Multiple first victories

I was just wondering has there been any ace who has shot down 2 or more planes on the same day as his first victory? What is the highest number anyone scored on his first outing?

While on the subject, what is the highest number of victories any pilot scored in any 1 day? I know that René Fonck scored 6 victories on 2 seperate occasions and I believe there are others who did likewise. Was this ever beaten?

Well for the Great War I think not, however in the Second War, in the Russian Front Eric Hartmann I beleive had 17 well confirmed victories in one day..........Wow!!

By the way, are you sure that Fonck´s victories were all confirmed??.

Eduardo

[Barrett]

It goes without saying that if victories were credited, they were first confirmed.
Can't say about WW I, but the record combat debut for US pilots in WW II was a tie between Marine Lt. Jim Swett (F4F, Solomons, Apr 43) and Maj. Bill Leverette (P-38, Mediterranean, Oct 43) with seven each. Zeke Swett claimed an 8th which was found by a navy searcher farther up the island chain but was never confirmed. Lt. Stanley Vejtasa (F4F, Solomons, Oct 42) was credited with 7 in his first fighter combat but he had prior experience in SBDs. Zeke and Swede and still goin' strong--Swede saved the only US carrier still operating in the Pacific and deserved the MoH because it's been awarded for MUCH less.

cited from 'fighter aces of the luftwaffe' by Toliver and Constable

WWII
most victories in a single day,
Major Emil Lang
18

most victories in a single mission,
Major Erich Rudorffer
13 victories (I have trouble imagining how THAT one happened!) if anybody can explain this you can send me an email (it doesn't seem entirely appropriate to post it here, unless everybody else is curious too!)

[Volker_Nemsch]

Hello Nick!

Your second question:

Friedrich Gontermann scored 5 victories (31-35)on 19th August 1917.

31. SPAD 10.40

32. Balloon 19.23
33. Balloon 19.24
34. Balloon 19.25
35. Balloon 19.26

Perhaps there is another pilot with a better score.

Volker Nemsch

[rammjaeger]

Hi Nick,

for the second question as well on the German side:

Ritter von Röth got 5 balloons confirmed for 29 May 1918 and Fritz Otto Bernert 5 airplanes on 24 April 1917 (verified by Allied sources). Franz Büchner had a lot of multiple kills and was said to have claimed 6 on a day but only 4 are listed for the 26 September 1918.

[rammjaeger]

And now the first question:

I am aware of Joachim von Bertrab who was getting his first confirmed 4 victories on one day (6 April 1917). Later he got a fifth and was finally shot down and taken prisoner after fight with Mannock. I guess that is where you were searching for.

Regards
Hannes

[Graeme]

Quite a number of RFC etc aces scored their first victories on the same day - Alfred Atkey, John Barlow, James Binnie, Alan Bott, Percy Boulton, James Bush, W J Cairnes, Leslie Capel, Albert D Carter, Arthur Cobby, Geoffrey Cock, Kenneth Conn, Douglas Cooke, W B Craig, G B Crole, E D Crundall, C W Cudemore, D A Davies, Christopher Draper, R M Drummond, E J Elton, Desmond Fitzgibbon, E L Foot, Henry Forrest, Matthew Frew, H B Good, Robert M Gordon, John Gurdon, Reuben Hammersley, Harold E Hartney, O A P Heron, D F Hilton, H B Hudson, W R Irwin, A L Jones, E T S Kelly, Duerson Knight, Howard Kullberg, Herbert Larkin, K M StC G Leask, J H T Letts, Emile Lussier, C G O MacAndrew, J G Manuel, R T Mark, T W Martin, Ernest Masters, E J K McCloughry, Roderick McDonald, Andrew McKeever, Oscar McMaking, W G Meggitt, R P Minifie, B H Moody, T H Newsome, H A Oaks, O J Orr, C S Paul, Edmond Pierce, Guy W Price, Stephen W Price, T L Purdom, Frank Quigley, R Raymond-Barker, J W Rayner, Alan Rice-Oxley, Norman Roberts, H L Satchell, Owen Scholte, E L Simonson, John H Smith, R R Soar, F C Stanton, W E Staton, R N Montague-Stuart-Wortley, A J B Tonks, Kenneth Unger, A M Vaucour, A W Vigers, M S West, D J Weston, H A Whistler, Alan M Wilkinson and Alec Williamson.

Perhaps most unique is the example of Eugene Coler of 11 Sqn. He scored his first three victories on 9 May 1918, never claimed fewer than two victories in any combat and claimed five on 13 August 1918.

John Trollope is usually quoted as being the first pilot to achieve six victories in a day (24 March 1918) with Henry Woollett following on 12 April, but to make Collishaw's total add up it is necessary to allow all six claimed on 6 June 1917.

René Fonck is recorded as being the only pilot to twice shoot down six aircraft in one day - 9 May and 26 September 1918.

VBR Graeme

[Reinout]

Totoro Man,

IIRC Rudorffer had one glorious mission during which he shot 13 Russians down, all within the space of 15-20 minutes. He was really surprised how easy it had all gone himself.

P.S.: no I'm not back, I'm just sitting in an internet cafe with nothing better to do.

Kind regards,

Reinout

[Graeme]

It looks like the first multiple victory was achieved by Adolphe Pegoud whilst flying with MF25 on 25 February 1915. From Over The Front, his Medaille Miltaire citations says ".. he attacked a scout from a short distance causing it to fall; immediately afterwards he attacked two two-seaters causing the first to fall and forcing the second to land." These were his first three victories.

The first RFC hat-trick was achieved by Eustace Grenfell on 17 January 1916 when he claimed four victories (victories 3 to 6).

There are at least two RFC/RAF pilots who achieved four victories A N Solly who claimed victories 1 to 4 on 6 May 1917 and Kenneth Unger who claimed his first four on 26 June 1918.

VBR Graeme