Major Erich Hartmann (1922-1993) was the most successful fighter pilot of all times. He shot down 352 (345 russian, 7 american) enemy planes on 1425 missions. As the 18th german soldier decorated with the Knight's cross with oakleaves, swords and brilliants. Because it was obvious how the russians would treat him, at the end of the war he was ordered to surrender to british forces, the rest of this unit would have to surrender to the russians. Hartmann refused to leave his comrades alone and was held as a prisoner in Siberia/Russia until october 1955. After he returned home he joines the Bundeswehr and made it colonel. After retiring at the age of 48 he worked as a flight instructor. Watching the photo it seems clear why Erich Hartmann was nicknamed &quot;Bubi&quot; (milksop) by his comrades.

Major Erich Hartmann - most successful fighter ace

Bf 109 E5 (II) gelbe 6

Major Günther Rall (born March 10th 1918 in Gaggenau/Baden-Württemberg), commander Jagd-Geschwader 300 and holder of the Knight's cross with oakleaves and swords. He achieved 275 aerial victories on about 800 missions what makes him the third successful fighter ace of WW2. On November 28th 1941 he got shot down by russian fighters and broke his spine three times by the crash landing. First diagnosis of the doctors: No more flying! After the nine months in sickbed however he had recovered and at the same time he married his attending doctor,  Hertha Schön from Vienna, who was his wife until her death in 1985. They got four kids but two of them died shortly after birth. Altogetther Major Rall was shot down fivee times and was wounded three times. After the war Günther Rall made it Lietenant General of the Bundeswehrand was awarded the Legion of Merit (USA), he retired in 1975.