Everyone knows the exploits of Soviet aces pilots who showed their heroism during the Second World War. But little is said that the German pilots of that period were in no way inferior to our aviators. Moreover, the German pilot Hartmann Erich is an ace with the highest number of victories in the history of world aviation. Let's dwell on his biography.
Youth
Hartman 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 20s, the Hartman family decided to move to China. The reason for this was the extreme poverty in which the family was in Germany, which at that time was experiencing a severe economic crisis. 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 Schoenbuch in Württemberg.
Erich had a love of aviation in his blood, because his mother Eliza 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.
After leaving school, Hartman Erich in 1936 entered the National Institute for Political Education. Three years later, he makes an offer 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 Hartman. Photos from their family album can be seen below.
Service start
After the outbreak of World War II, the future pilot Erich Hartman decided to serve in the Luftwaffe - the Wehrmacht 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, taught and instructed with Erich. This fact, of course, in the future could not but affect its excellent results. Of paramount importance was their training on the Messerschmitt Bf109 fighter, with which Hartmann Erich linked 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 Graback.
The first pancake is lumpy
Soon there was a baptism of fire by Erich Hartmann. The future ace did not commit anything heroic or outstanding. While flying in tandem with his immediate mentor Edmund Rossman, he lost sight of his senior comrade. In addition, Erich Hartmann’s plane was suddenly attacked by a Soviet fighter. But we must pay tribute to the young pilot - he was still able to get away from the enemy and land his apparatus.
Many experts subsequently stated that Erich Hartman was simply scared. But fear was characteristic of almost all pilots making the first combat flight, and even those who in the future became a recognized ace. However, in further flights, Erich never again gave fear to take the upper hand.
First victory
But, despite such a depressing start to a 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 was always considered a very uncomfortable and dangerous opponent for German pilots. But Erich managed to masterfully cope with him. He managed to approach the enemy aircraft as close as possible and aim at getting into his oil cooler. This tactic of battle of a young pilot was trained by German ace Alfred Grislavsky. Later, the pilot Hartman more than once used this trick in a battle with devices of this type.
However, as always, a fly in the ointment was a fly in the ointment. The proximity of the distance to the downed plane played a cruel joke, and fragments from it caught 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 at the enemy at close range, he always tried to take his plane as far away as possible.
Finest hour
After this comparatively successful battle, a series of unsuccessful sorties followed. So, Erich Hartman in the next three months was able to bring down only one enemy machine.
The real finest hour for the young pilot was during the Battle of Kursk, which took place in July-August 1943. Despite the general deplorable outcome of this battle for the German troops, it was then that Erich showed the most impressive results. After the Kursk battle, he was rightfully assigned the title of ace pilot. Hartman Erich in just one day of the battle showed a phenomenal result, 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 their total number by this time reached ninety.
Wonderful salvation
In one of these fights, Erich Hartman barely escaped captivity. Memoirs written by himself tell in detail about this incident.
When a German pilot fought with Soviet pilots, his plane was seriously damaged. After another enemy machine shot down Hartman Erich, a boomerang of fragments covered his own car. This forced the ace to land on enemy territory.
Erich began fixing his plane. But suddenly he saw that a detachment of Soviet soldiers was approaching the place where he was repairing. The only chance to escape and not be captured was to pretend to be seriously injured. Hartman took advantage of this opportunity. His acting was so flawless that the Red Army fighters believed that Erich was in a dying state.
The soldiers loaded the German ace onto a stretcher and sent him in a 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, on the German side of the front, he was wounded by the sentry of his own army, who mistook the fled pilot for the enemy.
It is difficult to judge how true a story was told by Erich Hartman. The memoirs of this pilot are the only source from which the world recognized her.
Further success
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 managed to receive the Knight's Cross as a reward - the highest distinction in the German army.
A huge number of Hartmann's victories sowed a grain of doubt in their reliability even among the German command. But in the future, Eric was able to prove that such suspicions are unfounded. At the beginning of March 1944, the number of enemy aircraft hit by a German ace exceeded two hundred, and on July 1 reached two hundred and fifty.
By this time, American aviation entered the war in the European theater of operations. And now it was American planes, mainly Mustangs, that became the main opponents of the German pilot.
But fame has two sides to the coin. After the number of victories of Erich exceeded three hundred in August 1944, he became a living legend, the most successful ace of all time. This led the Wehrmacht leadership to think 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 at the forefront.
End of war
In early 1945, Erich Hartman was assigned command of the squadron link. He proved himself to be excellent in this position.
The German ace held 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 the resistance, in the end Hartman, with the remnants of his link, was forced to surrender to the US armed forces.
After the war
After the end of World War II, according to agreements between the winners, Erich Hartman was transferred by the Americans to the Soviet side as a soldier fighting against the Red Army.
In the Soviet Union, Hartman was immediately sentenced to 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 returning to his homeland, Hartman was restored to military service in the officer rank. He was appointed squadron commander. The famous ace resigned in 1970, although after that he continued to work as an aviation instructor.
Death overtook Eric Hartman on September 19, 1993, at the age of 71.
The personality of an outstanding ace
Hartman was characterized by his co-workers as a sociable and cheerful person. He quickly joined the new team and invariably enjoyed the respect and sympathy of comrades in arms. Not every person could be so endearing to himself as Erich Hartman. The photos that we have at our disposal once again confirm the evidence of his sociable nature. On them, almost always, he is captured smiling and cheerful, often in the company of comrades.
The co-workers gave Hartman a playful nickname, “Bubi,” which means “Baby.” The reason was his short stature and the fact that he looked young for his age.
Erich Hartman never liked to get involved in long exhausting aerial 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 relevance
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 difficult work.
Erich Hartman rightfully bore the title of 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.