The Victories of Luftwaffe Experten (Ost) - New Considerations

[Broncazonk]

I am re-reading E.R. Hooton's, "War Over The Steppes ~ The Air Campaign on the Eastern Front 1941-45.

Page 166: "...the desperate need for them (Russian replacement pilots in 1942) meant the 'foals' (sherebyat) went to reserve units for operational training sometimes with as little as three (3) flying hours in their log books, while others as late as 1943 had just 15-20 hours. There was little gunnery or aerobatic training, which some schools banned, and to increase their flying hours 'foals' ferried aircraft. Even operational training was restricted to an average 12.5 hours for a combat pilot (fighter, assault, bomber) in 1942, rising to 17 in 1943 and 20.5 in 1944."

Next paragraph describes how student pilots were nutritionally starved during flight training, "...one pilot reported he and three (3) comrades had to share a loaf of bread and a tomato, (for the day) while others survived on weak pea soup that left them without the strength to fly. At one gunnery school students lived on cabbage leaves and potato peels (scavenged) from trash bins."

The next paragraph explains that *on any given combat mission* in 1942, 1943, and 1944, well over half (1/2) of the Russian pilots were flying their very first combat mission.

And, "...in May 1943, in Sudet's 237th ShAP/305th ShAD all but two (2) airmen were flying their first combat mission."

*** So...if any of the above is factual, I'm moving back into the, "maybe Hartmann, et. al., were not over-claimers after all," category. (I'm thinking maybe the Russians were lying after all in their record-keeping.)

An experienced Luftwaffe fighter pilot would be scoring at will, no? Every day--every mission--even 5, 6, 7 victories a day. (It wasn't really "aerial combat," more like aerial murder, and simple aerial murder at that, no?)

Also, this explains why so many Experten in the East *died almost immediately* after being transferred to the West--they never developed the skills--didn't have the experience--to kill wolves, because they had spent the last few years murdering lambs.

Bronc