Walter Nowotny: biography

Walter Nowotny is the name of a man who went down in history as a fighter pilot of the Second World War. His life, like a flash, ended when he started. If it were not for the fact that Navotny fought on the side of the fascists, one could consider him a hero worthy of eternal memory.

early years

Walter Nowotny was born on December 7, 1920 in the Austrian city of Gmündde. His father served on the railway. Walter grew adherent to a healthy lifestyle, in his youth seriously engaged in sports, having proved himself an able athlete.

At the time of the end of the gymnasium guy, Europe was already in "five minutes" from a big fire. The war was about to begin "just about." And the young man voluntarily replenishes the ranks of the Luftwaffe. He wanted to fly, he dreamed of piloting the Ju-87, but this desire did not come true.

So what did Walter Novotny become famous in the end? What did he fly "for his laurels"? The instructor, who is "training" the young fighter and the future ace, saw in him the talent of a fighter and put him on the appropriate aircraft. And, I must say, in the forecasts was not mistaken. Walter met all his expectations, becoming an outstanding fighter pilot.

The Second World War

After graduating from the school of fighters in Schwechat in 1941, Walter Nowotny was enlisted in the First Air Fleet stationed on the territory of East Prussia. He took part in the Soviet-German military campaign from the first days.

Novotny opened his victorious account over the waters of the Gulf of Riga on July 19, 1941, shooting down the three Soviet "Seagulls" (I-153). This operation was not easy for him - the pilot had to put his plane on the water and hold out for three days.

For the following year, another 50 enemy aircraft became victims of the Austrian, and by June 43, there were altogether 100. By that time the Luftwaffe soldier was the commander of the first squadron of the Fifty-fourth Fighter Squadron and the owner of the Knight's Cross. The next seventy-two "iron birds" of the enemy were shot down for a similar number of days. Roughly speaking, each day Novotny destroyed one enemy aircraft.

The most "viable" for the pilot was the first of September 1943, when in 17 minutes he shot down 7 Soviet aircraft, and then for the next 9 more 3 opponents. For these battles, young Walter received several honorable awards from his command.

The last victory of the hero of this article, who rose to the rank of major, on the Soviet-German front dates from the fourteenth of November 1943. It was already the 255th shot down by him of a Soviet aircraft. In total, there are 258 (for 442 combat sorties) on his account.

That's the ace was the Austrian Walter Nowotny. On which plane this outstanding German virtuoso flew, it is interesting to many. It should be answered that he was one of the first to "curb" the reactive "bird". A little more than 200 victories over the enemy won at the helm FW 190, and the rest - managing the "Messerschmitt" Bf 109.

Partner of Novotny

A few words deserve people who helped Walter Novotny in his victorious operations. They are Karl Schnorrer, Anton Debele and Rudolf Rademacher. Shnorrera the fighting comrades called "Quaks" by analogy with the hero of the cartoon, always falling into the accident. This fellow Novotny initially had problems at the time of landing. But he was the only one of the four pilots to survive (although he lost his leg). On the account of Shnorrera 46 downed planes. His partner Debele scored 94 air victories and died in November of 1943. A Rademacher, who destroyed 126 enemy aircraft, said goodbye to life after the war - the manned device crashed.

The noble act of Walter Nowotny

In addition to the fact that Walter Nowotny was the first person in the world to cross the line of 250 shot down planes (later his record was beaten and he was only the fifth among Luftwaffe pilots), this man distinguished himself by another, one can say heroic and undoubtedly noble act . He decided on a bold protest, writing a letter to Hitler personally, in which he criticized the intention to shoot 47 captured pilots who attempted to escape from the camp where they were held.

It is not known whether this letter had any effect (Hitler did not officially answer the letter), but the act itself says that Novotny was able not only to fight well, but also to respect the enemy. And he was also a fearless man.

The last flight

On the eighth of November, a German airplane took off from Amher Airfield, which was to intercept a raid of American bombers. From behind the clouds came the sounds of shooting, one of the "Americans" fell. And then the radio operator heard the indistinct words "I'm burning" or "The plane is on fire." So, at the age of 24, the legendary Luftwaffe pilot Walter Nowotny died. His photo has always preserved the image of a young smiling guy, who, unfortunately, happened to become a cog in a big bloody meat grinder and leave this world without really starting to live.