Ernst Udet : the fall of an eagle

[Maestro]

Greetings ladies and gentlemen.

Okay, I know it was Udet's biography title, but I thought it fitted well to this thread.

It's amazing how this man went from national hero to Luftwaffe's zero. Mainly due to Goering acting like an ass... as he always did !

Taken from : Ernst Udet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Though not interested in politics, Udet joined the Nazi party in 1933 when Göring promised to buy him two new US aeroplanes, the 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 luckily survived the war and is now on display in the Polish Aviation Museum.

After Ju 87 (Stuka) 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 Reich Air Ministry's development wing. However, 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 Italian Marshal 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).

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 it on Udet. Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union drove Udet further into despair.

On November 17, 1941, Udet committed suicide, shooting himself in the head while on the phone to 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.

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. Udet was buried in the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, which is located in Berlin.

 

[RabidAlien]

Interesting. And yes....Goering was an overblown pompous ass.

 

[proton45]

Interesting. And yes....Goering was an overblown pompous ass.

and a morphine addict...

 

[stona]

And a great WW1 fighter pilot, twenty two victories, whether we like it or not.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I always wondered if Udet having greatly outscored him was one of the reason why he hated him so much.

 

[proton45]

I always wondered if Udet having greatly outscored him was one of the reason why he hated him so much.

Do we know that Goering hated Udet? I always assumed that they may have had their personality clashes (both of them being "larger then life" characters), but I always assumed that that Udets problems with Goering really stemmed from Goerings "self centered priority's"...

 

[stona]

I always wondered if Udet having greatly outscored him was one of the reason why he hated him so much.

An interesting idea. Goering is a conundrum. He was an outstanding pilot during the first war and stood out amongst the rather mediocre men that made up the nazi leadership before the second war. His behaviour during that war and his loss of touch with reality ( he was indeed a pompous ass) is hard to explain just by his drug problem. Interestingly after the war at Nuremberg and free from his addiction he was the nazi leader who most impressed the British and U.S prosecuters, with the possible exception of Speer. The prisoners formed two distinct "camps" one around Goering and the other around Speer. Speer accepted a sort of corporate responsibility for the regime (his deputy was executed) whilst (incredibly) denying any personal knowledge. Goering was completely unapologetic and by intelligent argument raised serious legal doubts about the validity of the entire Nuremberg trial process. He saw the process as a series of show trials, an argument a little too close to the truth for the British and U.S. teams. The Russians had no such qualms and wanted them all executed a.s.a.p. They saw Speer as one that got away. I don't suppose anyone was too bothered when Goering killed himself.
I am not an apologist for the nazis but seeing them as a group of carpet biting mad men is not helpful. Some were, in their own way, talented men. Many were over promoted thugs of little ability. It is a shame that they all willingly loaned their talents to the repulsive regime that the nazi government was.
Steve

 

[vikingBerserker]

Do we know that Goering hated Udet? I always assumed that they may have had their personality clashes (both of them being "larger then life" characters), but I always assumed that that Udets problems with Goering really stemmed from Goerings "self centered priority's"...

You're dead on about Udets feelings towards Goering.

However Goering did blame him (to Hitler) for the BOB defeat and he also wanted to court martial him posthumously. Personally I always wonder if Udet actually committed suicide.

 

[proton45]

You're dead on about Udets feelings towards Goering.

However Goering did blame him (to Hitler) for the BOB defeat and he also wanted to court martial him posthumously. Personally I always wonder if Udet actually committed suicide.

Ya, I know what you mean about the "suicide"...at the very least it seems like one of those scenarios you see in the old films. "Save us the time and money, and spare your family the heart ache...take the manly way out."

His behaviour during that war and his loss of touch with reality ( he was indeed a pompous ass) is hard to explain just by his drug problem. Interestingly after the war at Nuremberg and free from his addiction he was the nazi leader who most impressed the British and U.S prosecuters, with the possible exception of Speer.

I tend to disagree about his drug addiction...long term morphine addiction can lead to paranoia and loss of reality judgment. I'm not sure that we know how much morphine he took daily, but one can assume that by the time he became a Nazi leader he had close to unlimited access to the drug. Goering was apparently the "weakest" kind of addict, as he had to be committed (in a strait jacket) for violent addiction to the drug.
All this being said...the problem of drug addiction is frequently a symptom of an preexisting underlying philological problem. Depression, megalomania, Psychopathy, paranoia...take your pick.

 

[RabidAlien]

And a great WW1 fighter pilot, twenty two victories, whether we like it or not.

Wasn't questioning his skills in WWI, just his grasp on reality during WWII. Being a great pilot does not necessarily make one a great leader of pilots, much less a great head of your country's air forces.

 

[Parmigiano]

Not to justify Herr Goering, but his addiction to morphine was related to a never healed wound that caused him unbearable pain (he was hit by a bullet in the groin during the 1923 'putsch', the wound also made him impotent)
Morphine-based medications were needed to have some relief, and lead him to total addiction.
The drug and (probably) also the psychological burden of his impotence can explain his often irrational behavior and disconnection to reality.

What is incredible is that Hitler, who knew perfectly Goering's situation, never removed him from the commend position.

 

[proton45]

Not to justify Herr Goering, but his addiction to morphine was related to a never healed wound that caused him unbearable pain (he was hit by a bullet in the groin during the 1923 'putsch', the wound also made him impotent)
Morphine-based medications were needed to have some relief, and lead him to total addiction.
The drug and (probably) also the psychological burden of his impotence can explain his often irrational behavior and disconnection to reality.

What is incredible is that Hitler, who knew perfectly Goering's situation, never removed him from the commend position.

Hitler had one testicle and Goering was shot in the "nuts"...I think that "someone" was over compensating. The two "heads" of the Nazi party had genitalia issues...NO WONDER they hated Sigmund Freud so much.

 

[Guns'n'Props]

Don't you think this parallels General Oberst Hans Jeschonnek ?
Jeschonnek like Udet was forced to take his life because of Goering's shortcomings.

 

[Maestro]

In fact Goering was hated by most of his squad mates during WWI. He is the only member of his group who was never invited to JG 1 veteran meetings between the wars.

The reason Udet (and other pilots under his command) hated him so much was mainly because of his character... As a commander, he was rarely flying with his squad mates and was very self-important (unlike Richthofen, his predessessor).

 

[stona]

William Pitt (the elder) in 1770
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who posses it"

More famously, Lord Acton in 1887
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men"

Not sure that the last phrase applies to Goering! Bad,yes but great,I think not.

 

[proton45]

Its not really "on topic", but has anyone seen the movie "The Great Waldo Pepper"? Bo Brundin plays a disillusioned WW1 flying Ace (German) turned stunt pilot by the name of "Ernst Kessler". The character of Kessler (seems to me) is based on Udet... The way Brundin playes the charecter of Kessler has always "tainted" the way I imagined Udet must have been near the end.

A video link to a clip from the movie showing Brundin some great flying (ya, I know Redford is in the movie)....
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlQT6m7StAY

And here is the REAL Udet doing some stunt flying...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2CBx7x5GCI

 

[Maestro]

I think I read somewhere that Kessler was based on Udet. Now, was it real or not, I don't know.

 

[Lucky13]

Here's a question.... Would Udet have made a better Luftwaffe Chief?

 

[stona]

Here's a question.... Would Udet have made a better Luftwaffe Chief?

Yes, anywhere but nazi Germany. The senior positions were, for the most part, held by men who were part of Hitler's old "gang", people to whom Hitler was always indulgentl. Who else would choose Hess as a deputy, certainly no threat I suppose. Speer was often frustrated at Hitler's unwillingness to move against the Gauleiters most of whom were old comrades. Himmler made barely veiled threats to the same group who immediately complained to Hitler using their old party apparatus (Boormann). It was who you knew, where you were during the Munich putsch, what you had done in the early days of the party,definitely not a meritocracy!

 

[Guns'n'Props]

Here's a question.... Would Udet have made a better Luftwaffe Chief?

I could be wrong but I have the impression that Udet was not all that comfortable "flying an office either", but at least he was a much more realistic person and was aware of his limitations. He was probably easier to work with so in sum I would say YES.

Back to Goering - let us say he rose much further than his level of competence. Also the death of Gunther Rall brought me back to the LW Fighter Pilot's Revolt of '45. I can't even imagine how one could call men like Trautloft, Graf, Priller, Lutzow et al a bunch of cowards and blame them for the reversals of the war
when they had done an incredible amount of fighting and were some of the highest decorated men in the regime. Again Udet would probably have been much more understanding.