Top Aircraft

The North American F-86 Sabre jet could very well be placed on the top of the list for Korean War aircraft. This transonic jet fighter was the United States first aircraft that could equally challenge the MiG-15 when engaged in high speed dog fights. Armed with six .50 cal machine guns, eight 5 inch rockets and reaching a top speed of 685 mph, the F86 more than earned its place in aviation history. The versatility of this fighter continued in service long past the Korean War.

Introduction of Helicopters

The Korean War saw the first extensive use of helicopters. Throughout the war, the helicopters were used on surveillance missions to map out unknown terrain and also to drop much needed supplies to troops and to evacuate injured soldiers. As a result of their involvement throughout the Korean War, success of these helicopter operations would later become one of the contributing factors to their widespread use by the US Army in Vietnam.

WWII Aircraft in the Korean War

Many of the aircraft used during the Korean War were carryovers from World War II. These dependable fighters and bombers were used extensively throughout the war despite their antiquated status in comparison to newer developed jets. The North American P-51 Mustang, along with the Boeing Superfortress, Flying Fortress and the Chance Vought F4U Corsair were some of the WWII aircraft which earned further accommodations for their participation in the Korean War. Variations of other WWII aircraft also participated over the Korean skies.

Though many refer to the Korean War as the “Forgotten War”, it is not forgotten by those whose lives it touched, including the many pilots of the numerous top aircraft flown during this epic battle.

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Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds - AFHM has this medal - awarded to General Karl Mauss - on display along with two of Mauss’ uniforms.

When looking at the number of victories scored by top WWII fighter pilot aces, the German’s by far take the #1 position.  Three of Germany’s top ten fighter pilots also received the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds medal awarded by Hitler.  Hitler only awarded a total of 27 of these medals and eight of them were given to German aces.  The Armed Forces History Museum in Largo, FL has one of the rare 27 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves Sword and Diamond medals on display in the German Farmhouse diorama at the museum.  The medal on display was awarded to Lt. General Karl Mauss, commander of the 7^th Panzer Division and is accompanied by two of Mauss’ uniforms.

Germany’s Advantage

The impressive numbers for these German fighter pilots cannot be disputed, but some extenuating facts do attribute to their fame.  First, many of the victories were against the Russians, whose defense paled in comparison to the German’s.  Also, a number of the missions occurred in close proximity to the battle, therefore each pilot could do three or four sorties per day.  And finally, the Germans also did not send their pilots home for training.  They enforced a “fly until you die” guideline.  However despite what could best be described as “advantages”, the German fighter pilots of World War II still had and extraordinary record which commands respect.

Below is a list of top ten World War II aces from Germany, based on the number of victories.

The Top Ten List

Erich Hartmann – 352 Victories – Awarded Knights Cross

Gerhard Barkhorn – 301 Victories

Gunther Rall – 275 Victories

Otto Kittel – 267 Victories – KIA

Walter Nowotny – 258 Victories – Awarded Knights Cross – KIA

Wilhelm Batz – 237 Victories

Erich Rudorffer – 224 Victories

Heinz Bar – 221 Victories

Hermann Graf – 212 Victories – Awarded Knights Cross

Heinrich Ehrler – 208 Victories – KIA

Theodor Weissenberger – 208 Victories

Eleven names actually made this top ten list as #10 and #11 both scored the same total number of victories.  The majority of these pilots flew either the Messerschmitt Bf 109 or the Focke Wulf 190.  These top ten are the first on a very long list of successful WWII German fighter pilots.

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Throughout his military career – 1936-1945 – Rudel flew a total of 2,530 combat missions and accredited with 2,000 targets destroyed.  Listed below are some of the kills attributed to Rudel:

•          519 Soviet Tanks (17 in one day)

•          70 assault craft and/or landing boats

•          150 self-propelled guns

•          4 armored trains

•          800 additional support vehicles

•          9 planes

•          1 soviet battleship

•          2 cruisers

•          1 destroyer

Hitler is quoted as saying (to Rudel), “You are the bravest and bravest soldier that the German people have ever had.”

After the war, Rudel left Germany and moved to South America.  Despite having one leg, Rudel continued a very active lifestyle playing tennis, skiing and mountain climbing.  He also wrote a controversial war diary before returning to Germany in 1953 and becoming a successful businessman.  However, a scandal in 1976 (the Rudel Scandal), forced him and several other high-tanking officials into retiring early.  He died just six years later in 1982.

Colonel Hans-Ulrich Rudel, the top German decorated servicemen of WWII lived by his own words, “Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost”.

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A6M Zero – The A6M Zero was the first long range escort fighter.  Flown by most of the top aces of the Imperial Army, the Zero was the key Japanese aircraft at the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  This plane remained a superior war aircraft until American technology began making superior advancements.

F6F Hellcat – Developed to replace the F4F wildcat, the F6F Hellcat was one of the few great American fighter plans that out-performed the Zero in the Pacific theater.  This aircraft is credited with destroying more aircraft than any other Allied plane.

Focke-Wulf FW 190 – Known as a “pilot’s aircraft” this easy to handle, efficient German fighter was first launched in France shortly after D-Day.  A number of the Luftwaffe’s successful fighter pilots claimed a number of victories while using the Fw 190.

Ki 84 Hayate – Equipped with powerful armament, this aircraft was considered to be the best Japanese fighter of World War II. 

Messerschmitt Bf 109 – This aircraft was small in nature, but big on engine power.  The Bf109 was flown by some of the top fighter pilot aces of the Luftwaffe, including their top fighter, Erich Hartmann who is credited with 352 victories.

P-38 Lightning – Flown by both American top fighter pilot aces, this aircraft is credited with shooting down more Japanese aircraft than any other US Army Air Force fighter in World War II.

P-47 Thunderbolt – Heavily armed, the P-47 was not only the largest, but also the heaviest and the most expensive single-piston engine fighter plane in history.  The P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the main fighters of the USAAF during WWII.

P-51 Mustang – This American long-range fighter and fighter-bomber provided support for the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator during World War II.  A total of 4,900 enemy aircraft were shot down by Mustang pilots – making it the highest scoring US fighter aircraft of the European theater.

Spitfire – The British Spitfire was a fast and maneuverable aircraft.  It was also considered to be one of the best fighters during the earlier period of the war.  The Spitfire was flown by many of the top British aces, including top scoring Captain “Johnny” Johnson – credited with 38 victories.

Yak-3 – Many of the Soviet’s top aces flew the Yak-3 during the latter part of the war.  The aircraft had a tight turning radius, was highly maneuverable and proved to be an excellent performer below 20,000 feet.  Though not difficult to fly, only a skilled pilot could take advantage of the Yak-3s full fighting potential.

World War II saw many great pilots and many great aircraft.  The above are just a few that rise to the top when searching for a top ten list of WWII fighter planes.

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A WWII "Rosie"

The title for the top WWII female icon, no doubt, goes to Rosie the Riveter.  Rosie represented the American women who took up work in the factories in order to fill the vacancies left by the men enrolled in the service.  The continued demands of manufacturing munitions and war supplies during WWII made women’s role crucial.  Rosie not only represented feminism, but also women’s economic power.  Once the war was over, however, it was anticipated that these women would return to their housework.

The government used various means to encourage women to join the work forces.  However, much of it was directed at the husbands who seemed reluctant to support their wife’s employment.  Rosie the Riveter’s journey began with a song title.  The song, written by Redd Evans and John Loeb, used a fictitious character Rosie to represent women doing their part to assist the war efforts at home - despite their tireless task of being assembly line workers.

Rose Will Monroe

As the song gained popularity, Rose Will Monroe, a woman working as a riveter during WWII, was given the opportunity to star in a film about the war efforts at home.  Monroe seemed the closest fit to the persona of the woman described in the song “Rosie the Riveter”.  Her appearance in the film began her claim to fame as what could possibly be described as the most recognized icon of the WWII era.  She went on to appear in additional films and on posters in an effort to encourage women to work outside the home in support of the war.  Her involvement is said to have had a dramatic impact on the number of women in the work force – possibly as high as a 57% increase.  In her 50’s, Monroe realized a life-long dream of piloting a plane.  She had a passion for flying and eventually received her pilot’s license.  In 1978, at age 58, Monroe almost died when she crashed her plane during takeoff.  The accident left her impaired.  In 1997, Rose Will Monroe died at home peacefully in 1997 at age 77.

It is sometimes disputed whether this era gave rise to the women’s movement in entering, and being accepted, in the work force.  Either way, during the World War II era Rosie the Riveter changed the public image of the American woman, making Rosie the top WWII female icon.

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(1941)  Battle of Brody

Germans:  800 tanks        Soviet Union:  2,500 tanks

The Battle of Brody was a fierce tank battle between the Germans and the Red Army. It remained the largest tank battle of WWII until the Battle of Kursk two years later.  Despite being outnumbered, the Germans were victorious.

(1940)  Battle of Hannut

France:  600 tanks          Germans:  618 (up to 674)

This World War II tank battle occurred in Belgium between the French army and the Nazi invaders.  Despite inflicting a significant number of casualties on the French, the Germans were unable to neutralize the French army and withdrew.

(1944)  Operation Goodwood

United Kingdom – 1,100 – 1,300 tanks     Germans:  377 tanks

In Operation Goodwood, the British attacked the German forces in northern France.  What ensued was a battle some would arguably defend as the largest tank battle ever fought by the British Army.  In the end, some would refer to this as a strategic Allied victory, but a tactical victory for the Germans.

(1943)  Battle of Prokhorovka

Soviets:  800-850 tanks     Germans:  500-700 tanks (possibly far less)

This WWII tank battle was part of the Battle of Kursk and is one of the largest tank battles in military history.  Though the victory of this battle was not immediately clear, it did show the continued force and determination of the Soviets.

(1941)  Battle of Raseiniai

Soviets:  749 tanks                   Germans:  245 tanks

During the Battle of Raseiniai, the Soviet armored forces were almost completely destroyed.  This cleared the way for the German offensive to continue their drive and cross the Daugava River.

(1942)  Second Battle of El Alamein

Allies:  1,029 tanks              Axis:  547 tanks

The German’s lost this battle and were unable to gain possession of Egypt and the Suez Canal.  The Allies received Sherman Tanks from the Americans, which reinforced their forces and allowed them to outlast the Germans.  The tanks were critical in this Allied victory.

The world has seen many epic tank battles before and since.  But those listed above are definitely some of the top tank battles of WWII.

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