What were the circumstances of Ernest Udet's death?

[Freebooter]

Hello,
I just finished reading Ernst Udet's book, or the book about him, "Ace of the Iron Cross" (Originally "Mein Fliegerleben" ) and in it, it says that he was forced to commit suicide by Herman goering in 1941. Is that true? If so, can someone fill me in on all the particulars, the hows and whys? Why would Goering do that to an old Staffel mate, a comrade in arms, and a German hero and ace second only to Richtofen himself? What, Udet would't embrace the Nazi doctrine or something?
Thanks,
Freebooter

[FliegerJG1]

Try this link here for an interesting discussion on Udet's death from the Forum's achives.

Udet's Death

FliegerJG1

[Freebooter]

Thanks for that link. It was interesting. But what were these pressures they said he was under? What was Goering and them pressuring him for? One guy said that Udet perhaps really did feel that he had let Germany down and had failed. But what was he talking about? What did he fail in and how did he supposedly let Germany down?
Freebooter

[Sreiko]

It is not just about the Udet death. Long time ago I have read analyze of the final destiny of the hight German officers from WW1 and WW2. Most of the WW1 have been survived and continue normal life while the great percentage of the WW2 high officers have been dead by the end of WW2. It is also noted that WW2 officers in high percentage were commit suicide. Can not remember precise numbers but over 80% of hight German officers did not survive WW2 or some after that. This talk enough about the kind of war which they fight.

[crankcase]

I think it was Discovery that had a documentary about Udet -- I tuned in late and was never able to locate the whole show. Anyone?

Anyway, you will need to pull together and confirm the details, but as I recall:

1. Before WW2, Udet went to the US to take delivery of 2 Stearman's (I think they were). One was for him, financed by Goering or the German govt (if there was any difference once the Nazis took over!). Supporting his stunt flying passion was too tempting not to accept financial support.
2. Udet took a high level desk job at the Luftwaffe, probably out of gratitude and with a feeling of obligation to Goering, but his mind was always in the cockpit. I recall a cartoon (he was apparently a talented cartoonist) showing him chained to the desk when his thoughts are soaring!)
3. I believe in the same cartoon, or possibly in a separate message at the time of his death, he expressed being let down or abandoned by Goering. He must have felt despair and frustration in his job. He was not an organisational man or a bureaucratic in-fighter like your average Nazi sycophants.
4. He joined the Nazi party in 1933, but I don't think this was for ideological reasons. Maybe just to tag along with Goering and other veterans who did this for career or social reasons. (Without making apologies, to join the NSDAP in 1933 did not carry the onus that the Warsaw ghetto and Auschwitz brought later on.)
5. He drank and partied a lot. The 1930's were a rip-roaring time. The war spoiled his life style and broke him. I sort of think of a character living life in the fast lane (sort of like John Belushi). May they rest in peace.
marc

[NeilE]

Despite the romantic dress ups of the story there is little doubt that Udet opportunistically linked himself to the NSDAP and derived many many benefits for so doing. Whilst Udet may not have known of the worst excesses of the Nazi regime, he was part of the Nazi military system, with some responsibility for aircraft development - he championed the development of the Junkers Ju 87 for example. Whilst his end casts him as a somewhat tragic figure perhaps, we should not forget he bore some responsibilty as a high ranking member of the regime whose actions supported that system and who derived material benefits from his high position and actions.

Regards

Neil

[v.Tutschek]

i hope someone could read this german text.
the circumstances was been mostly, that udet was alcohol and drug-abuser, also göering. udets plans about the german luftwaffe in ww2 was fatal crossed by goerings ideas, so that the royal air force get some strengt counterstrikes against the german luftwaffe, the luftwaffe have had fatal losts through goerings "plan" .
goering and also milch takes and discrimiante as guilty person for this desaster
udet.
on the evenig of his suicide he get the order from der oberste heeresleitung that he was dispathed from his rank.
after receiving this note, he phoned up lo and some other people and shot himself with a private revolver.

Ernst Udet

Auch der überzeugte Flieger Ernst Udet sollte zu Hitlers General werden und ihm behilflich sein. Udet wurde am 26.4.1896 geboren. Seine schulische Laufbahn war nicht sehr zufriedenstellend denn sein wahres Interesse galt der Fliegerei. Somit gehörten die Gebrüder Wright - denen 1903 der erste Motorflug gelungen - war zu seinen Idolen. Er betätigte sich auch selber im Bau von Flugzeugen.
1914 beteiligte er sich im 1. Weltkrieg als Kraftfahrer und durfte später durch Beziehungen und Geld seines Vaters die Fliegerschule besuchen. Mit dem erworbenen Zivilflugschein beteiligte er sich im Wettkampf um die meisten Abschüsse. Er war sehr erfolgreich und mit dem 20. Abschuß erhielt er das "Pour le mérite" , was ihm den Eintritt in die militärische Oberklasse ermöglichte.

Nach dem Krieg konnte er seiner Leidenschaft nur schwer nachgehen, da der Versailler Vertrag strenge Regeln aufstellte. Jedoch Udet gab nicht auf und werkelte an eigenen Flugzeugen. 1922 konnte er seine Maschinen öffentlich zeigen, da sich die Vertragsbestimmungen gelockert hatten. 1926 begann Udet mit seiner Flugshow, welche die Mengen von Menschen verblüffte.
Der draufgängerische Flieger, dessen Show man nur mit "Udet flog" beschreiben konnte, hatte auch Probleme. Trotz der dauernden Fröhlichkeit konnte er ohne Unmengen von Alkohol nicht leben.

Neben seinen Kunstflügen wurde er auch durch Filme mit Leni Riefenstahl bekannt, z.B. "SOS Eisberg".

Da der Name Ernst Udet - der Fliegerheld des 1. Weltkrieges - wichtig war, warb Hitler ihn mit Versprechungen an. Um der Fliegerei Willen mußte Udet auch "mit dem Teufel paktieren"(Zitat S. 279 aus "Hitlers Krieger") was ihn dann 1936 zum Leiter des Technischen Amtes im Reichsluftfahrtministerium machte. Der unvernünftige Udet verlangte immer mehr Wagnis und Geschwindigkeit, was auch zu Abstürzen führte.

Sein Schreibtischberuf machte ihn ziemlich unglücklich, ebenfalls der ständige Kampf mit seinem Konkurrenten Erhard Milch. Auch die Vergrößerung der Luftwaffe brachte nicht den erhofften Erfolg, obwohl Hitler davon überzeugt war. Durch die Siege in Polen war man selbstbewußt und wollte nun gegen Frankreich und England vorgehen. Die Royal Air Force machte Hitlers Plänen einen Strich durch die Rechnung. Der Leiter Hermann Göring erlitt zahlreiche Verluste.

Zu dieser Zeit ging es Ernst Udet gesundheitlich schlecht. Durch seinen Alkohol- und Drogenmißbrauch wurde er in ein Sanatorium eingeliefert, was jedoch auf Dauer nichts brachte.

Sein Tod war durch zahlreiche Bemerkungen vorauszusehen. Er verabschiedete sich telefonisch bei seiner Lebensgefährtin und erschoß sich anschließend. Der gebrochene Mann ist nicht damit zurecht gekommen, daß er für die Nazis als Sündenbock herhalten mußte. Er wurde beschuldigt, für das Versagen der Luftwaffe verantwortlich zu sein. Somit endete das Leben eines leidenschaftlichen Fliegers, der "mit dem Teufel paktierte und sich von ihm fressen ließ".

[crankcase]

Originally Posted by NeilE

Despite the romantic dress ups of the story there is little doubt that Udet opportunistically linked himself to the NSDAP and derived many many benefits for so doing. Whilst Udet may not have known of the worst excesses of the Nazi regime, he was part of the Nazi military system, with some responsibility for aircraft development - he championed the development of the Junkers Ju 87 for example. Whilst his end casts him as a somewhat tragic figure perhaps, we should not forget he bore some responsibilty as a high ranking member of the regime whose actions supported that system and who derived material benefits from his high position and actions.
Regards
Neil

Fair points, Neil. I don't dispute them. Thanks for your comments.
marc

[Kilian]

Also he was told he would not be allowed to fly any more. That would hurt him the most and would be like a personal defeat to Erhard Milch. Udet was not a very capable man for a desk job. Therefore he asked to transfer his former manager Walter Angermund to his office to help him and later be promoted to Major in Udet's staff of the "Technisches Amt". Before Göring had forbidden him to fly Udet would often fly by himself to the airplane factories and test the aircrafts by himself.

(thats what i remember from the books i have read last year "Mein Fliegerleben & "Ernst Udet" by A. van Ishoven, dont nail me on something specific )

Kilian

[Scott]

See Nazi Air Ace Killed Himself