Hi Folks,
Alright, again. Hartmann's claim list is LESS THAN POOR. Full of fantasy, - UNLESS his reported victory times and locations are completely inaccurate. (But then how can you trust them??????????) The soviets had reported the hours and minutes of their losses, the reported times in Hartmann's claims are usually 1-2 hrs off! That's way too big time difference to accept them, especially, when other pilots claimed them with much better accuracy both in time and location. So probably you understand why I say his '352' is just fantasy and a nice fairy tale and he had max. 100-150 real victories AT BEST, not 352! Also have to mention, that with the same method and criterias, eg. Lipfert's claims were 90+ % accurate (both time- and locationwise), matching the soviet reports, so it is NOT the method, the data, or the reports, - IT IS THE PILOT...! Other pilots with less victories were much more accurate than him!
Based on Hartmann's victory list on:
http://www.luftwaffe.cz/hartmann.html
305: OVERCLAIM - 27.10.1944 10:16 Yak-9 4./JG 52 18 265: at 2.500m
306: ? (NOT in 5 VA for sure, no data from 8 VA) 31.10.1944 15:30 Yak-7 4./JG 52 98 799
307: OVERCLAIM - 1.11.1944 14:35 LaGG-5 4./JG 52 98 836: at 2.500m
307: OVERCLAIM - 7.11.1944 13:35 Yak-7 4./JG 52 98 563: at 1.000m
308: OK - 13.11.1944 14:10 Yak-9 4./JG 52 89 ---: at 5.000m - Teplishev Yak-9T
309: OVERCLAIM - 13.11.1944 14:15 Yak-9 4./JG 52 9866-: at 4.200m
310: ??? - 13.11.1944 14:25 Yak-9 4./JG 52 0854-: at 4.000m Kotlyar Yak-1b other claims in same area and time frame as well
311: OVERCLAIM - 13.11.1944 14:30 Yak-9 4./JG 52 98 637: at 4.000m
312: OVERCLAIM - 14.11.1944 11:35 LaGG-5 4./JG 52 98 494: at 2.000m
313: OVERCLAIM - 14.11.1944 11:45 LaGG-5 4./JG 52 08 471: at 800m - Only La-5 loss at 15:20, but soviets: downed by flak and 2 Fw 190s!
314: OVERCLAIM - 16.11.1944 8:45 Yak-9 4./JG 52 98 368: at 4.000m
315: ~OK - 16.11.1944 8:50 Yak-9 4./JG 52 98 487: at 1.000m
316: OVERCLAIM - 17.11.1944 14:25 Boston III 4./JG 52 98 584: at 2.000m - Hungarian Capt. Pottyondy claimed a Boston at Ocsa where the soviets confirmed their loss, his German wingman, Hartmann claimed another Boston closer to Budapest where soviets confirmed none. NO MORE Boston loss this day, other than a ferry accident at the Romanian border...
317: OVERCLAIM - 22.11.1944 11:40 Yak-9 4./JG 52 98 453: at 3.500m
318: OK - 22.11.1944 11:45 La-5 4./JG 52 98 452: at 4.500m
Most of his claims (with the given times and locations) cannot be matched to the soviet losses, described with details in the soviet reports. I closed Hartmann's case for myself once and for all as most of his biographies are completely wrong about his (real) victories, no matter who wrote them. Certainly I am not saying that he did not get credit for 352, what I am saying is that most of that 352 was wrong and perhaps he wasn't even among the 10 best German fighter pilots of WWII. (I have no idea why he was chosen for such a statistical propaganda of the Luftwaffe.) Certainly to get a more accurate picture of his WWII career his other claims should be checked, which are out of my focus and research. So please, anyone who can, come forth and help to clarify this issue.
Cheers,
Gabor