Best Ace of WW1

[Medvedya]

From what I've heard, Rudolf Hess was no slouch in the cockpit either.

 

[Erich]

Med thanks for that will have to do some more research on his carreer. never knew he ever flew during ww 1. next thing is that we will find that H. Himmler the slime-ball as being a WW 1 ace !!

 

[Erich]

heres a pic of fatty or should I say slim with his craft

 

[plan_D]

Didn't Goering take over Richtofens Jasta 11, when he died?

 

[Erich]

actually Manfred was leading JG 1 and after his death Wilhelm Reinhard took over till July 1918 when he was killed test flying an a/c and Göring then took over command of JG 1 till war's end. For Jasta 11 I am not sure

 

[Medvedya]

Nah, Himmler was a Chicken Farmer - he did have a degree in Acricultural Economics though.

 

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi,

From the German side I also would like to mention Oswald Böelcke. He was the leading ace among the pilots when he died in October, 1916, with 40 victories.

Besides that he created the famous "Boelcke Diktat", the universal rules to any fighter pilot.

Just my two cents.

Douglas.

 

[Nonskimmer]

WW1 aces

http://www.wwiaviation.com/aces/aces.shtml


No one mentioned Mannock(73) or Bishop(72)?

Besides the Baron, there was Oberl. Ernst Udet(62) and Oberlt. Erich Löwenhardt(56).

Without trying to start an argument, Bishop's 72 kills were confirmed while only 61 of Mannock's were. Many sources choose to overlook that.
But then, there was René Fonck with 75 victories.

 

[delcyros]

And he made probably more than the 75 confirmed. He usually kept on to flying lone missions over geman held terretory. No one knows how much he shot down there. And he managed to survive the war! The most inspiring for me are either Albert Ball or Werner Voss. Incredible pilots.

 

[Concorde247]

Nah, Himmler was a Chicken Farmer - he did have a degree in Acricultural Economics though.

Hate to think what he did with the chickens!!!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

kill and eat them??

 

[Medvedya]

I think he was a vegetarian, in fact I'm pretty sure of it.

 

[Concorde247]

yes i think he was too -

 

[GT]

Update.

 

[Concorde247]

What happened to the cups that Richthofen had engraved for every victory?

Regards
GT

They were initailly made of silver - 1 for each kill, but towards the end of the war, when silver was hard to obtain, they were made out of another metal- probably pewter.

They used to be in the Richtofen family home, but when the russians occupied the territory in WW2 they packed them up sent them back to Russia.

They are probably in a warehouse somewhere. i believe that the Richtofen Family have made an official request for their return - i dont know if they've got them back as yet.

 

[Douglas Jr.]

Hmmm

Very strange this Pour Le Merite (Blue Max). Never saw one with a Crown. The only device that could be added to the PLM was a Oakleaves cluster, as far as I know...

Douglas.

 

[GT]

Update.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

DON'T FORGET RAY COLLISHAW "BLACK FLIGHT" LEADER 61 KILLS. LATER BEACAME A VICE AIR MARSHAL. TOP SOPWITH TRIPLANE ACE, WAY BEFORE THE RED BARON!

 

[delcyros]

8) cool sqaudron, very cool planes, indeed. But I stay with Albert Ball or Werner Voss. Both had incredible marksmanship and both got into really tough dogfights. Albert Ball is credited with early "in the turn" kills. Voss used his marksmanship to destroy the enemy engine, not to kill the pilot or destroy the entire plane...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

And Voss - So young! Wondered how Ball and Voss' careers would have gone if they survived the war?