What German pilot had the most kills in ww2?
Daniel Johnson
Published Mar 18, 2026
What German pilot had the most kills in ww2?
Erich Hartmann
A new book examines the life of the WWII German ace. While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.
What did Erich Hartmann do?
Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial combat on 825 separate occasions.
How many sorties were there in ww2?
364,514 operational sorties
(For more details, see “Aircrew Ages” section below.) In total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft lost in action.
Who is the greatest air ace of all time?
Manfred von Richthofen, known as the “Red Baron”, scored the most officially accepted kills in World War I and is arguably the most famous flying ace of all time.
How long did Erich Hartmann fly?
Between Oct. 14, 1942 and VE Day — a period of 937 days — Hartmann flew an astounding 1,404 combat missions. A full 825 of these flights put him in the company of enemy aircraft.
Who is the greatest fighter pilot of all time?
” Hartmann
Erich “Bubi” Hartmann Erich Hartmann is the most successful fighter pilot of all times – with 352 kills. A number that will never be surpassed. His nickname “Bubi” means “little boy” – and it’s easy to find out why he was called like that. He was also called “The black devil”.
How many Red Tails died?
The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 sorties between May 1943 and June 1945. Bomber crews often requested to be escorted by these “Red Tails,” a nicknamed acquired from the painted tails of Tuskegee fighter planes, which were a distinctive deep red. Sixty-six Tuskegee Airmen died in combat.
How many b29s were shot down?
Over the course of the war, B-29s flew 20,000 sorties and dropped 200,000 tonnes (180,000 tons) of bombs. B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft. In turn 78 B-29 were lost; 57 B-29 and reconnaissance variants were lost in action and 21 were non-combat losses.
Who is the best fighter pilot of all time?
Erich
1. Erich “Bubi” Hartmann. Erich Hartmann is the most successful fighter pilot of all times – with 352 kills.
What is a triple ace pilot?
Triple-ace in a day To achieve this a pilot must have destroyed 15 enemy aircraft in a single day. This has been achieved by only five pilots, all from the Luftwaffe: Emil Lang shot down 18 Soviet fighters on 3 November 1943, the most kills on a single day by any pilot in history.