 hans-ulrich rudel (2 july 1916&nbsp;â 18 december 1982) was a stuka dive-bomber pilot during world war ii. the most highly decorated german serviceman of the war, rudel was one of only 27 military men to be awarded the knight's cross of the iron cross with oak leaves, swords and diamonds, and the only person to be awarded the knight's cross of the iron cross with golden oak leaves, swords and diamonds (), germany's highest military decoration at the time. rudel flew 2,530 combat missions claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed; including 800 vehicles, 519 tanks, 150 artillery pieces, 70 landing craft, nine aircraft, four armored trains, several bridges, a destroyer, two cruisers, and the soviet battleship marat.just 1986, p. 43. ==biography== hans-ulrich rudel was born on 2 july 1916 in konradswaldau, silesia, a province in the kingdom of prussia. today it is grzÄdy in the administrative district of gmina czarny bÃ³r, within waÅbrzych county, lower silesian voivodeship, in south-weste
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