LUFTWAFFE GROUND KILLS

[fubar57]

I think I had this in the wrong section...Did the Luftwaffe include ground kills as part of a pilot's score? I thought this was only an Eighth Air Force thing. I found a photo of Walter Oesaus's 109E, Werknr.1559 that show 39 kill markings on the rudder, 14 pointing downwards. The caption says that the downward pointing ones indicated ground kills. Thoughts?

Geo

 

[redcoat]

I think I had this in the wrong section...Did the Luftwaffe include ground kills as part of a pilot's score? I thought this was only an Eighth Air Force thing. I found a photo of Walter Oesaus's 109E, Werknr.1559 that show 39 kill markings on the rudder, 14 pointing downwards. The caption says that the downward pointing ones indicated ground kills. Thoughts?

Geo

The Luftwaffe high command didn't count them, but it doesn't mean individual pilots didn't.

 

[fubar57]

Thanks for that, Redcoat. I'll have to find the photo again and see if I can find a date for it, see how it correlates to his kills to that date.

Geo

 

[clinton78]

Wilhelm Balthasar marked his ground kills on his tail/rudder, but they did not count towards his total victory tally.