USAAF Pilots Who Scored Victories Over The Hungarian Air Force

[researcher111]

Gabor

As you state there are too many, I am certain if I would go through many of the 15th
Air Force FG's and BG's books and memoires at my end, I could come up with clear figures on this
though I wish to comprehend and add that both Hungarian Army,Police and civilians had a great
reputation on all this have mistreated Allied airmen along with their German partners probably worse
than any other Nation in Eastern Europe.

In comparison and by the same time frame the Romanians and Bulgarians understanding
that they going to lose the war, improved the POW airmen treatment , while the local population
and in many cases rescued the airmen and helpped them out in their misery .

Particularly the Hungarians have been very cruel with Allied airmen and showed no mercy
until they capitulated , off course there could have been same examples of humanity but
rather irrelevant comparing the other figures. I am not aware of any Hungarian and
Romanian pilots intentionally shooting on open chutes , but of Bulgarians frequently doing
this not to mentlion the Germans.

This is a painful subject which not worth entering into.

[HGabor]

Agree, but as I said, crimes against downed airmen were committed mainly on the ground, not in the air. (I am talking about tendencies.)

Gabor

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello HGabor,

Many thanks for your very information. Just to satisfy my curiosity: How have you came to the conclusion, beyond reasonable doubt, that all 3 Hungarian pilots listed by you were shot down by Archer? There were 6-0-1 claims for Bf 109s by Archer´s 302nd Fighter Squadron on this date, all in 1227 - 1630 timeframe and all in rather vague "Lake Balaton area".
Many thanks again.

Ota

[HGabor]

As far as I remember, Archer claimed all of his 3 victories very fast against some returning Bf 109s between Lake Balaton and Veszprém airfield. Since these three pilots were shot down during the landing approach, I think Archer claimed these ones. Other planes (now without the details) were lost during the short upcoming battle near Köveskál, Nagyvázsony, Várpalota and Pét, but their pilots all survived. Cheers,

Gabor

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

The list doesn't have to be very long. I kind of want to know if there were USAAF fighter pilots with four or more victories against the Hungarian Air Force. I know the USAAF fighter pilots tend to gun down not only Luftwaffe pilots in parachutes but also those from the Hungarian Air Force. A very painful reminder indeed.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[HGabor]

OK, just a few examples with 80-100 % probability:

On June 14, 1944: Király Gyula hdgy. (KIA) 101/2. Sq. Bf 109Ga-6 pilot - (May 10, 1923 - June 14, 1944, mother: Forgács Mária) was shot down by 2Lt. Swanson T. Shortt (14 FG., 49 FS, P-38J-LO, #55) over Ősi.

On June 16, 1944: Szittár Gyula szkv. (KIA) 101/3. Sq. Bf 109Ga-6 pilot - (January 17, 1921 – June 16, 1944, mother: Timár Johanna) was shot down by 2Lt. Chester H. Heien (1 FG., 94 FS, P-38J-15-LO, 42-104267, #64, “Co-Pilot”) at Tab-SW.

On August 21, 1944: Skula Zoltán szkv. (KIA) 101/1. Sq. Bf 109G, 21 yrs old pilot was shot down by 2Lt. Robert H. Brown (325 FG., 318 FS, P-51C-NT, 43-25055, #55) at 10.35AM at Hajdúhadház.

On November 5, 1944: Kiss László hdgy. (injured) 101/1. Sq. Bf 109G pilot was shot down by 2Lt. James D. Callahan (52 FG., 4 FS, ~P-51D-5-NA, 44-13485, "WD-H", "Miss Rogers") at Kisbaba puszta (a farm between Felsőmocsolád and Polány).

Gabor

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Edward,

the list is pretty long, but in many cases it is impossible to determine who shot down who, since there were multiple claims in the same area. There will be a new, expanded edition of my Hungarian aces book, it will contains many examples, when Hungarian aces were shot down by US pilots (mostly by experienced pilots with 4 or more kills, but in three instances, the individual US pilot's sole confirmed claim of the war was a Hungarian ace's aircraft).