Hans-Ulrich Rudel (1916-1982) with his rear gunner/radio operator Oberstabsarzt [~ captain] Dr. med. Ernst Gadermann (1913-1972). Both men flew more than 800 Stuka missions together.

Rudel and Dr. Gadermann

German Stuka pilot presenting the wing of his plane after a mission.

Lucky return

One of Luftwaffe’s Reggiane Re.2002s “Ariete” during a weapons test before the application of camouflage. After the Italian Armistice (8 September 1943) the Luftwaffe commandeered some 40 Regia Aeronautica’s Re.2002, while the Reichluftfahrtministerium (RLM) demanded to Officine Reggiane (Caproni Group) the completion of two former Italian batches, total 83 aircraft, and the preparation of a production of 500 airplanes. In effect the Luftwaffe was interested to the Re.2002 in a version with the German engine 1600 HP-BMW 801. Really, before the bombardments of 7 and 8 January 1944 which destroyed the Reggio Emilia’s factory, the Reggiane manufactured 14 Re.2002s and converted other aircraft’s, former Regia Aeronautica, to Luftwaffe’s requirements. In all, during 1944, the Reggiane produced for RLM 60 news Re.2002 Series 2, but only 25 was really delivered to Luftwaffe. The other was destroyed before the fall of the German forces in Italy, April 1945. The Luftwaffe employed the Re.2002s, all with the original Piaggio “Turbine” radial engine, in France for anti-partisan missions. Victor Sierra