Hermann Graf - photo album

Click HERE to watch album of Hermann Graf.

 Hermann Graf and young boys from Hitlerjugend

Luftwaffe Ace Pilot: Hermann Graf

"German Luftwaffe members Erich Hartmann, Adolf Galland and Johannes Steinhoff achieved a measure of immortality for their flying and fighting prowess during World War II. A name missing from many histories of that conflict, however, is Hermann Graf — with 212 confirmed victories, one of the most decorated aces in the Luftwaffe.

Born on October 12, 1912, in Engen im Hegau, Germany, Hermann was the youngest of three sons. Aviation fascinated him from his youth; he was only 12 when he made his first glider flight. While still in school, Graf earned his ‘A,’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ glider certificates. According to Christer Bergström, author of Graf & Grislawski: A Pair of Aces, young Graf first worked as a locksmith apprentice, then later as a public assistance clerk apprentice. Many accounts incorrectly report he apprenticed as a blacksmith, emulating his father.

Günther Rall, Wilhelm Kriessmann, Erich Hartmann, Hans Meyer - video clips, interviews

Luftwafe Ace Hans Meyer

Luftwaffe Ace Erich Hartmann

Luftwaffe Ace Günther Rall - Interview

Interview with Luftwaffe pilot Wilhelm Kriessmann - Interviewed by Rodney Martin

Focke-Wulf Fw190 - Pilots and Armament. Part 5 - Compiled by German Dzib

Pilots

Otto Kittel

Otto "Bruno" Kittel

Otto "Bruno" Kittel (21 February 1917 – 14 or 16 February 1945) was a World War II Luftwaffe flying ace. He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front, claiming 267 aerial victories, making him the fourth highest scoring ace in aviation history. (45)(46) Kittel claimed all of his victories flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 against the Red Air Force. (47)
Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939, at the age of 22 and flew his first combat missions in 1941. (48) In spring 1941, he joined Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) supporting Army Group North on the Eastern Front. Kittel claimed his first victory on 22 June 1941, the opening day of Operation Barbarossa. Kittel took time to amass his personal tally of aerial victories. By February 1943, he reached 39 kills, relatively insignificant when compared with some other German aces. In 1943, his tally began to increase when JG 54 began to operate the Fw 190. Kittel earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 29 October 1943, for reaching 120 aerial victories. By the time he was officially awarded the decoration he had a tally of 123. A large number of his Soviet victims included the IL-2 Shturmovik aircraft, leading the German Army to call him the "Butcher Killer", a nickname they had given to the tough Shturmovik. (49)
During the remainder of World War II, Kittel was credited with 144 other aerial victories, which earned him the covetedKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. On his 583rd combat mission, he was shot down and killed by the air gunner of a Shturmovik on 14 or 16 February 1945. Kittel was the most successful German fighter pilot to be killed in action. (50)

The fast mower: 237 kills in 2 years - Wilhelm "Willy" Batz

Wilhelm "Willy" Batz

Wilhelm Batz was born in Bamburg on 21 may 1916. After completing his schooling, he joined the Luftwaffe in 1935. From beginning they recognized in him a young man with outstanding skills and with natural ability to be spectacular pilot.  Finally, his real story in Luftwaffe started from be a instructor at various Luftwaffe training schools in 1937. step by step, his career progressed from assistant instructor to flight instructor. Batz was as guarantee for Luftwaffe to sent on the front really good aviators.
After spent more than 5000 hours in the air, "Willy" really longed to join the many aviators he sent to the front and fight with them. last two year showed his superiors how much he deserve to realise his desire. The commander of Flying Schools ordered him released from his duties as an instructor and transferred to a combat unit.

Erich Rudorffer - longest living the Ace of Luftwaffe with more than 100 victories

Erich Rudorffer

Major Erich Rudorffer (born 1 November 1917) is a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace, one of a handful who served with the Luftwaffe through the whole of World War II. He is the 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history of air warfare and, since 2014, both the oldest jet fighter ace and the most successful ace still living, as well as the only living fighter pilot with more than 100 victories since the death of Walter Schuck in March 2015. Rudorffer claimed a total of 222 victories, fighting in all the major German theaters of war, including the European and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and the Eastern Front. During the war he flew more than 1000 combat missions, was engaged in aerial combat over 300 times, was shot down by flak and enemy fighters 16 times and had to take to his parachute 9 times. He distinguished himself by shooting down 13 enemy planes in 17 minutes. His 222 aerial victories include 58 heavily armoured Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft. He also claimed that he sank a British submarine on 19 May 1941 off the Isle of Portland but Royal Navy losses do not corroborate this claim and the Luftwaffe only credited him with damaging the submarine. Rudorffer is the last living recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

"Never hate, it only eats you alive" - Erich Hartmann. interview with the greatest Ace ever, which saw the sky.

Erich Hartmann, 1971

Credited with 352 victories, Major Erich Alfred Hartmann has two nicknames: “Bubi” from his comrades and “The Black Devil” from his adversaries. He is considered as the top fighter ace in the aerial warfare history, being the fighter pilot with the greatest score. He has crashed 14 times but not once was he shot down — some of the reasons of the crash included running out of fuel or even aircraft damage due to flying debris from the aircraft he has successfully hit. Even with his unrivaled score, he also has never lost a wingman. It was during his training under the most experienced fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe that he began to develop his tactics and after his 301st aerial victory, he was awarded with the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds). It was the highest military decoration at the time.

His natural talents began to tell: excellent eyesight, lightning reflexes, an aggressive spirit, and an ability to stay cool while in combat.

The Final Interview with Erich Hartmann

Wolfgang "Wolf" Falck: "Father of the Night Fighters" and "Happy Falcon" - Colin Heaton interview

Major Falck became Kommodore of the first dedicated night fighter unit Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 / NJG 1 in June 1940, and received the Ritterkreuz in October 1940. He was to command NJG 1 for three years and in partnership with General Josef Kammhuber develop a highly effective night fighter force.


"CH-Wolf, when and where were you born?

Wolfgang Falck- I was born 19 August 1910 in Berlin.

CH- Tell us about your youth, and about your family.

Wolfgang Falck- My family came from West Prussia in Danzig, which is now Gdansk, Poland. My mother was from Bremen and she married my father who was from Prussia, and he was a pastor. My sister Ilsa was born there on 7 February 1898. My sister Irmgard was born on 19 July 1904. They both married officers and had children, but they have both been deceased for many years.

Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 / NJG 1

CH- How about your education Wolfgang; what was it like?

Wolfgang Falck- From 1917 to 1931 I was educated in the Realgymnasium at Berlin-Teptow and I passed the Abitur. I became a member of a flying group; some of us students who, under the watchful eye and control of a teacher built and flew models of gliders. Since we were living in Berlin I visited all of the air shows in the area, including airports where I admired and studied the different types of aircraft.

CH- How did you become a pilot?

Wolfgang Falck- That is quite a long story. On 1 April 1931 to March 1932 I was at the German