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I've written about this story before, but it's been a few years. So indulge me. Hrabak, commander of JG-52, recalls a certain mission over Kursk:
>We saw a German fighter smoking and catch fire. The pilot pulled up and safely ejected. His parachute opened, but then a Russian pilot flew right past us and shot that German pilot to pieces in his parachute. We were all shocked by this. Suddenly I heard Krupi say, "That bastard!" and he rolled away from me. I called for him to return to formation, but got no response. Krupi closed in and blew that Russian fighter apart, and then he seemed to go mad. He threw himself into five other Russians, shooting down another. Barkhorn was right behind him, covering him, and also shot down two Russians.
>Then I heard Hartmann call out a victory, then Rall, then Steinhoff, then Grilawski, then Rossmann, and others. Everyone was in a frenzy. In the end we had shot down about twenty enemy fighters.
>I landed and then ordered Krupi to report to me. Krupi came in, and I chewed him out. Then I told him that I understood how he felt. However, I explained to him that the moment a pilot loses control of his emotions, he ceases to be clear-thinking and effective. I patted him on the shoulder and he apologized for breaking formation without permission. That was the end of it.
