--- title: "This is why the most successful fighter pilots in history are all Nazis" date: "2020-04-29" modified: "2020-10-30" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-tactical/most-successful-fighter-pilots-nazis/" categories: - "Aircraft" - "History" - "Tactical" - "War History" - "World War II" --- # This is why the most successful fighter pilots in history are all Nazis ![]() When Erich "Bubi" Hartmann died in 1993, he was still the most successful fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. With an astonishing 352 kills, his record is all but assured until World War III comes around. He's not the only former Nazi *Luftwaffe* pilot whose name is at the top of the list. In fact, the top ten pilots on that list all have German names, including Gerhard Barkhorn (301 kills), Günther Rall (275), and Otto Kittel (267). How did one of the most notably absent air forces in history rack up such impressive kill counts? --- ![]() Hint: They had to be good because their bosses were so bad at their jobs. The reason German pilots scored so high is a combination of skill and time in the air. There's probably also a dash of luck in there, if they managed to survive the war. Since the *L**uftwaffe* saw its best successes at the beginning of the war, taking on obsolete and unprepared air forces in enemy countries, Nazi pilots were fighting for years before American pilots. When the war came home, the number of German pilots dwindled, and enemy targets over Germany rose. A skilled pilot could rack up quite a kill count in that time, especially if they had to fight until the whole war was over, or they were killed or captured. ![]() And they did. (U.S. Army) In contrast, American pilots would be sent home, or rotated out after a certain amount of time spent in the air. At the height of World War II, allied fighter pilots were required to spend [at least 200 hours behind the stick ]()of a fighter aircraft before being eligible to be rotated home. American pilots dutifully fought the required amount of time and went home for some RR. Even Richard Bong, the Army Air Forces' highest-scoring ace – the "Ace of Aces" – scored 40 kills in the Pacific Theater from September 1942 until December 1944. His stay was extended because he was also training pilots in the Philippines. He ended up spending much longer in the area, leading missions and training pilots. Even though he wasn't allowed to seek combat opportunities, Bong still racked up an astonishing 40 kills against the Japanese. ![]() It seems being one the top aces of any war is just a matter of time... and not getting shot down. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()