Thanks for watching! If you enjoy my content please consider supporting me on Patreon! patreon.com/tj3history Also small correction: I said Hartmann was the most decorated pilot. This is not correct, that was Rudel! Meant to say one of the most decorated. Thanks guys!
Just curious, did you fact-check his story against any US or Soviet sources? Pretty sure such a dog fight between allies would have been recorded if it really happened
@@teoengchin the only record of any US versus soviet actions during ww2 were when US aircraft accidentally strafed soviet ground forces near nis in Yugoslavia. Honestly the more and more I look to find ANY information about this "incident" the more I think this is just a completely made up story for clicks. seeing how its been months, I'm willing to believe the latter. Either that or whatever he's referencing is exaggerated which would also make sense as war can do that.
The engagement was pretty wild and over a vast area where both Russian and American fighters were continuosly encountering each other. Russian ace Sergei Kramarenko also recorded that his flight of LA-5's encountered Mustangs and Thunderbolts but they held fire until attacked by another flight of Mustangs before disengaging,some with heavy damage. All on the same day so it wasn't that unbelievable. A lot of American units were new to the theatre or had new pilots that didn't help with visual identification when going after fighters.
Without a doubt, this is one of the most unusual air battles I've ever heard of. Although I wouldn't be surprised if there were other incidents similar to this one.
I know of at least one more. Some lightnings attacking by error a Soviet convoy (although it was probably intentional), and Soviet planes came to the rescue and engage in dogfight
There was indeed. A flight of P38's actually strafed and bombed a Soviet column and I do believe managed to kill a General. Got to a point the Soviets did not allow U aircraft to fly over their areas if memory serves. IMHO, General Patton had the right idea though! LOL
This man was a legend, just sad how he was treated by the West German Airforce after the war, plus it was a crime how the Americans handed him to the Soviets at the end of the war.
Crime? Hartman murdered Allies for his master, hitler. Hartman is a cold blooded murderer for hitler. How many allied mothers and wives wept because of Hartmans murderous rampage in the air, all for hitler. piss on his grave.
Like the general they fired recently, when he said Germany should buy the F35. Then Germany decided to buy the F35 anyway. When politics get in the way of logic.
I haven’t heard about that, it is my understanding that he refused to abandon his unit and surrender to the Americans, but rather stay with his unit and surrender to the soviets. Unfortunately this resulted in 10 years of unjust incarceration at their hands post war. I read about it in his autobiography entitled “The blonde knight of Germany”. Is there another version of events? I have never heard of Americans handing him over to the soviets. Please explain.
@@danphariss133 It's more complicated than that. The Soviets took normal war prisoners, then they had the guys they punished for war crimes, and then they had political prisoners. Hartmann and other high profile prisoners were treated like political prisoners, the Soviets tried to force them into cooperating for their own propaganda reasons. Some, like Hartmann, resisted and were tortured for years, others collaborated and were later given titles in the new East German establishment.
@@juantoomany7202 His unit, along with a civilians surrendered to the Americans. The Soviets asked the Americans to turn them over. Hartmann could have chosen to stay with the Americans, but he went with his unit. He didn't expect what the Soviets will do to him. They later admitted the accusations were fake and acquitted him posthumously.
Hartmann's tactic depended heavily on his visual skills. He could spot and identify enemy aircraft much earlier than his comrades flying with him. And he had learned to wait. He only started firing when the enemy aircraft filled his entire windscreen. When you got that close, decisive hits were guaranteed.
@@EK-gr9gd Indeed, he disobeyed orders, lost orientation, fled from his comrade and finally destroyed his own plane. Fortunately, the Luftwaffe did not immediately send him to the infantry.
Ironically, Hartmann was not a very good pilot in training, he was very nervous and almost scared in the air. But his instructor, Franz Stigler, aka the guy who famously rescued a crippled B-17, boosted his confidence and he was able to become the top ace of the war.
I think the fellow you are referring to was Gerhard Barkhorn. If memory serves me right Franz flew him over a nudist colony, to "ease" his nerves. From there he went on to become second to Hartmann with 300+ victories.
Well, not all Japanese pilots like dogfighting. Take Tetsuzō Iwamoto for example. Unlike other Japanese pilots who would go guns blazing and dancing with the enemy, Iwamoto is somewhat a hunter himself. He didn't go for turnfighting but rather go for a high speed sneak attack of course, just like Hartmann did.
Eric Hartmann was a highly professional ace of a pilot, flying the Messerschmitt bf109 aircraft. His record remains unmatched even to this day. He was the king of all all fighter pilot aces.
i really dont get it when people call the bf 109 a messerschmidt the original desing was bought by bf and at that time it stopped beeing a messerschmidt. Especially after so much time has passed and so many changes have been made to the plane. You do you, but i dont understand.
He destroyed 31 fighters. But considering that their primary duty was, in fact, to destroy recon and bomber aircraft why wouldn’t most of his kills be those types? Look at the victories of James McCudden, a first class British ace. High flying German recon planes were his specialty. Richthofen also shot down the highest scoring British ace of his time Lanoe Hawker who won the Victoria Cross.
Also I would postate that Richhofen not Hartmann is the most renowned fighter pilot. Casual civilians still know his name & who he is/was over 100 years after his exploits. Hartmann is the higher scoring but known mostly by historians.
@@cmdrgunslinger5955 My personal opinion on that has to do with the fact that Hartman fought for the most despised regime in modern history. Also, air combat was a brand new thing in WW1 so there was the novelty factor. Thirdly “The Red Baron” as a nickname with his all red Fokker triplane just has the “X” factor written all over it.
@@thomashawkins9380 Albert Ball, also another British ace, hunt down enemies by element of surprised too. Rather than from high, but he will creep from underneath enemy's death six. Mostly also recon aircraft.
@@MausTanker Rudel also was an ace in his Fw-190 in the final months of the war, though still flying his Stuka when it was the best option for a particular mission
It is good to understand that Hartmann had very good sights and he had admitted that Marseille was a master of deflection shooting. Actually regarding his tatics you pointed out that is correct, in reality he rarely did deflection shooting but preferred really closings near the tail in order not to miss! What it distinguish him from so many pilots was that he was gifted also with an impressive battle awareness including being a very skilled tactician. Because of this he has never lost his wingman and always helped his mates. His squadron adored him because of this. Without any doubts he is the highest scoring ace ever. Immediately behind was major Barkhorn that was suffering nervous breakdown in the final months of war, because of this he probably could have a better score compared to Hartmann....
Another amazing fact about this great ace is he only achieved 30 victories in his first year of combat (summer 42 to summer 43). That means in less than two years, the last and hardest of the war, he shot down over 300 more. Many of them hard veterans I'm sure.
Hartmann was an incredibly skilled Ace at flying and using weapons. TJ you are the Ace of the videos of these incredible stories. Thanks again for the excellent video. Thanks.
@@TJ3 I have sad news to share with you TJ the ghost of Kiev is dead. The Ukrainian military had revealed his identity the pilot was 29 years old had 40 confirmed kills. Pull the ghost of Kiev up on wikipedia new information has been added I hope to see you make a video. Very sorry to have to be the one to break the news. Found out what happened just now wanted to let you know.
Hartmann would land, rush the ground crews to refuel and replenish his ammunition load... and immediately fly off again, often while eating a quick meal after takeoff. His wingmen could not keep up with this hectic pace and would switch out with each other when necessary.
Awesome Video and story well worth the wait. I heard his last kill was a Soviet aircraft he shot down while he was flying to another airfield to surrender to the Americans the day the war ended. He did not want to fall into the Soviets hands but we turned him over to them. I'm sure they were more than happy to have him.
He and his group commander, a German "Geschwader" equaled over 120 planes, had been ordered to fly to Germany and surrender to the British. They disobeyed the order.
He and the rest of the members of his unit, including dependents, were on foot when they surrendered to the Americans. After his May 8 kill he was closing in on another Soviet fighter when Mustangs showed up. He and his wingman broke off the attack. While they were fleeing Hartmann observed the Soviet and American fighters were fighting each other. Source: "The Blond Knight of Germany".
Actually, according to his book The Blonde Knight of Germany, in his last combat he caused a ruckus between American and Russian fighters when he dove down through the American formation and shot down a Soviet pilot who was doing a victory roll! I could be wrong and will recheck it when I get home. If memory serves as he left the scene they were dogfighting but no aircraft were shot down. Really enjoy your videos brother, keep em coming. I highly recommend reading his book though, it is excellent.
@@Wookie120 Ohhhh really??? Let me tell you that 'your' Blonde Knight of Germany book is just an old propaganda book which was written to improve the German-American relations after the war and it is full of BS that no military historians can take seriously! Or you also spent about 20 yrs on hardcore military research on Hartmann's REAL military career like I did going through thousands of Russian-American loss records comparing them to his claims? So you are also an aviation historian digging out lost aircrafts like I do? So you also wrote more aviation historical books, incl. on the JG 52 aces (incl. Hartmann) like I did? Let me tell you one thing: if there is anyone here who should not waste any time on the other one is me, not you! You are just another Hartmann fan living in wonderland, eating old legends without checking any historical FACTS! You know NOthing about the real Erich Hartmann, only the old propaganda stuff about him! If you do not believe this, just go ahead and read my recent book: 'Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces Over Hungary 1944-45' (Helion & Company, 2022, England - you can buy it from the publisher, on Amazon, etc.), especially pp.: 148-153. Yes, this is exactly on Hartmann's story over Brünn on May 8, 1945! Prominent researchers who had their input in my book were eg.: JG 52 expert, Bernd Barbas, Andrew Johannes Matthews, Christer Bergström, Carl-Fredrik Geust, Matti Salonen and many others. So little boy, you still have a lot to learn. I mean real historical stuff, not just children's fairy-tale books. Those are for little kids. But you know what? I do not really care what you do, you can keep dreaming if it's better for you.
0:50 - Erich Hartmann didn't "earn" the nickname "the Black Tulip". A black tulip was painted over the nose of his Bf-109 an easy means of identifying who the pilot was. Also, while Hartmann was a good marksmen, his technique in air combat was to shoot "only when your windscreen was full of airplane". In that way, misses were very few and ammunition was conserved, which is fairly important in a Bf-109, especially regarding the nose cannon.
This channel is amazing in creating history that never actually existed. Like you said Hartmann was never known as the ‘black tulip’, amongst other fallacies of Hartmann being the highest decorated Luftwaffe pilot. 🤦♂️
Well done Eric, using amazing strategy and piloting skills you managed to shoot down extra allied aircraft without using extra ammunition yourself. Very clever indeed 👏!
Awesome..I really think the german pilots..Especially those with over 300 missions etc must have been the most experienced pilots of WW2,,Experience makes the master,,Hartmann did around 1200 missions,,that says it all.
This was an interesting bit of history that I never heard of until now. Thank you for making the broadcast. Please include your resouces to confirm your claims of history. I would like to see the video interview of, Hartmens interview and who interviewd him. Or at least read the after action report of the attack. Also any interview of the American pilots involved in that attack would be helpful to validate the claims in this broadcast. Wonder what those after action report archives say about that incident?
And the FW190s were yet another brilliant design they kept them well ahead in the engineering field. I heard that Me262s were on the drawing board in 1938, but because tge Blitzkreig was so successful, the funding for the 262s was re allocated. If it hadn’t been, things could be a lot different now.
@@TheEarl777 'If it hadn’t been, things could be a lot different now.' True, and considering the state of the world today, if the Germans had won, probably a lot better too.
@@andrewb4470 Easy to see why. The 190 has a mechanical computer that can take care of all the engine-related controls, more space, and a less obstructed canopy.
@@ottovonbismarck2443 His aerial kills weren't counted. Fake? Allied pilots could include parked aircraft as aerial kills to their tally. It's harder to kill a tank back then than a soft target like an aircraft, also he predominantly used the 37mm cannon armed Stuka at low level.
And also a hardcore nazi that had to flee to Argentina at the end of the war. Hartmann served in the new Luftwaffe after the war and retired with the rank of Colonel.
Yes. He was a fanatic NAZI. He was an incredibly brave, dedicated and skilled pilot and the only German in any branch of service to win the golden oak leaves, swords and diamonds. Amazing I guess that someone could be all those things. Not defending him, just stating fact. Hartman was absolutely amazing and deserved the same award imho and, yes, an honorable man far more worthy than Rudel as a human being.
Hartmann and Marsaille were a lot alike, both had excellent eyesight and both liked seeing the enemy first ,getting into position and getting so close they couldn't miss. It's a damn shame Marsaille had to die from a faulty engine cuz the pace he was on of he,d lived longer he possibly could have overtaken Hartmann,s 352 victories. Marsaille was the greatest deflection shooter of the war, he would often down a enemy fighter with half a dozen 20mm rounds.
"Deflection shooting" implies shooting from a long distance ahead of your opponent. Marseille would use this often, therefore, he didn't heavily favor Hartmann's method of getting very close to his target before shooting. Marseille shot ahead from long distances with great accuracy.
@@Citadin Not always, he was so GOOD he,d bail into a LUFTBERRY circle and shoot a plane down, chop the throttle, let one overshoot and shoot that one down at very close range. If Marsaille had survived the war he would easily have overtaken Hartmann, No disrespect to Hartmann in any way but MARSAILLE was just such a phenomenal pilot.HE HAD NO PEERS.
An episode of the incredible Hans-Joachim Marseille would be nice. He was a legend in the Luftwaffe long after his tragic accidental 1942 death in North Africa.
The war made many, extremely skilled German fighter pilots become Super Aces, as they had to fight on to the end. Several, besides Hartmann, passed 300 planes shot down.
@@fjp3305 Hartman didn't, as well as I remember. But of course the fighting in Spain, before the "Real War" made the German Officers more trained in handling formations during wartime conditions, than most other countries had any ability to do.
Truly astonishing human behind the stick of the BF109... don't come second cause you'll the first loser... Godspeed Heer Hartman...job well done ✅ RIP,and truly a patriot to your country...no politics in this post... salute.
@@kennethbarnard7667 It has already been passed long time ago during WWII by many German aces. Hartmann had cca. 80-120 real victories, where the enemy plane was destroyed, the rest was just 'paperwork'. (Max. damaged planes which ultimately escaped.) Lipfert, Barkhorn eg. both destroyed many more enemy planes with less official victories. Papers and reality were (are) different. A big part of Hartmann's achievement was just propaganda.
You and other channels like it, play an important role. Teaching and guiding the masses about REAL history,perhaps even motivating them to become better.
war between nato and russia is looking almost inevitable now... russian planes are flying over the black sea and the baltic in aggressive manners.... just one mistake by either side...and the big oopsie
Ever heard of the Korean War? Lots of fair haired North Korean pilots…North Vietnam had some of those too. Maybe albino Asians make good fighter pilots….🤔
@@samkangal8428 it’s a joke.. American pilots noticed that some of their enemy “North Korean” and “North Vietnamese” pilots had blonde hair. I was referring to your comment about the last US vs Russian dogfight. It was a poorly kept secret that Americans fought a number of Russian “volunteers” in those wars. Just a bad joke. Don’t ruminate on it
The primary documentation I used was Hartmann's final interview transcript. It is quite a lengthy interview but this story is about two thirds of the way through.
Most of Hartman's flying career and victory claims were first detailed in the popular Toliver/Constable biog published in 1970. Only 289 of his claims had been processed as 'confirmed' by Abschusskommission by war-end, and only 307 were officially filed. He had two complete logbooks listing all of his missions and claims, and after his capture the first was recovered but the second has remained missing ever since. From his 151st combat claim onwards the rest of his 352 claims were based on Hartman's memory and collated by Toliver/Constable in the late 1950s, utilising Hartmann’s letters home, the JG 52 war diary and from other JG 52 pilot sources. Most of the Hartmann anecdotes in the book cannot be accurately dated to specific combats or periods. Former Soviet Air Force records released over the past few decades have yet to be specifically matched to luftwaffe combat claims, including Hartmann.
Yes western communist, yes. The Soviets was famous for giving a care for it's native peoples (slavs) to record keeping and it's format in paper work, and the western powers surly didn't purge any photo and film records at a scale in effort to bend history "Did you know germen planes didn't have gun cameras in them?" Western peoples have never or are well known to bend history you see, even in recent memory "Thomas Lockley," I'm sure, including Hartmann's sham trials. Enjoy a western liberal who lives in Seattle, Daniel Horvath. "Western liberal who lives in Seattle," it's a rhyme and nothing more.
Hartmann used the so called hit and run tactics. You see the enemy but the enemy can't see you. While the german high comand orders were to fight and do not retreat , fight till you die or win. But Hartmann used hit and run tactic, same tactics used by red baron in ww1.
There was a honor among air men regardless if they were enemies or not. Wasn't really about being shot and killing more about who could out fly and out smart
Nonsense, everyone wants to take the rare example of something like the Luftwaffe pilot who escorted the damaged B17 to the coast of France and throw it up as some sort of proof that pilots were "Knights of the sky", that's only true in people's imaginations, the cold hard reality is for every example like that there's many more of fighter pilots machine gunning bailed out pilots or bomber crews in their parachutes. I can't remember his name but one of the men of the AVG, the Flying Tigers, who coincidentally was the first one of them to shoot down a Japanese plane said very clearly in an interview "The narrative that fighter pilots are honorable and chivalrous is total nonsense, aerial warfare is no different than land warfare and what we did was no different than Infantry killing each other, it was kill him before he kills me, I don't care that he has a mother and family back home I'm going to kill that man as soon as he's in my sights, it's bloody and cruel and there's nothing honorable or chivalrous about it". And from a personal experience I can tell you this, I'm in no way shape or form some antifa kook but after having gone on a tour of the Dachau Concentration Camp I just can't get behind labeling anyone who fought on that side as a "hero", I went through the place 40 years after it was shut down and when you got 20 feet away from those ovens you could still smell it, burned humans, and that included women and little kids, the next time I smelled that was after I became a steel fitter and had a leather glove burn, it smells the same. And the narrative that the Luftwaffe pilots were not complicit in it is total bull, everyone over there in that country knew what was going on, military and civilian all knew, just because someone was on the Eastern or Western front doesn't mean anything, don't fool yourself people talk, you didn't have to live right next to a camp to know what was going on, they all knew. Hartmann's flying record is one thing, which if you ask me is overhyped considering that he got his early experience, which is when most pilots either got killed or gained enough experience to have a chance at making it, flying against Russian pilots in horribly matched aircraft that had their gun sights drawn on the inside of their windshields with a grease pencil. US and British pilots got their baptism of fire flying against experienced Luftwaffe pilots yet still held their own against them, some of them were right out of training and flew against German pilots who'd been on the Eastern front and had those ridiculously high scores and then were transferred to the Western front, USAAF pilot Robert S Johnson of the 56th Fighter Group became an ace when his fifth kill was a German pilot who had over 200 victories, the fact is when those German pilots had to go against an enemy that had comparable aircraft with real gun sights in them they didn't do so well, when the 56th Fighter Group arrived in England they only had one or two men who had any combat experience but they were aggressive and went to work on the Luftwaffe and tore a path through them they never recovered from. Erich Hartmann didn't get the number of victories he did flying against the same class of aircraft and pilots that the men of the 56th did, and I'd venture to say that if he'd have flown on the Western front he'd have gotten blasted out of the sky like Egon Mayer and most of the other high scoring German aces did who were transferred to the west.
No there was not, it was about killing your enemy with all as little risk to oneself as possible. The preferred way was a surprise attack, much like stabbing some unsuspecting in the back! The "honor" is a myth stemming from WWI propaganda about the "knights of the air"!
very good video i have herd of story how Hartmann trick both USA and Russia to attack each other. You know in his mind Hartmann was laughing because he just did neatest trick Ever LOL😂
Erich Hartman was not interested in "dogfights". Q: What was your favourite method of attack? A: Coming out of the sun and getting close; dog-fighting was a waste of time.
Not entirely true. Erich Hartmann crash landed 16 times, many of then due to having closed in so much that debris from the enemy planes he shot at caused damage to his own plane. 352 aerial victories were mainly due to the huge number of sorties that he flew on the target-rich Eastern Front where Soviet pilots generally flew at low attitude where their planes performed the best. Same reason why the FW-190's reigned supreme on the Eastern Front until the very end unlike the West Front.
@@salinator5966 Yes, entirely true, as long as you understand what a dogfight is. Sneaking up behind enemy aircraft and then blowing it to pieces is not dogfighting, no matter how close you get.
This is trivia to be sure: South Park's Eric Cartman was named after 'Erich Hartmann'. Ironic? The ace of aces, the Red Baron himself, Mannfred von Richtofen, had familial ties to Colorado where they owned land. Eric Cartman's South Park is in Colorado too.
I watched a interview with one of the p51 pots involved and he said a Russian shot at his wingman and the dogfight erupted I'm guessing it was rly hartman
He used the same tactic as Billy Bishop in WW1. Dive from above; go underneath; shoot; rapidly climb out of harms way. Works well....Hartmann once shot down a plane with just 4 bullets.
True, but remember he used a 20mm cannon, which caused substantially more damage than a 50 BMG. He was also known to get super close to his victim prior to firing.
@@ottokiehl5413 He did. Many other good fighter pilots the same.......on the last morning of the War, he shot down a Russian plane killing 3. Why? For that alone, he deserves the years he spent in Russian prison camps. CAVU skies!
I know this comparation is weird but... Some years ago, one day, i was playing GTA online and there was this "car show", people would park their cars and walk to look the other cars, I went to the roof of a building far away and sniped one of the players... Then, oh my... I never forgot the chaos y made because of that 😂 all the others started shooting each other, it was a world war down there, it was so funny
Considering data shown in the best ever "IL2 Sturmovik" game from same russian developer, same who created it's online continuation "War Thunder". Hartman knew what his plane was capable of BF109 G6,G10,K if compared to F2, G2 were bit heavy ones for it's 1400-1500HP engine, armored, optionally equipped with gun pods but much heavier, and designed to operate at lower altitude than P51. Once you loosen speed, or altitude it was hard to climb up. So basically combat with P51 or La5 was recipe for death. Only F2 used mostly one eastern front was lighting fast even in combat but lack of weapon forced anyone to use speed as advantage and runaway. He had no other choice than get them by surprise shoot fast and runaway using water/alcohol 1800HP booster.
@@noteimportax6477 Comparing to what, and what time? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109 As far im concerned could climb fast, but thanks to alcohol injection 1650-2000HP not for too long could be reason why Hartman's used it as his tactic. Regular F model had engine rated only at 1150HP further version more powerful but weight was increased, G combined outnumbered other models it has 1455HP. Do the math HP/weight use calculator as i did, this is what IL2 Sturmovik game model is based on. And reality as well? Let me understand why they counted on so much on Me262 and why La5, Spitfire handles much better. Maybe somehow in some circumstances, maybe data in game is not correct - give me data? Would be pleased to learn that Bf109 was best. As far im concerned except for K model manufactured late 1944 these planes had lost all advantages during the war it wasnt that easy to make kill. Regular P51 before they put Merlin had engine rated at 1200HP almost as Bf109, but it was upgraded to 1650HP with supercharger capable work at higher altitude. Same for P47 rated at 2600HP. This atitude issue i mention based on pilot testimony i saw on UA-cam. He told specifically about advantages of P51 Mustang they had to combat before they could shoot down B17. In math i found the ultimate answer - proof that game was not biased that much.
@@KabelkowyJoe whats your point? Bf 109 still competitive in 44 45 in the hands of experten like hartmann it was a match for any fighter, those mustangs he wasted were even d bubble canopy models, he survived the war, and flew only bf 109s what does it say about the plane? And he used the g6 for most of his kills the crappiest bf 109 of all, not only hartmann used this tactic , other aces too it was way more effective than fuel consuming and dangerous turning fights, but even in turning fights bf 109f was good marseille managed to even outurn spits with his f4 he dropped the flaps to do it, combat with p 51 a recipe fpr death ? Not at all at low medium alts 109 can outturn p 51, a modern mockup dogfight between a p51 named big beautiful doll and 109 black 2 i think (its a g 10) was made and 109 won all turning fights, now at high alts p 51 has the advantage,against soviets? Well hartmann managed to waste many top notch fighters like la 5 la 7 , he just didnt engage in turning low alt fights thats were the soviets had the advantage but at high alts soviets fighters were garbage
@@noteimportax6477 You just sumarized all of mine points "in the hands of experten" - not many experten in 44-45, "not only hartmann used this tactic" that's true, if you get them by surprise " in turning fights bf 109f was good marseille managed to even outurn spits with his f4" indeed because HP/mass ratio was very high, highest of all version, i don't know any more details of Hartman's life, if that's true would be yet another proof game to be very realistic cause F4 in flight is gorgeous, the only problem is these small machine guns and single cannon, they say it differently on wikipedia in game G2 was best one, featured gunpods yet had simmilar mass to F4 making it almost ideal, yes La5 wasn't that good at higher altitude, they designed Mig3 for such purpose it wast good either, and so happens i learnt it from game first from data written there, from way it operates and video analysis of it's design proven all these flaws to be true. Game could not mimic turbocharger this i learnt from pilot testimony. Mine point is - i love Bf109 should not, so happen i love it the most, maybe i was crappy german pilot in mine previous life, who knows, feel sad for these people fooled by bad leader, wasted in war. That's separate story. Mine point was experienced pilot just had to know it to use pros cons in his own advantage, he wasnt suicidial knowing what he was doing. But in late years of war, not many experienced pilots was left, plane had its flaws, you could not use booster all the time, if they get you in dogfight you die it wasn't ideal. I just try to understand, maybe im making this up, it tells about Hartmans' skills even more, it wasn't plane, it was his skills, knowing plane as his own pocket, that what i had in mind writing first comment. I believe It was more difficult to fight in Bf109 more difficult than in Spits, P51 thats is mine major point
@@KabelkowyJoe which il 2 are you talking about? 1946 or battle for stalingrad? True is mostly the pilot skill but its the tool too and bf 109 was lethal , i think is the plane with the most kills in history (the airframe i mean) in il2 forgotten battles against pc f4 is the only one that can turn with the yaks and that that fugly il16 lol , in 1946 enemies are shit easy to kill they became stupid
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Also small correction: I said Hartmann was the most decorated pilot. This is not correct, that was Rudel! Meant to say one of the most decorated. Thanks guys!
Both were still great pilots
Just curious, did you fact-check his story against any US or Soviet sources? Pretty sure such a dog fight between allies would have been recorded if it really happened
yes, it was Hans Ulrich Rudel, on the famous Stuka....
Im curious where you got this information because I've been looking for more details and haven't found a damn thing about this supposed incident.
@@teoengchin the only record of any US versus soviet actions during ww2 were when US aircraft accidentally strafed soviet ground forces near nis in Yugoslavia. Honestly the more and more I look to find ANY information about this "incident" the more I think this is just a completely made up story for clicks.
seeing how its been months, I'm willing to believe the latter. Either that or whatever he's referencing is exaggerated which would also make sense as war can do that.
Wish he was around. How bold he must've been. Absolutely incredible pilot
Only born once.
I recommend reading his biography, The Blonde Knight of Germany. it is an eye opener into his life.
They all were... Rall, Novotny, Marseille...
The engagement was pretty wild and over a vast area where both Russian and American fighters were continuosly encountering each other. Russian ace Sergei Kramarenko also recorded that his flight of LA-5's encountered Mustangs and Thunderbolts but they held fire until attacked by another flight of Mustangs before disengaging,some with heavy damage. All on the same day so it wasn't that unbelievable. A lot of American units were new to the theatre or had new pilots that didn't help with visual identification when going after fighters.
Also didn't help that the La-5/7 looks like the FW 190 A at certain distance
@@ricardobeltranmonribot3182 Or the P-47......:)
Without a doubt, this is one of the most unusual air battles I've ever heard of. Although I wouldn't be surprised if there were other incidents similar to this one.
I know of at least one more. Some lightnings attacking by error a Soviet convoy (although it was probably intentional), and Soviet planes came to the rescue and engage in dogfight
@@nesca647 There was also 2 RAF squadrons who engaged each other in what was known as 'The battle of Barking Creek'.
@@nesca647 wasnt intentional
There was indeed. A flight of P38's actually strafed and bombed a Soviet column and I do believe managed to kill a General. Got to a point the Soviets did not allow U aircraft to fly over their areas if memory serves. IMHO, General Patton had the right idea though! LOL
There were others.
This man was a legend, just sad how he was treated by the West German Airforce after the war, plus it was a crime how the Americans handed him to the Soviets at the end of the war.
Crime? Hartman murdered Allies for his master, hitler. Hartman is a cold blooded murderer for hitler.
How many allied mothers and wives wept because of Hartmans murderous rampage in the air, all for hitler. piss on his grave.
Like the general they fired recently, when he said Germany should buy the F35. Then Germany decided to buy the F35 anyway. When politics get in the way of logic.
I haven’t heard about that, it is my understanding that he refused to abandon his unit and surrender to the Americans, but rather stay with his unit and surrender to the soviets. Unfortunately this resulted in 10 years of unjust incarceration at their hands post war. I read about it in his autobiography entitled “The blonde knight of Germany”. Is there another version of events? I have never heard of Americans handing him over to the soviets. Please explain.
@@danphariss133 It's more complicated than that.
The Soviets took normal war prisoners, then they had the guys they punished for war crimes, and then they had political prisoners.
Hartmann and other high profile prisoners were treated like political prisoners, the Soviets tried to force them into cooperating for their own propaganda reasons.
Some, like Hartmann, resisted and were tortured for years, others collaborated and were later given titles in the new East German establishment.
@@juantoomany7202 His unit, along with a civilians surrendered to the Americans. The Soviets asked the Americans to turn them over.
Hartmann could have chosen to stay with the Americans, but he went with his unit.
He didn't expect what the Soviets will do to him.
They later admitted the accusations were fake and acquitted him posthumously.
Hartmann's tactic depended heavily on his visual skills. He could spot and identify enemy aircraft much earlier than his comrades flying with him. And he had learned to wait. He only started firing when the enemy aircraft filled his entire windscreen. When you got that close, decisive hits were guaranteed.
Well, on his first combat mission he failed miserably.
So he created his own " Dicta Hartmann".
@@EK-gr9gd Indeed, he disobeyed orders, lost orientation, fled from his comrade and finally destroyed his own plane. Fortunately, the Luftwaffe did not immediately send him to the infantry.
@@EK-gr9gd wait... I thought he was using Richthofen's tactic in which he also take it from Boelcke??
probably had vision better than 20/20
And his first rule was, only attack with the sun behind him.
A simple but deadly "rule".
Ironically, Hartmann was not a very good pilot in training, he was very nervous and almost scared in the air. But his instructor, Franz Stigler, aka the guy who famously rescued a crippled B-17, boosted his confidence and he was able to become the top ace of the war.
I think the fellow you are referring to was Gerhard Barkhorn. If memory serves me right Franz flew him over a nudist colony, to "ease" his nerves. From there he went on to become second to Hartmann with 300+ victories.
I dont believe that since Hartmans parents owned a glider and his mother was the female air pioneer in Germany at that time
Yeah, it was Gerd Barkhorn, not Hartmann that Stigler instructed.
Hans Ulrich Rudell also nearly washed out of training
@@BadMuflon It is true that Hartmann was almost dropped from training for poor performance
Hartmann's tactic was the future of aircombat, rather than dogfighting (what typically liked by the Japanes pilots).
Well, not all Japanese pilots like dogfighting. Take Tetsuzō Iwamoto for example. Unlike other Japanese pilots who would go guns blazing and dancing with the enemy, Iwamoto is somewhat a hunter himself. He didn't go for turnfighting but rather go for a high speed sneak attack of course, just like Hartmann did.
Boom & Zoom?
@@tim1polman Yup
It wasnt a new tactic, Richthofen in WW1 used the same tactic.
@@wolf310ii Actually it's a very old tactic. Most of the birds of prey - especially the peregrine falcon - use this tactic. :D
Eric Hartmann was a highly professional ace of a pilot, flying the Messerschmitt bf109 aircraft. His record remains unmatched even to this day. He was the king of all all fighter pilot aces.
He was also a Nazi
i really dont get it when people call the bf 109 a messerschmidt
the original desing was bought by bf and at that time it stopped beeing a messerschmidt. Especially after so much time has passed and so many changes have been made to the plane.
You do you, but i dont understand.
@@rathlingthelittleone4329 Most people aren’t as smart as you…🙄
The red barron also employed a similar tactic. Many of his kills were recon or bombers not fighters. Thanks for a great video.
Was thinking that too. I’m sure the Baron had a mantra of never entering a fight he couldn’t win.
He destroyed 31 fighters. But considering that their primary duty was, in fact, to destroy recon and bomber aircraft why wouldn’t most of his kills be those types? Look at the victories of James McCudden, a first class British ace. High flying German recon planes were his specialty.
Richthofen also shot down the highest scoring British ace of his time Lanoe Hawker who won the Victoria Cross.
Also I would postate that Richhofen not Hartmann is the most renowned fighter pilot. Casual civilians still know his name & who he is/was over 100 years after his exploits. Hartmann is the higher scoring but known mostly by historians.
@@cmdrgunslinger5955 My personal opinion on that has to do with the fact that Hartman fought for the most despised regime in modern history. Also, air combat was a brand new thing in WW1 so there was the novelty factor. Thirdly “The Red Baron” as a nickname with his all red Fokker triplane just has the “X” factor written all over it.
@@thomashawkins9380 Albert Ball, also another British ace, hunt down enemies by element of surprised too. Rather than from high, but he will creep from underneath enemy's death six. Mostly also recon aircraft.
I would've laughed my ass out if I was hartmann
Xenia:
How would you do that? Fart?
I'm going to 2 it'll happen again
He probably did
The most highly decorated luftwaffe pilot was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds.
Hartmann was the most highly decorated fighter pilot. Rudel was a ground pounder.
@@MausTanker Rudel also was an ace in his Fw-190 in the final months of the war, though still flying his Stuka when it was the best option for a particular mission
Rudel was a 100% nazi
Hartmann was a patriot
@@clintonreisig there were some editions of fw 190 for ground pounding and not for dogfighting such as the fw 190 f 8
It is good to understand that Hartmann had very good sights and he had admitted that Marseille was a master of deflection shooting. Actually regarding his tatics you pointed out that is correct, in reality he rarely did deflection shooting but preferred really closings near the tail in order not to miss! What it distinguish him from so many pilots was that he was gifted also with an impressive battle awareness including being a very skilled tactician. Because of this he has never lost his wingman and always helped his mates. His squadron adored him because of this. Without any doubts he is the highest scoring ace ever. Immediately behind was major Barkhorn that was suffering nervous breakdown in the final months of war, because of this he probably could have a better score compared to Hartmann....
Another amazing fact about this great ace is he only achieved 30 victories in his first year of combat (summer 42 to summer 43). That means in less than two years, the last and hardest of the war, he shot down over 300 more. Many of them hard veterans I'm sure.
TJ, your work is simply outstanding. Come on people let's push TJ over 100k. Thank you
This has to be one of the greatest WW2 stories I've heard, Thanks for this mate, great work!
Hartmann was an incredibly skilled Ace at flying and using weapons. TJ you are the Ace of the videos of these incredible stories. Thanks again for the excellent video. Thanks.
Thanks Joe!
@@TJ3 I have sad news to share with you TJ the ghost of Kiev is dead. The Ukrainian military had revealed his identity the pilot was 29 years old had 40 confirmed kills.
Pull the ghost of Kiev up on wikipedia new information has been added I hope to see you make a video. Very sorry to have to be the one to break the news. Found out what happened just now wanted to let you know.
@@tyleringle268 you mean the pilot that isn't real?
I dont know if he was most skilled if he was shot down and crashlanded 16 times.He shure was most luckiest one as he allways ended to Germany lines.
Hartmann would land, rush the ground crews to refuel and replenish his ammunition load... and immediately fly off again, often while eating a quick meal after takeoff. His wingmen could not keep up with this hectic pace and would switch out with each other when necessary.
Awesome Video and story well worth the wait. I heard his last kill was a Soviet aircraft he shot down while he was flying to another airfield to surrender to the Americans the day the war ended. He did not want to fall into the Soviets hands but we turned him over to them. I'm sure they were more than happy to have him.
He and his group commander, a German "Geschwader" equaled over 120 planes, had been ordered to fly to Germany and surrender to the British. They disobeyed the order.
He and the rest of the members of his unit, including dependents, were on foot when they surrendered to the Americans. After his May 8 kill he was closing in on another Soviet fighter when Mustangs showed up. He and his wingman broke off the attack. While they were fleeing Hartmann observed the Soviet and American fighters were fighting each other. Source: "The Blond Knight of Germany".
Actually, according to his book The Blonde Knight of Germany, in his last combat he caused a ruckus between American and Russian fighters when he dove down through the American formation and shot down a Soviet pilot who was doing a victory roll! I could be wrong and will recheck it when I get home. If memory serves as he left the scene they were dogfighting but no aircraft were shot down. Really enjoy your videos brother, keep em coming. I highly recommend reading his book though, it is excellent.
Yes, this is a well known story, - too bad it is fake.
@@gaborhorvath4873 I read his book, you are not worth the time arguing with.
@@Wookie120 Ohhhh really??? Let me tell you that 'your' Blonde Knight of Germany book is just an old propaganda book which was written to improve the German-American relations after the war and it is full of BS that no military historians can take seriously! Or you also spent about 20 yrs on hardcore military research on Hartmann's REAL military career like I did going through thousands of Russian-American loss records comparing them to his claims? So you are also an aviation historian digging out lost aircrafts like I do? So you also wrote more aviation historical books, incl. on the JG 52 aces (incl. Hartmann) like I did? Let me tell you one thing: if there is anyone here who should not waste any time on the other one is me, not you! You are just another Hartmann fan living in wonderland, eating old legends without checking any historical FACTS! You know NOthing about the real Erich Hartmann, only the old propaganda stuff about him! If you do not believe this, just go ahead and read my recent book: 'Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces Over Hungary 1944-45' (Helion & Company, 2022, England - you can buy it from the publisher, on Amazon, etc.), especially pp.: 148-153. Yes, this is exactly on Hartmann's story over Brünn on May 8, 1945!
Prominent researchers who had their input in my book were eg.: JG 52 expert, Bernd Barbas, Andrew Johannes Matthews, Christer Bergström, Carl-Fredrik Geust, Matti Salonen and many others. So little boy, you still have a lot to learn. I mean real historical stuff, not just children's fairy-tale books. Those are for little kids. But you know what? I do not really care what you do, you can keep dreaming if it's better for you.
Chuck Yeager should thank god, that they never met.
All that in under 6 minutes. Great episode TJ one of your best
0:50 - Erich Hartmann didn't "earn" the nickname "the Black Tulip". A black tulip was painted over the nose of his Bf-109 an easy means of identifying who the pilot was. Also, while Hartmann was a good marksmen, his technique in air combat was to shoot "only when your windscreen was full of airplane". In that way, misses were very few and ammunition was conserved, which is fairly important in a Bf-109, especially regarding the nose cannon.
This channel is amazing in creating history that never actually existed. Like you said Hartmann was never known as the ‘black tulip’, amongst other fallacies of Hartmann being the highest decorated Luftwaffe pilot. 🤦♂️
Pure genius Hartman start the fight! Hit hard and quick and these allies fought each other Unreal!
His took an impeccable angle of engagement which allowed him to shoot several aircraft in succession. 👌
Why take a chance in combat when you can get your enemies to shoot each other down. Great job.🤣🤣
Well done Eric, using amazing strategy and piloting skills you managed to shoot down extra allied aircraft without using extra ammunition yourself. Very clever indeed 👏!
This very fascinating story is also well recounted in his excellent biography "The Blond Knight of Germany" by Toliver and Constable.
Boom and zoom. Hit then get the hell outta here.
I know nothing of this subject, but I must say I am impressed with the knowledge and agreement shown in the comments.
This proves that friendly aircrafts is just an enemy in blue.
Allies wrote the history and erased their war crimes, so we never knew this legend.
Your saying Erich Hartmann is a war criminal?
That must have been a sight to see.
What an incredible story. i am always learning more about WW II.
Wow that took some big balls to eventually make that kind of scene.
But it's was a amazing episode. 👏
Awesome..I really think the german pilots..Especially those with over 300 missions etc must have been the most experienced pilots of WW2,,Experience makes the master,,Hartmann did around 1200 missions,,that says it all.
This was an interesting bit of history that I never heard of until now. Thank you for making the broadcast. Please include your resouces to confirm your claims of history. I would like to see the video interview of, Hartmens interview and who interviewd him. Or at least read the after action report of the attack. Also any interview of the American pilots involved in that attack would be helpful to validate the claims in this broadcast. Wonder what those after action report archives say about that incident?
I seen a real ME109G at an airmuseum in 1974. It was LOW to the ground, all engine, cramped looking, like flying a turbo missile
You were very lucky to see one! I believe German pilots liked the 109, though most preferred the Focke-Wulf 190.
And the FW190s were yet another brilliant design they kept them well ahead in the engineering field.
I heard that Me262s were on the drawing board in 1938, but because tge Blitzkreig was so successful, the funding for the 262s was re allocated.
If it hadn’t been, things could be a lot different now.
@@TheEarl777 'If it hadn’t been, things could be a lot different now.' True, and considering the state of the world today, if the Germans had won, probably a lot better too.
@@andrewb4470 Easy to see why. The 190 has a mechanical computer that can take care of all the engine-related controls, more space, and a less obstructed canopy.
Hey Guys! I saw a HEINKEL 100 AT CHINO AIR MUSEUM. It lost out to the 109 but looked kin da like NIPPON Tony fighter, intimidating.
Such a cool story! It’s crazy I’d never heard of this.
Thank you
I didnt know that story
The most condecorated pilot was Rudel
Yup, the best combat pilot of any war and any nation...
Hans Rudel was the most highly decorated German pilot.
And he was perhaps the one with most "fake kills" considering tank kills.
@@ottovonbismarck2443 His aerial kills weren't counted. Fake? Allied pilots could include parked aircraft as aerial kills to their tally. It's harder to kill a tank back then than a soft target like an aircraft, also he predominantly used the 37mm cannon armed Stuka at low level.
And also a hardcore nazi that had to flee to Argentina at the end of the war. Hartmann served in the new Luftwaffe after the war and retired with the rank of Colonel.
@@TheIndianalain
Not worse as hardcore commis and hardcore capitalists...but that doesn't change the fact that he was the best till today.
Yes. He was a fanatic NAZI. He was an incredibly brave, dedicated and skilled pilot and the only German in any branch of service to win the golden oak leaves, swords and diamonds. Amazing I guess that someone could be all those things. Not defending him, just stating fact. Hartman was absolutely amazing and deserved the same award imho and, yes, an honorable man far more worthy than Rudel as a human being.
Great story! Never head about it before. Thanks for sharing. Makes me want to get in my RC Bf-109 and do a hit and run on my RC buddies😉
Hartmann and Marsaille were a lot alike, both had excellent eyesight and both liked seeing the enemy first ,getting into position and getting so close they couldn't miss. It's a damn shame Marsaille had to die from a faulty engine cuz the pace he was on of he,d lived longer he possibly could have overtaken Hartmann,s 352 victories. Marsaille was the greatest deflection shooter of the war, he would often down a enemy fighter with half a dozen 20mm rounds.
"Deflection shooting" implies shooting from a long distance ahead of your opponent. Marseille would use this often, therefore, he didn't heavily favor Hartmann's method of getting very close to his target before shooting. Marseille shot ahead from long distances with great accuracy.
@@Citadin Not always, he was so GOOD he,d bail into a LUFTBERRY circle and shoot a plane down, chop the throttle, let one overshoot and shoot that one down at very close range. If Marsaille had survived the war he would easily have overtaken Hartmann, No disrespect to Hartmann in any way but MARSAILLE was just such a phenomenal pilot.HE HAD NO PEERS.
Dont think there wld have been enough plane for the two of them to shoot down!
Hartmann - "don't get seen - be fast - get close - don't miss - hide again"...... and "West Germany's pilots are not ready for the F-104"!
An episode of the incredible Hans-Joachim Marseille would be nice. He was a legend in the Luftwaffe long after his tragic accidental 1942 death in North Africa.
The war made many, extremely skilled German fighter pilots become Super Aces, as they had to fight on to the end. Several, besides Hartmann, passed 300 planes shot down.
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 Officially… Gerhard Barkhorn was the only other pilot to break 300.
If you assume that all claimed kills are real…
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 And many of them had "trained" at the Spanish Civil War.
@@fjp3305 Hartman didn't, as well as I remember. But of course the fighting in Spain, before the "Real War" made the German Officers more trained in handling formations during wartime conditions, than most other countries had any ability to do.
Awesome video mate
The simple, the Best.
And this guy was the Master, of the concept.
Truly astonishing human behind the stick of the BF109... don't come second cause you'll the first loser... Godspeed Heer Hartman...job well done ✅ RIP,and truly a patriot to your country...no politics in this post... salute.
Astonishing *person*.
@@HiTechOilCo I stand corrected...later.
It's Erich Hartman, I expect nothing less from him.
"The greatest people, thet where at the right place, at the rong time, where tricked, to me, that does not degrade their greatness"
20 years old in '42, he looks like a 'Skate Boarder' in uniform.
l want to add my admiration to the pilot and the videographer. both excellent at their work.
What a brilliant pilot
Woah!
I have heard about it before I think.
That’s what an ace does! He tricks you!
That battle is in the book the blond knight of Germany. Hartmann wasn't the highest decorated WW2 pilot it is Hans-Ulrich Rudel Ju87 pilot.
Actually, Hans Ulrich Rudel was the highest decorated soldier of the war whether in the army, navy or airforce.
That's incredible... I can't imagine the feeling of victory.
i was looking forward to this when it was mentioned in the comments
its even better when animated
Erich Hartmann is the highest scoring fighter ace in history, not just in WW2.
And that will never be passed ever
@@kennethbarnard7667 It has already been passed long time ago during WWII by many German aces. Hartmann had cca. 80-120 real victories, where the enemy plane was destroyed, the rest was just 'paperwork'. (Max. damaged planes which ultimately escaped.) Lipfert, Barkhorn eg. both destroyed many more enemy planes with less official victories. Papers and reality were (are) different. A big part of Hartmann's achievement was just propaganda.
Well this proves that they did not trust each other. Just a common ennemi to fight.
Great video 👌🏻Hartman was an absolute legend
You and other channels like it, play an important role. Teaching and guiding the masses about REAL history,perhaps even motivating them to become better.
Scary to think that maybe this was not the last US vs Russia fight .
war between nato and russia is looking almost inevitable now... russian planes are flying over the black sea and the baltic in aggressive manners.... just one mistake by either side...and the big oopsie
Ever heard of the Korean War? Lots of fair haired North Korean pilots…North Vietnam had some of those too. Maybe albino Asians make good fighter pilots….🤔
@Thomas Hawkins
Albino Asians?
No ,i never heared that before .
@@samkangal8428 it’s a joke.. American pilots noticed that some of their enemy “North Korean” and “North Vietnamese” pilots had blonde hair. I was referring to your comment about the last US vs Russian dogfight. It was a poorly kept secret that Americans fought a number of Russian “volunteers” in those wars. Just a bad joke. Don’t ruminate on it
@Thomas Hawkins
O.k😆 , and now americsns join the Ukrainian Army .
Put a Swastika on the rudder. The way you put on Red Stars on Yaks and Lavockins.
Any documentation on this? The units and loses?
The primary documentation I used was Hartmann's final interview transcript. It is quite a lengthy interview but this story is about two thirds of the way through.
Eddie Haskell from Leave it to Beaver🤣
A great pilot with a great fighter means the best results ever....
Yeah Good Man with a nice Smile. He was Born just 2 Miles of my Home village.
Please do a video on the late Major Stepan Tarabalka aka The Ghost of Kyiv
Fake
Most of Hartman's flying career and victory claims were first detailed in the popular Toliver/Constable biog published in 1970. Only 289 of his claims had been processed as 'confirmed' by Abschusskommission by war-end, and only 307 were officially filed. He had two complete logbooks listing all of his missions and claims, and after his capture the first was recovered but the second has remained missing ever since. From his 151st combat claim onwards the rest of his 352 claims were based on Hartman's memory and collated by Toliver/Constable in the late 1950s, utilising Hartmann’s letters home, the JG 52 war diary and from other JG 52 pilot sources. Most of the Hartmann anecdotes in the book cannot be accurately dated to specific combats or periods. Former Soviet Air Force records released over the past few decades have yet to be specifically matched to luftwaffe combat claims, including Hartmann.
Yes western communist, yes. The Soviets was famous for giving a care for it's native peoples (slavs) to record keeping and it's format in paper work, and the western powers surly didn't purge any photo and film records at a scale in effort to bend history "Did you know germen planes didn't have gun cameras in them?" Western peoples have never or are well known to bend history you see, even in recent memory "Thomas Lockley," I'm sure, including Hartmann's sham trials.
Enjoy a western liberal who lives in Seattle, Daniel Horvath.
"Western liberal who lives in Seattle," it's a rhyme and nothing more.
Met the number 2 of the “ 300” club
Gerd Barkhorn
At a ace convention in 1977 and 1978
Very interesting story.
Hartmann used the so called hit and run tactics. You see the enemy but the enemy can't see you. While the german high comand orders were to fight and do not retreat , fight till you die or win. But Hartmann used hit and run tactic, same tactics used by red baron in ww1.
Classic boom n zoom
excellent. thanks, check Mcguire kills and the way he used his P-38, for me a better pilot than bong
There was a honor among air men regardless if they were enemies or not. Wasn't really about being shot and killing more about who could out fly and out smart
Nonsense, everyone wants to take the rare example of something like the Luftwaffe pilot who escorted the damaged B17 to the coast of France and throw it up as some sort of proof that pilots were "Knights of the sky", that's only true in people's imaginations, the cold hard reality is for every example like that there's many more of fighter pilots machine gunning bailed out pilots or bomber crews in their parachutes.
I can't remember his name but one of the men of the AVG, the Flying Tigers, who coincidentally was the first one of them to shoot down a Japanese plane said very clearly in an interview "The narrative that fighter pilots are honorable and chivalrous is total nonsense, aerial warfare is no different than land warfare and what we did was no different than Infantry killing each other, it was kill him before he kills me, I don't care that he has a mother and family back home I'm going to kill that man as soon as he's in my sights, it's bloody and cruel and there's nothing honorable or chivalrous about it".
And from a personal experience I can tell you this, I'm in no way shape or form some antifa kook but after having gone on a tour of the Dachau Concentration Camp I just can't get behind labeling anyone who fought on that side as a "hero", I went through the place 40 years after it was shut down and when you got 20 feet away from those ovens you could still smell it, burned humans, and that included women and little kids, the next time I smelled that was after I became a steel fitter and had a leather glove burn, it smells the same.
And the narrative that the Luftwaffe pilots were not complicit in it is total bull, everyone over there in that country knew what was going on, military and civilian all knew, just because someone was on the Eastern or Western front doesn't mean anything, don't fool yourself people talk, you didn't have to live right next to a camp to know what was going on, they all knew.
Hartmann's flying record is one thing, which if you ask me is overhyped considering that he got his early experience, which is when most pilots either got killed or gained enough experience to have a chance at making it, flying against Russian pilots in horribly matched aircraft that had their gun sights drawn on the inside of their windshields with a grease pencil.
US and British pilots got their baptism of fire flying against experienced Luftwaffe pilots yet still held their own against them, some of them were right out of training and flew against German pilots who'd been on the Eastern front and had those ridiculously high scores and then were transferred to the Western front, USAAF pilot Robert S Johnson of the 56th Fighter Group became an ace when his fifth kill was a German pilot who had over 200 victories, the fact is when those German pilots had to go against an enemy that had comparable aircraft with real gun sights in them they didn't do so well, when the 56th Fighter Group arrived in England they only had one or two men who had any combat experience but they were aggressive and went to work on the Luftwaffe and tore a path through them they never recovered from.
Erich Hartmann didn't get the number of victories he did flying against the same class of aircraft and pilots that the men of the 56th did, and I'd venture to say that if he'd have flown on the Western front he'd have gotten blasted out of the sky like Egon Mayer and most of the other high scoring German aces did who were transferred to the west.
No there was not, it was about killing your enemy with all as little risk to oneself as possible. The preferred way was a surprise attack, much like stabbing some unsuspecting in the back! The "honor" is a myth stemming from WWI propaganda about the "knights of the air"!
very good video i have herd of story how Hartmann trick both USA and Russia to attack each other. You know in his mind Hartmann was laughing because he just did neatest trick Ever LOL😂
In the end the Americans tricked Hartmann, handing him over to the Soviets where he spent the next 10 years of his life.
Erich Hartman was not interested in "dogfights".
Q: What was your favourite method of attack?
A: Coming out of the sun and getting close; dog-fighting was a waste of time.
Not entirely true. Erich Hartmann crash landed 16 times, many of then due to having closed in so much that debris from the enemy planes he shot at caused damage to his own plane. 352 aerial victories were mainly due to the huge number of sorties that he flew on the target-rich Eastern Front where Soviet pilots generally flew at low attitude where their planes performed the best. Same reason why the FW-190's reigned supreme on the Eastern Front until the very end unlike the West Front.
@@salinator5966 Yes, entirely true, as long as you understand what a dogfight is. Sneaking up behind enemy aircraft and then blowing it to pieces is not dogfighting, no matter how close you get.
One correction: In march 1945 they were well inside Germany,not over Romania
There's an old saying in war, "If you're not cheating... You're not winning"! So true.
Great story - Very well done too. Thanks
Is there a story about Tetsuzō Iwamoto?
Submit it in my idea form in the description!
@@TJ3 Already had.
even me couldn't stop laughing :D
Hehe…”Confuse thy enemies.”
-Confucius
This is trivia to be sure: South Park's Eric Cartman was named after 'Erich Hartmann'. Ironic? The ace of aces, the Red Baron himself, Mannfred von Richtofen, had familial ties to Colorado where they owned land. Eric Cartman's South Park is in Colorado too.
Outstanding video and presentation.
I know all about this story, I read the book about him...
What an awesome and adorable story!!
My uncle Heinz Ewald flew with (Bubi) Eric Hartmann as a wingman.
I’m just imagining the Soviet and American faces after they realise it was the Germans that fired at them 🤣😂😝
My enemy's enemy is my enemy .. I hope, give me an opportunity
I watched a interview with one of the p51 pots involved and he said a Russian shot at his wingman and the dogfight erupted I'm guessing it was rly hartman
It's a bit hard to hear your voice is a little too low
I noticed that too
Sorry! I'll try to increase that volume next time
He used the same tactic as Billy Bishop in WW1. Dive from above; go underneath; shoot; rapidly climb out of harms way. Works well....Hartmann once shot down a plane with just 4 bullets.
True, but remember he used a 20mm cannon, which caused substantially more damage than a 50 BMG. He was also known to get super close to his victim prior to firing.
@@ottokiehl5413 He did. Many other good fighter pilots the same.......on the last morning of the War, he shot down a Russian plane killing 3. Why? For that alone, he deserves the years he spent in Russian prison camps. CAVU skies!
Minengeßoss
Has this action ever been authenticated by any party. Two or three Mustangs being lost on a particular day and place must be in the record books.
I know this comparation is weird but... Some years ago, one day, i was playing GTA online and there was this "car show", people would park their cars and walk to look the other cars, I went to the roof of a building far away and sniped one of the players... Then, oh my... I never forgot the chaos y made because of that 😂 all the others started shooting each other, it was a world war down there, it was so funny
Let me recommend the book by Erich Hartmann "Blond Knight of Germany" where this event is recounted.
Authorities.....
.....oh..Wrong Eric
Eric Cartman.... Authorized
What an amazing history !!
He did a little trolling
Considering data shown in the best ever "IL2 Sturmovik" game from same russian developer, same who created it's online continuation "War Thunder". Hartman knew what his plane was capable of BF109 G6,G10,K if compared to F2, G2 were bit heavy ones for it's 1400-1500HP engine, armored, optionally equipped with gun pods but much heavier, and designed to operate at lower altitude than P51. Once you loosen speed, or altitude it was hard to climb up. So basically combat with P51 or La5 was recipe for death. Only F2 used mostly one eastern front was lighting fast even in combat but lack of weapon forced anyone to use speed as advantage and runaway. He had no other choice than get them by surprise shoot fast and runaway using water/alcohol 1800HP booster.
Pft bf 109 had a great climb rate pal
@@noteimportax6477 Comparing to what, and what time? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109 As far im concerned could climb fast, but thanks to alcohol injection 1650-2000HP not for too long could be reason why Hartman's used it as his tactic. Regular F model had engine rated only at 1150HP further version more powerful but weight was increased, G combined outnumbered other models it has 1455HP. Do the math HP/weight use calculator as i did, this is what IL2 Sturmovik game model is based on. And reality as well? Let me understand why they counted on so much on Me262 and why La5, Spitfire handles much better. Maybe somehow in some circumstances, maybe data in game is not correct - give me data?
Would be pleased to learn that Bf109 was best. As far im concerned except for K model manufactured late 1944 these planes had lost all advantages during the war it wasnt that easy to make kill. Regular P51 before they put Merlin had engine rated at 1200HP almost as Bf109, but it was upgraded to 1650HP with supercharger capable work at higher altitude. Same for P47 rated at 2600HP. This atitude issue i mention based on pilot testimony i saw on UA-cam. He told specifically about advantages of P51 Mustang they had to combat before they could shoot down B17. In math i found the ultimate answer - proof that game was not biased that much.
@@KabelkowyJoe whats your point? Bf 109 still competitive in 44 45 in the hands of experten like hartmann it was a match for any fighter, those mustangs he wasted were even d bubble canopy models, he survived the war, and flew only bf 109s what does it say about the plane? And he used the g6 for most of his kills the crappiest bf 109 of all, not only hartmann used this tactic , other aces too it was way more effective than fuel consuming and dangerous turning fights, but even in turning fights bf 109f was good marseille managed to even outurn spits with his f4 he dropped the flaps to do it, combat with p 51 a recipe fpr death ? Not at all at low medium alts 109 can outturn p 51, a modern mockup dogfight between a p51 named big beautiful doll and 109 black 2 i think (its a g 10) was made and 109 won all turning fights, now at high alts p 51 has the advantage,against soviets? Well hartmann managed to waste many top notch fighters like la 5 la 7 , he just didnt engage in turning low alt fights thats were the soviets had the advantage but at high alts soviets fighters were garbage
@@noteimportax6477 You just sumarized all of mine points "in the hands of experten" - not many experten in 44-45, "not only hartmann used this tactic" that's true, if you get them by surprise " in turning fights bf 109f was good marseille managed to even outurn spits with his f4" indeed because HP/mass ratio was very high, highest of all version, i don't know any more details of Hartman's life, if that's true would be yet another proof game to be very realistic cause F4 in flight is gorgeous, the only problem is these small machine guns and single cannon, they say it differently on wikipedia in game G2 was best one, featured gunpods yet had simmilar mass to F4 making it almost ideal, yes La5 wasn't that good at higher altitude, they designed Mig3 for such purpose it wast good either, and so happens i learnt it from game first from data written there, from way it operates and video analysis of it's design proven all these flaws to be true. Game could not mimic turbocharger this i learnt from pilot testimony. Mine point is - i love Bf109 should not, so happen i love it the most, maybe i was crappy german pilot in mine previous life, who knows, feel sad for these people fooled by bad leader, wasted in war. That's separate story. Mine point was experienced pilot just had to know it to use pros cons in his own advantage, he wasnt suicidial knowing what he was doing. But in late years of war, not many experienced pilots was left, plane had its flaws, you could not use booster all the time, if they get you in dogfight you die it wasn't ideal. I just try to understand, maybe im making this up, it tells about Hartmans' skills even more, it wasn't plane, it was his skills, knowing plane as his own pocket, that what i had in mind writing first comment. I believe It was more difficult to fight in Bf109 more difficult than in Spits, P51 thats is mine major point
@@KabelkowyJoe which il 2 are you talking about? 1946 or battle for stalingrad? True is mostly the pilot skill but its the tool too and bf 109 was lethal , i think is the plane with the most kills in history (the airframe i mean) in il2 forgotten battles against pc f4 is the only one that can turn with the yaks and that that fugly il16 lol , in 1946 enemies are shit easy to kill they became stupid