Ernst Udet

Ernst Udet (April 26 1896 - November 17 1941) was the second-highest scoring German pilot ace of World War I. He was the youngest ace and the leading surviving ace.

He was fascinated with aviation from early childhood. He was enthusiastic to join the army in 1914 but was only 160 cm tall and had not qualified. He wormed into service as a flyer. He flew with Hermann Göring and became a German hero with 62 kills to his credit. Later he questioned Göring's achievements during the war.

Between the wars, he was a stunt pilot and a playboy. He flew for movies and for airshows (e.g. picking the cloth from the ground with the top of the wing). He was married but is said to have had many lovers on the side. His talents were many (juggling, drawing cartoons, party entertainment, etc.).

He joined the Nazi party in 1933 when Göring promised him two new US airplanes. These airplanes inspired him to develop the Stuka dive bomber. He originated both the technology and techniques of dive bombing.

He was given a job in the Ministry of Airforce but he hated the bureaucracy. Flying was all he craved. This conflict of mental inclinations started his addiction to alcohol (brandy and cognac) and amphetamines (Pervitin).

When the war started, his internal conflicts grew more intense. He could see that the war was not winnable. He could see the shortage of raw materials needed to maintain the fleet (esp. aluminium). The invasion of France, and the Battle of Britain, made his anxieties more intense. Later Hitler and Goering accused him of being responsible for the defeat of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. The attack on the Soviet Union drove him into despair. On November 17, 1941 he committed suicide. He shot himself while speaking on the phone to his lover. Some evidence indicates that his intricate relationship with Göring, Erhard Milch and the Nazi in general was at the root of his mental breakdown.

At his funeral he was lauded as a hero who died in flight.

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