plus two unconfirmed claims, potentially further aerial victories with EJG 1. Kurt Bühligen, listed with 99 aerial victory claims, plus nine further unconfirmed claims. Walther Dahl, claimed at least 90 aerial victories, plus further 13 unconfirmed claims. Siegfried Freytag, listed with 89 aerial victories. Friedrich Geißhardt, listed with 93 aerial victory claims, plus eight further unconfirmed claims. Hartmann Grasser, listed with more than 96 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. Kurt Tanzer, listed with at least 35 aerial victories. Kurt Ubben, listed with 93 aerial victory claims, plus 13 further unconfirmed claims. Franz Woidich, listed with 82 aerial victory claims, plus thirty further unconfirmed claims. Additionally, Spick lists Horst-Günther von Fassong with 136 aerial victories, Rudolf Rademacher with 126 aerial victories, and Herbert Rollwage with 102 aerial victories. Further more, the US historian David T. Zabecki states that Paul-Heinrich Dähne was also credited with 100 aerial victories. Heavy bomber aces The Luftwaffe fighter force defended the airspace of German-occupied territory against attack, first by RAF Bomber Command and then against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the Combined Bomber Offensive. In particular, combating the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, flying in a combat box, posed a challenge to the Luftwaffe daytime fighter force. In consequence, the destruction of a heavy bomber, or the Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box which was counted as an aerial victory—was considered an exceptional achievement. In consequence, the Luftwaffe introduced a point system in 1943 which accounted for the difficulties in shooting down a heavy bomber. Although a single heavy bomber shot down or damaged still counted as one aerial victory, the accumulated points earned a fighter pilot awards, medals and promotions. The point system worked as follows: Three points were granted for the destruction of heavy bomber. Two points were earned for the Herausschuss of a heavy bomber. One point was awarded for the endgültige Vernichtung (final destruction), a coup de grâce inflicted on an already damaged heavy bomber. Notes References Citations Bibliography Germany Fly Aces