Erich Hartmann the World's Greatest Flying Ace

Despite his cavalier attitude and lack of discipline, Hartmann’s training officers realized that he was an immensely talented pilot, and tolerated his behaviour.

He flew more than 1,400 missions enabling him to score an astonishing 352 victories.

Hartmann’s reputation had grown so immense that when many Soviet pilots saw the notorious Mes-serschmitt Bf 109 approaching they would turn tail and head home.

This flying menace had to be stopped, but no one ever did. Erich Hartmann's record will never be broken.

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[Aspirxx]

"If your opponent appears to be going down, leave them be.Gentlemen we're sportsmen, not butchers" - Manfred Von Richtofen

[lucasleite]

This guy is so good that the most dangerous thing that happened to him was friendly fire

[jehangunatilake]

2:13
When you are so good the enemy sends a friend request

[TonyMontanaCA]

Erich Hartmann - Commodore of the JG71 - called the F-104 garbage
Because of this statement, in 1966 Strauß forced Hartmann in early retirement
116 German Pilots died, because the F-104 was real garbage
Bubi Hartmann - The Ace of Aces

[socraticmethod-man]

When you get charged with a war crime for being too good at your job.

[brothercharanus]

"Are you sure you're a German?"
"да- Ja."

[jpmtlhead]

This man success has 2 main reason.
1st he was a very Intelegent and Talented man.
2nd he was a very disciplined man that obeyed by his own rules of engagement. Were 2 very simple rules if followed with precision the result was in 99 % of the cases a good day for "you", and not a "pleasent " one your opponent.
1st rule : Always, but Always attack with the sun behind you.
2nd rule : don't engage in Dogfights because its a waste of time, fuel, Ammunition and ultimately can be your demise. Go always for your target, and after the job done full throttle on your way home.
That's why this guy was so Efficient in his line of work.
The most Efficient and Effective Fighter Pilot in History of Air Warfare..

[climaexpert]

My Uncle also an Iron Cross Holder was a fellow officer and POW in Siberia where they where held for over eight years after the war. He said Bubbi Hartman was a tough guy and we stuck it out together.

[burningpotato]

Earlier this year I met a retired USN pilot and he met Erich heartman but the thing is he did not know who he was. Erich never went around telling people his accomplishments and he never told story's of his exploits. It was only after the fact when he realized who he was. I was told Erich was more of a "no you talk" it seems to me he was very humble and a great person regardless who he served for.

[arthurambroise]

Margrit Waltz, a legendary ferry pilot with 900 transatlantic ferry flights, had Hartmann as her flight instructor when she was a 17-year-old student pilot on Cessna 150. She said that with Hartmann as her instructor, circuit patterns in the Cessna 150 were made with very tight turns and often pulling up to 4G’s… One heck of an experience for a PPL student pilot!

[Suo_kongque]

This animation is beautiful, especially that end scene of Hartmann flying through the clouds
*chefs kiss*

[neilfoster]

Howard Cooke from Duxford's Me 109 "Black 6" team interviewed Erich Hartman in the early 1990's. He remained a humble Luftwaffe veteran, a gentleman and knight of the skies right up until he passed away. Respect to him, Gunther Rall and Rudolph Stiglitz, all 3 were honourable pilots.

[normand.]

My father served as a radar engineer on F86s under Erich „Bubi“ Hartmann at Bundeswehr Luftwaffe JG71-Richthofen in the late 60s. Dad often told stories about Erich Hartmann and I literally inhaled all kinds of books about him throughout my entire childhood.

I had the tremendous honor of meeting him as a young boy in 1988, when we were on vacation in the area around Erich Hartmann’s last known address. We didn’t call ahead, just rang the bell, the door opened up, and after just two or three seconds of recognition time he asked my dad „Rolli, bist Du das?“ ... that was the first time I have seen my dad cry. ... We had a wonderful afternoon and I will never forget this experience.

[fohseytv]

The Russians were basically calling Erick a hacker in a Battlefield lobby for being too good at shooting shit down.

[atillar]

I really love stories of chivalry between friends and foes. It's like they have a total respect to each other

[rhzoprs]

Another tale of excellence. Hartman was not a falcon, but a kite (scavenger): he always chose his prey by its teeth.

[theunremarkablysophisticat]

“May some disagree, but we need more history about Axis like these”
- Stalin

[davidschutz]

Im actually an Commercial Pilot student here in Stuttgart, Germany and one of my Teachers (the oldest here wich served in the German Luftwaffe) actually was a good friend of Erich Hartmann. They were in the same Squadron and he told us lots of story’s about him. Fun thing is I flew gliders on the same place Hartmann started his career. I was told he was a real modest man although he became alcoholic in his later years. But the pictures of my Teacher besides Hartmann and their Kommodore who became later NATO General (Steinhoff) are out of this world. My teacher between the ace of the aces and a Me262 Pilot turned NATO General. And I talk to them on a daily bases

[solid]

5:11 you can’t blame that infantryman for shooting at hartmann, according to his biography he says that german base has been raided by soviets six days before hartmann was there, and they spoke perfect german and lied about how they escaped from the soviet pow. They then pulled out smg’s, and killed six men

[anirprasadd]

Yet another brilliant video!
You guys are amazing. Thank you for these wonderful stories so brilliantly narrated