Barkhorn: claims vs. victories

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Hello Johannes and others

This may,perhaps,help to understand the complexity of approvals using microfilms or not.
During a bombing of Berlin in november 1943,documents confirming or not "abschusse" were destroyed.
OKL asked all units to send to R.d.l.u.Ob.d.l. before 01/04/44,a summary table of the victories already approved or REJECTED,copies of the claims of victories transmitted before 25/11/43 and not yet approved.
The claims mentioned in the OKL list preceding 25/11/43 come from a RECONSTRUCTION:it's easy to imagine the risk of omissions,confusions.....

Obviously,this does not clear the 'cheats' but it's a link in a complex chain wich does not help to see clearly.

If we add to it other links of chain where all the criteria requiring a real homologation are not met,we find "experts" with suspect scores,

I have an exemple wich seems very telling to me:

Staffelkapitän report on 95° to 98° "abschusse" of Lt Heinrich Sterr (27/03/44)

'This report cannot be written because the person concerned is also the Staffelführer
Sterr,Lt and Staffelführer

Gruppenkommandeur Report
During an entire group takeoff to counter an attack from Petchory airfield,seven Il-2 were shot down as well as five Yak-9.Lt Wolf shot down two Yak-9 and one Il-2;Lt Sterr three Il-2 and one Yak-9:Lt Jung,Resch and Uffz Kraft each one Il-2;Ofw Grollmuss and Fw.Bungert each one Yak-9.

Let us say the participants and Witnesses,all the planes were observed until their destruction,wich makes these claims certain.
As they are presented by serious pilots experienced and talented,they cannot be doubted.
The group therefore requests confirmation of these "abschusse" both for the pilots and for the unit

Erich Rudorffer,Major and Kommandant of II/JG54,QG,25/05/1944.

They were approved because Rudorffer says that the pilots were serious (ah!),it's interesting on the part of a guy whose many of his claims are suspect.

Michel