[Johannes]

Hi Nick

I do not believe it was so easy to "over-claim" in the West, crash-sites were investigated, bit more difficult over Africa. JG 2 was far worse than JG 26, I assume because a lot of their claims were over water i.e no investigation possible. In the East they were usually made over enemy territory.

There is naturally opportunism, don't think that Hermann Graf would have had the opportunity to "over-claim" in the West.

I would suspect that most single claims by these "over-claimers" were genuine, just a feeling that they were unable(due to their company) to "over-claim", in fact when I jugged claims I was actually quite shocked that it was the same old wingmen involved in big mission claims, and when the leader makes a single claim, the same old didn't claim, I assume they were in "unknow" company.

Also looking through so many flugbücher is startling fact(in the east), very often these guys were flying as a pair, and that's not the Stab, in the East it was hardly ever a full Staffel event, usually two, three or four together !

Kind Regards

Johannes