There were too many aces to count anyhow.
The Greatest Fighter Pilot of WWII... Finalized....
- Thread starter lesofprimus
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #263
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Do u like anything non-Japanese???
Matt308
Glock Perfection
Snuff films
ohka345 you need to downsize your siggy. For a siggy it is too large.
Profile said:
Sakai, wasn't that the guy who flew hundreds of miles with a bulet hole in his head? I thought I saw something on Discovery about him.
- Thread starter
- #269
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Yes, he lost an eye as well...
Matt308
Glock Perfection
That's mean. I gotta start looking at these guys profiles before I pig pile. I feel bad now. Phew. Glad that's overwith.
Lucky13
Forum Mascot
"Once committed to an attack, fly in at full speed. After scoring crippling or disabling hits, I would clear myself and then repeat the process. I never pursued the enemy once they had eluded me. Better to break off and set up again for a new assault. I always began my attacks from full strength, if possible, my ideal flying height being 22,000 ft because at that altitude I could best utilize the performance of my aircraft. Combat flying is based on the slashing attack and rough maneuvering. In combat flying, fancy precision aerobatic work is really not of much use. Instead, it is the rough maneuver which succeeds"
"Of all my accomplishments I may have achieved during the war, I am proudest of the fact that I never lost a wingman."
"It was my view that no kill was worth the life of a wingman. . . . Pilots in my unit who lost wingmen on this basis were prohibited from leading a [section]. The were made to fly as wingman, instead."
"You can have computer sights of anything you like, but I think you have to go to the enemy on the shortest distance and knock him down from point-blank range. You'll get him from in close. At long distance, it's questionable."
"I opened fire when the whole windshield was black with the enemy . . . at minimum range . . . it doesn't matter what your angle is to him or whether you are in a turn or any other maneuver."
"See, decide, attack, reverse."
"Every day kill just one, rather than today five, tomorrow ten . . . that is enough for you. Then your nerves are calm and you can sleep good, you have your drink in the evening and the next morning you are fit again."
"If he is superior then I would go home, for another day that is better."
Yep.... You all know this gentleman fellas. It's all from Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, Luftwaffe.
"Of all my accomplishments I may have achieved during the war, I am proudest of the fact that I never lost a wingman."
"It was my view that no kill was worth the life of a wingman. . . . Pilots in my unit who lost wingmen on this basis were prohibited from leading a [section]. The were made to fly as wingman, instead."
"You can have computer sights of anything you like, but I think you have to go to the enemy on the shortest distance and knock him down from point-blank range. You'll get him from in close. At long distance, it's questionable."
"I opened fire when the whole windshield was black with the enemy . . . at minimum range . . . it doesn't matter what your angle is to him or whether you are in a turn or any other maneuver."
"See, decide, attack, reverse."
"Every day kill just one, rather than today five, tomorrow ten . . . that is enough for you. Then your nerves are calm and you can sleep good, you have your drink in the evening and the next morning you are fit again."
"If he is superior then I would go home, for another day that is better."
Yep.... You all know this gentleman fellas. It's all from Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, Luftwaffe.
Can't believe Zemke and Blakeslee aren't choices. Guys who led the 2 most successful USAAF units and each ran up a respectable score of their own.
Heck, Blakeslee fought for over 3 years non-stop before finally being ordered out of combat and sent home.
Blakeslee would be my choice. Zemke second. Charles MacDonald third. Got a thing for combat leadership.
Heck, Blakeslee fought for over 3 years non-stop before finally being ordered out of combat and sent home.
Blakeslee would be my choice. Zemke second. Charles MacDonald third. Got a thing for combat leadership.
- Thread starter
- #274
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Zemke was on a previous poll and garnered ZERO votes, so he is not included in this poll...
Wierd how all 3 of ur choices are American.... Alittle biased perhaps???
Wierd how all 3 of ur choices are American.... Alittle biased perhaps???
Erich
the old Sage
Treize you seem to forget that it was a US 9th AF fighter unit from my home state that led all USAF in the ETO fighter groups top scoring, the Pioneer Mustangs - 354th fg.
Only in a2a, both the 4th and 56th beat them in combined a2a and ground kills. 4th also lost fewer pilots and aircraft despite being in action 16 months longer. Don't know the stats on the 56th.
And on this topic, of course I'm liable to be a bit biased, my grandfather did serve under Blakeslee for 2 years. Zemke was just as effective a leader, he just went about it in a totally different way. And MacDonald was the Blakeslee of the Pacific.
Zemke probably got 0 votes because most people just looks at how many kills a pilot got.
And I'm deleting the rest of this post because I'm tired, in a bad mood and this just got even more argumentative as it went.
- Thread starter
- #277
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
And my Grandpa was a Blacksheep and flew with Pappy Boyington, but that doesnt make me so nearsighted that I cant see what Heinz Bar accomplished, killing on every front....
I doubt that... There are some very intelligent members here, and while being a great leader and tactician matter, this Poll is about the Greatest Fighter Pilot, and fighter pilots shoot down enemy aircraft...
And I'm deleting the rest of this post because I'm tired, in a bad mood and this just got even more argumentative as it went.
Ohhhhh does someone not like it when someone disagrees with them? This discussion did not get argumentive at all, it was a discussion. Not everyone is going to agree or disagree with you. That is life, get over it and dont throw a temper tantrum....
Yeah, well, gotta give the guy some credit, that was one hell of an accomplishment. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, don't you think?
Erich
the old Sage
what a bunch of crock, aerial kills is very important and the 354th beat them both out.
who cares anyway really ..........
Zemke was a hoot as I knew him. Overall the kills category really does not matter in the long run. It is the extent of service and in what theater and what enemy with what a/c. I still do not buy that Hartmann was the best overall
who cares anyway really ..........
Zemke was a hoot as I knew him. Overall the kills category really does not matter in the long run. It is the extent of service and in what theater and what enemy with what a/c. I still do not buy that Hartmann was the best overall
