Quote:
Originally Posted by Johannes
Spectacular pilots I can usually say who they worked it with, but unable to say with Hartmann or Batz, yet I am told it is so, and told so by dedicated researchers.
Kind Regards
Johannes
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From what I've been able to find out till now on Hartmann is that while under Gruppen Kommamdeurs Hubertus von Bonin and then Guenther Rall, his claims were not that far fetched. Both of those Kommamdeurs were outstanding pilots and Leaders. Both of them quite accurate claimers (specially Rall).
But after scoring the 200th at the end of February 44, Hartmann is sent home, where he is decorated and has some time off the front. When he gets back to the Front, something changed. His claim's accuracy just goes down the drain. By that time Batz was the new Kommandeur. Don't know about his leader skills but hi claims accuracy was.......dubious.
Don't know if there was any kind of talk between Hartmann and the upper leadership, some kind of publicity stunt (by that time Germany was losing, so they were in need of Heroes to boost the morale), but one thing clearly stands out when looking at the Soviet Reports, Hartmann was overclaiming consistently.
But remember that those same files attest to the accuracy of other pilots.
Paulo