Thanks to all you replied. I was a bit surprised to read that Hptm. Hans-Joachim M went from the basic RitterKreuz to the Oak Leaves, Swords and then Diamonds in 6 &1/2 months, whereas Adolph Galland achieved this status in aprox. 18 months-- granted, different Staffels and TO's from 1940 to 1942, from Marseille to comparison with Galland.
Could anyone shed some insight into this, as I am a bit "out of the loop' as to how the Luftwaffe recorded and confirmed the kills of its pilots.?? Eric
Very interesting to see the time frame detailed for the RitterKreuz initially (I am of the belief that it is, more formally, the Knights Cross order of the Iron Cross)- is this correct? Then to the various additional awards, the Oak Leaves, The Swords and finally, The Diamonds.
Raises another question, if I may. In WW1, when aviation and aircraft combat first evolved, what was the highest award a German Ace could achieve? Was it the "Blue Max"?? If so, was that award also presented in WW11?
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Last edited by Eric Rader; 18th January 2018 at 22:21.
Reason: improper spelling of Hauptmann abrev. Hptm.
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