Author Topic: Hey Widewing....  (Read 297 times)

Offline Guppy35

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Hey Widewing....
« on: March 15, 2004, 03:15:59 PM »
Nothing to do with Aces High, but a question for you based on a comment I saw on your site when hunting for info on Soviet Mig 15 Aces.

I came across a show on TV where they were talking about the Mig 15 and the Soviet aces who flew it in Korea.  That they were there is fairly common knowledge, but the kills claims seemed a bit steep to me with one guy claiming 16 F86s among his 23 kills.  He also claimed 2 F94s an F84 and an F98?(no clue what that was, no F89s flying in Korea that I know of) among his kills.

So I went hunting on the web and most sites seem to support those Soviet claims, but a comment on your site refers to 'wildly inflated claims".

I'd tend to agree with that, but is there some place where you found info to support that belief?

Thanks

Dan/Slack
Dan/CorkyJr
8th FS "Headhunters

Offline Widewing

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Re: Hey Widewing....
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2004, 07:09:44 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35
Nothing to do with Aces High, but a question for you based on a comment I saw on your site when hunting for info on Soviet Mig 15 Aces.

I came across a show on TV where they were talking about the Mig 15 and the Soviet aces who flew it in Korea.  That they were there is fairly common knowledge, but the kills claims seemed a bit steep to me with one guy claiming 16 F86s among his 23 kills.  He also claimed 2 F94s an F84 and an F98?(no clue what that was, no F89s flying in Korea that I know of) among his kills.

So I went hunting on the web and most sites seem to support those Soviet claims, but a comment on your site refers to 'wildly inflated claims".

I'd tend to agree with that, but is there some place where you found info to support that belief?

Thanks

Dan/Slack


I simply check loss records and compare them to the Soviet claims by date. If it came home, the claim is discounted.

You can get detailed loss data from the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB. However, be prepared to travel there.

My regards,

Widewing
My regards,

Widewing

YGBSM. Retired Member of Aces High Trainer Corps, Past President of the DFC, retired from flying as Tredlite.

Offline Guppy35

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Hey Widewing....
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2004, 07:46:34 PM »
Thanks Widewing.  I've not been there.  I have purchased some of the microfilm wartime group histories for different projects I've worked on.  It's some amazing info they have stored away there.

Since you've already done the legwork, I'll take your word for it :)

One of the things I was running into on the sites about the Russian Mig drivers was that same kind of work being done from Soviet archives to discount USAF claims.

Same old story I guess

Dan/Slack
Dan/CorkyJr
8th FS "Headhunters

Offline Angus

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Hey Widewing....
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2004, 02:48:07 AM »
Hehe, been there, sort of.
Was checking RAF combat claims vs LW loss records. The LW loss records definately have holes in them, for I've even had problems finding losses where pilot+plane were captured!
Also checked LW claims vs RAF losses. The British records seem to be complete, and the LW claims are quite accurate.
The places I went to were in London, the IWM (microfilm and photo depatrments)  and the PRO.
It was very interesting to carry out the flight trials at Rechlin with the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Both types are very simple to fly compared to our aircraft, and childishly easy to take-off and land. (Werner Mölders)