Oak leaves, swords -n- diamonds, was Rudel the only one?

[W. C. Stump]

RUDEL'S "GREAT ESCAPE"

Rudel was noted for bravery above and beyond the normal call of duty. When members of his squadron were shot or forced down behind enemy lines he would land his aircraft new the wreckage or down aircraft to rescue his fellow flyers. He did this on numerous occasions, sever to be exact. On the last rescue attempt, he almost lost his live and was captured by the Russians, but made a daring escape. It seems that when he landed and recovered the downed flyers, he was unable to take off again because his plane was stuck in the mud and he was unable to get airborne. It was then when a group of Russian soldiers came on the downed flyers and the two crews, four men in total, jumped into the Dnester River and swam over 300 yards across the cold river to escape the Russians. In this escape, his friend and fellow crewman, Erwin Hentschel, drown in the frigid water. A short time later the three flyer were again captured by the Russians and Rudel made a break and ran away, but not before being wounded in the arm by a bullet fired by the Russians. This time he made his way 25 miles or more to the German lines and that is when he showed his Golden Oak Leaves and Swords and Knights Cross to the German sentries because they refused to believe he was Rudel because he looked more than ragged after his "Great Escape".

[eindecker2]

In Rudels last flight to an Allied base he was flying a FW190 not a Stuka - he was also missing his leg and flying with a modified rudder peadl. When he landed a Sgt in a Jeep came up to him wiht his pistol drawn and tried to snatch away his RK - a slight scuffle ensued in which it was probalbly very lucky that the Sgt did not shoot him in the head. AN officer arrived and halted the quarel. A few dyas later when it was discovered who he was and his importance - all of his awards and even his artifical limb were stolen from his cell and the safe where his awards were kept. Through the kindness of his coptive officers all of the thievs were caught and the items were returned to his posession - the allied figured the longest surviving arieal combattant would be a good 'keeper' for the postwar Germany.
SO what you see is all of the originals. This was taken from Rudels book 'Stuka'
CD

[Dez H]

Missing Awards

Mr Stump brilliant photo, does Rudel’s family still have his Iron Cross Second & First Class? In some colour photos of Rudel he also wore a small ribbon bar.


Dez

[W. C. Stump]

THE MEDALS SHOWN ARE ALL THAT I KNOW ABOUT

My information does not mention any more of his medals being in the possession of his family..

[Sebastian Bianchi]

Sorry for the misinformation. I read his book (Stuka Pilot) a year or two ago. He only says in it that they were "three Ju. 87s and four FW 190s" in the squadron that crash landed at Kitzingen.

Seba

[Dez H]

For anyone interested there is some great photos in the archived forum regarding Rudel's surrender.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=&threadid=759


http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=&threadid=852


Dez

[Luigi Vianelli]

I have the Kershaw's Book in my hand (Italian translation).

Page 810: "Hitler consegnò al capo delle forze armate finniche la Gran Croce d'Oro dell'Ordine dell'Aquila"

I'll try to translate (Sorry, but I speak a terrible english...):

"Hitler gave to the Finnish Army Commander the Golden Gran Cross of the Order of the Eagle" (rectius: The Order of the German Eagle).

Ciao.
Luigi

[Dez H]

Hello Luigi

Does Kershaw's book give any reference to a date? Because I have here Irving's book and he claims on August 17 Field Marshal decorated Marshal Mannerheim with a high German award. Unfortunately he does not elaborate and name the exact award he received. Maybe these are two separate awards and dates, but I find it hard to believe, sure Hitler liked the Finnish Marshal but he wasn’t exactly in the “good books.”


Dez

[Luftm40]

One point here, as Seba mentioned Rudel's book: The Luftwaffe has been glamorized and spin doctored post-war to the point where most reference materials gloss over the true personalities, especially among RKT. Although undoubtedly brave, Rudel was also regarded as an arrogant, tedious pain in the a** by most of his contemporaries. He was a teetotaler and fitness freak before that sort of thing was fashionable, and also a rabid nazi. Another overly glamorized Luftwaffe character is Adolph Galland. The same comments regarding personal bravery hold true for Galland of course, but his reputation among those outside his clique of highly decorated fighter pilots is mixed. He was very much a creation of his own post-war autobiographies and whoop de do, and some of the factual squadron memoirs and records indicate that, as General of Day Fighters, he toed the party line to a much greater extent than he admitted in his various books and interviews. This warped view of the most highly decorated Luftwaffe personalities probably originates from the book "Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe". Written in the Sixties by a sincere, but obviously hero worshipping US Air Force officer. This book was also written at a time when we (the US) was rebuilding the German Air Force, and also selling them a new generation of fighters. Fun reading, but not entirely factual.

[von ropen]

Thanks Luigi for check what I say.
The only date that Kershaw give is 4th June. And he says In Mannerhaim train, near of airport of Immola. In the birthdate of Carl Gustaf von Mnnerhaiem.
In spanish edition it apear on pages515
Thanks...

[Denis]

Hello
I have checked this week end in the French edition and in fact, Kersham mentioned the Eichenlaub. For your information, check the Name table at the end of the Volume 2 and look Mannerheim, the last page, quoted for him.
I have not the book with me but in fact, Kershaw wrote that Keitel was sent by AH to bestow GFM Mannerheim the OL.
Regards
Denis

[Blitz]

Since this thread gave no conclusive answer to what award Mannerheim actually recieved that was 'mistaken' for the golden oak leaves swords and diamonds, i did some digging And i found this comprehensive site about Mannerheim and there is a list of all his medals with photos. Under the section 'muut maat' and 'vitriini 6' is a list of his german awards with photos. It's all in finnish, but you can still look at the pictures And while you are there look at the other awards too, the list is quite long!

http://www.mannerheim.fi/13_erity/kunnmerk.htm

[Dez H]

By the looks of that site it still could have been ether the oak leaves to the Knights Cross or the German Order First Class.
Need to put a date to when he was awarded these.

Anyone have a list of recipients to the oakleaves with award dates?

[Blitz]

Impressive array of awards, no?

[AnttiP]

Hi everybody!
Mannerheim was awarded with the RK in 4.6. 1942 and RK mit Eichenlaub in 17.8. 1944.
Feel free to read some more about Mannerheim www.mannerheim.fi and as Blitz pointed out he was one of the most awarded European military leaders of the last century.

Antti