Who was the best German fighter pilot of ww2?

pilot Erich Hartmann
Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann was exceedingly good at aerial combat. 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.

Did Erich Hartmann fly the Me 262?

Last combat missions He claimed his only aerial victory with JG 53 on 4 February when he shot down a Yak-9 fighter. In March 1945, Hartmann, his score now standing at 337 aerial victories, was asked a second time by General Adolf Galland to join the Me 262 units forming to fly the new jet fighter.

How many Mustangs were shot down?

During World War II Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down, the most of any Allied fighter.

Was the Me 262 a good plane?

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was clearly the best fighter plane of World War II, bristling with firepower and capable of flying 120 miles per hour faster than America’s outstanding P-51 Mustang. However, it is important to put a myth to rest about this classic airplane.

What did German pilots think of the B 17?

‘A German pilot did once say that attacking a B-17 formation from behind was like trying to make love to a porcupine that is on fire,’ Walt Miller, Former 0311/0302 at United States Marine Corps (1973-1993), explains on Quora.

What does the P stand for in WW2 planes?

Answer: The B in B-17 and B-24 stand for Bomber and the P in P-38 stands for Pursuit. The Air Force changed the ‘pursuit’ designation to ‘fighter’ after WW2 which is one reason you may have noticed P-51s being referred to as F-51s in some text.

When did Nowotny join the Luftwaffe?

For his then mandatory Labour Service ( Reichsarbeitsdienst ), he joined the Luftwaffe on 1 October 1939. Nowotny had joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP—National Socialist German Workers’ Party) in 1938 with a membership number 6,382,781.

What did Walter Nowotny do in WW2?

Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian -born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—in 442 combat missions.

How did Nowotny become so good at flying?

Nowotny led his 4-plane Schwarm on a Freie Jagd (literally “free hunt,” or in Allied aviation jargon, a “fighter sweep”). Soon, everyone in the ops room heard over the loudspeaker his radio call that he had achieved his 204th. He was then the top Luftwaffe experte. He kept flying and fighting and shooting down Soviet planes.

What was Nowotny’s JG 54?

In January and February of 1943, JG 54 transitioned to the Fw 190, a rugged aircraft that Nowotny and many othe experten would fly with great success. In August, Nowotny added 49 victories to his score and was promoted to Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG 54. Heady stuff for a 22-year-old.