Ernst Udet (April 26, 1896 – November 17, 1941) was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war (at the age of 22). His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus. The Jagd-Staffel 11 (Pursuit-Squadron 11), also known as the Richthofen Squadron was founded in September 1916 ,as part of the German Air forces expansion programme, forming permanent specialised air fighting squadrons or Jastas. Its first commander was Oberleutnant Rudolf Lang, although Jasta 11s first months of... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... King Carol I of Romania, wearing the collar of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern around his neck and the pinback Honor Cross 1st Class with Swords of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern on his lower left breast. ... The Order Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max), was Prussias highest military order until the end of World War I. The award was a blue-enameled Maltese Cross with eagles between the arms, the Prussian royal cypher, and the French legend Pour... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, perhaps the most famous ace of all The first ace, Adolphe Pegoud being awarded the Croix de Guerre A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... “Red Baron” redirects here. ... Monty Pythons Flying Circus is a famous British comedy TV show. ...

Life of a flier

From motorcycling to flying

Born in Frankfurt am Main, Udet was fascinated with aviation from early childhood. He wanted to join the army in 1914, but was only 160 cm tall and did not qualify. In August, when the Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil Klub appealed for volunteers with motorcycles, Udet applied and was accepted. Udet's father had given him his motorcycle when Ernst passed his first year examination. Along with four friends, Udet was posted to the 26 Württembergischen Reserve division as a "messenger rider". After injuring his shoulder when his motorcycle hit a shell hole, Udet went to a military hospital, and his bike went for repair. When he tried to track down the 26th division, he was unable to locate it and decided to serve in the vehicle depot in Namur. During this time, Udet met officers from the Chauny flying sector who advised him to get transferred as an aerial observer. However, before he received his orders for Chauny, the army dispensed with the volunteer motorcyclists, and he was sent back to recruiting officials. Frankfurt am Main [ˈfraŋkfʊrt] is the largest city in the German state of Hessen and the fifth largest city of Germany. ... Look up aviation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A motorcycle (or motorbike) is a two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ... Namur is the name of a city in Belgium, capital of Wallonia, as well as a province and a diocese named after it. ... Chauny is a commune of the Aisne département, in France. ... Aerial Observer- Air Force Reconnaissance. ...

Udet tried in vain to get back to the fighting, but was unable to get into pilot or aircraft mechanic training offered by the army. He soon learned that if he were a trained pilot, he would be immediately accepted into the air force. Through a family friend, Gustav Otto, owner of an aircraft factory, Udet received private flight training. The training cost 2,000 marks and new bathroom equipment from his father's firm. Udet obtained his civilian pilot's license at the end of April 1915 and joined the German Army Air Service. Born January 12th 1883 in Köln; Died February 28th 1926 in Munich, Gustav Otto was a German Aircraft and aircraft-engine designer and manufacturer. ...

Artillery ranging

Originally Udet flew in Flieger-Abteilung 206, an observation unit, as an enlisted pilot with observer Lieutenant Justinius. He and his observer won the Iron Cross 2nd class for nursing their Aviatik B two-seater back to German lines after a shackle on a wing-cable snapped. Justinius had climbed out to hold the wing and balance it rather than land and accept capture. As a result of the structural failure of the Aviatik that caused Udet and Justinius to go down and that cost Leutnant Winter and Viezefeldwebel Preiss their lives in a similar incident, the Aviatik B was put out of duty. A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ...

Later, Udet was court-martialed for losing his aircraft in an incident the flying corps considered bad judgement. The aircraft, overloaded with fuel and bombs, stalled after a sharp bank, plunging the two men into the ground. Miraculously, they both survived. Udet was placed under arrest in the guardhouse for seven days.

On his way out of the guardhouse, he was asked to fly a Lieutenant Hartmann to observe a bombing raid on Belfort. A bomb thrown by hand by the lieutenant became stuck in the landing gear. Udet performed some aerobatics to shake it loose. As soon as the Air Staff Officer heard about it, he was transferred to fighter command. That was in 1916. Belfort is a town and commune of northeastern France, préfecture (capital) of the Territoire de Belfort département in the Franche-Comté région. ...

Fighter pilot

Udet was given a new Fokker to fly to his unit at Habsheim. Mechanically defective, it crashed into a hangar on takeoff. An older Fokker was then sent to Udet. At Habsheim, his first aerial combat was a near disaster. Lining up on a French Caudron, he found he could not force himself pull the trigger and was strafed by the Frenchman. A bullet grazed his cheek and smashed his goggles. From then on, he learned to attack aggressively and made a number of kills, downing his first French opponent in March. Later that year, he joined Jasta 15, claiming five more victims before transferring to Jasta 37 in June 1917. Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. ... A French aircraft company, founded in 1909 and spanning both world wars. ...

It was during his service with Jasta 15 that Udet wrote he had encountered Georges Guynemer, the French ace, in single combat at 5000 meters. Guynemer preferred to hunt alone. Udet saw him coming and the two circled each other looking for an opening. They were close enough for Udet to read the "Vieux" of "Vieux Charles" on Guynemer's Spad. For an instant, Udet had him in his sights, but the gun jammed. While pretending to dogfight, he tried to unjam it. Guynemer saw his predicament, waved and flew away. Udet wrote of the fight, "For seconds, I forget that the man across from me is Guynemer, my enemy. It seems as though I were sparring with an older comrade over our own airfield." Georges Guynemer Georges Guynemer (December 24, 1894 - September 11, 1917) was a French aviator during World War I. Georges Marie Ludovic Jules Guynemer was born into a wealthy Compiègne family and experienced an often sickly childhood. ... This article is about SPAD, the French aircraft manufacturer. ...

Eventually, all the pilots of Jasta 15 were killed except Udet and his commander, Gontermann. Gontermann became somewhat gloomy, and remarked to Udet, "the bullets fall from the hand of God ... Sooner or later they will hit us."

Udet applied for a transfer to Jasta 37. Gontermann fell three months later, by accident, when the wing of his aircraft came off. He lingered for 24 hours without awakening, and Udet later remarked, "It was a good death."

By late November, Udet was a triple ace and Jastaführer. He modeled his attacks after those of Guynemer, coming in high out of the sun to pick off the rear aircraft in a squadron before the others knew what was happening. His commander in Jasta 37, Grashoff, witnessing one of these attacks, selected him for command over more senior men when Grashoff was transferred.

In the Flying Circus

Udet's success attracted attention for his skill, earning him an invitation to join the Flying Circus, Jagdgeschwader 1, an elite unit of German fighter aces under the command of the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen and later Hermann Göring. Richthofen drove up one day as Udet was trying to pitch a tent in Flanders in the rain. Pointing out that Udet had 20 kills, Richthofen said, "Then you would actually seem ripe for us. Would you like to?" Monty Pythons Flying Circus is a famous British comedy TV show. ... “Red Baron” redirects here. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ...

Of course Udet would. After watching him down an artillery spotter by frontal attack, Richthofen gave Udet command of Jasta 11, his own Jasta. The group commanded by Richthofen also contained Jastas 4, 6 and 10. The Jagd-Staffel 11 (Pursuit-Squadron 11), also known as the Richthofen Squadron was founded in September 1916 ,as part of the German Air forces expansion programme, forming permanent specialised air fighting squadrons or Jastas. Its first commander was Oberleutnant Rudolf Lang, although Jasta 11s first months of...

Udet's enthusiasm for Richthofen was unbounded. In contrast, he had little good to say about Göring. Richthofen demanded total loyalty and total dedication from his pilots, cashiering immediately anyone who did not give it. At the same time he treated them with every consideration. When it came time to requisition supplies, he traded favors for autographed photos of himself that read: "Dedicated to my esteemed fighting companion". Udet remarked that that because of the signed photographs, "...sausage and ham never ran out."

One night they invited a captured English flier for dinner, treating him as a guest. When he excused himself for the 'W.C.' the Germans fell over themselves trying to hide from him that they were watching to see if he would try to escape. On his return the Englishman said, "I would never forgive myself for disappointing such hosts." However, the English flier did escape later from another unit. Flush toilet A flush toilet or water closet is a toilet that disposes of the waste products by using water to sweep them away down a drainpipe. ...

Udet considered Richthofen as scientific in battle and cold in his combats, describing his blue eyes and the sun shining off his blonde hair. Richthofen liked to strafe enemy columns in squadron formation, both guns firing, killing large numbers. He was the first to invent the forward base. While the enemy could mount three missions a day, Richthofen could mount five. In dogfights the head-on attack found favor.

Richthofen fell in April 1918, and Udet was not at the front. He had been sent on leave due to a painful ear infection, which he avoided having treated as long as he could. While at home he 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. He 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".^[1] The Order Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max), was Prussias highest military order until the end of World War I. The award was a blue-enameled Maltese Cross with eagles between the arms, the Prussian royal cypher, and the French legend Pour... Look up Albatros on Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the article on the bird, see albatross The name Albatros may refer to— the sailing vessel Albatros which sank on May 3, 1961, due to a white squall and prompted the U.S. Sailing School Vessels Act of 1982. ... The Fokker D.VII was a late World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. ... The Fokker D.VII was a late World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. ...

Of Richthofen, Udet said, "He was the least complicated man I ever knew. Entirely Prussian and the greatest of soldiers."

Udet returned to JG.I against the doctor's advice and remained there to the end of the war, commanding Jasta 4. He scored 20 victories in August alone, mainly against the British. Udet would become a national hero with 62 confirmed kills to his credit. Privately, he would question Göring's own achievements during the war. Jagdgeschwader 1 is two different Luftwaffe fighter Wings that served in World War I and World War II respectively. ...

Udet was one of the early fliers to be saved by parachuting from a disabled aircraft. On June 29, 1918 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. His parachute didn't open until he was 250 feet from the ground, causing him to sprain his ankle. is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... The name Breguet can represent: Abraham Louis Breguet (1747-1823), watchmaker Breguet watch manufacturer Société des Ateliers dAviation Louis Breguet Breguet Atlantique, airplane This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Between the wars

Ernst Udet, a recoloured portrait

Between the First and Second World Wars, Udet was known primarily for his work as a stunt pilot and for playboy-like behavior. He flew for movies and for airshows (e.g. picking the cloth from the ground with the top of the wing). He appeared with Leni Riefenstahl in three films: Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü, Stürme über dem Montblanc, and S.O.S. Eisberg. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 484 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (516 × 639 pixel, file size: 219 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Original Wikipedia image (Image:Ernst Udet. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 484 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (516 × 639 pixel, file size: 219 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Original Wikipedia image (Image:Ernst Udet. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... For the navigational aid displayed to airline passengers, see In-flight Entertainment. ... Helene Bertha Amalie Leni Riefenstahl (August 22, 1902 – September 8, 2003) was a German film director, dancer and actress, and widely noted for her aesthetics and advances in film technique. ... The White Hell of Pitz Palu (German: Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü) is a 1929 silent mountain film directed by Arnold Fanck and Georg Wilhelm Pabst and starring future filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and World War I flying ace Ernst Udet. ... SOS Eisberg is a 1933 dramatic bergefilm directed by Arnold Fanck. ...

He married 'Lo' on February 25, 1920; however, the marriage lasted less than three years. They divorced on February 16, 1923. It has been said that Udet had many lovers on the side. His talents were numerous - juggling, drawing cartoons, party entertainment, etc. is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Juggling is a form of skillful, often artful, object manipulation. ... For the band, see Cartoons (band). ...

The adventure of Udet's life continued without pause after the war. On his way home, he had to defend himself against a Communist who wished to rip the medals off his chest. Udet and Ritter von Greim performed mock dogfights on weekends for the 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. Robert Ritter von Greim. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ...

These efforts were good publicity for Udet. An American, William Pohl of Milwaukee, telephoned him with an offer to back an aircraft manufacturing company. Udet Flugzeug was born in a shed in 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. This article is about Milwaukee in Wisconsin. ... Munich boroughs Milbertshofen and Am Hart are two boroughs situated in the north of Munich in Germany. ...

The first airplane 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 by new American aircraft, 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 picked up the tab. For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ...

In 1924 Udet left Udet Flugzeug when they decided to build a four-engine aircraft, 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." For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ...

Udet's war time friends were in seemingly inexhaustible supply. He and another, 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 and his crew also ventured across the Figtree Hotel, built by Lord Lovelace, and went hunting with an American named Sullivan.

Building the Luftwaffe

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

Udets's board bar from his Siebel Fh 104 A-0 on display in the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.

Though not interested in politics, Udet joined the Nazi party in 1933 when Göring promised to buy him two new US airplanes, the Curtiss Export Hawk II. The planes were used for evaluation purposes and thus indirectly influenced the German idea of dive bombing airplanes, such as the Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka) bombers. They were also used for aerobatic shows held during the 1936 Summer Olympics. Udet piloted one of them, which luckily survived the war and is now on display in the Polish Aviation Museum (pictured). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2100 × 1400 pixel, file size: 187 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions Originally from en. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2100 × 1400 pixel, file size: 187 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions Originally from en. ... The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was once a leading aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, controls, valves, and metal treatment. ... Albatros B.II Grigorovich M-15 Curtiss Export Hawk II De Havilland 82A Tiger Moth II Jak-17UTI Lim-6bis in Museum (behind it - the MiG alley) LWD Szpak-4T PWS-26 PZL M-4 Tarpan RWD-13 SAAB J 35J Draken SAAB AJSF 37 Viggen WSK-Mielec M-15... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (806 × 1075 pixel, file size: 173 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture taken Feb 20, 2007 at Deutsches Technik Museum in Berlin I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (806 × 1075 pixel, file size: 173 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture taken Feb 20, 2007 at Deutsches Technik Museum in Berlin I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The German Museum of Technology The Deutsche Technikmuseum Berlin (German Museum of Technology) was founded in 1982 and has a large collection of historical technical artifacts. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, originally known as the DAP (this changed in 1920) and commonly known as the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945 that was known as the German Workers Party before the name was changed in 1920. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stuka redirects here. ... The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, were held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. ...

Udet became a major proponent of the dive bomber, taking credit for having introduced it to the Luftwaffe, which was already interested in such designs. By 1936 he had, due to his political connections, been placed in command of the T-Amt, the Reich Air Ministry's development wing. However, he had no real interest in this job, especially the bureaucracy of it, and the pressure led to his addiction to alcohol (brandy and cognac). A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon, pronounced lufft-va-fa, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

When the Second World War began, his internal conflicts grew more intense. 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, which further upset Udet. After the Luftwaffe's defeat in the Battle of Britain, Göring tried to deflect Hitler's ire by blaming it on Udet. Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union drove Udet further into despair. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Aluminum redirects here. ... Combatants United Kingdom Including combatants from:[1] Poland New Zealand Canada Czechoslovakia Belgium Australia South Africa France Ireland United States Jamaica Palestine Rhodesia Germany Including combatants from Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength 754 single-seat fighters 149 two-seat fighters 560 bombers 500 coastal 1,963 total... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... Combatants Germany Romania Finland Italy Hungary Slovakia  Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Fedor von Bock Gerd von Rundstedt Heinz Guderian Günther von Kluge Franz Halder Maresal Ion Antonescu C.G.E. Mannerheim Giovanni Messe, CSIR Italo Garibaldi, ARMIR Joseph Stalin Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko Fyodor...

Suicide

Ernst Udet's grave in Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, Berlin

On November 17, 1941 Udet committed suicide, shooting himself in the head while speaking on the phone to his girlfriend. Evidence indicates his unhappy relationship with Göring, Erhard Milch and the Nazi Party in general was the cause his mental breakdown. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 466 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (850 × 1093 pixel, file size: 208 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Invalidenfriedhof Berlin, Februar 2006. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 466 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (850 × 1093 pixel, file size: 208 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Invalidenfriedhof Berlin, Februar 2006. ... The Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery (German: Invalids Cemetery) is one of the oldest cemeteries in Berlin. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Erhard Milch (left) with his brother Dr. Werner Milch, who worked as his associate defense counsel at the Nuremberg Trials. ...

According to Udet's biography, The Fall of an Eagle, he wrote a suicide note in red pencil which included: "Ingelein, why have you left me?" and "Iron One, you are responsible for my death". With "Ingelein" referring to his girlfriend, Inge Bleyle, and "Iron One" to Göring. The book The Luftwaffe War Diaries states something similar, that Udet wrote "Reichsmarschall, why have you deserted me?" in red on the headboard of his bed. Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also Goering or Goring in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was an early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main perpetrators of Nazi Germany. ...

Udet's suicide was concealed from the public and at his funeral he was lauded as a hero who had died in flight while testing a new weapon. (On his way to attend Udet's funeral the World War II fighter ace Werner Mölders would die in a plane crash.) Udet was buried in the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, which is located in Berlin. Werner Mölders (March 18, 1913 - November 22, 1941) was a German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. ... The Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery (German: Invalids Cemetery) is one of the oldest cemeteries in Berlin. ...

See also

• Udet U 12
• Carl Zuckmayer's play Des Teufels General ("The Devil's General"), whose main character is based upon Ernst Udet.
• The character of "Ernst Kessler" in the 1975 film The Great Waldo Pepper is clearly based upon Ernst Udet. It also contains superb dogfighting scenes between a Fokker Dr.I and a Sopwith Camel.

The Udet U 12 Flamingo was an aerobatic sports plane and trainer aircraft developed in Germany in the mid 1920s. ... Carl Zuckmayer (December 27, 1896 – January 18, 1977) was a German writer and playwright. ... The Great Waldo Pepper is a 1975 film in which a biplane pilot who had missed flying in WWI takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory he had missed, eventually getting a chance to prove himself in a film depicting the dog fights... The Fokker Dr. I Dreidecker (triplane) was a World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz and built by the company led by Anthony Fokker. ... The Sopwith Camel Scout is a British First World War single-seat fighter aircraft that was famous for its maneuverability. ...

Notes

1. ^ 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.

References

• Barker, Ralph (2002). The Royal Flying Corps in World War I. Robinson. ISBN 1-84119-470-0. 
• Bekker, Cajus (1994). The Luftwaffe War Diaries. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80604-5. 
• Herlin, Hans (1960). UDET - A Man's Life. MacDonald. 
• Udet, Ernst (edited by Stanley M. Ulanoff) (1981). Ace of the Iron Cross. Arco. ISBN 0-668-05163-9. 
• van Ishoven, Armand (1979). The Fall of an Eagle: The Life of Fighter Ace Ernst Udet. Kimber & Co. ISBN 0-7183-0067-X. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ernst Udet

• Ernst Udet page on theaerodrome.com
• Udet's U-12 Flamingo
• Leni's Rising Star Includes info on the films Udet was in with Leni Riefenstahl. Also has video downloads.
• "Ernst Udet: The Rise and Fall of a German World War I Ace"
• Ernst Udet: Photos & Gravesite