Percentage of Verifiable Victories of Various Aces –Updates & Recommendations

[SMF144]

Rob,

Excellent work and I think you're onto something rather interesting, but, speaking for the Canadians, where's Barker V.C., D.S.O., M.C., McLeod, D.S.O, D.F.C. or Beurling, D.S.O., D.F.C., D.F.M.?

Stephen

[Nick Beale]

Perhaps another approach would be to add up all the cases where you can establish that the "shot down" aircraft actually survived.

[Dénes Bernád]

An interesting point. However, I'd consider an aircraft, which force landed, or returned home with significant damage due to air combat (thus survived) a legitimate proof for an actual 'kill'.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád

An interesting point. However, I'd consider an aircraft, which force landed, or returned home with significant damage due to air combat (thus survived) a legitimate proof for an actual 'kill'.

I'd agree if the returning aircraft was written off or if the pilot did not return to operations.

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

I'd agree if (...) the pilot did not return to operations.

My understanding is that the subject of an air combat 'kill' claim was the enemy airplane, not the pilot. Therefore, if the airplane was more or less O.K., i.e. only lightly damaged, but the pilot died or was severely wounded (like the case of Lt. Otto Fönnekold from JG 52, KIA on August 30, 1944, IIRC), I'd say it wasn't proof for an actual 'kill'.

[Rob Romero]

See Attatchement

[alessandro bray]

Hallo,
maybe this can be of interest.
Some years ago I made an analisys of the 1942 claims of the top scorer over Malta, for the LW Oblt Gerhard Michalski and for the RAF P/O Georg Beurling.
Concerning Michalski claims the results were that for 15 claims are corresponding RAF losses as time, location and without other conflicting claims by other axis pilots; for 6 they are RAF losses with same time and location, but other pilots (Italian and or German, above all after the arrival of I/JG77) made similar claims and only for 3 found nothing (20.1.42, 24.01.42 and 17.03.42).
If interested I have details for claims and related RAF losses
Regards
Alessandro

[Mark Steinitz]

For "drgondog" -- you say you found no claims filed by JG 51 on 09/18/44. According to Tony Wood, Guenther Josten of 3./JG 51 claimed a B-17. Narrative accounts indicate the Fortress was on a supply mission to the uprising in Warsaw.