Official victories

I know that for french airmen it was really difficult to confirmed a kill (Fonck claimed 125,Guynemer more than 110 and Nungesser more than 100...). But i don't really know how it was for the Germans.?

[Billy_Bishop]

Considering that most of the combat happened on their side of the lines, it wasn't that hard for the Germans at all. And they could afford to have the strictest confirmation rules, for that very reason.

VBR,

Al Lowe

I read in a book about Esd. N124, that if a French Officer place a claim, his word was good enough. A French enlisted man had to have witnesses.
Jeni

[Reinout]

The fact that German airmen needed a lot more proof is not simply due to the fact that most of the combats occurred on their side. It was a measure of protocol. If one's accomplishments is to be measured (for medals, promotions etc.) than it must be absolutely clear that the person claiming to have downed a flier, actually was responsible for it. The rules were strict during 1915 and 1916, just before Trenchards vow to take the war over to the German side; hence a lot of combats also took place over Allied territory. That number would decline though. Even Boelcke suffered from the strict routines. Of course it is easier counting ducks that fell in your own lines, but if all they needed to do was count a wreck, then why did they need independent witnesses like balloon-observers? To ascertain WHICH one of the German fliers downed the plane!

In WWII the Germans were even more strict because the Blitzkrieg type of war meant that they would be doing a lot of combat over enemy-held territory. The strict rules ensured that even over the enemy lines a high measure of accuracy could be achieved.

We're about to be kicked out of here so watch this space tomorrow. I hope to be back then.

Kind regards,

Reinout