S!
Every single airforce in the Second World War overclaimed. Usually by an average of 2-1, sometimes as in the case of the Soviets and Japanese, by as high as 3 or 4 to 1.
That doesn't take away from the achievements of the Aces.
At lot of it has to do with training, opportunity and technology. If a pilot is well trained, has a superior aircraft and has lots of chances at combat, then he will get a lot of kills. A 'target rich' enviroment is what is needed.
When Marseille was at his peak, the Me109F4 was the best aircraft in the world. German pilots at that time also had the best training on average of any airforce. And he had the opportunity to have combat with a lot of British aircraft, which were primarily occupied in the Ground attack role. He almost always had the height advantage, against inferior aircraft like the Tomahawk, Kittyhawk and Hurricane II.
Hartmann and the other Eastern Front Aces had the technological advantage early on, later found themselves at a slight disadvantage at the end. However they were fighting against one of the poorest trained airforces in the world, which was almost always operating at low levels, with the Germans having the altitude advantage. They also had the opportunity to have combat almost every day.
Buzz Beurling the Canadian Ace had 31 1/2 victories. 27 of them came in 3 weeks when he was fighting over Malta. The remaining 4 1/2 came over a much longer period of time over Europe. At Malta he had the opportunity of combat every single day. In Europe he rarely saw a German. He was well trained, and although the Spit Vb was not superior to the 109F4, it did have a slight advantage over the MC202, Beurlings other major opponent. He was operating from a altitude disadvantage most of the time though.
