RAF aces in a day

[CJE]

Just a question that almost keeps me from sleep : how many RAF pilots were "aces in a day"?
Thanks in advance, Gents.

Chris

[Håkan]

Hello,

The only I know right out of the hat is F/O Charles Dyson of 33 Squadron, who claimed six CR.42s on 11 December 1940. The Army witnessed these and verified them and also included a seventh (a Ba.65) which had been hit by one of the falling CR.42s. This I think this is the record of the RAF (i.e. 7 in 1 sortie).
It seems in fact that only one CR.42 can be verified with Italian records and this is a CR.42 from 366a Sq., 151o Gr. where Sergente Cicognani was WIA and lost an arm.
This story will be fully covered in mine and Ludvico Slongo's part 2 of 'Desert Prelude: Operation Compass', which is due this autumn.

Best wishes/Håkan

[Håkan]

Hello again,

Sometimes it's a good advice to check your own writing before answering a question...

'Pat' Pattle of 33 Sq. claimed 5 aircraft on 14 April 1941 (see: http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/commonwealth_pattle.htm)

Nigel Cullen of 80 Sq. claimed 5 aircraft on 28 February 1941 (see: http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/commonwealth_cullen.htm).

However, both these pilots were established aces when these claims were made so they might be out of the scope of your question.

Best wishes/Håkan

[Peter S]

Sgt Antoni Glowacki of 501 Sqn on 24 August 1940 claimed 3 Bf 109 and 2 Ju88.

Peter

[kaki3152]

F/L Dick Audet (RCAF) 411Squadron shot down 5 German fighters in under 5 minutes on Dec. 29,1944

[SMF144]

Not answering your question, but F/L Richard J. "Dick" Audet, No. 411 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force comes to mind; three Fw.190s and two Me.109s in one sortie on 29 December 1944.

Stephen

[Dan Gilberti]

A report of the French "Gendarmerie" from Dijon am 5/5/1944 states that U.S. and RAF fighter flies over the airfield Longvic shade is in a fight 5 German planes:
The RAF pilot was Wing Commander Geoffrey Horace Goodman, owner of Distinguing Flying Cross (DFC) commanding the squadron 151 (from October 1943 to November 1944).His navigator was Flight Officer Thomas WFE.
It will on this occasion another prestigious decoration: DSO (Distinguing Service Order).
The plane was the Mosquito MkXIII MM446 coming from Predannac in Cornouailles.l.
Geoffrey Goodman to him that does not assert that only four planes:
His report indicates the start of mission 16 hours, he spotted a Kettel 3 Heinkel 111 flying east to 2000 feet.
They set fire engines of the first bomber to the left of training, he will fall in fire and will be seen consuming the ground with all his crew.
It then calls the second one (leader), who hit engine will fall on fire in turn, three men were observed by parachute, the aircraft will also be observed consuming ground.
He shoots the third which fell in swirling engine and fuselage hit, again, three men could be extracted fitted with a parachute ...
At that time Goodman was the perfect vertical base, he sees a fourth aircraft flying to the North
The fourth plane was observed a wide detour to the west, heading towards the south a month its right engine hit and stopped firing the Mosquito ignited the right engine, also touched the fuselage and sent the plane fall a spin and crashed in flames in the north-east of the Dijon airfield.
Amic, Dan

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I don't know how much the list is reliable (at least the year is false for Cullen), but Jan Safarik has a "on day top killers" from Commonwealth on his website:

http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories...h-one_day.html

This list includes some pilots who scored in May 1940, and their score may be unofficial.

[Steve Darlow]

In Fighting High Volume 1 we include a chapter on Alwyn Downing of 600 Squadron shooting down 5 Ju52/3ms in one sortie, om 30 April 1943.

www.fightinghigh.com

[Troy White]

Spitfire pilot Sgt. Ronnie Hamyln "The Pied Piper" of 610 Squadron was the RAF's first ace in a day of WWII. He shot down a Ju 88 and four Bf 109's on 24 August 1940. He earned the DFM for his feat. He destroyed a total of nine German planes during the Battle of Britain and two more during 1941. Hamyln survived the war and retired as a Wing Commander. He died in 1991.