Can you recommend some memoirs written by World War II pilots? Be detailed. Thanks.

German ace Hartmann set an unprecedented record in the history of world air combat with 352 aircraft in World War II

There is a very good biography, I picked up some

For those pilots in the air forces around the world who aspire to be the world's number one ace killer, Erich Hartmann must be the person they hate the most. Because this Luftwaffe fighter pilot set an unprecedented record in the history of world air combat with 352 aircraft in World War II, this peak that may never be climbed forces Hartmann's successors to live helplessly and permanently. Under his shadow!

Erich Hartmann

The Genius Boy

April 19, 1922 , Hartmann was born in Weiszach, Württemberg, Germany. His father was a military doctor during World War I. After the war, in order to escape the economic crisis, the family left Germany in 1925 (the third year after Hartmann was born) and opened a clinic in Changsha, China. In 1929, Hartmann returned to China with his mother and brother. Three years later, Hartmann Sr. also returned to Germany and opened a clinic on Bismarck Street in Weil, where he practiced medicine to make a living.

Hartmann has been fond of flying since he was a child. His first attempt at flying was to jump from the roof of a house in a glider made of bamboo and covered with old cloth. Fall into the loose soil pit dug in advance. Hartmann's mother was an adventurous aviation sports enthusiast, which had a huge influence on Hartmann.

My mother once participated in the aviation club at B?blingen Airport and often flew a Clem-27 light aircraft. Hartmann often happily flew into the sky with his mother and began to have a real flying experience. Therefore, Hartmann's mother was the first person to have a major influence on his flying career.

In 1932, due to financial difficulties, they sold the aircraft. In 1933, Hitler came to power and Germany started a flying craze. Hitler strongly supported the establishment of gliding clubs. In 1936, Hartmann's mother established a club in Weil, where she served as a teacher and recruited young people to learn gliding. Hartmann, who was in middle school, also joined the club.

Hartmann became an excellent glider pilot at the age of 14. In 1937, he received his Class A and Class B glider pilot certificates. After obtaining the C level, he became a glider instructor in the Hitler Youth flying group. In middle school, Hartman was an unruly student, with a resume filled with intimidating classmates by lighting black powder made of charcoal and sulfur during recess. His academic performance is average and he does not seek advancement. He is satisfied with passing the exam, but he is obsessed with sports activities. Once, he participated in a skiing competition jumping from a 33-meter high platform without training. His movements were so graceful that his classmates gave him the nickname "Wild Sow".

In October 1939, Hartmann fell in love with a female classmate named Ursula Page, nicknamed Usch. The girl was only 15 years old at the time, and Hartmann pursued her desperately despite the objections of her family. In the end they actually got married.

On September 1, 1939, the European War broke out. Six months later, Hartman graduated from high school and immediately signed up for the Air Force. His father opposed his choice and hoped that his son would engage in life-saving and healing rather than killing people, and he believed that the war would end with Germany's defeat. But his mother understood Hartmann's ambition to join the army. The old doctor was unable to stop his son, so he had to hope that the war would end as soon as possible. In that case, his son would have enough time to study medicine and inherit the family business after the armistice.

Hartmann joined the 10th Training Regiment of the Luftwaffe on October 15, 1940. Stationed in the Neukullen area, 15 kilometers away from K?nigsberg in East Prussia, March 1941. Transferred to the 2nd Air Warfare School Berlin Gatow. In the training regiment, he learned basic flight knowledge such as aviation history, flight principles and engine use, design and construction, aerodynamics, materials science and meteorology; he went to the air combat school. Mainly training flights. On March 24, 1941, Hartmann, who had been in school for less than a month, was allowed to fly solo. By October 14, the basic flight training was completed, and he transferred to the Tibst Fighter Flying School to learn to fly a Messerschmitt. The Bf-109 fighter jet produced by the company.

Here, he met the second person who had an important influence on his flying career, instructor Qu Hagen.

The instructor was a well-known aerobatic expert in Germany. He also had a special appreciation for Hartmann. He not only taught Hartmann basic tactical maneuvers and the technique of flying the Bf-109 alone, but also imparted some aerobatic secrets. In March 1942, Hartmann successfully completed flight training, received his pilot's certificate, and was promoted to second lieutenant. After switching to air combat and gunnery training in June 1942, Hartmann quickly showed his natural shooting ability. He was particularly interested in shooting at close range and disliked the long-range shooting that was popular at the time. On June 3, 1942, Hartmann flew a Bf-109D aircraft and fired 50 rounds at a towed target with a machine gun, hitting 24 rounds, which attracted the attention of his instructors and colleagues.

The smooth sailing of learning to fly for the first time inevitably made the young Hartmann feel a little carried away. On August 24, 1942, he performed aerobatics in Tibst. After completing the low-altitude search, roll and figure-8 flight, he was still unsatisfied. He also performed a thrilling maneuver he learned from an old movie, flying from a low altitude of 10 meters. Sweep over the base. As a result, he was imprisoned for a week and his salary was deducted for three months. Interestingly, this adventure saved his life. He was punished and did not go on a planned combat flight. One of his companions flew his plane in his place. Unexpectedly, the engine failed after takeoff and the plane crashed. . Death had a close brush with Hartman.

Soon, he said goodbye to his parents and girlfriend, and went to the Eastern Front battlefield to join the 52nd Fighter Wing of the Luftwaffe and participate in the battle against the Soviet army.

Frustration in the first battle

The 52nd Regiment fought in the southern theater of the Soviet Union, with its headquarters in Maykop. When Hartmann arrived, he happened to witness a Bf-109 aircraft catching fire and exploding during an emergency landing. The cruelty of war immediately enveloped his mind.

Hartman was assigned to the 7th Squadron of the 3rd Group two days later as Sergeant Lesman's wingman. On October 14, 1942, Hartmann and Lesmann cooperated for the first time, flying a Bf-109G-14 aircraft on a warning flight in the Grozny area.

Suddenly, an order came from the earphone: "Seven fighter planes and three Il-2 aircraft are strafing the streets near Prohradniki. You are ordered to wait for the interception." Hartman followed closely. Siman flew towards the target at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Fifteen minutes later, Lesman called on the radio, "There are enemy planes on the left front and lower side. Get closer, take position, and then attack." However, Hartmann couldn't find the target. During the dive, he opened a distance of 30 meters from the lead aircraft and rushed to an altitude of 1,800 meters. He still couldn't find the shadow of the enemy aircraft, so he changed to level flight. At this moment, he saw two dark green planes 2,000 meters away. Hartman's heart was beating wildly. His chance came. He increased his speed, passed Lesmann, and seized the attacking position. When he was 300 meters away from the enemy plane, he opened fire, but all the shells missed. In order to avoid colliding with the Su machine, he pulled the lever to evade. However, he plunged into the opponent's fleet, surrounded by dark green Soviet aircraft. Hartmann thought he was almost finished. He couldn't find Lesmann and swerved into a small cloud. After passing through the clouds, he found that there were no planes around, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't be afraid, I'm covering you. When I pass through the clouds, I can't find you. Quickly descend through the clouds so that I can find you." This is the voice of the captain. After passing through the clouds, Hartmann saw a plane coming straight at 1,500 meters. He flew west in panic while descending, trying to get away from the plane. "Turn right so I can get closer to you" came Lusman's voice again. At this time, the plane intercepted Hartman's path. As the two planes got closer and closer, Hartmann increased the throttle, descended to ultra-low altitude again, and flew west. When driving westward. Hartmann hunched his neck and hid behind the bulletproof steel plate, waiting for the Soviet plane's shells to come. A few minutes later, Hartmann found himself flying to Mount Elbrus with only enough fuel to fly for five minutes. As a result, he had to make an emergency landing on a narrow road. Two minutes later, German infantry surrounded him and sent Hartmann back to the airport in a military vehicle. For this reason, Captain Feng Boning reprimanded Hartmann loudly and listed his crimes one by one:

1. Leaving the lead aircraft without permission; 2. Seizing the firing position of the lead aircraft; 3. Entering the clouds without permission; 4. Mistaking the lead aircraft for the enemy aircraft (it was the lead aircraft that evaded many times); 5. Failure to execute the "closer" order; 6. Losing direction; 7. Not hitting the enemy aircraft, but being injured. .

These seven charges forced Hartman to work with the ground crew for three days as punishment.

Reflecting on this experience, Hartman learned a lot from his lead pilot. Lessman never rushes to attack, but believes that one must grasp the opportunity, shoot only when he is very sure, and pay attention to "observation and judgment." Slowly, Hartmann overcame the new pilot's blindness and lack of observation.

The first victory

On the afternoon of November 5, 1942, Hartmann and Brigade Adjutant Trept The lieutenant led 4 aircraft to take off near Digo to intercept 8 IL-2 attack aircraft and 10 La-3 aircraft that attempted to attack the German ground forces.

Hartmann first discovered the Suji, and the brigade adjutant ordered him to organize and direct the attack. Hartmann quickly dived to an altitude of 50 meters and started shooting within a distance of 100 meters, but the gun shells bounced off the armor of the Soviet aircraft. He found that it was completely futile to shoot the Il-2 aircraft like this. This kind of aircraft was famous for its thick armor, so he remembered the method Alfred Grislavsky told him in the past-attacking the Il-2 aircraft. 2 aircraft oil radiator.

Hartmann quickly climbed up, then dived to a height of only a few meters above the ground, approaching from the back and bottom of the Su plane. From a distance of 60 meters, Hartmann opened fire at the oil radiator. This time, the Su plane started to descend with thick smoke and long flames. Then there was an explosion under the wing, and the debris even hit Hartmann's plane - he had been chasing after it. Black smoke billowed from under the engine nacelle, and Hartman realized his plane was damaged.

When Hartmann tried his best to make an emergency landing on the ground, the thick smoke in the cabin almost suffocated him. When he climbed out of the cabin, the Su plane exploded 2 kilometers away. Infantrymen rescued Hartmann. Hartmann thought that shooting down an enemy plane was not Tianfang Yetan. This was his first victory.

The smart Hartman quickly realized: this victory was a victory of new tactics. In the hospital, he thought that if he left the enemy plane faster, he would not have to make an emergency landing, but this time he was calmer than the last battle, did not violate discipline, controlled the firepower better, and could respond calmly in emergencies.

Gradually, Hartmann felt that the popular circling tactics at the time and firing from a long distance were not the best way, as it was easy to lose sight of one thing. He believed that the best tactics should be: search - attack - break away or suspend the attack, that is, find the enemy aircraft early, but not busy attacking, but pay attention to identify other situations. If no other enemy aircraft is coming, , launch a sudden attack, and then quickly escape.

With the revelation of his first victory, Hartman slowly gained confidence and a new tactic - a tactic that deviated from the textbook. Hartmann, who showed his talent, was appointed as Krupinski's wingman. Krupinski had shot down more than 70 aircraft at that time (by the end of the war, the Japanese had shot down 197 aircraft, ranking 15th in the world). At that time, Hartmann had only shot down two planes and was called "Baby" by his comrades.

In the days of cooperating with the experienced Krupinski, Hartmann's tactics gradually worked. By March 14, 1943, he shot down 15 enemy planes and won the honor. Iron Cross 2nd Class. By the end of 1943, he had flown 110 times and became the lead aircraft. On May 25, 1943, Hartmann shot down 6 more enemy aircraft. Once he collided with a La-5 aircraft. With his ability to fly a glider, , made an emergency landing of the injured Bf-109 aircraft in the German-occupied area. This was his fifth emergency landing.

Afterwards, the squadron asked him to go home for vacation. During the four-week vacation, although Hartmann enjoyed the leisurely days at home, the mark left on him by the war could not be completely eliminated. One night, Hartmann woke up in the middle of the night and seemed to hear his wingman's urgent warning: "Turn! Turn!"

The war situation was reversing, the Allies were getting stronger, and the German army was in embarrassment. The British and American troops continued large-scale air raids, causing Germany no peace. Hartmann also had to rush back to the front from his vacation.

On July 5, 1943, Hartmann dispatched 4 times a day and shot down 5 La-5 fighters. On this day, Hartmann had the greatest success, but his companion Krupinski was injured in a collision with an enemy plane. After leaving the squadron, five companions died on the same day, accounting for one-third of the squadron's strength. After that, Hartman kept attacking and gained something in almost every battle, and his record rose sharply.

As of August 17, 1943, Hartmann had shot down 80 aircraft, tying the world record created by Manfred von Richthofen, the famous air combat hero of World War I. Record. In September, he was promoted to squadron leader. At the end of September, Hartmann shot down 115 enemy aircraft, breaking Merders' record of 100 enemy aircraft, becoming the new "Air Force Hero" of the Luftwaffe. On October 29, he shot down his 150th aircraft, tying the record of 150 created by Krupinski on October 1 after returning from injury. What is commendable is that 148 of his 150 aircraft were shot down in the eight months from the end of February to the end of October, averaging 18 aircraft per month and 3 aircraft every five days. He was therefore awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and was granted two weeks' leave.

Of course, in the process, he was defeated in Maicheng and almost entered a prisoner-of-war camp of the Soviet army. In late August, his plane was hit during a sortie and he made an emergency landing behind the Soviet defense lines. Two Soviet soldiers caught him. He had to pretend to be seriously injured, causing the Soviet army to relax their vigilance against him. On the way to the rear, he took advantage of the chaos caused by the German plane bombing and jumped out of the car to escape, and finally escaped across the front and returned to the German defense zone.

Black Devil of the South

After Hartmann shot down 150 planes, he received high praise and was often published in newspapers. Post photos of him and other "heroes" of the 52nd Wing. Soviet pilots gave him the nickname "Black Devil of the South." The so-called black devil is a black arrow like a tulip flower painted on the nose of Hartmann's aircraft. It is said that there was a period of time when Soviet pilots saw this black arrow mark and had to avoid it and did not engage in direct combat with it. As a result, Hartmann's success slowed down. Soon, Hartmann changed tactics. He transferred the black-marked aircraft to an inexperienced wingman to protect him, while he flew the unmarked aircraft. In this way, he got another chance to fight with enemy planes.

From January to February 1944, Hartmann shot down 50 more aircraft, averaging about 2 aircraft per flying day. Hartmann has created a set of tactics during the attack, which is "observation--judgment--attack--disengage". However, in the air battle on the Eastern Front, the Luftwaffe was at a numerical disadvantage, and Hartmann had to frequently deal with attacks from Soviet pilots. So, he created another set of defensive tactics. These two methods complement each other, forming a powerful strategy that combines defense with attack, and combines both offense and defense. Every time Hartman was attacked from behind by an opponent, he would turn left or right to descend, turn toward the opponent, and then get away. When the opponent was approaching and about to shoot, Hartmann calmly flew on the same level, then slid sideways and waited, allowing the opponent to rush forward, and then turned at a low speed to escape.

"Oberrezel of the 8th Squadron told others that he did not believe the number of aircraft shot down by me." Hartmann's outstanding record also aroused suspicion or jealousy among some colleagues in the team. Second Lieutenant Obreizer, who was transferred to the 52nd Wing with him, was not convinced and told Hartmann that he was bragging to his face. Hartmann angrily went to the group leader, Major Günther Lehr, and sued his former comrades. The captain raised his eyebrows: "But I believe it's true!" Hartman came up with a clever idea: "I'm willing to fly and fight with him." On the second day, Obraizel was indeed sent as Ha Terman's wingman. That day, Hartmann took off and shot down two enemy planes. Obreizer was so ashamed that his face turned red and he was speechless.

On March 2, 1944, Hartmann shot down 202 aircraft, and Hitler wanted to award him and Lieutenant Krupinski a Knight's Cross with Kashiwa leaves each. Hartmann flew with Krupinski to the mountain resort of Berchtesgaden in the Alps. Here, Hitler personally awarded them the title. There were 16 ace pilots and two infantry colonels participating in the ceremony. Hartmann was the youngest and lowest ranking of the men, but the most visible.

Hartman stopped by to visit his family. The parents were proud of their son's achievements and medals. But his father was overjoyed. He sat on the sofa and said seriously: "Okay, the test shows that you are a capable fighter pilot and you are still alive. Erich, you have to believe that we have been defeated. The war We have failed, and now we have to prepare to taste failure." My father took a newspaper and continued: "Even Goebbels's wonderful preaching of perseverance can't hide the truth." Hartmann. Silent, he was unable to refute his father.

On March 18, 1944, Hartmann returned to the Lemberg front. He learned that he had been promoted to lieutenant. At this time, the United States' latest P-51 aircraft was deployed on the battlefield in Eastern Europe, posing a great threat to the German army. The entire front, whether in the air or on the ground, was enveloped in a tense and depressing atmosphere. The Luftwaffe was forced to move westward along with the ground troops, fighting and retreating.

In mid-April 1944, Hartmann's squadron fought in Zernesti, Zilisti. The battle was extremely difficult, and most of the ace pilots had been ordered to return home to defend the increasingly tight home front. Hartman never left, and he was responsible for training the new pilots who were constantly being added. He patiently taught them his offensive and defensive tactics.

On April 18, Captain Leer, who still maintained the highest victory record in the entire army (275 aircraft), was transferred back to China. "Now, little baby, I will no longer hinder you!" Leer left this message to Hartman before leaving.

In early May, in the face of the powerful Soviet counterattack, Hartmann's squadron withdrew from the Soviet Union in embarrassment and moved to defend Romania. Their mission was to intercept the U.S. B-17 and B-24 bombers attacking the Romanian oil center, while continuing to fight the Soviet Air Force.

By the end of May, Hartmann had shot down 23 more planes. On July 1, 1944, Hartmann had shot down 250 aircraft, becoming the fifth and last super ace pilot in the Luftwaffe (and the world's air force) to reach this peak. On August 3, Hitler awarded Hartmann a Knight's Cross of Sword and Cypress, the second time this medal had been awarded to a lieutenant. Hartmann became a magical figure and a "national hero" of the Luftwaffe.

Hartmann came to Rastenburg in East Prussia, which was Hitler’s base camp and was nicknamed the “Wolf’s Lair”. He walked into the simple house built with wooden planks and saw stains of explosion marks. That's because on July 20, a group of officers plotting a rebellion detonated a time bomb here, but Hitler was not killed. While Hartmann was stunned, Hitler appeared slowly. His right ear was blown deaf, and people had to speak into his left ear. Hartmann was shocked. Hitler spoke: "I am optimistic about the future... I believe that fate saved my life on July 20, so that I can lead Germany to move forward at this moment of hope." Out of the "Wolf's Den" "At this time, Hartman only felt that the medal on his chest was extremely heavy.

In early August, he returned to the increasingly tight eastern front. The number of the Soviet Air Force is growing day by day, and the red-marked aircraft of the Guards Regiment are all composed of top pilots. The Guards regiments leading the battle against the Germans were all ace pilots like Kozhedub, Poreshkin, Rechnokaev, etc. who had shot down more than 50 German aircraft. Hartmann continued to attack non-stop, and his already unattainable record of results continued to rise like crazy, and soon reached 282. At this time, he had left behind almost all his competitors, leaving only Gerd Buckhorn in front. Buckhorn was strong in attack and weak in defense. He could often shoot down more planes than Hartman in one sortie, but he was often shot down, injured and hospitalized, and lost fighter planes. Hartman has a balanced offense and defense and has more chances to play than Buckhorn. With this advantage, he caught up with Buckhorn in stride.

On August 23, Hartmann took off three times and shot down eight aircraft. At this time, he shot down a total of 290 aircraft, finally surpassing Buckhorn. Hartmann became the most accomplished combat expert of the Luftwaffe and the person who shot down the most aircraft among the air forces of any country in history. What Hartmann is now thinking about is no longer against which competitor, but about shooting down 300 enemy planes, a peak that has never been conquered by mankind.

On August 24, 1944, Hartmann took to the skies twice and shot down 11 enemy aircraft, bringing his total number of aircraft shot down to 301. He was the first person in the world to shoot down more than 11 aircraft. Ace pilot with 300 aircraft. The next day, Hartmann was invited to Colonel Hrabak. The colonel said to him: "Young man, I sincerely congratulate you! The Head of State is going to award you the Diamond Knight's Cross. The day after tomorrow, he will report to Wolfsanze. The Head of State is You are awarded the honor."

Marshal Goering, the commander-in-chief of the German Air Force, personally sent a telegram to express his congratulations. Since Hitler was injured in the bombing, he carried out a large-scale purge and brutal persecution of the rebels and those involved. The entire Volsanze is shrouded in suspicion and fear, and security measures are extremely tight.

It is strictly forbidden to carry weapons in the third area where Hitler was awarded the award. Officers recruited for the award must abide by safety regulations and hand their pistols to the guards. This kind of suspicious protection method was difficult for Hartmann to accept. He tried his best to restrain himself and said to the SS security officer: "Please tell the Führer that if he does not trust his front-line officers, then I will I don’t want the medal anymore.”

The security officer’s face turned pale, and he asked in a serious tone: “Yes?” Hartmann said firmly. Hitler's air force adjutant thought about it over and over, and finally decided to allow Hartmann to carry a gun and receive the medal.

On August 25, Hartmann left the "Wolf's Lair". He knew that he would never see the Führer again. The Führer's hands were very weak and had no strength at all. At this time, the German Air Force fighter commander General Garland wanted to transfer Hartmann to the Me-262 Jet Fighter Test Flight Command to test the new aircraft. But Hartmann insisted on staying in the 52nd Fighter Wing and continuing to fight. After leaving Berlin, Hartmann took a train to Stuttgart. On the way, he changed his previous decision not to get married. On the train platform, Hartmann hugged Usch tightly and kissed her repeatedly. "My little baby, let's get married during this holiday!" "Didn't we agree to get married on Christmas last month?" Ushi was extremely surprised. "Many people in our brigade are married and can enjoy the Christmas vacation. If we don't get married, then I probably won't be able to come back." Hartmann felt Usch's sadness, so he leaned down and kissed her repeatedly. Ushi was moved by his enthusiasm, with tears of excitement in her eyes: "Do you want to say now that I am your 302nd prey?" she asked Hartman coquettishly. "No, not the 302nd, but my only one. And I belong to you."

Hartmann returned to the front line on the 8th day after his marriage. He blocked the Soviet army's western offensive on the Hungarian battlefield and made a final struggle to save the empire's crisis. His record increased to 336. In March 1945, at General Garland's repeated request, he joined the "Expert Squadron" composed entirely of top pilots and flew the Me-262 jet fighter in combat. After a short stay, he became impatient, and at the end of the month he returned to the 52nd Wing, which had moved to the former Czechoslovakia.

The final battle

The American P-51 "Mustang" fighter jets are waiting for Hartman. The emergence of the P-51 made the German Air Force fight very hard. Outstanding pilots of the 52nd Wing continued to lose their lives in combat. Hartmann was promoted to commander of the 1st Battalion and to the rank of major. His brigade's mission was to defend the Romanian oil fields. Soon, Hartmann shot down the first Mustang and pursued another Mustang with auxiliary fuel tanks. Hartmann wounded it with his cannon, forcing the pilot to eject. However, after the first encounter with Hartmann, American pilots also became vigilant. They launched large-scale circling in the air battle, causing Hartmann's fleet to suffer frequent losses. Fighting against the Americans for the fifth time, Hartman finally seized the opportunity. The battle had just begun, and Hartmann had a decisive battle with the Americans at a disadvantage of 1:4. He charged at a P-5l at maximum dive speed. The US plane was shooting at an Rf-109. 400 meters, 300 meters, 200 meters, 100 meters, Hartmann approached the P-51 at a 30-degree angle from the rear and lower part of the P-51 at maximum speed. As soon as he pressed the gun button, the P-51 exploded immediately. However, Hartmann could not hit the other P-51. The red light indicating that the fuel level was almost empty suddenly flashed, and the engine became tighter and tighter. The plane was about to stop flying, and the only option was to parachute. Hartman gritted his teeth, pulled the handle to throw away the hatch cover, and then pressed the stick to the left to make a 180-degree horizontal flight, turning into an inverted flight. He fell. The big umbrella opened and slowly fell.

Eight P-51s surrounded him curiously. Hartmann was very nervous, wondering whether these Yankees would abide by the "rule" of not shooting each other's parachuting pilots. At this moment, a P-51 flew towards him, and Hartman was desperate. However, the American pilot wearing a yellow flying cap made an angry gesture to him and suddenly turned and flew west. After landing, Hartmann was returned to the squadron.

In this battle, half of the planes of the First Group were shot down, two captains were killed, and many others were injured. The old BF-109 had difficulty dealing with the Mustang. The superiors decided that the German army should stop attacking the Americans in order to preserve its strength. The two-front attack by the Soviets and Americans made the 52nd Wing exhausted.

Soon, the Soviets bombed Prague, and Hartmann was ordered to take off for combat. This time, 30 U.S.-made A-20s attacked together with Soviet Bo-2 fighters, and were escorted by 25 Yak-11 and P-39 fighters on the upper level.

Hartmann directed friendly aircraft to attack the "Mustang" fighters first, and then the bombers. He fired at the last Mustang, shooting it down. Then another US aircraft was hit. In this battle, Hartman made an extraordinary move and won the first two games. Afterwards, Hartman rushed towards the bomber group and shot down another A-20 bomber. The brief battle with the Americans added 7 more aircraft to Hartmann's record of results, all of them "Mustang" type.

Prisoner of War Career

On May 8, 1945, the day Germany announced its unconditional surrender, Hartmann left the Czech Republic Take off for the final mission of the war, to scout the location of a Soviet army. He had no intention of engaging in another air battle, but he crashed into eight Yak-11 aircraft. They were circling the burning city of Brno. A Yak-11 below Hartmann did a carefree somersault. Congratulations to the Red Army team on the ground. Hartmann signaled his wingman to follow him, flew to a distance of 65 meters from the Soviet aircraft, and shot down the careless aircraft. This was the 352nd aircraft shot down by Hartmann. Back at the airport, Wing Commander Hermann Graf handed him a telegram: "Graf and Hartmann immediately flew to Dortmund and surrendered to the British army. The rest of the 52nd Wing stayed where they were and surrendered to the Soviet army. "The intention of General Seideman, commander of the aviation forces, was to prevent the super trump card in the war against the Soviet Union from falling into the hands of the Soviets. However, after a brief discussion, the two commanders unanimously decided to refuse to execute the order. They cannot leave their troops to fend for themselves. They burned the remaining 25 aircraft and withdrew 200 people, including their subordinates and their families, from the land to the west. On the road. They encountered American tanks.

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Graf, the commander of the 52nd Wing of the German Air Force. This is Major Hartmann, the commander of the 1st Group of the Wing. Surrounded by him are the personnel of this unit. and German refugees, we came here to surrender to American troops.” But an agreement between senior Allied officials stipulated that the Czech Republic belonged to the Soviet surrender zone and that Germans captured by the Americans east of Pilsen should be handed over to Soviet offensive forces.

On May 16, 1945, the Americans handed over Hartmann and others to the Soviet army. Hartmann, who shot down 352 aircraft, most of them Soviet aircraft, became a Soviet prisoner of war at the age of 23. Because of Hartmann's "record" and his experience flying the Me-262, the Soviets interrogated him many times to learn more. Me-262, but Hartmann refused to cooperate.

In December 1949, a Soviet court sentenced Hartmann to 25 years in prison. In prison, Hartmann refused to work in the mines. The director of the field was a colonel who was extremely angry at Hartmann's behavior. Not to be outdone, Hartmann actually quoted Lenin's words to counterattack: "Mr. Colonel, more than five years ago, your country won the war. I am an air force officer of a defeated country, not a war criminal. Lenin said, a If a country does not release prisoners of war after six months, then it is an imperialist country and a fallen country." The colonel was surprised.

In order to rescue Hartman. His mother wrote a letter to Stalin. The letter said: "Marshal Stalin: Your Excellency, in today's struggle for world peace, I beg you, I appeal to your righteous heart, I hope you can make a son who has not had any news of his son since 1949 , The mother who missed her son very much was relieved from the great grief and worry... Let my son come back after 6 years of labor reform!" But this letter did not receive a reply.

In 1955, Adenauer, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, received another letter from Hartmann’s mother. This time, Adenauer replied personally, promising to take steps to free Hartmann next month. To fulfill his promise, Adenauer signed a general agreement and a trade agreement in Moscow, stipulating the conditions for the release of prisoners of war in advance. The Soviet Union agreed to release prisoners of war held since 1945 as part of the agreement. Hartman was placed on the list and released early.

In November 1955, not long after returning to the former Federal Republic of Germany, Hartmann and Usch held a religious ceremony. This was a wedding that had been postponed for more than 10 years. In order to solve life problems, the 34-year-old Hartmann joined the former German Air Force which was being rebuilt.

At the end of 1956, Hartman officially returned to work in the Air Force. In February 1957, Hartman gave birth to a daughter. Soon, Hartman went to the United States to inspect the F-104. After returning to China, he served as the deputy principal of the Fighter Flying School for a period of time. Soon, he was appointed commander of the 71st Fighter Wing, the first jet fighter wing of the new German Air Force. This fighter wing is named after the German World War I ace "Richthofen" and is equipped with F-86MKV1 aircraft.

Six months later, in October 1958, the 71st Fighter Wing was placed under NATO command. In 1968, Hartman was promoted to colonel. On September 30, 1970, Hartmann retired from active service.

Hartmann's outstanding performance in the battle was something that his opponents had to recognize and admire. Douglas MacArthur praised Hartmann as the man who set unprecedented world records, and was particularly impressed by Hartmann's original tactics, calling him a great pilot who was good at "breaking with old tactical methods."