Knoke, Heinz I Flew for the Führer

The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot

Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of the Second World War. This vivid account of his first-hand experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs and provides a fascinating counterbalance to the numerous reports by Allied pilots. Knoke joined the Luftwaffe at the outbreak of war and eventually became commander of a fighter wing. An exceptionally courageous and skilled fighter pilot, he flew over two thousand missions and shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft. He had flown over four hundred combat missions before being wounded in an astonishing last battle towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. In a text that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes his upbringing in the strict Prussian tradition, the rise of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career against the backdrop of a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe. He also recounts the high morale of the troops until their collapse. His memoirs are both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story.