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I Flew for the Führer

The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot

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About this listen

Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of the Second World War. This vivid firsthand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs and is a fascinating counterbalance to the numerous accounts written by Allied pilots.

Knoke joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, and eventually became commanding officer of a fighter wing. An outstandingly brave and skillful fighter, he logged over 2,000 flights and shot down 52 enemy aircraft. He had flown over 400 operational missions before being wounded in an astonishing "last stand" toward the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. In a book that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes being brought up in the strict Prussian tradition, the rise of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career set against a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe. He also reveals the high morale of the force until its disintegration. His memoirs are both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story.

©1952 Heinz Knoke; Afterword copyright 1991 by Heinz Knoke; Introduction copyright 2012 by Richard Overy (P)2021 Tantor Air Forces Armed Forces Military Military & War World War II Memoir War Thought-Provoking Aviation German Military
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Refreshing to hear from a German pilot for a change. The honor and respect between airman is mentioned on numerous occasions.

Brave young men whichever side they flew for.

A view from the other side.

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To hear a genuine fighter ace of the Luftwaffe tell his story is fascinating. One wonders how he survived!

Superb

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Good book amd interesting to hear the story from the German perspective. A little unbalanced as from many of the stories you'd think that the air war over Europe was a turkey shoot, only to be told later that most of his squadron had been killed, without further detail. Of course stories on the allied side will be equally unbalanced so not a big criticism. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Interesting to hear from 'the other side'

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An excellent book with really good narration too. I recommend this to anyone interested in WW2.

Fantastic

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A well written and read war memoir by the ‘opposition’. There are many tanker and infantry German/Nazi books out there, but far fewer from former luftwaffe aircrew. Recommended in all regards.

Well written, interesting perspective

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