absolutely. But don't "heroes" believe in good?

Here's an interesting link:
http://www.warbirdforum.com/buff.htm
Since the text below the FW-190 did mention the Finnish war. The Finnish used an obsolete airplane The Brewester Buffalo to its full extent. That and better tactics. Stalin killed off most of the Russian officers before WW2. So there wasn't experienced leadership. I heard 80% of those killed during WW2 were russian. I'm not sure how accurate that source is. Who knows how many Chinese the Japanese killed.
Tom

Old punchline
 

"Nein, dese fokkers vas flyink Messerschmitts!"
.

Nice! Sounds like an interesting guy! I'll add it to my reading list.

Did you finish reading Luck's book?

Also, might read Adolf Gallands book. I think its 'First and Last'. From fighting in the Spanish Civil war to flying the ME-262. Most of the high scoring German Aces flew in the Russian or eastern theater. THere was one with I think 152 that flew only in the west. Also, there is the book about the Japanese ace. I want to say Suburo Nakai but that doesn't seem right. They had a NOVA special about him and an American aces duel. He was shot through one of his eyes by a diver bomber tailgunner and flew home. They flew till the end of the war with one eye. I think there was a British ace who flew with one leg.
Tom

That's Douglas Bader, who actually flew with two wooden legs. He was a bit a patrician, who when shot down was mortified to think that a noncommissioned officer might have been responsible. Galland intervened on Bader's behalf, whose prostheses were broken in his crash, and arranged for the Brits to drop a new set. They did, along with a few hundred bombs for good measure.

Close enough.

It was Saburo Sakai.

The book about him was "Zero Fighter" by Martin Caidin. Ballantine books, probably out of print now, but try Amazon, ebay, etc.

If you want a hero book, read "Yeager" by Chuck Yeager.

I believe he was the only pilot allowed to go back and fight the Nazis after being shot down. He got the chance by going all the way up to Eisenhower and asking him himself!

Tom W

They had a PBS special about the Mig 15 vs the F-87 Sabre. The Mig had some advantages over the Sabre, but the Sabre was easier to fly. Also, the Migs would hold back till the Sabres were about out of fuel. I think Yeager flew a Mig against an American General in a Sabre. The General lost big time. Yeager told him it wasn't the plane. They switched and Yeager still kicked butt.
Tom