Hans Ulrich Rudel (https://en.metapedia.org/wiki/Hans-Ulrich_Rudel) (2 July 1916 - 18 December 1982) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht and Stuka dive-bomber pilot of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Rudel is famous for being the most highly decorated German serviceman of the war. He was one of only 27 men to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, and the only one to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).
Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed; including 800 vehicles, 519 tanks, 150 artillery pieces, a destroyer, two cruisers, one Soviet battleship, 70 landing craft, 4 armoured trains, several bridges and nine aircraft which he shot down.
"You are only lost if you give up on yourself." - Hans Ulrich Rudel
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