Bomber Aces with min. 500 combat missions list

[PMoz99]

Here is my compiled list of Bomber/Transport aces with 500 or more combat missions. Information is mainly from the Michael Holm, ww2awards.com, Luftwaffe39-45 and aircrewremembered websites. Data is given as : name, number of combat missions (added ? if not known if all combat or in doubt), highest award given, comments

Dochtermann, Hans Joachim 2000? DKG
Kuntz, Herbert 700? DKG
Baetcher, Hans-Georg 658 EL
Hormann, Hans 645 RK (Baetcher's Beobachter)
Helbig, Joachim 615 Schw
Antrup, Wilhelm 480-750+ EL
Skrzipek, Eduard 600 EL
Brennecke, Wilhelm 586? RK
Frost, Rupert 550? RK Bomber and Nachtschlacht
Hoefer, Karl-Heinrich 550 RK 120 missions over 4 hours long
Thurner, Johann 550 EL
Seyfarth, Kurt 532 RK Transport and Bomber
Kahle, Helmuth 526 RK Beobachter
Leupert, Otto 525 RK
Herrmann, Benno 520 RK
Glaesner, Guenther 512 RK Hogeback's Bordschuetze
Luxenberger, Josef 505 RK Bordfunker
Valet, Hans Joachim 504 RK all transport?
Hogeback, Hermann 500 Schw +100 more in Spain?
Klimek, Helmut 500 RK Skzripek's Bordfunker

also
Wittmann, Herbert credited with 534 but were 67 of these in Spain?
Guenzel, Reinhard credited with 330-535 but includes missions in Spain?
Beust, Hans-Henning credited with 520 but were 110 of these in Spain?
Guenthert, Ottmar - does anyone have info other than from sites listed?
Petzold, Joachim - does anyone have info other than from sites listed?
Stemmler, Wilhelm - does anyone have info other than from sites listed?
Bordelle, Walter - does anyone have info other than from sites listed?

Neither Dochtermann or Kuntz received the RK, so I think there must be some doubt on the data for them. Dochtermann's grandson claims to have reviewed his service record in detail and came up with 2000+ missions. Can anyone add anything for these 2?

Any comments, additions, corrections?

Thanks
Peter

[knusel]

Good evening Peter,

cool list.
Never heard about Dochtermann.
Herbert Kuntz: RK on 14Mar1943 after 365 missions.
Hansgeorg Bätcher is spelled without hyphen.
Georg Brütting writes that Helbig flew 350 missions only.
Willi Antrup: EL on 18Nov1944 after 500 missions.

Have a nice evening,

Michael

[Chris Goss]

I find it hard to accept that Dochtermann, with "2000+missions" did not receive any notable award until 8 May 44 when he received the EP and then did not get the DKiG until early 1945

[PMoz99]

Thanks Michael! Amongst other things, Dochtermann was supposedly in the Legion Condor and sank the troopship HMT Rhona off Algeria with a Hs293. Helbig had 330 by mid-1942.

I agree with you Chris. A similar thought goes for Kuntz, which is part of the reason why why I posted, hoping to generate some interest in the topic and to try to get more information. There must be some somewhere other than those sites I already mentioned ..........

Baetcher is generally recognised as having flown the most bomber combat missions. From what I gather, Allied crews were considered heroes for flying 30 or 40 - can you imagine flying 658 ??

Peter

[knusel]

Good morning Peter,

Hansgeorg Bätcher flew the He 111 and the Ar 234. Thus, if you're looking for the greatest pilot who flew a certain bomber type, he's the man for both of them.
Werner Baumbach should be considered the top Ju 88 pilot because he's though to be the most successful bomber pilot against shipping. If you prefer to rank successful pilots by missions flown in the type Otto Leupert might be a suitable alternative.
Rudolf Mons was one of the top Fw 200 pilots because of his anti-shipping success.
Are there any notable Do 17 pilots ?

Cheers,

Michael

[PMoz99]

Good evening Michael,
Yes, Baumbach is a special character. His achievements in only some (perhaps) 200 missions were outstanding.
Mons was Dochterman's GrK at II./KG40 flying He177s at the time of his death in Nov 1943, and he did have some time in non-combat roles - I have no information about number of missions flown for him.
As for Do17, I think Benno Herrmann is the highest 'ranking ace' who flew one, early-mid 1940 with 3./KG76. But for some strange reason, unit aircraft details in the early war period are not available, so one cannot be certain and sub-type information is not available, at least not to me.
I think Herbert Kuntz flew Do217 at some point.
Cheers
Peter

[Black6]

PMoz99 are you interested in Stuka crews who flew 500+ missions ?

[knusel]

Good evening Peter & Co,

I have modified Peter's list and added the aircraft flown by the bomber aces:

1. Bätcher, Hansgeorg 658 (first few as an observer) EL - He 111 & Ar 234
2. Skrzipek, Eduard 600 EL - He 111
3. Brennecke, Wilhelm 586? RK - He 111
4. Thurner, Hans 550 EL - He 111 & Ju 188
5. Höfer, Karl-Heinrich >545 EL - He 111
6. Wittmann, Herbert 534? EL - He 111
7. Seyfarth, Kurt >532 RK - Ju 52 & Do 217 & Ju 188
8. Leupert, Otto 525 RK - Ju 88
9. Beust, Hans-Henning 520? EL - He 111
10. Herrmann, Benno 520 RK - Do 17 & Ju 88
11. Antrup, Willi >500 EL - He 111
12. Hogeback, Hermann >500 Schw - He 111 & Ju 88

• I didn't include Glasner, Hormann, Kahle, Klimek & Luxenberger because they are no pilots.
• I didn't include Bordelle, Dochtermann, Frost, Günthert & Valet because I don't know anything about them.
• I didn't include Günzel, Helbig, Kuntz, Petzold & Stemmler because I do not know if they flew 500 missions.

Cheers,

Michael

[Jim P.]

If you're compiling this list without having Jochen Kaiser's 'Die Ritterkreuztraeger der Kampfflieger', or at a minimum the Georg Brütting's book, you're working with both arms firmly tied behind your back.

Never heard of this Dochtermann guy, but the only combat pilot that I know of with 2K combat flights is Rudel. I have a couple of FB for pilots with over 2500 flights, but they were either flying with schools or had been flying since sometime in the 1930s.

Herbert Kuntz - KG 26, KG 100, Erg.KGr. He177. 366 Feindflug (per Kaiser, "Total of 366 front flights, of which 234 were flown in the East. 105 of these missions had a total duration of more than 4 hours and were counted double, resulting in a theoretical total of 471 missions".)

Joachim Helbig - LG 1. 350 Feindflug, 130 longer than 4 hours, making total 480.

Willi Antrup - KG 55. Over 500 FF, many greater than 4 hrs for theoretical total of 612.

Eduard Skrzipek - KG 27. 575 FF, about 65 counting double for theoretical total of around 640.

Willi Brennecke - KG 55. With numerous flights over 4 hrs, theoretical total of around 586.

Heinrich Hoefer - KG 55. About 550 FF. Theoretical total of around 670, meaning about 120 flts > 4 hrs.

Benno Herrmann - KG 76, KSG 3. About 250 ff. Was taken out of combat after being awarded the RK on 19-Jun-42.

Beust - your totals correct.

Ottmar Guenthert - not in Kaiser.

Joachim Petzold - KG 27. More than 400 ff, about 300 in the East.

Wilhelm Stemmler - KG 51, off ops on 25-Feb-42, 17-Feb-43, KG 77, then Nov-44 to KG 26. Total # of ff unknown.

Walter Bordelle - not in Kaiser.

Oberst Volprecht Riedesel Frhr. zu Eisenbach - KG 54 (inc. w/262). More than 500 ff total, inc. some on Me 262.

Walter Richter - KG 53. 500+ ff.

Robert Seib - KG 55. Kaiser says both 488 ff & 500+ ff. Which is correct?

Hans Joachim Valet - KGr.z.b.V. 104, KG.z.b.V. 600, TG2. Sep-44 to KG 51 and Me 262.
504 ff, 3 on the Me 262.

Kurt Seyfarth = KGr.z.b.V. 9, KG 2. 295 ff. Another 117 recon sorties in Spain.

Reinhard Guenzel - KG 27. About 330 ff. # in Spain unknown.

All I have time for now.

[PMoz99]

Black6 - I also have information on Schlacht aces, but again all from the internet. The list for the over 500 club would be pretty long, but from my information it starts off Rudel, Hentschel, Plenzat, Wosnitza, Stahl, Nordmann, Otte, Glaeser, Doernbrack, Henze, Schubert and Staehler for the '1100 club'.

Knusel- thanks for the update. I didn't include all the aircraft and markings info to avoid detail overkill. But nicely summarised....

Jim P - Thank you very much for the additional information. Unfortunately I do not have the books, and at over AU$300 (EU200) for Kaiser's set I will not get them either. And while I have some German language skills, complex written text as is found in these types of books does give me some difficulty. But any information you or anyone else can contribute is most welcome.

Cheers
Peter