Recently I was introduced to an interesting study looking into the verification of German fighter aces kill claims. The results show that there is a big difference between notable aces, including Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn, the number 1 and 2 respectively on the leaderboard.

Recommended book: Horvath, Daniel and Gabor Horvath (2022) Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces Over Hungary 194445, Helton & Company.

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Sources
Horvath, Daniel and Gabor Horvath (2022) Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces Over Hungary 194445, Helton & Company.

Timecodes
00:00 German Fighter Aces
00:46 Verified Victories
01:09 What is an Ace?
02:25 Data: Jagdgeschwader 52
03:04 WW2 Kill Verification
05:18 Prestige, Medals, Propaganda
06:23 Context Matters
07:18 Claims =/= Victories
08:22 JG 52 Data Evaluation
12:33 Different Degrees of Personal Scrutiny

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