The Best Pilots ever

[ADM199]

Originally Posted by Scaramooch

Gents, to say he or the other was the best could not do justice to the other. I hae read that there where pilots from Germany thats score was in the hundreds. Was there any of the Allies with such scores. yes the Germans did fight until they where either shot down and killed or died in a plane crash. There where individuals that springs to mind. For me it is Sailor Malan, not only because I am South African, but this man fought with two artificial legs. He had been shot down and turned up as a POW. The Germans even took his legs away from him to attempt to stop his attempts to escape. Now that to me is one of those individuals. Lets not forget the Tuscan airmen, the coloured squadren. At a stage the bomber pilots first refused to fly if they knew these guys where up there to protect them. But when they had the chance they proved that they where worse than a bulldog seeing red with a turbo up his never regions. After that the bomber guys only wanted them for protection. So for the best, no, this can not be said. I think all pilots where the best it was just oppertunaty that had elluded them.

Peter

Hi Peter,
are you sure you are describing Sailor Malan.

Brian

[Gotthard Heinrici]

I think he means Douglas Bader. But he is right about "Sailor" Malan being a good pilot though!!

[ADM199]

Originally Posted by Gotthard Heinrici

I think he means Douglas Bader. But he is right about "Sailor" Malan being a good pilot though!!

Yes I am sure Peter meant the British Pilot,Douglas Bader.

Malan had 2 legs and was never taken prisoner. Was a brilliant Pilot though.

[Scaramooch]

Hi gents, sorry I am apologizing most humbly. Yes I did get the two gents crossed. If I have done someone wrong please accept my apologies. Both of these pilots where my heros when growing up. Unfortunatly I have not kept up the pace.
Thank you for pointing out my bad blunder, Brain and Gotthard.

Peter

[ItemCo16527]

Originally Posted by Scaramooch

For me it is Sailor Malan, not only because I am South African, but this man fought with two artificial legs. He had been shot down and turned up as a POW. The Germans even took his legs away from him to attempt to stop his attempts to escape. Now that to me is one of those individuals. Lets not forget the Tuscan airmen, the coloured squadren. At a stage the bomber pilots first refused to fly if they knew these guys where up there to protect them. But when they had the chance they proved that they where worse than a bulldog seeing red with a turbo up his never regions. After that the bomber guys only wanted them for protection. So for the best, no, this can not be said. I think all pilots where the best it was just oppertunaty that had elluded them.

Peter

Wasn't that Doug Bader, not Sailor Malan?

And it was the Tuskegee Airmen, not Tuscan

[ItemCo16527]

To contribute:
I don't know if there really was a "best pilot". If there was, Erich Hartmann was pretty damn close. Well over 2000 sorties flown without ever having been shot down by the enemy. He never lost a wingman. And, to top it off, he downed 352 enemy aircraft - a record that will never be broken.

But, of course, he learned his craft from the seasoned pilots of the Winter War of 1941-42, who naturally learned their lessons from the pilots of the First World War like the Red Baron, Oswald Boelcke, etc. So I think the "best pilot" is more a matter of personal opinion than anything else. But that's just my opinion

[Scaramooch]

Now I am really red faced. Serves me right, first get my facts sorted before I try and make a comment. I am glad i have landed up on this sight where there is still so many people that knows what they are talking about. Thank you for the corrections gents.
Yes I have also read a piece on Erich Hartman, that is one record that I believe will not be broken. Are these confirmed or is there a bit of propegande mixed in with it? Was it not in the case of the Allies that he only got it as confirmed if it had been witnessed by another or he had to give exact position of the wreckage so that it could be confirmed. Bit difficult over the channel.
Jeff C, I am in agreement with you. It is a personal choice. Here we are talking fighter pilots. What about the bomber pilots. To fly into a carpet of flak took total commitment, those guys had brass ones.

Peter

[ItemCo16527]

Scaramooch:

Hartmann's record is 100% confirmed, down to the dates and types of aircraft. The same goes for Gerhard Barkhorn who had 301 victories.

If you're interested, you should read a great biography of Hartmann called The Blonde Knight of Germany by Raymond F. Toliver and Trevor J. Constable. I have to dig my copy out, but if I remember correctly it includes a list of all of Hartmann's victories. Another book of interest is German Fighter Ace Erich Hartmann: The Life Story of the World's Highest Scoring Ace by Ursula Hartmann (his wife). This one is a large book of photos profiling Hartmann's life, with a heavy emphasis on WWII and the West German Air Force. I have this one too, and it's fascinating.

[Panzer_land]

Originally Posted by 4th wilts

imo,most of the best german pilots were dead or captured,by mid-late 42 the allies were downing mainly novices.lee.

No way!! just look at this page

German Aces of WWII

German pilots completely owned allies

Focke-wolf rulez!!!

[Panzer_land]

Man this post went out of subject badly. No one seems interested in WW1 pilots!!!