Hartmann: claims vs. victories

[MW Giles]

Even if it is great fun, worrying about the scores of aces is irrelevant and a fallacy.

It does not matter in the slightest whether Herr X shot down 9 or whether the ninth one force landed and was repaired within 24 hours; he only should be credited with 8 and therefore he is a blaggard for his false claiming

Aces' claims are only that, claims. Some are true and some mistaken and some fraudulent. They do not really matter, other than to the ego and reputation of the person in question

However what does matter in regards to winning a war is can the fighters on one side establish and maintain air superiority to such an extent that the other side cannot function and is thereby prevented from exerting its will on the battlefield or in producing war material.

It does not matter if one side claimed 1000 shot down, it is just a claim and an indication of how successful they feel they have been (rightly or wrongly).
What matters is did they collectively move in a positive direction toward achieving and maintaining air superiority.

There I said it, just waiting for the bolt of lightning and the ground to open up beneath my feet.