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Ernst Udet
Born
26 April 1896 Frankfurt am Main, German Empire
Died
17 November 1941(1941-11-17) (aged 45) Berlin, Nazi Germany
Buried
Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin
Allegiance
German Empire (1914–1918)
Weimar Republic (1918–1919)
Nazi Germany (1934–1941)
Service/branch
Luftstreitkräfte (1915–1919)
Luftwaffe (1934–1941)
Years of service
1914–1919, 1934–1941
Rank
Oberleutnant (1918)
Generaloberst (1940)
Unit
World War I: FA 68, FA(A) 206, KEK Habsheim, Jastas 4, 11, 15, 37
Commands held
World War I: Jasta 37, Jasta 4
Battles/wars
World War I World War II
Awards
Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class
Clasp to the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class
Knights Cross with Swords of the House Order of Hohenzollern
Hanseatic Cross Hamburg & Lübeck versions
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th and 3rd Class
Pour le Mérite
Pilot’s Badge German Empire
Pilot/Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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 Imperial German Air Service in April 1915 at the age of 19, and eventually became a notable flying ace of World War I, scoring 62 confirmed victories. The highest scoring German fighter pilot to survive that war, and the second-highest scoring after Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus, Udet rose to become a squadron commander under Richthofen, and later under Hermann Göring.[1] Udet spent the 1920s and early 1930s as a stunt pilot, international barnstormer,[2] light-aircraft manufacturer, and playboy.
On 1 May 1933 Udet joined the Nazi Party.[3]
He became involved in the early development of the Luftwaffe (officially founded on 15 May 1933), where he was appointed director of research and development. Influential in the adoption of 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.
^Sherman, Stephen. "Ernst Udet - Second Highest German Ace of WWI". acepilots.com. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
^"'Chutist Tactic Credited To Udet, Reich Stunt Ace". The New York Times. United Press International. 8 May 1940.
^
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) [...].
ErnstUdet (26 April 1896 – 17 November 1941) was a German pilot during World War I and a Luftwaffe Colonel-General (Generaloberst) during World War II...
ErnstUdet, German War Ace, in the desert wastes of the treacherous Nile country three years ago." A reference to this act is found in ErnstUdet's Ace...
1987) 1896 – Ruut Tarmo, Estonian actor and director (d. 1967) 1896 – ErnstUdet, German colonel and pilot (d. 1941) 1897 – Eddie Eagan, American boxer...
small endurance, the aircraft failed to impress Nazi officials such as ErnstUdet and Erhard Milch, who attended a demonstration flight. Heinkel subsequently...
a cross country flight and aerobatics in a Focke-Wulf Fw 44. In 1937, ErnstUdet gave Reitsch the honorary title of Flugkapitän after she had successfully...
War II. It was named after ErnstUdet, an important figure in the development of the Luftwaffe, in 1942. Jagdschwader 3 "Udet" was formed on 1 May 1939...
"Simon" Shöster Otto Brauneck Hermann Göring Carl-August von Schoenebeck ErnstUdet Carlos Meyer Baldó [es] Richard Wenzl[better source needed] On 26 July...
became leaders of their own squadrons. ErnstUdet belonged to Richthofen's group and later became Generaloberst Udet. When Lothar joined, the German high...
invited to join the club: ErnstUdet, the highest-scoring German flying ace to survive World War I. Known as a fun-loving playboy, Udet performed aerobatics...
acquaintance, which later developed to a friendship, with the aviator ErnstUdet, a deputy of Hermann Göring under Germany's Luftwaffe. Schmeisser had...
Victor Tchmal Reinhold Tiling Ferenc Tóth Sean D. Tucker Nick Turvey ErnstUdet Gabor Varga Juan Velarde Frank Versteegh Pavel Vlasov Patty Wagstaff Kermit...
given a good evaluation and "exhibited very good flying characteristics". ErnstUdet took an immediate liking to the concept of dive-bombing after flying the...
Victor Tchmal Reinhold Tiling Ferenc Tóth Sean D. Tucker Nick Turvey ErnstUdet Gabor Varga Juan Velarde Frank Versteegh Pavel Vlasov Patty Wagstaff Kermit...
Luftwaffe planners like ErnstUdet had their opportunities to have their own "pet" features added (including dive-bombing by Udet), the Ju 88's top speed...
superior and led some to believe that pinpoint accuracy was possible. ErnstUdet became a vocal supporter of this concept. In the case of an aircraft attacking...
military aviation, since it produced aces such as Manfred von Richthofen, ErnstUdet, Oswald Boelcke, and Max Immelmann. After the defeat of Germany, the service...
designed and built the He 100. On 6 June 1938, the He 100 V3, flown by ErnstUdet, captured the record with a speed of 634.7 km/h (394.4 mph). On 30 March...
Philippe de La Noye. Charles C. Tew, colonel Confederate States Army ErnstUdet (1896–1941), German First World War Ace, Luftwaffe Colonel-General in...
prototype made its maiden flight in early 1934; Chief of the Technical Office ErnstUdet personally flew the aircraft, during which the competing Heinkel He 51...
Luftwaffe. His experiences in pin-point ground assaults were used by ErnstUdet, a proponent of the dive bomber and leading supporter of the Junkers Ju...
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