Japanese aerial exterminating action?

[mars]

Well, Americans were tied with Japanese in this enterprise

[Pilot]

Very strange. What happen to people to such a change from their behaviors in WW1 to this what they did in WW2.

[CJE]

Srecko, in WWI, few pilots used a parachute.
Remember that Richthofen himself told his pilots to kill the gunner first to have free hands to bring the airplane down.
War is a dirty job.

[Pilot]

As I know mostly user of parachutes were balloon crew. And Richthofen is story for it self War is ugly, we know here perfectly

[GuerraCivil]

Silencing the rear gunner of bomber was a common practice in air war as it made it easier to shoot the enemy plane down - fighter pilots of all air forces did it and no one considered it to be "unethical". Comparing the rear gunner of a bomber with parachuted airmen the situation is different. Rear gunner is armed and can shoot back while parachuted pilot is (usually) unarmed and unable to do defend himself (there are some legends of pilots carrying pistols while parachuting and that they even shot planes down!).

Shooting the parachuted pilot is more complicated question. For what I know some German pilots like Galland and Gustav Rödel condemned strongly such practice as unethical. This of course did not stop some German pilots to do it. Maybe Galland and others like him wanted just to polish the image of Luftwaffe pilots for the time when war was over? Thus they created a myth of some "chivalry rules" in air war?

Probably there were some pilots in all air forces (incl. Japanese Navy/Army) who did not go after parachuted pilot in any case (even when he was parachuting over his own territory). It was also dangerous to focus on him if there were still active enemy fighters around.

In the Pacific war I do not know if Allied pilots shot parachuted Japanese pilots as often as Japanese shot Allied pilots. I have seen a gun camera clip in which P 51 pilot makes a pass on parachuted Japanese pilot. I do not know motifs, if it was a retaliation act vs. Japanese or a American practice of "aerial exterminating action" based on unwritten orders? The Japanese "aerial exterminating action" is better documented and many cases would have been unknown if after the war there had not been access to Japanese sources regarding this matter.

[mars]

Originally Posted by GuerraCivil

In the Pacific war I do not know if Allied pilots shot parachuted Japanese pilots as often as Japanese shot Allied pilots. I have seen a gun camera clip in which P 51 pilot makes a pass on parachuted Japanese pilot. I do not know motifs, if it was a retaliation act vs. Japanese or a American practice of "aerial exterminating action" based on unwritten orders? The Japanese "aerial exterminating action" is better documented and many cases would have been unknown if after the war there had not been access to Japanese sources regarding this matter.

It looks like the reasons behind American practice of "aerial exterminating action" in the Pacific war were the hate to Japanese after the Pearl Harbor ("The good Japaness is a dead Japanese") and "Kill him before he has a chance to find another plane and come back to kill you".
But American pracice of "aerial exterminating action" was also widespread in Europe, you only need to read unit combat history of Luftwaffe and airforce of Other minor Axis nations. Overall, Japaness and Americans were most likely candidates who shooting parachuted enemy

[newcomer]

Hello to all,

Graham I can't agree with Your post No 6. The pilot on the parachute are not soldier on that moment and he even can't defend himself. Therefore, someone who shoot on such situation, for me, is simply criminal and nothing more.
For example: in 7th April 1941 german pilot lieutenant Erwin Leykauf shoot down one Hurricane from Royal Yugoslav Air Force, in air battle near Banja Luka in kingdom of Yugoslavia. When Yugoslav pilot, who burned in cripple plane, bailed out and open parachute Leykauf attacked again but luckilly for Yugoslav pilot he missed him. Yugoslav pilot, Milan Mitic, survived and described all of that in his report later. I also spoke with some eyewitness from the ground and it is the same story. Leykauf also described that combat in his report but he omited to mentioned that he shoot the pilot on the parachute. I don't know why he dropped such important detail, but I wish to beleive that deeply in his heart Leykauf known such action are amoral and not good.

I'm totally agree with GuerraCivil post No 9.

kind regards

Newcomer