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Early Access: German Fighter Aces - Are the Rankings Wrong?
🕑 Added 2024-07-10 17:34:13 +0000 UTCRecently I was introduced to an interesting study looking into the verification of German fighter aces kill claims. The results show that there is a big difference between notable aces, including Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn, the number 1 and 2 respectively on the leaderboard.
Let me know what you think about this topic and if anything strikes you as surprising!
Thank you for the support,
Chris
Comments
Tom Briggman
Thanks Chris! This topic was always a bone of contention in the RAF and American military, However, they instituted gun cameras and the actual reposts were scrutinized by air intelligence officers. This may be a partial reason as to why the Allies totals are much lower. Also, as you correctly stated the German pilots had two options, survival or death.
Mike A.
Excellent video. I like how the research is discussed in human terms. Everyone involved deserves respect, and not treated merely as data points 60 years after the fact.
