On January 15th of 1942, he was awarded with Knights Cross and eventually returned to the Eastern Front on his own demand in June of 1942.In September of 1942, Rudel received the command of the 1st Staffel of the 1st Wing of Stukageschwader 2 (1StG2), while operating in the Stalingrad area. you must have hit her ammunition store.She is blowing up !' (Rudel's rear gunner Scharnovski over the intercom).On Christmas Day, December 24th of 1941, Rudel flew his 500th mission and on December 30th, was decorated with Deutsches Kreuz (German Cross) in Gold by General Freiherr Wolfram von Richthofen himself (who was Manfred von Richthofen's cousin).After that, Hans Rudel was sent to Graz to lecture and train new Stuka crews.

During the attack, Rudel sunk Soviet Battleship 'Marat' with 1000kg bomb hitting its ammunition store and breaking the ship in half - ' We've got her. On September 23rd of 1941,Rudel's Group (1st and 2nd Wing) attacked elements of the Soviet Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt harbor (Leningrad area). On July 18th of 1941, Rudel was awarded Iron Cross 1st Class. During next 18 hours, he flew total four combat missions. In preparations for the Operation Barbarossa, Rudel's Group was transferred to the Eastern Front and on June 23rd of 1941 at 3:00am flew his first combat dive-bombing mission. Afterwards, Rudel was transferred to 1st Staffel (1st Squadron) of Stukageschwader 2 (Dive-Bomber Group 2) and took part in the airborne invasion of Crete in May of 1941, although not in the battle zone. After the completion of the course, Oberleutnant Rudel was posted to Stuka Training Wing near Stuttgart, where he spent the French Campaign. On October 11th of 1939, Rudel was awarded Iron Cross 2nd Class.At the same, Rudel continued applying for Ju-87 Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug - dive bomber)training course and was finally admitted in May of 1940. Instead, he received reconnaissance observer's training and flew long range reconnaissance missions during Polish Campaign in September of 1939 as a Lieutenant. After passing his flying training course and becoming a pilot, Hans Rudel applied for further training in the technique of the dive-bombing but was turned down. In 1936, he joined the Luftwaffe as an cadet officer as a way to continue and develop his sporting activities. Rudel was a teenager when the NSDAP took charge and became indoctrinated at very early age.Since young age, Rudel showed interest in sports and did not do well in school. He was never good at school and received limited education. Hans-Ulrich Rudel was born in 1916 in Silesia.He was the son of a clergyman - minister. During his career, as Stuka pilot he managed to destroy enormous number of enemy equipment, including 519 Soviet tanks.

Hans Rudel is not the kind of 'Panzer Ace' such as Wittmann or Barkmann, simply because he was 'Stuka Ace' and destroyed enemy armored fighting vehicles from the air.

Vehicles of the Wehrmacht - Military Links

Stuka pilot by hans ulrich rudel