Der Stern von Afrika

Der Stern von Afrika English The Star of Africa is a 1957 blackandwhite German war film portraying the combat career of Luftwaffe World War II fighter pilot HansJoachim Marseille. It stars Joachim Hansen and Marianne Koch and was directed by Alfred Weidenmann. The film was premired onAugust 1957 in Berlin and was very successful at the German box office, although the critics predominantly gave it a fair rating.

As his combat time in Africa lengthens, Marseille loses more and more comrades to the Desert Air Force. In particular, the death of the inexperienced young Sergeant Klein on his first aerial combat sortie and a conversation with the searchandrescue officer, Krusenberg, cast doubt on the usefulness of his operations. After achieving his 100th aerial victory, Marseille is ordered to Berlin, where he is awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords German Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern . After a propaganda event at his former school, he meets a mathematics teacher, Brigitte and falls in love with her. He takes her with him to Rome after he receives an invitation from the Italian High Command to receive the Gold Medal of Military Valor Italian Medaglia doro al Valore Militare . The two of them spend a few carefree and happy days in Italy. The distraught Brigitte tries to persuade him to defect, but out of a sense of duty, he returns to his squadron in North Africa.In North Africa, the intensity of aerial combat continues. During a reconnaissance flight over Egypt, his aircraft suffers an engine failure and only with difficulty does Marseille manage to return to Germancontrolled airspace. He bails out as the aircraft crashes, but his parachute does not open. His body is later found in the desert. Brigitte receives the news of his death and collapses while teaching a class. ........

Source: Wikipedia