Best Luftwaffe Ace
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Best Luftwaffe Ace
[Moved from the Polls section]
Who was the best Luftwaffe ace (not neccessarily in numbers, but also in tactics and strategy)?
Who was the best Luftwaffe ace (not neccessarily in numbers, but also in tactics and strategy)?
"Only the spirit of attack, born in a brave heart, will bring success to any fighter aircraft, no matter how highly developed it may be."
-General der Flieger Adolf Galland, 1912-1996
-General der Flieger Adolf Galland, 1912-1996
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Marseille?!
Why didn't you include Hans-Joachim Marseille in your list? Oh, well, in his absence I had to vote with Hartmann... 

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Rudel!!!
Score
2530 Combat missions
11 Air victories
530 Tanks (five complete Russian Tank Corps)
150 AA and AT positions
800 Motor vehicles
1½ Battleship (he heavily damaged one)
1 Destroyer
70 Landing craft
Numberous bridges and bunkers
30 Times shot down
Only one to be awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds.
/Johan
Score
2530 Combat missions
11 Air victories
530 Tanks (five complete Russian Tank Corps)
150 AA and AT positions
800 Motor vehicles
1½ Battleship (he heavily damaged one)
1 Destroyer
70 Landing craft
Numberous bridges and bunkers
30 Times shot down
Only one to be awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds.
/Johan
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As for the answer to "Who was the greatest "ace" of the Luftwaffe?", my vote would go to Rudel, no doubt, but I got the feeling that the implied question was "Who was the greatest fighter ace of the Luftwaffe?" (two different things. In that case, my vote would go to Marseille. Funny, neither were included in the poll.
Respectfully,
Logan Hartke
Respectfully,
Logan Hartke
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Its hard to say who the best is. Its a matter of opinion really. There are so many that tons will always be left out (Marseille, Rudel, Rall, Nowotny, etc..).
I voted for Mölders though. He came up with the tactics used after all. The British even used his ideas.
First to get diamonds, first to 100, died pretty early in the war (plane crash, non combat accident) yet still had over 100 victories. It would be interesting to know what he would have done with the Me 262. Maybe he could have convinced Hitler/Göring to use the Me 262 better. The Allies gained a big advantage when he died.
mike
I voted for Mölders though. He came up with the tactics used after all. The British even used his ideas.
First to get diamonds, first to 100, died pretty early in the war (plane crash, non combat accident) yet still had over 100 victories. It would be interesting to know what he would have done with the Me 262. Maybe he could have convinced Hitler/Göring to use the Me 262 better. The Allies gained a big advantage when he died.
mike
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I agree, that's why I specified between ace (what the writer of the poll said) and fighter pilot (what I believe the writer of the poll implied). Technically, Rudel is an ace since he scored over 5 air-to-air kills, but he is certainly not a fighter pilot. That's why I made mine specific.Erik E wrote:It is difficult to compare men like Rudel and Galland, as they did 2 compleately different jobs... Anyway it was probably easier to shoot down another plane using a Me109, rather than a Ju87
Erik E
Respectfully,
Logan Hartke
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