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To: PzLdr
Richard Bong, U.S; better still Erich Hartmann, Germany [352 kills], better than that Nazawa {?} of Japan. Over 600 kills, going back to the Chinese [according to Saburo Sakai].

Which points out a basic flaw in Axis pilot rotation: Their best pilots flew until they were killed. An Ace killed in a landing accident or an engine fire is just as dead as one killed in a dogfight.

Our best pilots were regularly rotated into training slots. Either as IP's or tactics or training on the next "hot aircraft". Tactical know-how was imparted to new pilots until our "average pilot" was much better than "their average pilot" -- plus ours were generally better equipped. That's how you win wars in an industrial age.

94 posted on 04/09/2009 3:35:25 PM PDT by Tallguy ("The sh- t's chess, it ain't checkers!" -- Alonzo (Denzel Washington) in "Training Day")
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