Percentage of aces for belligerant nation

[greybeard]

I wonder what was percentage of operational pilots having five or more kills, among main air forces in the world during WWII. So far, I found lists of them, even detailed, but how many were them in comparison with related total of active fighter pilots?

Thanks,
GB

 

[Juha]

Definitely not one of the main AFs, in fact Iceland didn't have an AF, but 100% of Icelandic fighter pilots were aces, in fact the only one, who flew in RAF but 100% is hard to beat.

Juha

 

[stona]

Almost impossible to do. What does "active fighter pilots mean"? The total who served throughout the conflict? Those that served in the same period as an expert/ace?
For example as the Luftwaffe was minced in the West in the first three months of 1944 it effectively lost 100% of its fighter pilots but still had that number (somewhat over 2000) theoretically available.
Cheers
Steve

 

[greybeard]

Thanks for your answers. I for one don't know how this datum can actually be collected. Theoretically, what I would need is percentage of (living) aces on operational fighter pilots at same time; this because shouldn't be counted dead aces at a certain time as well as not yet active pilots in early war years. If this is not practicable, a "grand total" would be still better than nothing; I mean, all aces of a nation on all pilots that nation had.

Sorry for weird question. I think, though, that after so much was wrote about them, such a statistic would give an interesting, wider view of this matter.

 

[Juha]

Hello greybeard
I have seen number of aces for certain AFs in a book, but cannot remember for sure where. And anyway I don't have info on the validity of those numbers and the number of pilots serving in those AFs during the war.

Juha

 

[greybeard]

Thank you for kind help, but I would need just some reliable number.

GB

 

[tyrodtom]

When you say living, surely you mean still living at the end of WW2, not still living today.

 

[Juha]

Hello Greybeard
I have difficulties to find the book, a bit messy in my attick, my daughter has moved out but much of her stuff is still here and of course in front so that they will be easyly move out, but according to Chris Chant's The Illustrated History of the Air Forces of WW I WW II LW had over 5000 aces, RAF 949.

HTH
Juha

 

[GregP]

If you look at all the pilots with victories at all, the percentage is very high. When you score, you learn how to continue to score ... apparently.

But, there are LOT of fighter pilots with zero kills ... and I can't think of how to find out who they are.

I HAVE a list of fighter pilots with victory credits, but no list of fighter pilots without victory credits and no idea of how to get one ...

Good luck!

 

[greybeard]

A friend of mine mentioned following authors about Pacific War: John Lundstrom, Eric Bergerud, Christopher Shore, and Brian Culls. Unfortunately, I've none of them. I recall to have read at least on one book of mine such a percentage, detailing how the vast majority never scored any kill. "So, what they did?" wondered the author, "Well, they were the kills!". But, stupid me, can neither recall what book was nor find among those I have.

Thanks for help, though.

GB

 

[riacrato]

I think the easiest way to get some clue would be to find a detailed history of a well documented fighter unit and start counting. I guess this would be easiest to do for a USAAF / USN or RAF unit.