Hartmann: claims vs. victories

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Johannes

Luftwaffe night fighters were much more accurate, should I say very honest claimers in general, don't know why exactly, basically your witness would be your crew......usually a set crew, so plenty of opportunity for cheater there

Kind Regards

Johannes

Reading Theo Boiten's Nachtjagd Combat Archive series it becomes clear that night fighter crews were usually operating in close cooperation with a ground station which was itself linked in with other defences. So, if a bomber was claimed and the target disappeared from radar then that was one source of confirmation but the Flak and searchlights could also be contacted in case they had seen (say) a burning aircraft falling, or an explosion on the ground.