Rare interviews: Gunther Rall, Germany's last ace | World War 2 stories in their own words
Ғылым және технология
A rare interview with Gunther Rall (Günther Rall), Germany's last ace, filmed shortly before his death (October 4, 2009).
Günther Rall was born on March 10th, 1918. He was a highly decorated German military aviator, officer and General, whose military career spanned nearly forty years. Rall was the third most successful fighter pilot in aviation history, behind Gerhard Barkhorn, who is second, and Erich Hartmann, who is first.
Rall was born in Gaggenau, the German Empire, in March 1918. Rall grew up in the Weimar Republic. In 1933 the Nazi Party seized power and Rall, deciding upon a military career, joined the Wehrmacht in 1936 to train as an infantry soldier. Rall transferred to the Luftwaffe soon after and he qualified as a fighter pilot in 1938.
In September 1939 World War II began with the German invasion of Poland. Rall was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52-52nd Fighter Wing) and flew combat patrols in the Phoney War period on the Western Front. Rall flew combat missions in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, claiming one enemy aircraft destroyed in May 1940. Rall's wing sustained heavy casualties and the then-22 year old was appointed to Staffelkapitän (squadron leader). He then served in the Balkans Campaign in April and May 1941 without success.
In June 1941, JG 52 moved to the Eastern Front, where it remained from Operation Barbarossa until the end of the war. Rall claimed his first successes in the air defense of Romania. In November 1941, he was shot down, wounded and invalidated from flying for a year. At this time Rall had claimed 36 aerial victories. His achievements earned him the German Cross in Gold in December 1941.
Rall returned in August 1942 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 September 1942 for 65 enemy aircraft shot down. By 22 October Rall had claimed 100 and received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He reached 200 in late August 1943. On 12 September 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, the second highest military award in Nazi Germany at the time of the presentation. By the end of 1943 Rall had achieved over 250, the second flier to do so after Walter Nowotny did in October 1943.
In April 1944 Rall left JG 52 and the Eastern Front. He was given command of II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 11 and served in the Defense of the Reich where he was wounded for a third time. In November 1944 Rall was appointed as an instructor and flew captured Allied fighter aircraft in order to prepare instruction notes on their performance to German fighter pilots. Rall ended the war with an unsuccessful stint commanding Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300-300th Fighter Wing) near Salzburg, Austria, where he surrendered in May 1945.
Rall remained in a prisoner of war camp for a matter of weeks. Rall was approached by the Americans who were recruiting Luftwaffe pilots who had experience with the Messerschmitt Me 262 fighter.[104] He was transferred to Bovingdon near Hemel Hempstead, and then based at RAF Tangmere, where he met the RAF fighter pilot Robert Stanford Tuck, with whom he became close friends.
After his release, Rall settled back into civilian life working for Siemens & Halske as a salesman from July 1947 to May 1948. In 1948 he visited England again. Rall accompanied Hertha Rall and stayed in Grosvenor Square with Dr Paul Kaspar and Jewish acquaintances, whom she had helped to escape from the Nazis. Rall knew of Hertha's wartime Jewish connections and was concerned it would attract the attention of Nazi authorities. In 1943, Hertha was suspected of Jewish sympathies by the Gestapo, but no action was taken.
Of Nazi crimes, Rall acknowledged the pilots at the front knew of Nazi concentration camps but didn't know exactly what they were used for. When he first heard of Auschwitz and the Holocaust, initially he believed it to be propaganda. Rall could not believe that Germans would do such things. The criminal nature of the Nazi Party did not occur to Rall when Hitler came to power; "The fact that we did not explore the essence of the Nazi regime when it came to power is, of course, one of our great failings."
During World War II Rall was credited with the destruction of 275 enemy aircraft in 621 combat missions. He was shot down five times and wounded on three occasions. Rall claimed all of his victories in a Messerschmitt Bf 109, though he also flew the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 operationally. All but three of his claims were against Soviet opposition.
#ww2 #pilot #veteran
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Watch Günther Rall's documentary at: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iaCpmM6MYJC9l7w.html
Gunther Rall is my favorite character of WW2. Everybody who knew him will tell you he was a nice person and very humble for what he achieved. 3rd top scoring fighter of mankind history with 275 confirmed kills. After the war he was rejected in many jobs he applied to because "They have no need for a knight cross N4zi". So he joined the new german airforce again.
Gunther Rahl and so many of the old Luftwaffe pilots are and remain an inspiration and gentleman to our USAF today. I had a chance to spend time with Gen. Macky Steinhof as a Cadet at USAFA. He absolutely was inspiring and said the old Luftwaffe spirit lives on in the USAF! Not as a political entity but as a military force and spirit. "Hals und bein bruch " to all of these proud eagles and true aviators!
Great man and soldier. Able to speak english in a really good way. Respect.
Once enemies, now friends. Extremely insightful to hear these Deutsche perspectives. 🇺🇸💛🇩🇪
@mrveritas700
5 ай бұрын
never were enemies. Winston Churchill's master's ordered him. plus the jews declared war on Germany already in 1933, and the zionists were already well established in the UK, London City.
Met Gunter Rall back in 1988 at a German AF Party - when I shook his hand I noticed that he was missing a finger - he saw my expression and laughed - he said that his finger was shot off by Hub Zemke - it was an honor to have a top ace shoot his finger off - I will never forget that moment in my life!
This man was a walking history book
The movie, Downfall is a dramatization not entirely factual. If anyone is serious about understanding Hitler, you have to read a lot. In summary, by 1945 his nerves were shot, his Alzheimer's was very developed, the man couldn't sleep or rest, and consequently, medically was unfit to do much. He was irritable, irrational, and made huge mistakes. This was NOT the case before the war or even by the beginning of the war. Watching a biased movie with give you an equally biased and false view of the man.
Absolute badass. Legend.
@Dronescapes
Жыл бұрын
I think back then there was many legendary pilots (and people). Did you watch the full documentary on the channel? kzread.info/dash/bejne/iaCpmM6MYJC9l7w.html or even Bob Hoover’s doc? kzread.info/dash/bejne/qYt6sbGDppOzZMY.html Mr. Hoover was really something else. Did you also notice how they all seem to be so humble?
@viktoriaironpride4977
Жыл бұрын
@@Dronescapes True heroes are always modest.
My brother, who speaks on Forgotten History channel, met and interviewed him back in the late 80s.
The fact we trained them during the cold war proves conclusively what patton stated, we fought the wrong people. Prove me wrong.
@HeadPack
10 ай бұрын
Eliminating the Nazis was necessary, as otherwise e.g. the Holocaust would not have ended. Nurturing Stalin was a mistake though. They could have kept support for the Russians at a minimum, limiting movements on the Eastern Front. That way, they could have liberated Europe from the West, all the way to Poland and Romania. There would have been no Eastern Block. Perhaps not even a cold war.
@darthracer777
9 ай бұрын
@@HeadPackAgreed. Patton mentioned the boxcars full of bodies at one camp. He was repulsed by it. He had no issues killing 'the Hun'.
@finnfyfe6082
6 ай бұрын
Yeah but sometimes enemies become temporary friends . Britain and the USA needed Russia to fight. Remember 2/3 of all the German armies were in the east . FDR and Churchill didn't like Stalin. They just needed them.
@jtothed8575
5 ай бұрын
80 percent of German casualties was on the eastern front. Now just imagine if all those forces were concentrated on the western part defending it. So probably should sit down..
@user-rw2gf3zg1t
5 ай бұрын
Fought is a relatively big word all things considered. Russians fought Germans yes. Americans fought the skeleton crew in the West but were mostly firebombing their cities together with RAF, killing women and kids like there was no tomorrow.
Sorry but you are wrong. The last living Luftwaffe ace was Erich Rudorffer, who had over 200 luftsiegan. He passed away in April 2016 in his late nineties. He flew in the west,the Meditaranean and Russia. Survived the war as a Major. RIF.
Very Interesting
Let's keep in mind the many allied pilots that fell to his guns.
The F104 came from an era in America when wings could not be TOO SMALL and tail fins could NOT BE TOO BIG !!
👍👍👍!!!
I WANT to hear Rall speak GERMAN ! ! For Goodness sake ! !
@Reinh4444
5 ай бұрын
This is not possible, as in Germany for political correctness reasons nobody would dare to interview a Luftwaffe ace. And In America, nearly nobody is able to speak a foreign language. Sorry to say that.
The Starfighter, in Germany called "the flying coffin" or "the widow maker".
@sven4641
10 ай бұрын
I never heard
@petefroehling8704
8 ай бұрын
over 200 lost@@sven4641
@leesiuleung1816
5 ай бұрын
That is true. 👍
I met Rall at an airshow sitting next Bud Anderson. I committed the double whammy of not buying his book ($40) and asking him about Bubi. Rall was not happy. I have the dubious honor of pissing off Germany's third highest ranking ace. Oops!
That was a wave I swear. 👋
Почему последний ? 🤔
@Dronescapes
10 ай бұрын
Because everyone else died before him
@Dormidont882
10 ай бұрын
@@Dronescapes На вскидку - Эрих Рудорффер , умер в 2016 году .
@Dronescapes
10 ай бұрын
You are actually right! Can you please write in English?
@Dormidont882
10 ай бұрын
@@Dronescapes no , it's very bad spiek English.😟
Ayye... My favorite lil Nazi, Gunther Rall. I'm just glad that ppl had the sense to value the capture of this rare & awesome footage. 🇩🇪🇺🇸🇻🇬🇫🇷🇷🇺 ✌😎🏳
Feel like if he disagreed with all that he wouldn't even be invited. Feels fakem
@leartAJ
Ай бұрын
They can't always say what they really think, especially for a guy with over 275 victories... there were so many stories he could've told only if we lived in a different world lol
Young enemy's old friend's
Soldiers have little choice when it comes to war. But I cannot look at and listen to Rall without thinking of the evil cause he fought so hard for.
@jeanlignereux275
6 ай бұрын
That's just what patriotism is about!!!no need to argue...do you think USA did "right" in Japan,Vietnam etc???...
@charlesm7589
6 ай бұрын
@@jeanlignereux275 Patriotism is not an excuse for doing something that you know isn't right. Lots of Americans refused to go to Viet Nam. Also, as badly as the Viet Nam war was run but our political leaders (limited war, etc) at least America did not enter the war on the premise of aggression and capturing territory. It was nominally to fight off the spread of communism. As for Japan, again Japan, like Germany started the war by attacking every asia country they could reach and enslaving or killing the population. Then they attacked the US. I will concede that In the end, the US fire bombing was probably as much revenge as anything else. But Japan had to be stopped.
@jeanlignereux275
6 ай бұрын
@@charlesm7589 lots?no...and bombing german cities was pure sh..too!...(like Irak,afghanistan etc etc..)US people always want to go to war,like in Westerns,but can't endure any losses!!!some even go straight to Psys to be sent back home...
@hermannjosef2462
5 ай бұрын
Your president knew already 2 weeks in front that Pearl Habour will be attacked.
Of German descent here but it's quite absurd they are being treated as heros and with so much respect!! Let me elaborate!! How do u know they didn't fire on unarmed refugees on both fronts and I'll say something else those who did didnt get that as an order!! That come from my uncle who came back from Russia 1954 !! He was a navigator and all this patronism is nauseating
@Alaninbroomfield
4 ай бұрын
I think I get what you're saying, but even Japanese pilots have met their American counterparts and became friends. I think there is grace and redemption in that, or are we just supposed to fester & hate everyone that fought on behalf of those governments at that time?
@UKMXUSAMexicoUKUSA
4 ай бұрын
@@Alaninbroomfield that maybe so On the France front In Poland Russia German pilots committed untold atrocities
@Alaninbroomfield
4 ай бұрын
Americans firebombed Dresden and Tokyo. Does that count? @@UKMXUSAMexicoUKUSA
@pickititllneverheal9016
2 ай бұрын
@@AlaninbroomfieldEveryone wants to be a victim 🙄. To act like all governments haven't committed atrocities is just foolish. Just look at Iraq 😮
@jonbutzfiscina1307
26 күн бұрын
My Mom grew up in Germany during the wat. She was strafe by a P38. History showed American pilots strafing German civilians. So cut the crap.
Gott mit uns
The Brits kicked their friggin asses and im of German Descent!!!
@hachiman
4 ай бұрын
4 out of 5 German soldiers died on the Eastern Front and the Russians tied down the vast majority of the German Forces for the last 4 years of the war. The Russians won the war for the allies although at the cost of 20 million of their own. Britain hung on by it's fingernails until the Americans could come and help. You think Britain wouldn't have fell in 1940 if not for the English channel. It's stupid comments like yours that proves the victors write the history books. I'm British by the way.
@UKMXUSAMexicoUKUSA
4 ай бұрын
@@hachiman you see u are the idiot !! Of course the English channel saved UK ! There was as many non German troops on the eastern front as Germans for a start not credited by newsreels !! My own uncle arrived home in 1955 so I had a great rundown!
That Downfall pitch was strange and cringe lol xD
@josephdovi1565
7 ай бұрын
Hitler's biggest mistakes was attacking England n Russia before taking oil fields in Middle East n Russia. War was lost in 42n 43