Luftwaffe Fighter Aces (37 page)

Heinrich
Prinz
zu Sayn-Wittgenstein***
NJG 2, NJG 100, NJG 3.
TV 83 (29 EF). CD WF Aug 41. TS not known. KIA 21.1.44. Former bomber pilot.

Wilhelm Herget**
ZG 76, NJG 3, NJG 1, NJG 4, JV 44.
TV 72 (15 by day: 14 F and BoB, 1 WF with Me 262). CD P 39. TS 700+. SR c.9.72. 57 night and 11 day victories with RO
Hans Liebherr*.

Werner Streib***
ZG 1, NJG 1.
TV 66 (1 by day). CD F 40. TS not known. 14 shared with RO
Kurt Bundrock*.

Manfred Meurer**
NJG 1, NJG 5.
TV 65. CD probably F 40. TS not known. KIA Magdeburg 21.1.44. 60 victories with RO
Gerhard Scheibe*.

Günther Radusch**
ZG 1, NJG 1, NJG 3, NJG 2.
TV 65 (1 by day in Spain flying He 112). CD S 38. TS (WW2 only) c.140. SR (WW2 only) 2.19.

Rudolf Schönert**
NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3, NJG 100, NJG 10, NJG 5.
TV 64 (35 EF). CD WF June 41. TS not known. Regular RO
Hannes Richter*.

Heinz Rökker**
NJG 2.
TV 64 (inc. 1 by day, several M). CD M spring 42. TS 170. SR 2.66. 61 night and 1 day victory with RO
Carlos Nugent*.

Paul Zorner**
NJG 2, NJG 3, NJG 100, NJG 5.
TV 59. CD WF July 42. TS 108. SR 1.83. 58 victories with RO
Heinrich Wilke*.
Former transport pilot.

Martin Becker**
NJG 4, NJG 6.
TV 58. CD WF 43. TS c.83. SR c.1.43. Former reconnaissance pilot. All with RO
Karl-Ludwig Johanssen*.

Gerhard Raht**
NJG 3, NJG 2.
TV 58. CD WF 42. TS 171. SR 2.95. 56 with RO
Anton Heinemann*.

Heinz Strüning**
ZG 26, NJG 2, NJG 1.
TV 56. CD F 40. TS 250. SR 4.46. KIA Werl 24.12.44.

Josef Kraft**
NJG 4, NJG 5, NJG 6, NJG 1
. TV 56 (20 EF). CD probably 43.
TS 145. SR 2.59.

Gustav Francsi*
NJG 100.
TV 56 (52 EF, 4 WF). CD and TS not known.

Hans-Dieter Frank**
ZG 1, NJG 1.
TV 55. CD WF 40. TS not known. KIA 27.9.43.

Heinz Vinke**
NJG 1.
TV 54. CD late 42. TS not known. KIA 26.2.44.

August Geiger**
NJG 1.
TV 53. CD spring 41. TS not known. KIA Ijsselmeer 29.9.43.

Herbert Lütje**
NJG 1, NJG 6.
TV 53 (inc. 2 by day: 1 4/e). CD July 40. TS c.150. SR c.2.83.

Martin Drewes**
ZG 76, NJG 1
.
TV 52 (9 by day inc. 7 4/e). CD WF 40. TS 235. SR 4.52. 37 victories with RO
Erich Handke*.

Werner Hoffmann*
ZG 52, ZG 2, NJG 3, NJG 5.
TV 52 (1 by day). CD WF 40. TS 190. SR 3.65.

Egmont
Prinz
zur Lippe-Weissenfeid**
ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 5.
TV 51. CD WF 40. TS not known. KAS Ardennes 12.3.44.

Hans-Joachim Jabs**
ZG 76, NJG 1.
TV 50 (22 by day: 8F, 12 BoB, 2 WF). CD F40. TS 710. SR 14.20. Most victories shared with RO
Erich Weissflog*.

Kurt Welter**
JG 301, NJG 11.
TV 50+ (at least 4 by day). Believed to have scored several night victories with Me 262. Leading
Wilde Sau
pilot. CD 43. TS not known.

Hermann Greiner**
NJG
7. TV 50 (4 4/e by day). CD WF 42. TS 126. SR 2.52.

Reinhard Kollak*
NJG 1, NJG 4.
TV 49. CD Oct. 40. TS c.250. SR c.5.10.

Paul Gildner**
ZG 1, NJG 1.
TV 48 (4 by day, WF 40). CD WF 40. TS not known. KIA 24.2.43.

Walter Borchers*
ZG 76, NJG 3, NJG 5.
TV c.48 (12 by day F and BoB, 3 4/e by day WF). CD F 40. TS not known. KIA Leipzig 5.3.45.

Johannes Häger*
NJG 1.
TV 48 (1 4/e by day). CD WF 42/43. TS 99. SR 2.06.

Ludwig Becker**
NJG 1.
TV 46. CD WF 40. TS not known. KIA North Sea 26.2.43. RO
Staub
shared in 40 victories, AG
Wilhelm Gänsler*
in 17.

Paul Semrau**
NJG
2. TV 46 (inc. 9 intruder over England 40/41). CD F 40. TS not known. KIA Holland 8.2.45.

Hans-Heinz Augenstein*
NJG 1.
TV 46. CD late 42. TS not known. KIA nr Münster 6.12.44.

Rudolf Frank**
NJG 3.
TV 45. CD summer 41. TS 183. SR 4.07. KIA Eindhoven 26/27.4.44. Most if not all victories with RO
Hans-Georg Schierholz*.

Ernst Drunkler*
ZG 2, NJG 1, NJG 5.
TV 45 (5 EF, 2 4/e by day). CD EF May 42. TS (night only) 87. SR (night only) 2.02.

Reinhold Knacke**
ZG 1, NJG 1.
TV 44. CD F 40. TS not known. KIA Holland 3.2.43. 35 shared with RO
Kurt Bundrock*.

Alois Lechner*
NJG 2, NJG 100.
TV 43 (all EF). CD c.42. TS not known. MIA Mogilev 23.2.44. Former bomber pilot.

Werner Baake*
NJG
7. TV 41. CD 42. TS 195. SR 4.76. All victories with
RO Bettaque.

Leopold Feilerer*
NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 6.
TV 41 (2 day). CD WF 40. TS not known.

Ludwig Meister*
NJG 1, NJG 4.
TV 41. CD WF Sept. 41. TS 120. SR 2.93.

Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin*
NJG 1, NJG 102.
TV 39 (2 4/e by day). CD Oct. 40. TS c. 150. SR c.3.85.

Dietrich Schmidt*
NJG 1.
TV 39. CD Sept. 41. TS 171. SR 4.38.

Günther Bahr*
SKG 210, NJG 4, NJG 6.
TV 37 (36 4/e at night WF and 1 day EF). CD EF June 41. TS (night only) c.90. SR (night only) c.2.50.

Wilhelm Beier*
NJG 2, NJG 1, NJG 3.
TV 36 (all WF, 14 intruder England 40/41). CD WF 40. TS c.250. SR c.6.94.

Helmut Bergmann*
NJG 4, NJG 1
. TV 36. CD July 41. TS c.135. SR c.3.75. MIA Avranches 6.8.44.

Walter Ehle*
ZG
7,
NJG
7. TV 36 (3 day, 2 of which P). CD P 39. TS not known. KIA St Truiden 17.11.43.

Heinz-Horst Hissbach*
NJG 2.
TV 34. CD M 41. TS 200+. SR c.5.88. KIA Gelnhausen 14.4.45.

Wilhelm Johnen*
NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 6.
TV 34. CD early 42. TS 200+. SR c.5.88.

Heinz-Martin Hadeball*
NJG 1, NJG 4, NJG 6, NJG 10.
TV 33. CD WF June 41.TS c.350. SR c.10.61.

Josef Kociok*
ZG 76, SKG 210, 1
0(NJ)/ZG 1.
TV 33 (all EF, 21 night). CD WF 40. TS c.200. SR c.6.06. KIA Kertsch 26.9.43.

Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow*
NJG
7. TV 33. CD Nov. 43. TS 109. SR 3.30. Former transport pilot.

Werner Husemann*
NJG 1, NJG 3.
TV c.32. CD WF 42. TS 250+. SR c.7.81. Previously a weather reconnaissance pilot. Most later victories with RO
Hans-Georg Schierholz*.

Klaus Bretschneider*
JG 300.
TV at least 31 (17 by day inc. at least 3 4/e, and 14
Wilde Sau
victories in 20 sorties). CD not known. SR
Wilde Sau
only 1.43. KIA Kassel 24.12.44.

Hubert Rauh*
NJG 1,NJG 4.
TV 31. CD Jan. 42. TS 150. SR 4.84.

Karl-Heinz Scherfling*
NJG 1.
TV 31 at least. CD WF summer 42. TS not known. KIA Belgium 21.7.44.

Gerhard Friedrich*
NJG 4, NJG 6.
TV 30. CD 42. TS not known. KIA 16.3.45. Previously transport pilot.

Friedrich-Karl Müller*
JG 300, NJG 10.
TV 30 (23 as
Wilde Sau
pilot). CD July 43. TS (night) 52. SR 1.73. Previously bomber and transport pilot.

Paul Szameitat*
NJG 1
,
NJG 5, NJG
3. TV 29 (inc. 1 4/e by day). CD 43. TS not known. KIA Bückeburg 2.1.44.

Heinrich Wohlers*
NJG 1, NJG 4, NJG 6.
TV 29. CD 41. TS not known. KIA Echterdingen 15.3.44. Former reconnaissance pilot.

Anton Benning*
JG 106, JG 301.
TV 28 (inc. 18 4/e, about 15 at night as
Wilde Sau
pilot). CD June 43. TS c.100. SR c.3.57. Former transport pilot.

Hans Krause*
NJG 3, NJG 101.
TV 28. CD and TS not known.

Fritz Lau*
NJG 1.
TV 28. CD autumn 43. TS 76. SR 2.71. Former transport pilot.

Lothar Linke*
ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2.
TV 28 (3 by day). CD WF 39. TS 100+. SR c.3.57. KIA Holland 14.5.43.

Rudolf Sigmund*
NJG 1, NJG 3.
TV 28 (inc. 2 by day). CD spring 42. TS not known. KIA Kassel 3.10.43.

Hermann Wischnewski*
JG 300.
TV 28 (16
Wilde Sau,
12 by day, all WF). CD July 43. TS not known. Former transport pilot.

Heinz Grimm*
NJG 1
. TV 27 (1 4/e by day). CD WF 41. TS not known. KIA 9.10.43.

Alfons Köster*
NJG 2, NJG 3.
TV 25 at least (inc. 11 over England 40/41 and 5 NA). CD WF 40. TS 200+. SR c.8.00. KIA Oldenburg 7.1.45.

Helmuth Schulte*
NJG 5.
TV 25. CD Sept. 43. TS c.180. SR c.7.20. Former army observation pilot.

The most usual way of assessing the performance of the aces is by victory totals. Using this method, Erich Hartmann is pre-eminent by a considerable margin. There are, however, other factors to consider, the major one of which is opportunity. Ideally, the best alternative would be to divide the number of sorties on which contact was made with the enemy by the number of victories to give a strike rate. Unfortunately this information is available only in rare cases, and the data obtained would be insufficient to give even a moderately accurate picture. On the other hand, the total number of sorties flown is known in the majority of cases. The author has adopted this method in the following table as a useful alternative. With one exception, only those pilots with a strike rate equal to or better than that of Hartmann are shown.

Abbreviations are as follows: SR—Strike Rate; TV—Total Victories; KIA—Killed in Action or on Active Service. ‘Front’ refers to the theatre of operations in which the majority of victories were scored.

Interestingly, strike rates for night fighters where known match the best of those of the day fighters. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer scored at the rate of one victory for every 1.36 sorties, beating everyone except Günther Scheel; Martin Becker came next at 1.43.
Wilde Sau
pilot Friedrich-Karl ‘Nasen’ Müller matched Werner Schroer’s rate of 1.73, while Paul Zorner averaged 1.83.

Aders, Gebhard,
History of the German Night Fighter Force 1917–1945,
Jane’s, London 1979. (Original edition:
Geschichte der Deutschen Nachtjagd 1917–1945,
Motorbuch, Stuttgart, 1977.)

Alexander, Jean,
Russian Aircraft since 1940,
Putnam, London, 1975.

Anon.,
The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force, 1933-1945,
Arms & Armour Press, London, 1983.

Bekker, Cajus D.,
The Luftwaffe War Diaries,
Macdonald, London, 1967.

Boyd, Alexander,
The Soviet Air Force since 1918,
Macdonald and Jane’s, London, 1977.