Which WWII Axis nation produced most dangerous pilots?

[cheddar cheese]

Whoops, I missed that. Now im angry with myself, because I failed to remember their use of G.50's

 

[plan_D]

See those Gladiator sorties? What a joke. 2,000 - 1 Victory - 10 losses for TleLv.16. That actually might be a ground attack unit, this is my guess because it's different from the others.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I heard stories about the Russians pilots, shooting down a German, landing their aircraft close to their victim, then attempting to kill em' while on the ground!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Russians also used their I-16's on occasions to just ram straight through the enemy

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Theres a photo I've seen of a HE 111 shot down by the Russians at the start of the German invasion. The thing looks like it has 1000 holes in it.

At times I think the Ruskies could of been the most dangerous - a little anger management problem maybe? Maybe for good reason!

 

[plan_D]

They needed anger management but they were just poo pilots. They got slaughtered, let's face it.

 

[mosquitoman]

Apart from the odd 1 or 2 that didn't- like Kodhezub and Poryshkin (are they spelt right?)

 

[plan_D]

Yes, there were around 3 that had talent but poor training let the VVS down. As well as letting their pilots fly drunk.

 

[mosquitoman]

They flew drunk!?

 

[plan_D]

I have heard stories of a few flying drunk, yes. Vodka provides courage, or so they thought. They also gave alcohol to their ground troops but in some circumstances so did the Germans.

 

[mosquitoman]

Along the same lines as the tot of rum in the Royal Navy then

 

[plan_D]

Nah, that was just because the Royal Navy are a bunch of pissheads.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Yes, there were around 3 that had talent but poor training let the VVS down. As well as letting their pilots fly drunk.

Although a lot later, read Victor Belinko's book "Mig Pilot." He's the guy that defected with a Mig-25 to Japan in 1976. He tells of a time when he's getting ready for a training mission and his crew chief fell backbard on the borading ladder while he was being strapped into this aircraft. The guy drank some straight alcohol used to perge brake lines during aircraft maintenace.

Belinko stated that at any given time, half the Soviet AF ground personnel were stoned drunk!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Apart from the odd 1 or 2 that didn't- like Kodhezub and Poryshkin (are they spelt right?)

Kozhedub and Pokryshkin.

Sorry, couldnt resist

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

on a very good spitfire documentary i saw recently, they were talking about the oxygen systems, and stated that "it of course didn't take long for the ground crews to realise that a few breaths of oxygen were an instant cure for a hangover", not that RAF ground crew ever got drunk...........

 

[cheddar cheese]

Youve been waiting for the opportunity to post that

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

but there could be no better opertunity to post it could there, and if there was who knows how long i'd be waiting for it...........

 

[cheddar cheese]

...Or how long it would be before I said it

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well i couldn't let you take credit for it could i............

 

[FLYBOYJ]

few breaths of oxygen were an instant cure for a hangover"

Yep - I could confirm, it still is!