Claims

Just a simple question.

Were the sequential listings of Claims for LW pilots based on just that - Claims; or, were they subject to later verification/confirmation with an associated re-numbering of actual victories?
I only pose the question because, for example, during "BIG WEEK", more "Claims" (and included in an individual's Claims total, ie ) were filed than losses admitted by the USAAF....

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Fana

It is my impression that these claims usually only include those that were confirmed by the Abschusskommission which was established to verify Luftwaffe victory claims. Those claims that were confirmed were assigned an Anerk number, those that were not yet proven were listed as VNE (Vernichtung nicht erwiesen), those that were to be confirmed or rejected later were listed as ASM (Anerkennung später moglich) and those that were denied were listed as Abgelehnt. It goes without saying that even with this procedure the total number of confirmed claims were often in excess of the true losses of the opposing side. One gets the impression that there were some pilots whose claims were rather accurate and others whose claims were not so accurate when compared in a detailed analysis to their opponent's loss lists. It should be kept in mind that in large scale air battles such as over Germany in 1944 it is virtually impossible to verify an individual pilot's claims. In late 1944 this claims verification procedure broke down and late war claims are often just that - claims without any attempt to establish their accuracy.

Horrido!

Leo