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Hans-Ulrich Rudel (July 2, 1916 - December 18, 1982) was a highly decorated German fighter pilot during World War II.
Rudel was born in German Silesia. After a limited education, he joined the German Luftwaffe in 1936 as an officer cadet. He was trained to reconnaissance observer pilot – primarily because of his poor educational background.
When war broke out in 1939 he was in the reconnaissance wing of the Luftwaffe, and he spent the Polish Campaign as a Lieutenant flying long range missions. He earned the Iron Cross Second Class on October 11, 1939. He was then admitted to dive-bombing Stuka training in May 1940, and after completing it, he was assigned to a Stuka wing near Stuttgart. Rudel spent the French campaign as an Oberleutnant, however in a non-combat role. Although he took part in the invasion of Crete, it was also in a non-combat role.
Rudel flew his first combat mission on June 23, 1941, with the German invasion of the Soviet Union. His piloting skills earned the Iron Cross First Class on July 18, 1941.
He went on to become the most highly decorated combatant in Germany, earning by early 1945 the Pilots and Observers badge with Diamonds, the Close Combat Clasp with 2000 sorties in Diamonds, and the only holder of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
After the war Rudel became a close friend and confidante of the Argentinian dictator Juan Peron. Rudel wrote a book titled In Spite of Everything, which supported most of the Nazi policy.
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