Barkhorn’s best friend, Erich “Bubi” Hartmann, who would trump him by fifty-one victories as history’s top ace, had asked Barkhorn why he risked his life to fly alongside an enemy to convince him to bail out. Barkhorn had told Hartmann, “Bubi, you must remember that one day that Russian pilot was the baby son of a beautiful Russian girl. He has his right to life and love the same as we do.”
