Ace of the month awards

14 January 2002, 10:21 AM

If there was a such a thing, who would the winners of the Ace of the month award be?

I'm just interested in finding out who had the highest score for any of the months of the war. If anyone has any info on this in any way, please let me know.

I understand than MvR scored 21 for April 1917. I would have thought this was the winner for that particular month (although this was a very fruitful month for the Germans) if not the whole war, but does anyone know different?

Thanks in advance

Nick

Graeme · 14 January 2002, 01:02 PM

Alfred Atkey got 27 in May 1918
Bill Claxton got 17 in May 1918
Ray Collishaw got 16 in June 1917
George McElroy got at least 16 in July 1918

Graeme · 14 January 2002, 01:06 PM

Not sure what happened there.

On page 399 of Above The Trenches the authors have given a list of top scoring pilot for each month from August 1916 to October 1918. The top four are as per my first thread; equal fifth would be F J H Thayre and Beauchamp-Proctor with 15 apiece in May 1917 and August 1918, respectively.

Graeme

Barrett · 14 January 2002, 02:52 PM

Kurt Wolff * * * * J.11 * *22 in April 17 (MvR 21)
Ernst Udet * * * * J.4 * * 20 in Aug 18
Franz Buchner * *J.13 * 17 in Sept 18
Erich Lowenhardt J.10 * 16 in July 18
Josef Jacobs * * * J.7 * *15 in Oct 1817

Coiffard 12 in Jul 18 (11 shared)
Boyau 9 in Jul 18
Fonck 8 in May 18
Madon 8 in June 18
Guynemer 7 in May *17
Nungesser 6 in May 17

14 January 2002, 03:37 PM

I think Lothar had some high scoring months
between crashes,does anybody have some totals
on Lothar

15 January 2002, 10:10 AM

Just something I'm confused about. I had always assumed that Bloody April was a bad time for the RFC, yet according to an RAF website I was looking at, during April 1917, the RFC lost 150 aircraft (and 316 aircrew somehow), the French and Belgians lost 200 and the Germans 370.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in terms of aircraft, didn't the RFC come out best? And how is it possible to lose 316 aircrew if only 150 planes were lost? Even if they were all 2-seaters it doesn't add up. Have they got their calculations wrong or am I missing something? :-/

Nick

Rick · 15 January 2002, 12:52 PM

Either your RAF Web site doesn't understand the queston or their math is a little faulty. *Get ahold of a copy of BABS.* * (Just padding, Vin) * *R.

15 January 2002, 01:34 PM

I should imagine it would be possible for an observer to be killed without the aircraft being lost, the pilot being able to return to his home airfield, and land safely, with his observer's body. *This could account for at least some of the numerical discrepancy.