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Message:: [QUOTE="panzerman, post: 3973795, member: 77704"]The highest award for valour was specially minted for "the Eagle of the Eastern Front" Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel.This was the "Golden Oakleaves". He had already been awarded everything to the Diamonds.He achieved all of this flying the obsolete JU-87 "STUKA"In 1941 he started his career with a bang. His unit was ordered to sink  Soviet Battleships which where shelling Finnish troops in Leningrad sector. He ended up sinking the Battleship "Marat" and the cruiser "Kirov" in Kronstadt harbour. By the ended of the War, he flew 2500 combat missions. Later in 1943, his Stuka was fitted with two 3.7cm. flak cannon/ dubbed the "Cannon Bird" . By May 45, he had knocked out 519 Soviet tanks. Amazingly, he shot down 11 Soviet fighters, flying a dive bomber. Also destroyed 150 artillery emplacements/ 70 landing craft, 800 other strategic targets. His legs where shot off by flak in 45/ yet he kept flying combat with artifical legs. He even climbed mountains/ played tennis after the War. He ended up In 1977 he married a 20 year lady, died of a heart attack in 1982. He did not smoke or drink, was very active all his life. His plane museum coll.[ATTACH=full]1045769[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1045774[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]