Best fighter Pilot

[-ammo-]

The US was still building and Army Air corps and their tactics were all theory until they arrived in the middle of 1942.

I started to question you but realize you likely take into account the early days of the PTO (Coral Sea/Midway).  USAAC fighter operations -  excluding the Eagle Squadron - didn't start in the ETO or MTO until March of 1943, right?

[morfiend]

Buzz Beurling is up there IMO.

   They only called him "Buzz" in polite company,many called him screwball and others had a name for him that would get me PNG'd!

   When he was sent home to do a war bond drive he did exactly 1 meeting,then they shipped him back to England to teach pilots.  His descriptions of aircombat were very graphic and the women's aux. were horrified as he spoke about shooting enemies in the head!  A great pilot he may have been but taken as a whole,pretty far out there!


  Picking the best fighter pilot is like picking the best fighter,too many variables and too many different styles.


   

[Oldman731]

USAAC fighter operations -  excluding the Eagle Squadron - didn't start in the ETO or MTO until March of 1943, right?

I imagine they started in November, 1942 with the invasion of North Africa.

- oldman

[-ammo-]

I imagine they started in November, 1942 with the invasion of North Africa.

- oldman

Which USAAC unit(s) supported the invasion and from where?

[Oldman731]

Which USAAC unit(s) supported the invasion and from where?

33rd Fighter Group P-40s took off from carriers on November 10, 1942 and landed at Port Lyautey.  Pretty famous picture showing them on carrier deck, which, of course, I can't find.

81st and 350th Fighter Groups flew P-39s in North Africa by the end of 1942.  Can't quickly tell when the 38s from the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups got there, but I suspect it was well before March, 1943.  Also the 31st and 52nd FGs had Spitfires.

- oldman

[Skull-1]

33rd Fighter Group P-40s took off from carriers on November 10, 1942 and landed at Port Lyautey.  Pretty famous picture showing them on carrier deck, which, of course, I can't find.

81st and 350th Fighter Groups flew P-39s in North Africa by the end of 1942.  Can't quickly tell when the 38s from the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups got there, but I suspect it was well before March, 1943.  Also the 31st and 52nd FGs had Spitfires.

- oldman

On Google Search type : P-40 operation torch carrier deck

Or

P-40 carrier deck 1942

[Ack-Ack]

I think the WW1 boys should be considered as well

Boelcke
Richthofen
Udet
Voss


Bishop
Ball
Georges Guynemer
Rene Fonck
Rickenbacker

The WW2 pilots walked on the shoulders of these giants

If you're going to toss in WW1 pilots, Douglas Campbell is another one to add.  He only had 5 kills before being wounded and his war ended, he had only learned to fly 6 weeks prior.  According to Eddie Rickenbacker, who wrote about Douglas in his book, he claims that Douglas, wanting to get into action quickly taught himself to fly in a Nieuport and quickly racked up 5 kills before being wounded in the back by a bullet.  Rickenbacker considered Douglad Campbell to be one of the finest natural pilots he ran into.

ack-ack

[FBKampfer]

Hartmann may have had a target rich environment, but he was also coming in at a tough time. Luftwaffe was starting to lose control in the East, heavy fighting in the West, and by 1944, Germany was starting to feel the pinch with fuel and supplies.

I've read that ready rate for their fighter forces was only around 70% due to lack of spare parts alone by July.

[Widewing]

Surprised that David McCampbell hasn't been mentioned.  At the least, he was probably the United States best fighter pilot, the only US pilot to make "ace in a day" twice.

ack-ack

McCampbell shot down 9, with two probables in a single sortie... All kills confirmed as crashing by witnesses. His wingman added 6 more.

[Karnak]

McCampbell shot down 9, with two probables in a single sortie... All kills confirmed as crashing by witnesses. His wingman added 6 more.

Masterful shooting no doubt, but at the same time we have to acknowledge that the quality of one's opponents does play a significant role in these things.

[FBKampfer]

Masterful shooting no doubt, but at the same time we have to acknowledge that the quality of one's opponents does play a significant role in these things.

An enormous role. The Axis airforces, while incapable of competing numerically, and for the Japanese, technically, may have been losing, but they weren't a beaten force until lack of training caught up with them. After it did, it wasn't so much them finally losing the fight, as much as they simply collapsed from within.

I'd say quality of one's opponents should count for a great deal.

[icepac]

Shinohara became a double ace on his first combat mission.

[Flench]

  for a great thread for a change .

[Kazan_HB]

Witold Urbanowicz, during the war none of Witold Urbanowicz's planes were hit by a single enemy bullet.

[DaveBB]

I have an entry for Worst Fighter Pilot:

Scott O'Grady, F-16 pilot.  Caused his flight lead to miss out on being an ace because he fired his missiles incompetently.  Sent back the U.S. for remedial weapons training.  Returned to theater and was shot down on his first mission by a SAM.  O'Grady did not maneuver his jet when he was fired upon, but instead flew straight and level.  At the time of impact, his flight leader was pulling 8G's.