Rudel was born on 2 July 1916,, in Prussia. He was the third child of Lutheran minister Johannes Rudel. As a boy, Rudel was a poor scholar, but a keen sportsman. He attended the humanities oriented Gymnasium, in Lauban, joined the Hitler Youth in 1933. After graduating in1936, he participated in the compulsory Reich Labour Service (RAD). Then following the labour service Rudel joined the Luftwaffa and in the same year and began his military career as an air reconnaissance pilot.
WW2
German forces invaded Poland in 1939 startingWorld War II in Europe. As an air observer, Rudel flew on long-range reconnaissance missions over Poland. During 1940, he served as a regimental adjutant for the 43rd Aviators Training Regiment, based at Vienna.
In earlyHe was posted to (StG 2), which was moved to occupied Poland in preparation for 1941, he underwent training as a Stuka pilot.Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, in June 1941.[7] On 21 September 1941, Rudel took part in an attack on the Soviet battleship Marat of the Baltic Fleet. Marat was sunk at her moorings on 23 September 1941 after being hit by one 1,000-kilogram (2,200 lb) bomb near the forward superstructure. It caused the explosion of the forward magazine which demolished the superstructure and the forward part of the hull. 326 men were killed and the ship gradually settled to the bottom in 11 meters (36 ft) of water. Her sinking is commonly credited to Rudel alone.
He took part in the Battle of Stalingrad from May 1941 to January 1942, Rudel flew 500 missions. In February 1943 Rudel flew his 1,000th combat mission, which made him into a national hero. In April 1943, Rudel was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, receiving the Oak Leaves from the Fuhrer himself. On 12 July 1943 Rudel claimed 12 Soviet tanks in one day in October 1943, He was credited with the destruction of his 100th tank and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (one of only 160 awarded).
Rudel was appointed Group commander of 3 Group on 22 February 1944.On 20 March, Rudel performed a forced landing behind Soviet lines and he and his gunner escaped,swimming a river in which his gunner drowned. Rudel was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (one of only 27 awarded) on 29 March 1944, as the tenth member of the Wehrmacht to receive this award. The presentation was made by Hitller.
On 22 December 1944, Rudel completed his 2,400th combat mission, and the next day, he reported his 463rd tank destroyed. On 29 December 1944, Rudel was promoted to Oberst (colonel), and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, the only person to receive this decoration. This award, intended as one of 12 to be given as a post-war victory award for Nazi Germany and was presented to him by Hitler on 1 January 1945. Four months before Nazi Germany was defeated.
On 8 February 1945, Rudel was badly wounded in the right foot, and was landed inside German lines by his gunner shouting flight instructions. Rudel’s leg was amputated below the knee but, returned to flying in1945. He claimed 26 more tanks destroyed by the end of the war. Rudel then fled westward from an airfield near Prague, landing in US controlled territory, and surrendering. The Americans refused to hand him over to the Soviet Union who would have interned him. Rudel himself lost 30 aircraft but he recorded 17 tanks for every plane he lost he shot down. Also11 enemy aircraft,destroyed 519 tanks,over 100 vehicles,150 artillery pieces,70 boats,a destroyer,2 cruisers and the battleship Marat.
Alistair Ref Various