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No.1028494
>>1028487
>March 1944, Erich Hartmann, Gerd Barkhorn, Walter Krupinski and Johannes Wiese were summoned to Berchtesgaden, for Barkhorn to get his Swords, the other three to get their Oak Leaves. On the way, the four of them were drinking cognac and champagne on stomachs that hadn't seen food in two days. Krupinski later said that they were "holding each other up" when they got there and with all the snow that was on the ground at that altitude, this group of Luftwaffe's finest was hardly able to stand. The first person they saw when they got off the train was Hitler's Luftwaffe adjutant, Major von Below who was rather shocked at their condition. After all, they were supposed to meet the Fuhrer in just a couple of hours. When they arrived at Berchtesgaden, Hartmann, who was still "feeling no pain" and was having some vision problems, couldn't find his hat, "...so I took a hat from the stand and put it on, and it was too large. I knew it was not mine at the time. Below became upset and told me it was Hitler's, and to put it back. Everyone was laughing about it except Below. I made some joke about Hitler having a big head, and that it must 'go with the job', which created even more laughter".
Ещё там чего-то было про то, как он спрятался от других офицеров, а затем пугал их, стреляя в воздух, чуть не получив пулю от них в итоге, но цитату не нашёл.
Алсо, по поводу собственно ОВА:
>During the War, Erich Hartmann declined the promotion / invitation into a unit that piloted Jet Fighters. TWICE.
>After the war, Hartmann was made commander of the first formal and operational Jet Fighter Unit of Germany. Despite this position, Hartmann largely the panned the effectiveness and safety of the Jet Fighters. An opinion which proved to be true due to many non-combat casualties resulting from usage of said planes.
>Due to his negative attitude towards jets of that time accompanied with his superiors not liking him and other political mumbo jumbo, Hartmann was forcefully retired early.
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