Ace of the Iron Cross

by Ernst Udet

The essence of this book is centered on the author's combat service as a pilot in the Imperial German Air Service during the First World War. Udet emerged from the conflict as Germany's second-ranking fighter ace, with 62 aerial victories.

Genres: History, Aviation, World War I, Biography

215 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1935

About the author

Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war (at the age of 22). His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus. Udet rose to become a squadron commander under Richthofen, and later, under Hermann Göring.

Following Germany's defeat, Udet spent the 1920s and early 1930s as a stunt pilot, international barnstormer, light aircraft manufacturer, and playboy. In 1933, he joined the Nazi Party and became involved in the early development of the Luftwaffe. He used his networking skills to be appointed as director of research and development for the burgeoning air force. He was especially influential in adoption of dive bombing techniques and the adoption of the Stuka dive bomber. By 1939, Udet had risen to the post of Director-General of Equipment for the Luftwaffe. However, the stress of the position and his distaste for administrative duties led to an increasing dependence on alcohol.

When World War II began, the Luftwaffe's needs for equipment outstripped Germany's production capacity. Udet's old comrade in arms Hermann Göring first lied to Adolf Hitler about these materiel shortcomings when the Germans lost the Battle of Britain, then deflected the Führer's wrath onto Udet.

Operation Barbarossa, when Germany attacked the Soviet Union to begin war on a second front, may have been the final straw for Udet. On 17 November 1941, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

Reviews

[TheHenry Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good read for non-aviation buffs. It's also good but not great for aviation fans. The translation is first rate - unlike the case with 'Wings of War' or 'Red Battle Flyer', here you quickly forget that you are not reading the original text.

His narrative has a folksy, uncomplicated rhythm. Udet had an interesting life and experienced much, but it does not seem to have affected his self-esteem. He admits to self-doubts and failures. Much of his memoir focuses on the war years, yet he ends up describing only 5-6 of his 62 aerial victories. His accounts of his experiences as a stunt flyer, race flyer, Hollywood film flyer and expedition pilot in Greenland and Africa are just as fun to read as those of his war years.

What I found interesting was the attrition rates of the squadrons he served in. They were fantastically high (300% !!), and probably discouraged him from seeking positions of authority such as squadron commander. More than once he emerged as the sole survivor of his original squadron complement after extensive periods of combat flying, which led to his inheriting the mantle of leadership of said squadron. However, he was rescued by the extended leaves granted him in the aftermath of these traumatic periods of combat flying. When he returned from leave, either another (like Goering) had taken over as squadron commander or he had arranged his own transfer to another unit. This let him continue to do what he did best - fly and fight, without the added burden of responsibility for an entire squadron.

His memoir remains pretty much non-political until the last page, when he commends Hitler for restoring Germany's national pride. If he only knew how his association with the Nazi Party would turn out . . .

[KOMET · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ernst Udet (1896-1941) began the First World War as a dispatch rider in the German Army, subsequently paid for his own pilot lessons, and returned to the Western Front as a 2-seater pilot in 1916.

Two years later, having survived the rigors of aerial combat, Udet flew for a time under the command of Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, the legendary "Red Baron", and went on to lead his own squadron. He survived the war as Germany's second-ranking ace and embarked upon a peacetime career as a test pilot and internationally-renowned stunt flyer.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ace of the Black Cross: The Memoirs of Ernst Udet” is a propulsive, oddly exuberant dive into the cockpit of the Great War’s second‑ranking German ace, a book that thrills as it teaches exactly how fragile, improvised, and human early air combat really was. It reads like a Boy’s Own adventure stitched onto a primary‑source document in airpower history, and that tension is precisely what makes it so compelling. Udet’s memoir hurls the reader into string‑and‑canvas machines clawing for altitude over the Vosges and Flanders, engines coughing, guns jamming, and pilots gambling their lives on split‑second judgment. Dogfights arrive in vivid, tightly sketched vignettes that make energy management, deflection shooting, and situational awareness feel visceral long before those terms became doctrinal. What keeps the narrative gripping is Udet’s almost boyish gusto; victories stack up, parachute escapes and near‑misses accumulate, and yet he describes them with an infectious sense of speed and daring that makes the pages fly. For a modern reader interested in air warfare, the book doubles as a case study in the birth of fighter aviation. Udet’s progression from nervous novice in early Fokker and Albatros types to a 62‑victory ace under Manfred von Richthofen shows how tactics, technology, and pilot training co‑evolved under the brutal pressure of combat. He captures the limitations of primitive aircraft, the improvisation required to keep them flying, and the emergent grammar of dogfighting—climbing for positional advantage, attacking from the sun, and the psychology of the “hunter” mindset. The memoir also educates by revealing the cultural mythology of the “knight of the air” and how that romantic ideal masks the industrial killing underneath. Udet’s tone often glories in skill and spectacle even as his life arc—postwar stunt pilot, international adventurer, and eventual senior Luftwaffe figure who died in 1941—underscores the darker trajectory of interwar German militarism. This new English edition, derived from his original Mein Fliegerleben and framed by a modern introduction, makes Ace of the Black Cross an essential, thrilling read for anyone serious about understanding how individual pilots perceived the first age of air combat.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a pretty shallow memoir. It's minimally reflective, leaves enormous gaps in time and experience, and is very obviously selective in the extreme. But that doesn't mean the book is useless, it's required reading to learn about Ernst Udet's short and meteoric life. Consider the book's context and Udet's limitations in writing it, e.g., Nazis ascendant in 1935 and the author's lifestyle versus his nationalist convictions, and the memoir becomes useful despite its thinness. What he doesn't talk about is telling. That said, it's a ho-hum read, and should be supplemented first by a quick look at this article:

https://www.historynet.com/ernst-udet...

likely followed by Armand van Ishoven's 1979 biography of Udet The Fall of an Eagle: The Life of Fighter Ace Ernst Udet(which I haven't yet read).

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps a slightly dated style, but one that reflects the time in which it was written. Udet's memoir is written in a boys own adventure style, light on detail, but covers the key points of the story. The post war elements jump around quite a bit and the timeline is a little unclear, though does well demonstrate the uncertainty and hollowness bring experienced by audit and his former colleagues. This book does effectively convey the emotional and physical turmoil experienced by the young pilots, as well as the disconnection they experienced with those back at home.

The memoir ends in the mid 1930s with a chilling salutation to Hitler as the savior of Germany, and an apt reminder that Udet was a committed Nazi by the end of his life, despite his accusations against Goering for betraying him.

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading about war can be a detached, disinterested experience, or can be intensely visceral, depending upon the point of view of the narration. Ace of the Iron Cross written by the #2 all-time scoring fighter ace of the German air forces in World War I, is very personal and sometimes downright intimate. This makes the account come alive for the reader, but in light of Ernst Udet's tragic end (committing suicide due to his being scapegoated for the increasing failures of the Luftwaffe in World War II), also disturbing. In spite of this (or maybe because of this), Udet's story is even more compelling as many first-person war memoirs are.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible account from Germany’s highest scoring surviving ace of ww1. What struck me particularly was how much early flyers crashed, it was almost routine for them. His account of the war is riveting, especially his duel with France’s ace of aces. His post war account is also fascinating and is worth reading. Tragically, you can see how nazism and Hitler lifted his spirits, with his last words in the book being a stark reminder of that fact. However, the intro does a good job of telling about his struggles and his disillusion with nazism. Udet was a soldier and flyer at heart, and it’s this attitude and emotion that he demonstrates through his memoir. Definitely worth a read.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ace of the Iron Cross is a translation of Ernst Udet's Mein Fliegerleben. It tells not only of his adventures in the First World War, including his breathtaking, dramatic battle with the legendary French hero, Georges Guynemer, but also of his experiences as an aircraft manufacturer, his racing and stunt flying in Argentina and the United States and his exciting interludes in Africa and the Artic."

[Andy Hiscox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real boys own story of daring and courage against insurmountable odds. I enjoyed reading it immensely. Ernst Udet was without doubt a German hero and one of the First World Wars greatest fighter aces.

[Mark Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a student of WWI I can say this book taught me a lot. First hand accounts of the second greatest German Pilot, including his time flying with The Red Barron himself. The story of Ernst Udet is one that needs to be read.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at home much I enjoyed this title.
Udet has a sense of humor and a storyteller's eye for details.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jawohl !!

[Cormac Zoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of the number two ace of WW1 (behind, of course, The Red Baron) and the number one ace to survive the war, Ernst Udet. (He also fought in WW2.) He was instrumental in establishing the Luftwaffe for WW2 but as Hermann Goering turned on him and blamed many shortcomings on Udet, he turned to drink and eventually the business-end of his service revolver as he killed himself in November 1941.

While I won't give a complete review, this is considered a pretty classic book amongst the fans of WW1 aviation. It is an interesting read and even the tagged-on chapter by the Nazis to lift propagandist spirits in the next world war that survives in editions to this day, it gives you plenty of sharp images you'll remember long after finishing his book.

Udet's planes can always be spotted in pictures and artwork of the time as the big and bold LO! was always painted on the sides of his plane (for his fiance Eleanor, known affectionately as Lo) and by the defiant tail signature "Du doch nicht!!" -- "Definitely Not You!" -- a brash and brazen message to any enemy fighter pilot on his tail, the worst place for an enemy to be.

A good read for any history or biography buff and certainly a must-read for WW1 buffs.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disappointingly short book as Udet has such an amazing story to tell and I could have read far more. The first few chapters that deal with his exploits in WW1 reminded me of Biggles. They unfortunately do not cover all or even most of his victories however it is interesting reading from the other point of view for a change and realising that all soldiers are the same. The rest of the book covers his struggle to earn a living flying in post-war Germany, South America and the USA. Some of his adventures are legendary. Unfortunately the book ends in the early 1930s just as Udet was about to start his struggle to support the emerging Luftwaffe which he never wrote about. It's an easy, enjoyable and informative read that I highly recommend.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good read, but while reading do have in mind, that this book was written as propaganda for the Nazi-Party in 1936. This is quite well hidden an only becomes obviously apparent in one of the last sentences of the book: (roughly translated from the German original) "We were soldiers without a flag. We roled up our flag. The Führer gave it back to us. Now it is worth living again for the old soldiers." This also explains, why over half of the book ponders on the first WW and his civil commissions are short chapters, allthough no doubt they must have been more interesting than the tedious war.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting personal account of Oberleutnant Ernst Udet's early military experiences and subsequent flying career. As interesting as it is, it seems to be quite fragmented and incomplete at times. Also, it is thought that the final chapter was written by nazis after his death. There are some wonderful photographs in this addition, making it worthwhile to check out.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

The autobiographical flying career of Ernst Udet, with 62 victories Germany's second highest scoring "Ace" of the first world war. Udet describes his enthusiasm for flying, wether in peacetime or in aerial combat.

[Henry Luecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting account of another ace who in this case survived the great war. Compared to Rittmeister Baron Manfred von Richthofen, you have the opportunity to hear an ace’s account in the interwar period and start of the Second World War. Things do not end well as you can imagine.

[Roberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very bad English and not so interesting stories... Just for Udet's lovers. Anyway it's interesting to see young Ritter Von Greim an Goring at work in wwi.