Ernst Udet

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Ernst Udet
Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin
Allegiance
Service/branch
Years of service1914–1919, 1934–1941
Rank
UnitWorld War I: FA 68, FA(A) 206, KEK Habsheim, Jastas 4,
11, 15, 37
Commands heldWorld War I: Jasta 37, Jasta 4
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
Awards

Ernst Udet (26 April 1896 – 17 November 1941) was a German pilot during World War I and a Luftwaffe Colonel-General (Generaloberst) during World War II.

Udet joined the

playboy
.

On 1 May 1933 Udet joined the Nazi Party.[3] He became involved in the early development of the

dive-bombing techniques as well as of the Stuka dive bomber, by 1939 Udet had risen to the post of Chief of Procurement and Supply for the Luftwaffe. The stress of the position and his distaste for administrative duties led to Udet developing alcoholism
.

The launch of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941, combined with issues with the Luftwaffe's needs for equipment outstripping Germany's production capacity and increasingly poor relations with the Nazi Party, caused Udet to choose suicide on 17 November 1941 by shooting himself in the head.

Early life

Ernst Udet was born on 26 April 1896, in

Frankfurt am Main, German Empire. Udet grew up in Munich, and was known from his early childhood for his sunny temperament and fascination with aviation. In his youth he spent considerable time at a nearby airplane factory and an army airship detachment. In 1909, he helped found the Munich Aero-Club.[4] After crashing a glider he and a friend constructed, he finally flew in 1913 with a test pilot in the nearby Otto Works owned by Gustav Otto, which he often visited.[4]

Military career

World War I

Udet attended the Theresien-Gymnasium in Munich.

Shortly after the beginning of

aerial observer. Before he received his orders, the army dispensed with the volunteer motorcyclists, and Udet was sent back to the recruiting officials.[4]

Udet tried to return to the fighting, but he was unable to get into either the pilot or aircraft mechanic training the army offered. However, he learned that if he were a trained pilot, he would be immediately accepted into army aviation. Through a family friend, Gustav Otto, owner of the aircraft factory he had hung out around in his youth, Udet received private flight training. This cost him 2,000

Imperial German Air Service.[4]

Artillery ranging

Udet at first flew in Feld Flieger-Abteilung 206 (FFA 206)—an observation unit—as an Unteroffizier (non-commissioned) pilot with observer Leutnant Bruno Justinius.[4] He and his observer won the Iron Cross (2nd class for Udet and 1st class for his lieutenant) for nursing their damaged Aviatik B.I two-seater back to German lines after a shackle on a wing-cable snapped.[1] Justinius had climbed out to hold the wing and balance it, rather than land behind the enemy lines and be captured. After this structural failure, and a similar incident in which Leutnant Winter and Vizefeldwebel Preiss lost their lives, the Aviatik B was retired from active service.[citation needed]

Later, Udet was

court-martialed for losing an aircraft in an incident the flying corps considered a result of bad judgement. Overloaded with fuel and bombs, the aircraft stalled after a sharp bank and plunged to the ground. Miraculously, both Udet and Justinius survived with only minor injuries. Udet was placed under arrest in the guardhouse for seven days.[5] On his way out of the guardhouse, he was asked to fly Leutnant Hartmann to observe a bombing raid on Belfort. A bomb thrown by hand by the leutnant became stuck in the landing gear, but Udet performed aerobatics and managed to shake it loose.[1] As soon as the Air Staff Officer heard about Udet's performance during the incident, he ordered Udet transferred to the fighter command.[citation needed
]

Fighter pilot

Udet was assigned a new Fokker to fly to his new fighter unit—FFA 68—at Habsheim. Mechanically defective, the plane crashed into a hangar when he took off, so he was then given an older Fokker to fly. In this aircraft, he experienced his first aerial combat, which almost ended in disaster. While lining up on a French Caudron, Udet found he could not bring himself to fire on another person and was subsequently fired on by the Frenchman. A bullet grazed his cheek and smashed his flying goggles.[1][4] Udet survived the encounter, but from then on learned to attack aggressively and began scoring victories, downing his first French opponent on 18 March 1916. On that occasion, he had scrambled to attack two French aircraft, but instead found himself facing a formation of 23 enemy aircraft. He dived from above and behind, giving his Fokker E.III full throttle, and opened fire on a Farman F.40 from close range.[6] Udet pulled away, leaving the flaming bomber trailing smoke, only to see the observer fall from the rear seat of the stricken craft. He later described the incident: "The fuselage of the Farman dives down past me like a giant torch... A man, his arms and legs spread out like a frog's, falls past--the observer. At the moment, I don't think of them as human beings. I feel only one thing--victory, triumph, victory."[7] The victory won Udet the Iron Cross First Class.

That year, FFA 68 was renamed Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Habsheim before becoming

Maschinengewehr 08 machine guns.[4] On 15 August 1917 he shot down his 8th victory-a Sopwith Strutter 1/2 of 43d Squadron RFC.[citation needed
]

During his service with Jasta 15, Udet later wrote he had encountered

Spad S.VII. The opponents tried every aerobatic trick they knew and Guynemer fired a burst through Udet's upper wing, however maneuvered for advantage. Once Udet had Guynemer in his sights, his machine guns jammed and while pretending to dogfight he pounded on them with his fists, desperate to unjam them. Guynemer realized his predicament and instead of taking advantage of it, simply waved a farewell and flew away.[4]
Udet wrote of the fight, "For seconds, I forgot that the man across from me was Guynemer, my enemy. It seems as though I were sparring with an older comrade over our own airfield." Udet felt that Guynemer had spared him because he wanted a fair fight, while others have suggested that Guynemer had a gun jam himself, feared that Udet would ram him in desperation, or the French ace was so impressed with Udet's skills that he hoped they might meet again on equal terms.

Eventually, every pilot in Jasta 15 was killed except Udet and his commander,

Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.[citation needed] Despite his seemingly frivolous nature, drinking late into the night, and womanizing lifestyle, Udet proved an excellent squadron commander. He spent many hours coaching new fighter pilots, with an emphasis on marksmanship as being essential for success.[4]

The Flying Circus

Udet's success attracted attention for his skill, earning him an invitation to join the "Flying Circus",

autographed photos of himself that read: "Dedicated to my esteemed fighting companion." Udet remarked that because of the signed photographs, " ... sausage and ham never ran out." One night, the squadron invited a captured English flyer for dinner, treating him as a guest. When he excused himself for the bathroom, the Germans secretly watched to see if he would try to escape. On his return the Englishman said, "I would never forgive myself for disappointing such hosts"; the English flyer did escape later from another unit.[citation needed
]

Ernst Udet beside his Fokker DVII nicknamed "Lo"

Richthofen was killed in April 1918 in France, where Udet was not at the front as he had been sent on leave due to a painful ear infection which he avoided having treated as long as he could. Udet said about Richthofen: "He was the least complicated man I ever knew. Entirely Prussian and the greatest of soldiers." before returning to JG 1 against the doctor's advice and remained there to the end of the war, commanding Jasta 4. While at home, Udet had reacquainted himself with his childhood sweetheart, Eleanor "Lo" Zink. Notified that he had received the Pour le Mérite, he had one made up in advance so that he could impress her, and painted her name on the side of his Albatros fighters and Fokker D VII. Also on the tail of his Fokker D VII was the message "Du doch nicht" - "Definitely not you."[9] Udet scored 20 victories in August 1918 alone, mainly against British aircraft and became a national hero with 62 confirmed victories to his credit.[citation needed]

On 29 June 1918, Udet was one of the early fliers to be saved by parachuting from a disabled aircraft, when he jumped after a clash with a French Breguet. His harness caught on the rudder and he had to break off the rudder tip to escape.[4] His parachute did not open until he was 75 m (250 ft) from the ground, causing him to sprain his ankle on landing. On 28 September 1918, Udet was wounded in the thigh, from which he was still recovering on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918, when the war ended in Germany's defeat.[4]

Inter-war period

Ernst Udet, a recoloured portrait

After the war, on his way home from the military hospital, Udet had to defend himself against a

POW Relief Organization, using surplus aircraft in Bavaria. He was invited to start the first International Air Service between Germany and Austria, but after the first flight the Entente Commission confiscated his aircraft. Udet married Eleanor "Lo" Zink on 25 February 1920, however the marriage lasted less than three years and they were divorced on 16 February 1923. The marriage is believed to have ended due to Udet having had many affairs. His talents were numerous - among these were juggling, drawing cartoons, and party entertainment.[citation needed
]

A picture taken by Ernst Udet, c. 1930
Swiss Fokker DVII flown by Udet in 1936. See story at [1].

During the inter-war period, Udet was known primarily for his work as a stunt pilot and for playboy-like behavior. He flew for

Hitlerjunge Quex: Ein Film vom Opfergeist der deutschen Jugend, played a youth who lost his pilot father in World War I and was befriended and encouraged by Udet, his idol.[10][11] In the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics Udet entered the arts competition literature category with his autobiography, Mein Fliegerleben (My Flying Life) (published 1935).[12]

Ernst Udet in 1928

These efforts were good publicity for Udet. An American, William Pohl of

Milbertshofen. Its intent was to build small aircraft that the general public could fly. It soon ran into trouble with the Entente Commission and transferred its operations to a beehive and chicken coop factory.[citation needed
]

The first aeroplane that Udet's company produced was the

U2. Udet took the second model, the U4, to the Wilbur Cup race in Buenos Aires at the expense of Aero Club Aleman. It was outclassed, and the club wanted him to do cigarette commercials to reimburse them for the expense, but he refused. He was rescued by the Chief of the Argentinian Railways, a man of Swedish descent named Tornquist, who settled the debt.[citation needed
]

In 1924, Udet left Udet Flugzeugbau when they decided to build a four-engine aircraft, the U11 Kondor which was larger and not for the general population. He and another friend from the war, Angermund, started an exhibition flying enterprise in Germany, which was also successful, but Udet remarked, "In time this too begins to get tiresome. ... We stand in the present, fighting for a living. It isn't always easy. ... But the thoughts wander back to the times when it was worthwhile to fight for your life."[citation needed]

Udet and another wartime comrade—Suchocky—became pilots to an African filming expedition. The cameraman was another veteran, Schneeberger, whom Udet called "Flea," and the guide was Siedentopf, a former East African estate owner. Udet described one incident in Africa in which lions jumped up to claw at the low-flying aircraft, one of them removing a strip of Suchocky's wing surface. Udet engaged in hunting while in Africa.[citation needed]

World War II

Building the Luftwaffe

Udet's Curtiss Hawk Export (D-IRIK) as on display in the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków.

Though not interested in politics, Udet joined the

Nazi party in 1933 when Hermann Göring promised to buy him two new U.S.-built Curtiss Hawk II biplanes (export designation of the F11C-2 Goshawk Helldiver). The planes were used for evaluation purposes and thus indirectly influenced the German idea of dive bombing aeroplanes, such as the Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka) dive bombers. They were also used for aerobatic shows held during the 1936 Summer Olympics.[12] Udet piloted one of them, which survived the war and is now on display in the Polish Aviation Museum.[citation needed
]

Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin
.

After the trials of the Ju 87, a confidential directive issued on 9 June 1936 by

Reich Ministry of Aviation).[13] Udet had no real interest in this job nor a particular aptitude for it, especially the bureaucracy of it, and the pressure led to him developing an addiction to alcohol, drinking large amounts of brandy and cognac.[14]

In January 1939, Udet visited

Maresciallo dell'Aria (Marshal of the Air Force) Italo Balbo on a flight, because at the time there were distinct signs of German military and diplomatic co-operation with the Italians.[15] On 1 February 1939 Udet became Luftwaffe Generalluftzeugmeister (Chief of Procurement and Supply), responsible for all aircraft production, armament and supply. This was a massive organization supervising over 26 departments and, again, requiring organizational qualities for which Udet was not best equipped.[16]

When World War II began, his internal conflicts grew more intense as aircraft production requirements were much more than the German industry could supply, given limited access to raw materials such as aluminium. Göring responded to this problem by simply lying about it to Adolf Hitler, and after the Luftwaffe's defeat in the Battle of Britain, Göring tried to deflect Hitler's ire by blaming Udet. On 22 June 1941, the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, drove Udet further into despair. In April and May 1941, Udet had led a German delegation inspecting the Soviet aviation industry in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Udet informed Göring that the Soviet air force and aviation industry were very strong and technically advanced. Göring decided not to report this to Hitler, hoping that a surprise attack would quickly destroy the Soviet Union.[17] Udet realized that the upcoming war on the Soviet Union might destroy Germany. He tried to explain this to Hitler but, torn between truth and loyalty, suffered a psychological breakdown. Göring kept Udet under control by giving him drugs at drinking parties and hunting trips. Udet's drinking and psychological condition became a problem, and Göring used Udet's dependency to manipulate him.[18]

Death

Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery
, Berlin

By August 1941, the pressures from the Soviet campaign were exacerbating the conflicts between Udet and

State Secretary Erhard Milch. In order to attain a mandated quadrupling of production, Milch was pressing Udet for a major reorganisation of his department. Udet resisted, but by September, Göring sided with Milch and several members of Udet's staff were removed, as Milch began to assert increasing control over procurement and supply. Udet was losing his freedom of action and was clearly being eclipsed.[19]

On 17 November 1941, Udet shot himself in the head while he was on the phone with his girlfriend, Inge Bleyle. Udet's suicide was concealed from the public, and at his funeral, he was lauded as a hero who had died in flight while he was testing a new weapon. On their way to attend Udet's funeral, the World War II fighter ace

Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery in Berlin. Mölders was buried next to Udet.[citation needed
]

According to Udet's biography, The Fall of an Eagle, he wrote a

mental breakdown.[citation needed
]

Portrayals

See also

  • Udet U 12

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sherman, Stephen. "Ernst Udet - Second Highest German Ace of WWI". acepilots.com. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  2. ^ "'Chutist Tactic Credited To Udet, Reich Stunt Ace". The New York Times. United Press International. 8 May 1940.
  3. ^ Unterseher, Lutz (2021). Carl Zuckmayer und Ernst Udet - Freundschaft als Missverständnis: Literaturgeschichte und Nationalsozialismus. Volume 7 of Kulturgeschichte / LIT. Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 64.
    ISBN 9783643250339
    . Retrieved 22 November 2023. Am 1. Mai 1933 wurde Ernst Udet in die Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei aufgenommen (Migliedsnummer: 2010976) [...].
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Browne, O'Brien (June 2006). "Ernst Udet: The Rise and Fall of a German World War I Ace". Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. ISBN 9780668051613
    .
  6. ISBN 9781902304922
    .
  7. ^ Early German Aces of World War I. p. 49.
  8. ^ Early German Aces of World War I. pp. 86–87.
  9. ^ This account and translation from Stanley M. Ulanoff, the editor of Ace of the Iron Cross, An Ace Book, 1970 - the English translation of Mein Fliegerleben by Udet. Udet does not mention the dare.
  10. ^ Rentschler, p. 233, 288.
  11. ^ "Wunder des Fleigens -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  12. ^ a b "Ernst Udet". Olympedia. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  13. ^ Faber 1977, p. 62.
  14. ^ Ohler 2015, pp. 95–97.
  15. ^ Kelly, Saul, The Lost Oasis, p. 130
  16. ISBN 9781787206755
    .
  17. ISBN 978-5-9955-0028-5
  18. ^ Who is who in the Third Reich (Кто был кто в Третьем рейхе. Биографический энциклопедический словарь. М., 2003)
  19. ^ Faber 1977, pp. 71–72.

References

External links
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