ans Rudel the most highly decorated German serviceman of WW2, and the only one to be awarded the Third Reich's most prestigious medal which was specially created for Rudel by Hitler himself, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Shot down over 24 times, Hans Rudel is credited with destroying over 500 tanks, 2,000 ground targets, the Russian battleship Marat, two cruisers and a destroyer, and was so successful against Russian forces that Joseph Stalin put up a 100,000 rouble ransom on his head. His flying record of over 2,500 missions remains unmatched by any pilot since. Until his death in 1982 Hans Rudel remained a loyal supporter of Adolf Hitler, and he refused to denounce Hitler, or the Nazis, and believed that the war against Germany was created by powerful Jews and international finance. Hans Rudel remains a complex character, and arguably one of WW2's most heroic figures. This is the uncensored edition first published by his friend the British Fascist leader Oswald Mosley in 1948, and includes maps and photographs.