Curtiss P-40 top ten ace list

[knusel]

Hello Juha,

you're right, I checked the Maslov book again.
Personally, I would not consider it impossible for Shestakov to score 8 individual plus more than 30 shared kills in Spain. But I think it's virtually impossible to do so and becoming a HSU not until 10Feb1942. Thus, I assume a spain score of 2+1sh is far more likely.

After scrutinizing the website that's based on Bykov's work, my P-40 top ten ace list needs an update:

ace: P-40 score(total score)

1. Caldwell: 20,5(28,5)
2. Drake: at least 16(21)
3. Pokryshev: 15,1(23,6) - according to Bykov
4. Hill: 13,25(15,25)
5. Litavrin: 13(18) - according to Bykov
6. Hampshire: 13(13)
7. Holloway: 13(13)
8. Neale: 13(13)
9. Edwards: 12,83(16,08)
10. Zotov: 12,73-13,73(22,18-23,18) - according to Bykov

I dropped Waddy (12,5 P-40 kills) and Novichkov (6,33 P-40 kills according to Bykov, 19 P-40 kills according to Mellinger).

Some questions remain:

• I'm still looking for Drake's definite P-40 score. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=45616
• How many pilots took part in the Viktor Zotov's 2 shared kills on 30Sep1942 ?
• I found a guy in the www: Михалин Михаил Федорович with 14+2sh P-40 kills. Is he real ?

Michael

[knusel]

Update: I found another high-scoring P-40 pilot named Nikolai Zelenov.
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/zh/zelenov_na.htm
Total score of 33,4 [30+12],
P-40 score: 19,23 [17+8]

Michael

[PMoz99]

Hello Michael.
The Russian scores seem to have many variations - it seems to me more so than for other nations. narod.ru has Zelenov as [30+10]. Other scores have him as [24+12], [24+10] and [29+8], but I'm pretty sure you would have seen those already. Maybe they are WW2 only, and how these variations might affect your lists ......
Peter

[knusel]

Good evening Peter,

yes, the Soviet scores differ so much in different sources.
I think this website
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/m.htm
is based of the research results of Mr. Bykov and therefore the best source in the www.

Can you confirm that Mikhail Mikhalin (Михалин Михаил Федорович) has scored his 14+2 kills in the P-40 ? Or can you tell the the decimals of his shared kills ?

Michael

[knusel]

Update: by courtesy of Stukapilot I learned that Mikhail Mikhalin (Михалин Михаил Федорович) has scored 14 individual kills and two half-shares. The aircraft he flew can be determined by having a look on what his comrades in 126. and 191. IAP flew:
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/b/belyasnik.htm
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/l/litvinenko.htm
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/m/mitrohin.htm
It is justified to say that he scored all of his kills in the P-40 except his last one (La-5). Thus he deserves a rank within the P-40 top ten list and Mr Edwards has to be dropped:

1. Caldwell: 20,5 (28,5)
2. Zelenov: 19,23 (33,4)
3. Drake: at least 16 (21)
4. Pokryshev: 15,1 (23,6)
5. Mikhalin: 14 (15)
6. Hill: 13,25 (15,25)
7. Litavrin: 13 (18)
8. Hampshire: 13 (13)
9. Holloway: 13 (13)
10. Neale: 13 (13)

• possibly: Zotov: 12,73-13,73 (22,18-23,18)

I wish I knew to decimals of Viktor Zotov's 2 shared kills on 30Sep1942.

Cheers,

Michael

[knusel]

Addendum:

• the top US P-40 ace is Hill with 13,25 kills (scored in the AVG & USAAF)
• the top USAAF P-40 aces are Hampshire and Holloway with 13 kills each
• the top AVG ace is Neale with 13 kills

Cheers,

Michael