The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

Good morning Gentlemen,

4 is an unlucky number in competitions. In sports the fourth-ranking athlete is the first who doesn't receive a medal and in airwar a score of 4 is one short of acedom and glory. I gathered some rather notable WW2 airmen with a final score of 4:

• Stoyan Stoyanov and Chudomir Toplodolski, 3,33 each, Bulgarian top-scorers
• Edouard Corniglion-Molinier, 2,31+2 in WW1, scorer in both World Wars
• Cyril Talalla, 3,83, from Malaya
• Gerben Soderman, 4, Fokker G.I top scorer
• Jerzy Czerniak, 3,33 and Tadeusz Czerwinski 4, scorers in the Caudron C.714
• Cristu Cristu, 4+4sh, Romanian PZL pilot but decimals of shares unknown to me
• Lee Archer, 4,5 or 4, and Edward Toppins, 4, Tuskegee airmen

Cheers,

Michael

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

In Osprey Aviation Elite 024 - 332nd Fighter Group - Tuskegee Airmen (2007) the scores of Archer, Toppins and Elsberry are indicated as five, four and four, respectively but the USAF Historical Study No. 85 of 1978 indicates only four for Archer, four for Toppins and one for Elsberry. Were claims confirmed belatedly or upgraded after 1978 ?

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

Check Wilhelm Schmitter, KG 40, V./KG 2 credited with 4, RK Sep 42...

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

Wilhelm Schmitter was also awarded a posthumous Eichenlaub in 1944. I didn't know that he had 4 kills.
Joachim Helbig had 4 kills, too.

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

The Westland Whirlwind top scorers achieved 4 kills, didn't they ?

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

Maj Alfred Lindenberger got 4 victories in WW II during 1944 as GpnKdr of II/JG 300. And he survived the war. He also was a 12 victory ace/Kannon of WW I

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

Hello James,

you're right.
Have you read Robin Schäfer's interesting article "In Different Skies" about the the lesser known German airmen who flew in both World Wars ?

Have a nice weekend,

Michael

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

In WW I Germany's oldest fighter pilot Johannes Jakob Wolfe age 49 in 1915 4 victories plus 1 or more unconfirmed. He was pre-war a rich Jewish merchant who owned a cigar factory

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

Hello James,

yes, and originally a pacifist.
Have you read "Aces of Jagdstaffel 17" by Greg VanWyngarden ?

Cheers,

Michael

Re: The other guys: notable airmen with a total score of 4
 

No to both books. I will try and read both one day.