Aircraft Quiz No. 133

[Doug Robertson]

1. Name the deadliest fighter aircraft pilot of World War II. 2. How many kills did he accumulate during the war? 3. What was his top kill rate in a single day? 4. How many times was he forced to parachute or crash land a crippled plane.? 5. At wars end, what happened to him?

[topgunphotography]

Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann, more than 1400 missions getting 352 kills! That's amazing.

[moxy]

1. Erich "Bubi" Hartmann

2. 352 is the figure most often quoted. It should be noted that the Germans had a slightly different way of apportioning victories and some of these may have been shared. 341 of his victories were against Russian aircraft with 11 against American opposition. One wonders if his tally would have been so high had he fought against the Royal Air Force. I doubt it.

3. 11 on the 24th August 1944.

4. 16

5. Surrendered to the Americans, handed over by them to the Russians. Tried for war crimes and spent 10 years in prison before release in 1955. Joined West German Air Force in 1956 but was retired by them in 1970 because of his objection to the purchase of F-104 Starfighters. Did civilian flight instruction after this. In 1997 he was cleared of all the crimes he had been imprisoned for. Died 20th September 1993.

Rob

[Doug Robertson]

Congrats to you both for getting the quiz's correct answers!