question about fighter pilots

[dkff49]

I think I remember correctly that bomber crews had to complete x amount of sorties to consider their tour complete.


A question was raised at work:

What was the determining factor for the end of tour for fighter pilots in WWII?

[Lusche]

For German pilots: KIA or MIA. Of course some were promoted to staff duties, a few went to training schools (but eventually those were all closed again and the trainers send back to the front)

[Mak333]

Under what nation?

[dkff49]

Under what nation?

my appologizies

I was talking about american pilots

[Ack-Ack]

100 sorties before eligible for rotation stateside?


ack-ack

[2bighorn]

USAF tour of duty: 25 combat missions for bomber crews and 50 for fighter pilots.
Not sure about the Navy...

RAF bomber crews: 30 missions or 200 flight hours

[dkff49]

thanks for responses

I knew I could count on you guys

 

[Soulyss]

I believe in the U.S. Service the tour was based on number of hours spend in combat flying, the number of sorties I think was based on what time a typical sortie would take.  At best I think the numbers changed a lot and depended on what was in the replacements pipeline. 

That's how I think it worked at least.

[LCCajun]

I know for some it was 275hrs then it was raised to 300hrs then to 350hrs. After they were done they had a choice take a 30 day R&R stateside or they could be reassigned to another outfit.

[Guppy35]

For fighter pilots it was operational hours.  This tended to vary some from theater to theater.    I think Don Blakslee of the 4th FG was considered to be the one with the most hours in the ETO for American fighter pilots with over 400.  He tended to doctor his logbook so he could keep flying.

250 hours sounds about right on average though.  Pilots could get 25 hour extentions if requested I believe.

This was for a tour btw.  There were pilots who flew more then one tour and many who flew in different theaters of the war.  George Preddy being a good example having flown in the Aleutians then the PTO and finally the ETO.  John Landers and Sid Woods are two other examples of Aces who flew first in the PTO and then the ETO

[ImMoreBetter]

http://www.303rdbg.com/crewmen-missions.html

The amount of time/missions increased during the war as favor shifted to the allies.

[two7actual]

To add to what Lusche said, Hans Ulrich Rudel was the most decorated German soldier of WWII.  He was also a pilot, flying mostly the Stuka and FW-190.   Over 6 years of operational flying, he flew 2,530 sorties!  Pretty unbelievable!

   

Here is a link to a story Rudel wrote about one of his flights.  Really unbelievable!

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ww1S71HCsssC&pg=PA207&lpg=PA207&dq=Hans+Ulrich+Rudel+the+runner&source=web&ots=i3YmU4Hl-z&sig=uKPWPNU2mORhU0I-ezviVZBaDHk&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA207,M1