THE STAR OF AFRICA
ADOLF GALLAND
With schoolboy aspirations of becoming a commercial pilot, Adolf Galland instead joined the Luftwaffe while it was still a secretive air force. Training in Italy in the early 1930s, he was involved in several accidents, later joking he was known as the “millionaire of the new Luftwaffe” due to the collective value of the aircraft he crashed. He joined Germany’s Condor Legion, flying a Heinkel 51 in a ground-attack role.
In 1939, Galland took part in the invasions of Poland and France, and he also fought in numerous dogfights in the Battle of Britain. When asked by Hermann Göring what his squadron needed to achieve victory over the RAF, Galland famously replied: “Please Reichsmarschall, equip my wings with Spitfires!”
By the end of 1940 he had achieved 58 victories and was promoted to fighter wing commander. He was shot down several times during fighting over Britain, escaping with injuries.
In 1941 Hitler awarded Galland Diamonds to his Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves in recognition of his 94th victory. That same year, at the age of just 29, he was made general der jagdflieger, placing him in charge of the Luftwaffe’s fighter squadrons. This frustrated Galland, as the senior position meant he was not permitted to take to the skies, almost certainly limiting his final victory tally. He ended the war flying the Me 262 jet fighter, in which he achieved several more victories before being captured by American forces.
HANS-ULRICH RUDEL
Though he later became the most decorated pilot in the Third Reich, Hans-Ulrich Rudel’s wartime career began in much more modest circumstances. Not judged to be a capable aviator, he was assigned to flying reconnaissance missions during the invasions of Poland and France. It was not until 1941, during Operation Barbarossa, that he was given a chance to prove himself in combat, in a dive-bombing squadron flying Ju87 Stukas.
Rudel more than made up for lost time and became known for his deadly accuracy when attacking ground forces on the Eastern Front. By 1943 he had flown over 1,000 sorties, inflicting devastating losses on the Soviets, and by June 1944 he had destroyed over 300 Soviet tanks. His impressive victories earned him immense prestige in Berlin, with even Hitler reportedly in awe of the pilot.
In December 1944 he was awarded the Knight’s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds – he remained the only recipient of this decoration. By the end of the war, Rudel had flown around 2,500 sorties and taken out over 500 tanks, as well as hundreds more vehicles, artillery pieces, naval vessels and even a Soviet battleship.
their light, shimmering green, which now almost outshined the strange black spot on his left eyeball. At that time, we were convinced that such a performance against these opponents could not be significantly surpassed
