List of German World War II jet aces
Jet aircraft made their first appearance in World War II when on 26 July 1944 Leutnant Alfred Schreiber attacked a No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force Mosquito PR XVI, a reconnaissance aircraft, over the Alps while flying Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017 (German language: Werknummer - factory number). It is often referred to as the first aerial victory by a jet fighter in aviation history.[1] Although damaged, the Mosquito, did in fact, manage to return to an Allied held airfield in Italy. It may therefore be that the first jet victory was actually the confirmed destruction of a different No. 540 Squadron Mosquito PR XVI, also a reconnaissance aircraft, shot down by Leutnant Joachim Weber over Ohlstadt on 8 August 1944.[2]
By 1944 the German Luftwaffe committed three new types of jet or rocket fighter to combat operations. Besides the Me 262, the rocket fighter Me 163 "Komet" and the He 162 "Volksjäger" became operational. Although a few claims were made on the Me 163 and He 162 no pilot achieved ace status on these two types.[3]
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. During World War II hundreds of German Luftwaffe fighter pilots achieved this feat flying contemporary piston engine fighter aircraft.[4] However, only the following 28 pilots are credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft while flying a jet powered aircraft. The list is initially sorted by the number of jet victories claimed.[5]
German jet aces
Template:FixBunching This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the pilot was either killed in action or killed in a flying accident.
Footnotes
- a Kurt Welter is credited in excess of 20 aerial victories while flying the Me 262, but the exact number is disputed.[10]
References
- Citations
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 51.
- ^ Morgan & Weal 1998, pp. 16–17.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 204.
- ^ Spick 1996, pp. 2–3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
- ^ Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 17.
- ^ Weal 2003, p. 92.
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 60.
- ^ Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.
- ^ Hinchliffe 1998, pp. 210, 294.
- Bibliography
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 0-88740-395-6.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 0-87474-275-7.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 1-871187-30-3.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 3-613-01861-6.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 1-85532-634-5.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 0-88740-516-9.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
- Template:Harvrefcol. ISBN 1-84176-084-6.
- External links