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Old 21st Nov 2020, 04:36
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megan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
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When ever the Stuka gets a mention so must Hans-Ulrich Rudel, flew 2,530 combat missions on the Eastern Front of World War II. The majority of these were undertaken while flying the Junkers Ju 87, although 430 were flown in ground-attack variants of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. He was credited with the destruction of 519 tanks, severely damaging the battleship Marat, as well as sinking a cruiser (incomplete and heavily damaged Petropavlovsk), a destroyer (Leningrad-class destroyer Minsk) and 70 landing craft. Rudel also claimed to have destroyed more than 800 vehicles of all types, over 150 artillery, anti-tank or anti-aircraft positions, 4 armored trains, as well as numerous bridges and supply lines. Rudel was also credited with 51 aerial victories, 42 of which were fighter aircraft and 7 Ilyushin Il-2s. He was shot down or forced to land 30 times due to anti-aircraft artillery, was wounded five times and rescued six stranded aircrew from enemy-held territory, he was the most decorated German serviceman as sole recipient of the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.

There is a very good book he wrote devoted to his career, simply titled "Stuka Pilot".
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