Ernst Udet Colonel General Ernst Udet ( 26 April 1896 – 17 November 1941 ) was the second - highest scoring German flying ace of World War I . He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war ( at the age of 22 ) . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen , his commander in the Flying Circus . Udet rose to become a squadron commander under Richthofen , and later , under Hermann Göring . Following Germany ' s defeat , Udet spent the 1920s and early 1930s as a stunt pilot , international barnstormer , light aircraft manufacturer , and playboy . In 1933 , he joined the Nazi Party and became involved in the early development of the Luftwaffe . He used his networking skills to get himself appointed director of research and development for the burgeoning air force . He was especially influential in the adoption of dive bombing techniques as well as the Stuka dive bomber . By 1939 , Udet had risen to the post of Director - General of Equipment for the Luftwaffe . However , the stress of the position and his distaste for administrative duties led to an increasing dependence on alcohol . When World War II began , the Luftwaffe ' s needs for equipment outstripped Germany ' s production capacity . Udet ' s old comrade in arms Hermann Göring first lied to Adolf Hitler about these material shortcomings when the Germans lost the Battle of Britain , then deflected the Führer ' s wrath onto Udet . Operation Barbarossa , when Germany attacked the Soviet Union to begin war on a second front , may have been the final straw for Udet . On 17 November 1941 , he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head . Early life . From motorcycling to flying . Born in Frankfurt am Main , Udet was known from early childhood for his sunny happy - go - lucky temperament . He grew up in the Bavarian city of Munich . He was fascinated with aviation from early childhood and hung out at a nearby airplane factory and an army airship detachment . In 1909 , he helped found the Munich Aero - Club . After crashing a glider he and a friend constructed , he finally flew with a test pilot in the nearby Otto Works , which he often visited , in 1913 . He tried to join the army on 2 August 1914 , but was only tall and did not qualify . In August , when the " Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil - Club " appealed for volunteers with motorcycles , Udet applied and was accepted . Udet ' s father had given him his motorcycle when Ernst passed his first year examination . Along with four friends , Udet was posted to the 26 . " Württembergischen " Reserve Division as a " messenger rider . " After injuring his shoulder when his motorcycle hit a shell hole , Udet went to a military hospital , and his bike went for repair . When he tried to track down the 26th Division , he was unable to locate it and decided to serve in the vehicle depot in Namur . During this time , Udet met officers from the Chauny flying sector who advised him to be transferred as an aerial observer . However , before he received his orders for Chauny , the army dispensed with the volunteer motorcyclists , and he was sent back to recruiting officials . Udet tried in vain to return to the fighting , but was unable to get into the pilot or aircraft mechanic training offered by the army . He soon learned that if he were a trained pilot , he would be immediately accepted into the air force . Through a family friend , Gustav Otto , owner of the aircraft factory he had haunted in his youth , Udet received private flight training . The training cost 2 , 000 " marks " and new bathroom equipment from his father ' s firm . Udet obtained his civilian pilot ' s license at the end of April 1915 and joined the German Army Air Service . Military life . Artillery ranging . Originally , Udet flew in " Feld Flieger - Abteilung " 206 ( FFA 206 ) — an observation unit — as an " Unteroffizier " ( Staff Sergeant ) pilot with observer " Leutnant " Justinius . He and his observer won the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class respectively for nursing their Aviatik B . I two - seater back to German lines after a shackle on a wing - cable snapped . Justinius had climbed out to hold the wing and balance it rather than land and accept capture . As a result of the structural failure of the Aviatik that caused Udet and Justinius to go down , and a similar incident that cost " Leutnant " Winter and " Vizefeldwebel " Preiss their lives , the Aviatik B was retired from service . Later , Udet was court - martialed for losing his aircraft in an incident the flying corps considered a result of bad judgment . The aircraft — overloaded with fuel and bombs — stalled after a sharp bank and plunged to the ground . Miraculously , both Udet and Justinius survived . Udet was placed under arrest in the guardhouse for seven days . On his way out of the guardhouse , he was asked to fly " Leutnant " Hartmann to observe a bombing raid on Belfort . A bomb thrown by hand by the " leutnant " became stuck in the landing gear . Udet performed some aerobatics to shake it loose . As soon as the Air Staff Officer heard about it , he was transferred to fighter command . That was in early 1916 . Fighter pilot . Udet was given a new Fokker to fly to his new unit — FFA 68 — at Habsheim . Mechanically defective , it crashed into a hangar on takeoff . An older Fokker was then sent to Udet . At Habsheim , his first aerial combat was a near disaster . Lining up on a French Caudron , he found he could not bring himself to pull the trigger and was subsequently strafed by the Frenchman . A bullet grazed his cheek and smashed his goggles . From then on , he learned to attack aggressively and made a number of kills , downing his first French opponent on 18 March 1916 . On that occasion , he scrambled to attack two French aircraft ; instead , he found a formation of 23 . He dove in from above and behind , giving his Fokker E . III full throttle , and opened fire on a Farman F . 40 from close range . He pulled away , leaving the flaming bomber trailing smoke , only to see the observer fall from the rear seat of the stricken craft . As Udet described it , " The fuselage of the Farman dives down past me like a giant torch . . . A man , his arms and legs spread out like a frog ' s , falls past - - the observer . At the moment , I don ' t think of them as human beings . I feel only one thing - - victory , triumph , victory . " The fiery kill won Udet the Iron Cross First Class . That year , FA 68 morphed into " Kampfeinsitzer Kommando " Habsheim before finally becoming " Jagdstaffel " 15 on 28 September 1916 . It was in the latter unit that Udet would claim five more victims , before transferring to " Jasta " 37 in June 1917 . The first of these — on 12 October 1916 — had its comic opera aspects . Udet forced a French Breguet to land safely in German territory , then landed nearby to prevent its destruction by its crew . The bullet - punctured flat tires on Udet ' s Fokker tipped the German plane forward over onto its top wings and fuselage . Victor and vanquished eventually shook hands next to the latter ' s functional plane . In January 1917 , Udet was commissioned as " Leutnant der Reserve " ( lieutenant of reserves ) . That same month , " Jasta " 15 re - equipped with Albatros D . III s , new fighters with twin synchronized Spandau machine guns . It was during his service with " Jasta " 15 that Udet wrote he had encountered Georges Guynemer , the French ace , in single combat at . Guynemer preferred to hunt alone ; by this time , he was the leading French ace , and one of the war ' s leading aces , with more than 30 victories . Udet saw him coming and the two circled each other looking for an opening . They were close enough for Udet to read the " " Vieux " " of " " Vieux " Charles " on Guynemer ' s Spad S . VII . The two opponents tried every tricky aerobatic they knew ; the Frenchman ripped a burst of fire through the upper wing of Udet ' s plane . Udet evaded him and maneuvered for advantage . For an instant , Udet had him in his sights , but his guns jammed . While pretending to dogfight , he worked to unjam them . Guynemer saw his opponent ' s predicament , waved , and flew away . Udet wrote of the fight , " For seconds , I forgot that the man across from me was Guynemer , my enemy . It seems as though I were sparring with an older comrade over our own airfield . " Some experts say that Guynemer spared Udet because he wanted a fair fight . He was also likely impressed with Udet ' s skills in their battle and hoped that they would fight again someday . Eventually , all the pilots of " Jasta " 15 were killed except Udet and his commander , Gontermann . Gontermann became somewhat gloomy , and remarked to Udet , " the bullets fall from the hand of God . . . Sooner or later they will hit us . " Udet applied for a transfer to " Jasta " 37 . Gontermann fell three months later , by accident , when the wing of his new Fokker Dr1 Triplane came off . He lingered for 24 hours without awakening , and Udet later remarked , " It was a good death . " On 19 June , Udet transferred to Prussian Jasta 37 . By late November , Udet was a triple ace and " Jastaführer " . He modeled his attacks after those of Guynemer , coming in high out of the sun to pick off the rear aircraft in a squadron before the others knew what was happening . His commander in " Jasta " 37 — Kurt Grasshoff , witnessing one of these attacks — selected him for command over more senior men when Grasshoff was transferred . Udet ' s ascension to command on 7 November 1917 , was followed six days later by award of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern . Despite his seemingly frivolous nature , drinking late into the night and womanizing , he proved an excellent squadron commander . He spent many hours coaching neophyte fighter pilots , with an emphasis on marksmanship as being essential for success . In the Flying Circus . Udet ' s success attracted attention for his skill , earning him an invitation to join the Flying Circus , " Jagdgeschwader " 1 ( JG 1 ) , an elite unit of German fighter aces under the command of the famed Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen . Richthofen drove up one day as Udet was trying to pitch a tent in Flanders in the rain . Pointing out that Udet had 20 kills , Richthofen said , " Then you would actually seem ripe for us . Would you like to ? " Of course , Udet would . After watching him down an artillery spotter by frontal attack , Richthofen gave Udet command of " Jasta " 11 , von Richthofen ' s own former squadron command . The group commanded by Richthofen also contained " Jastas " 4 , 6 and 10 . Udet ' s enthusiasm for Richthofen was unbounded . Richthofen demanded total loyalty and total dedication from his pilots , cashiering immediately anyone who did not give it . At the same time , he treated them with every consideration . When it came time to requisition supplies , he traded favors for autographed photos of himself that read : " Dedicated to my esteemed fighting companion . " Udet remarked that because of the signed photographs , " . . . sausage and ham never ran out . " One night , they invited a captured English flyer for dinner , treating him as a guest . When he excused himself for the ' ToiletW . C . ' , the Germans fell over themselves trying to hide from him that they were watching to see if he would try to escape . On his return the Englishman said , " I would never forgive myself for disappointing such hosts . " However , the English flyer did escape later from another unit . Udet considered Richthofen as scientific in battle and cold in his combats , describing his blue eyes and the sun shining off his blonde hair . Richthofen liked to strafe enemy columns in squadron formation , both guns firing , killing large numbers . He was the first to implement the concept of the forward base . While the enemy could mount three missions a day , Richthofen could mount five . In dogfights the head - on attack found favor . Richthofen fell in April 1918 , and Udet was not at the front . He had been sent on leave due to a painful ear infection , which he avoided having treated as long as he could . While at home , he reacquainted himself with his childhood sweetheart , Eleanor " Lo " Zink . Notified that he had received the " Pour le Mérite " , he had one made up in advance so that he could impress her . He painted her name on the side of his Albatros fighters and Fokker D VII . Also on the tail of his Fokker D VII was the message " " Du doch nicht " " - " Definitely not you . " Of Richthofen , Udet said , " He was the least complicated man I ever knew . Entirely Prussian and the greatest of soldiers . " Udet returned to JG 1 against the doctor ' s advice and remained there to the end of the war , commanding " Jasta " 4 . He scored 20 victories in August alone , mainly against the British . Udet would become a national hero with 62 confirmed kills to his credit . But he did not enjoy Richthofen ' s successor , Hermann Göring , and , later , privately , he would question Göring ' s own achievements during the war . Udet was one of the early fliers to be saved by parachuting from a disabled aircraft . On 29 June 1918 , he jumped after a clash with a French Breguet . His harness caught on the rudder and he had to break off the rudder tip to escape . His parachute did not open until he was from the ground , causing him to sprain his ankle . On 28 September 1918 , Udet was wounded in the thigh . He was still recovering from this wound on Armistice Day , November 11 , 1918 , when the war ended . Between the wars . The adventure of Udet ' s life continued without pause after the war . On his way home , he had to defend himself against a Communist who wished to rip the medals off his chest . Udet and Ritter von Greim performed mock dogfights at weekends for the POW Relief Organization , using surplus aircraft in Bavaria . He was invited to start the first International Air Service between Germany and Austria , but after the first flight the Entente Commission confiscated his aircraft . He married " Lo " on February 25 , 1920 ; however , the marriage lasted less than three years and they were divorced on February 16 , 1923 . ( It has been said that Udet had many lovers on the side . ) His talents were numerous - juggling , drawing cartoons , party entertainment , etc . During the inter - war period , Udet was known primarily for his work as a stunt pilot and for playboy - like behavior . He flew for movies and for airshows ( e . g . picking a cloth from the ground with his wingtip ) . He appeared with Leni Riefenstahl in three films : " Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü " ( 1929 ) , " Stürme über dem Montblanc " ( 1930 ) , and " S . O . S . Eisberg " ( 1933 ) . Udet ' s stunt pilot work in films took him to California . In the October 1933 issue of " New Movie Magazine " , there is a photo of Carl Laemmle , Jr . ' s party for Udet in Hollywood . Laemmle was head of Universal Studios which made " SOS Eisberg , " a US - German co - production . Udet was invited to attend the National Air Races at Cleveland , Ohio . In 1935 he appeared in " Wunder des Fliegens : Der Film eines deutschen Fliegers " ( 1935 ; 79 mins . ) directed by Heinz Paul . His co - star Jürgen Ohlsen , who had previously starred ( uncredited ) in the extremely popular Nazi propaganda film " " , played a youth who lost his pilot father in World War I and was befriended and encouraged by Udet , his idol . These efforts were good publicity for Udet . An American , William Pohl of Milwaukee , telephoned him with an offer to back an aircraft manufacturing company . Udet Flugzeug was born in a shed in Milbertshofen . Its intent was to build small aircraft that the general public could fly . It soon ran into trouble with the Entente Commission and transferred its operations to a beehive and chicken coop factory . The first aeroplane that Udet ' s company produced was the " U2 " . Udet took the second model , the U4 , to the Wilbur Cup race in Buenos Aires at the expense of Aero Club Aleman . It was outclassed , and the club wanted him to do cigarette commercials to reimburse them for the expense , but he refused . He was rescued by the Chief of the Argentinian Railways , a man of Swedish descent named Tornquist , who picked up the tab . In 1924 , Udet left Udet Flugzeug when they decided to build a four - engine aircraft , which was larger and not for the general population . He and another friend from the war , Angermund , started an exhibition flying enterprise in Germany , which was also successful , but Udet remarked , " In time this too begins to get tiresome . . . . We stand in the present , fighting for a living . It isn ' t always easy . . . . But the thoughts wander back to the times when it was worthwhile to fight for your life . " Udet ' s war time friends were in seemingly inexhaustible supply . He and another — Suchocky — became pilots to an African filming expedition . The cameraman was another veteran , Schneeberger , whom Udet called " Flea , " and the guide was Siedentopf , a former East African estate owner . Udet described one incident in Africa in which lions jumped up to claw at the low - flying aircraft , one of them removing a strip of Suchocky ' s wing surface . Udet and his crew also ventured across the Figtree Hotel , built by Lord Lovelace , and went hunting with an American named Sullivan . Building the " Luftwaffe " . Though not interested in politics , Udet joined the Nazi party in 1933 when Göring promised to buy him two new U . S . - built Curtiss Hawk II biplanes ( export designation of the F11C - 2 Goshawk Helldiver ) . The planes were used for evaluation purposes and thus indirectly influenced the German idea of dive bombing aeroplanes , such as the Junkers Ju 87 ( " Stuka " ) dive bombers . They were also used for aerobatic shows held during the 1936 Summer Olympics . Udet piloted one of them , which survived the war and is now on display in the Polish Aviation Museum ( pictured ) . After Ju 87 trials ( although the Ju 87 had been awarded top marks and was about to be accepted ) a confidential directive issued on 9 June 1936 by " Generalfeldmarschall " Wolfram von Richthofen called for the cessation of all further Ju 87 development . However , Udet immediately rejected von Richthofen ' s instructions and Ju 87 development continued . Udet became a major proponent of the dive bomber , taking credit for having introduced it to the " Luftwaffe " , which was already interested in such designs . By 1936 he had ( due to his political connections ) been placed in command of the " T - Amt " ( the development wing of the " Reichsluftfahrtministerium " ) ( " Reich " Air Ministry ) . He had no real interest in this job , especially the bureaucracy of it , and the pressure led to his addiction to alcohol ( brandy and cognac ) . In January 1939 , Udet visited Italian North Africa ( " Africa Settentrionale Italiana " , or ASI ) . He accompanied " Maresciallo dellAria " ( Marshal of the Air Force ) Italo Balbo on a flight . In early 1939 there were distinct signs of German military and diplomatic co - operation with the Italians . In February 1939 Udet became " Generalluftzeugmeister " ( " Luftwaffe " Director - General of Equipment ) . In April and May 1941 , Udet was in charge of German delegation inspecting Soviet aviation industry in line with Molotov – Ribbentrop Pact . Udet informed Goering that Soviet air force and aviation industry are very strong and technically advanced . Goering decided not to report the facts to Hitler hoping that a surprise attack will quickly destroy Russia . Udet realized that the upcoming war on Russia may destroy Germany , and torn between truth and loyalty , suffered a psychological breakdown and even tried to tell all the truth to Hitler , but Goering had Udet under control by giving him drugs at drinking parties and hunting trips . Udet ' s drinking and psychological condition became a problem , but Goering used Udet ' s dependency to manipulate him . When World War II began his internal conflicts grew more intense . Aircraft production requirements were much more than the German industry could supply ( given limited access to raw materials such as aluminium ) . Göring responded to this problem by simply lying about it , which further upset Udet . After the " Luftwaffe " s defeat in the Battle of Britain , Göring tried to deflect Hitler ' s ire by blaming Udet . Hitler ' s attack on the Soviet Union drove Udet further into despair . Suicide . On 17 November 1941 Udet committed suicide , shooting himself in the head while on the phone with his girlfriend . Evidence indicates that his unhappy relationship with Göring , Erhard Milch , and the Nazi Party in general was the cause of his mental breakdown . According to Udet ' s biography , " The Fall of an Eagle " , he wrote a suicide note in red pencil which included : " Ingelein , why have you left me ? " and " Iron One , you are responsible for my death . " " Ingelein " referred to his girlfriend , Inge Bleyle , and " Iron One " to Hermann Göring . The book " The " Luftwaffe " War Diaries " states something similar , that Udet wrote " " Reichsmarschall " , why have you deserted me ? " in red on the headboard of his bed . It is possible that an affair Udet had with Martha Dodd , daughter of the U . S . ambassador to Germany and Soviet sympathizer , during the 1930s might have had some importance in these events . Records made public in the 1990s confirm Soviet security involvement with Dodd ' s activities . Udet ' s suicide was concealed from the public , and at his funeral he was lauded as a hero who had died in flight while testing a new weapon . On his way to attend Udet ' s funeral , the World War II fighter ace Werner Mölders died in a plane crash in Breslau . Udet was buried next to Manfred von Richthofen in the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery in Berlin . Mölders was buried next to Udet .