When it comes to the deadliest fighter aces of history, those Luftwaffe boys are always top of the list. Bubi Hartmann alone shot down around 5.6 times the top-scoring Allied ace, Ivan Kozhedub.. The German’s score was also about 8.6 times more aircraft than bagged by the likes of Pattle or Bong. He wasn’t alone.
According to some sources, the Luftwaffe claimed just shy of 68,000 allied aircraft destroyed, from the Vistula to the Volga, over the deserts of Tunisia to the cold skies of the Fjord at Tonsberg, to the fields of kent, to…. Ok, you get the idea. These guys shot down a heck of a lot of planes.
But have you ever stopped to ask yourself, which was the plane most likely to be shot down by the boys with black crosses on their wings? Well, I’ve spent hours going through the figures and nearly gone blind sorting out the data on my spreadsheets. All this, to bring you the top 20 most destroyed Allied planes to fall under the guns of the Luftwaffe.
I’ve also sat down and worked out the types of Allied aircraft the top 20 Luftwaffe aces downed. I’ve included those percentages as well for you stats lovers.
So, get your bets in now, which aircraft will you find on today’s list. Let’s get started with number 20.
See the full table at bottom of this article
What was the 20th most shot-down Allied aircraft by the Luftwaffe?
Ok, so number twenty on my list is actually number 21. Even before we’ve gotten started I have to admit I fudged the numbers a bit. Why? Well according to the long list of claims put in by the Luftwaffe chaps, the 20th most shot down aircraft, at a whopping 1137 was this one:
4-mot. Flzg.
No, it wasn’t some cool experimental crate put up by the allies, it was just shorthand for “Viermotoriges Flugzeug”. Literally, four-engine aircraft.
Now as all these claims were put in by night fighter units, I took the liberty of adding these figures into the Lancaster, Halifax, and Stirling columns. I even did some fancy maths to figure out the relative numbers that each of the four-engine bombers represented to the RAF fleet, and therefore the likelihood that they were the unidentified aircraft shot down by a night fighter ace in the dead of night.
So at this point, I’m just going to put it out there and say, take these numbers with a big pinch of Salz, they are Luftwaffe claims. So feel free to leave your thoughts on the list in the comments below.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
So, #20 on the list is…
When the Wehrmacht poured into the Soviet Union early on the 22nd of June 1941, MIG-3s were waiting for them in neat little lines on Russian airfields.
Despite being a work in progress, the MIG-3 turned out to be a capable fighter and quite deadly in the hands of a skilled Soviet pilot. Nevertheless, in the aerial battles that followed Operation Barbarossa, around 1124 MiG-3s were claimed as destroyed by the Luftwaffe. That being said, the Russian fighter was used by no fewer than 59 Soviet pilots to reach ace hood. Snr Lt A A Dmitriyev of the 15th IAP shot down 15 Enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of 2 others before being killed on 13th November 1941.
In total, the Luftwaffe claimed to have destroyed 33% of the Mig-3 fleet, and this aircraft accounts for just over 2% of all aircraft claims by the Germans.
North American P-51 Mustang
By the time the famed P-51 started reaching European skies in real numbers, the Luftwaffe was already waning but was not beaten yet. Operated by both the British and her commonwealth and the Americans, the Luftwaffe shot the Mustang down regardless of how the pilot spelt the word honour.
While the P-51 would eventually shoot down just shy of 5,000 Axis aircraft in the hands of its skilled pilots, an impressive 1191 were claimed by German pilots. Most of these Mustangs were lost under the banner of the 8th air force, but the first was likely one from 239 Squadron RAF. On the 21st of July 1942, Hptm.Helmut-Felix Bolz jumped a pair of Mustangs over Normandy with 5 other FW 190s. He hit and forced Fl/Lt. Veal to crash land his aircraft. However, he initially put in a claim for a P-40. The next month over Dieppe, he put in another two claims on the 19th of August. This time definitely claiming two Mustangs.
Dieppe would also incidentally be the location of the first-ever Mustang victory. An unlucky Fw 190 fell under the guns of American Flight Officer Hollis “Holly” Hills who was flying with the Canadians in 414 squadron.
The Germans hardly put a dent in the 13300 P-51s produced, only claiming to have destroyed 9% of them. The Mustang only accounts for 0.93% of all those aircraft claimed by the top deadliest German aces.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The P-38 was the first true long-range fighter to reach the European theatre. It had the ability to escort American bombers much further than RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes and had much harder-hitting firepower. But this doesn’t mean it was invulnerable to the Germans it met over Europe and North Africa.
The Luftwaffe claimed at least 1220 Lightning’s during the course of the war. This is about 12% of the 10037 P-38s produced.
The first was claimed by Uffz.Hans-Joachim Stoller of JG 26 on the 2nd October 1942 over Cap Gris Nez. However, The Lightning would only account for 0.75% of the aircraft claimed by the top 20 experten and just 1.8% of all Luftwaffe claims.
But it was the P-38 that would draw first blood against the Luftwaffe. On 14th August 1942, two P-38s flown by Major John W. Weltman and Second Lieutenant Elza E. Shahan, then on Iceland for a fuel stop, attacked a Fw 200 C-4 Condor and shot it down. We won’t mention that a P-40 flown by Lieutenant Shaffer had already damaged one of its engines.
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The P-47 was a beast of an aircraft. It was considerably bigger than the BF 109 and doubled its weight even when empty. Even so, It would take a while for both American and Luftwaffe pilots to appreciate the Thunderbolt’s effectiveness as a fighter.
While stories like the one about Robert S. Johnson who was attacked by Ace Egon Mayer on June 26, 1943 can attest to the P-47’s ruggedness. It was by no means invincible.
Johnson may have miraculously survived his encounter with the Luftwaffe that day, but at least 1310 P-47 were claimed by Germans during the war.
Even so, that was just a small fraction of the 15686 built, a mere 8%. In addition, the top 20 German aces also only attributed the P-47 as victims in their claims 0.8% of time.
With improved tactics and developments to the aircraft, the P-47 became a respected adversary and much loved by its pilots. So perhaps it WOULD be better to be sitting in the cockpit of a P-47 than any other American fighter during ww2.
Polikarpov I-16
The I-16 is the embodiment of the old adage “ You fight with what you’ve got”. Facing the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1941, the aircraft was already obsolete. By 1943 it was even more so.
When the I-16 fought over Spain and against the Japanese in China, it was able to hold its own. Political strife in the Soviet Union since 1937 meant that many a VVS pilot had to face the Germans flying a Rata, many of whom were not skilled enough to get the most out of the aircraft.
The I-16 actually had a lot of good features including a good climb and roll rate, but was no match for the BF 109 in terms of speed or flight stability.
You might be surprised to learn that the Luftwaffe only claimed approximately 1413 I-16s during WW2, which is about 14% of the total 10292 made. Many more were of course destroyed on the ground during the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa, but even more were lost during accidents. This was not an aircraft for amateurs.
Still, the I-16 accounts for just over 2% of all german claims and 3.11% of all by the top 20 aces.
Handley Page Halifax
Number 35 squadron of Bomber Command was the first unit to receive the new four-engine Halifax bomber on 13th November 1940. It was said to be far superior to the Avro Manchester and Short Stirling which had just beaten it into service. The Bomber also proved to be very versatile and was used both as a bomber and in Coastal Command roles.
No 35 squadron joined No 4 Bomb Group and mounted the first Halifax operation on night of 11th to 12th of March, an attack on le Havre. Things didn’t go well and only 4 out of the seven bombers actually reached the target. The Halifax was also to experience its first loss, but not to the Luftwaffe. On returning to Britain, one 35 Squadron Halifax was shot down by a not-so-friendly fighter, killing all but the pilot and flight engineer.
The Luftwaffe would have to wait to make its first claim. According to the records I have, the first Halifax shot down by a German was claimed on 13th June 1941 by Oblt.Paul Semrau from NJG 2.
Jon Lake in his book puts the first Halifax down a week later on the 20th.
What is also unclear is exactly how many of the bombers were downed by the Luftwaffe. There are 1249 definite claims identifying a Halifax as the victim. Interestingly No Halifaxes were claimed by the top 20 German aces.
Of the 1137 “Viermotoriges Flugzeug”, I’ve assigned about 441 additional Halifaxes shot down. There are also several claims that are listed just as “shot down” and others that are unidentified. So again, take these numbers with a pinch of salt and let’s just move onto the next victim.
Bell P-39 Airacobra
The P-39 is one of the most unusually designed fighters of WW2. The location of its engine must have perplexed many the engine fitter, but its tricycle landing gear must have been a dream to the inexperienced pilot. It was also one of the very few American-designed aircraft to boast a cannon.
Saying all this,it was not really appreciated by the nation that bore it, nor by its English-speaking Allies. When you talk about P-39 losses in Europe, you are really talking about aircraft operated by the soviet union. The Brits did try out about 80 in 1941, but the pilots of 601 Squadron didn’t think they were suitable for European operations. They basically just palmed them off on the Russians.
On the Eastern front, the P-39 would become one of the most successful Lend-lease fighters and was ideally suited to the low-altitude tactics used by the Soviets.
The Luftwaffe would claim 1740 P-39s destroyed in combat, about 18% of the total ever made. It is by far the most shot-down American fighter on this list by the top 20 aces, accounting for 6.73% of their total claims.
But of course, the Russians hit back hard too. The top scoring P-39 ace of the Russian front has to be Vasily Bondarenko who downed 19 enemy aircraft out of a total 24 in a P-39.
Hawker Hurricane
The Luftwaffe would meet the mighty Hurricane for the first time over Metz in December 1939 where Oblt.Hans von Hahn and Hptm.Werner Mölders each claimed one. However, of course, this was not the first Hurricane shot down in the Second World War.
Two Hurricanes from 151 Squadron were shot down by Spitfires of 74 squadron who had identified them as BF 109s. This was on 6th September 1939, when the nearest Luftwaffe fighter bases were well beyond the 109s range. The entire incident was Barking indeed, and left one pilot dead, one Group Captain initially sacked and the two Spitfire pilots court marshaled. More on this in an upcoming video.
When the Luftwaffe did actually tangle with the Hurricane, it claimed 1750 which was about 12% of the 14483 built. However, I would guess that a few more Hurricanes fell to the Germans, especially over England in 1940, and may have been put down as “Spitfires”. It’s just a hunch.
Yakovlev Yak-1
When the Yak-1 was tested by the Soviet Air Force against the I-16, it was found to be superior in every respect, especially speed. One of the most compelling features for the VVS pilots was that it was so easy to fly, almost like a trainer, one test pilot commented. However, it was not as advanced in terms of construction as the BF 109 or later FW 190. The Yak-1’s wings were largely made out of wood and much of the aircraft skin was also wooden. It didn’t possess key equipment such as a radio and even production models experienced dangerous faults, such as unreliable undercarriage retraction systems.
Nevertheless, the Yak would become the most common fighter from 1942 and was developed further by the Soviets. Earlier versions were without question inferior to the BF 109F it faced, and was poorly made in comparison. However, it was cheap to produce and thousands could be made to be flown by the thousands of inexperienced VVS pilots leaving training schools. It’s easier handling qualities made this possible.
Despite being produced in very high numbers, 37000, German pilots only claim to have shot down 1940 Yak-1s during the war. This might suggest that improvements to later version Yak-1b had a positive effect on the survivability of its pilots. It might also suggest that the Russians crashed more Yaks than the Germans could shoot down.
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40, in all its variants, was one of the most widely used early-war fighters and saw action in every theatre of operation and with almost all of the Allied nations during ww2. The Germans faced it almost everywhere they went.
Perhaps not the powerhouse the BF 109 was at high altitudes or as aerobatic as the FW 190, the P-40 had devastating armament and an impressive turn rate that made it a deadly adversary.
First used against the Germans by the British, in the form of Tomahawks and later Kittyhawks, they would also be sent to Russia under lend-lease. The Americans also used the P-40 against the Germans, with the 57th Fighter Group fighting it out in North Africa and through into Italy equipped with Warhawks well into 1944.
The Germans claimed 1961 P-40s downed on various fronts, which is about 14% of all produced. Interestingly the great Ace Erich Hartmann didn’t seem to have met any P-40s during his long career. Hans Jochaim Marseille claimed 82, an astounding 51% of all aircraft he claimed to have destroyed.
Ilyushin DB-3/IL-4
For number #10 on the list, I have to make another little confession. I’ve essentially lumped claims for the DB-3 and IL-4 together, as they are really variants of the same aircraft. I’m also convinced from the data that the Germans didn’t really differentiate between the two types.
The DB-3 was in production from 1936-1939, when some 1,500 were built, while the IL-4 with its better engines and defensive armament was built from 1942 to the end of the war. The Soviets pushed out just over 5000 examples in that time.
While looking over the claims, it seemed to me that DB-3 were being shot down well beyond the time that few would have been left in front-line units. So I took the unelected decision to count all these claims together. We are talking about Soviet aircraft and my power over this script is absolute.
That being said, the Germans claimed to have downed a total of 2055 DB-3s or IL-4s. That’s about 3% of all Soviet aircraft shot down, but only represents just over 1% of the top experten’s tally.
Given the fact that the DB stands for the long-range bomber in Russian, it’s no surprise that it was this aircraft that was the very first Soviet bomber to bomb Berlin. DB-3Ts flying from Saaremaa, an island in the Baltic to the West of Estonia attacked the German capital on 8th August 1941. This was just shy of the first RAF raid on the capital the previous year and over a year since a French Farman F.222 attacked on 7th June 1940.
Petlyakov Pe-2
The Petlyakov Pe-2 was the Soviet Union’s answer to a lack of dive-bombers in its air force in the late 1930s. In this role, the Pe-2 performed extremely well, especially when German forces were slowly pushed back. It possessed good flying characteristics, was fairly fast as well as being well liked by its pilots.
All this being said, it has an origin story out of some tragic Russian novel.
During the Great Purge of the 1930s, the lead designer, Vladimir Petlyakov, was imprisoned by the NKVD in a Sharashka. This was effectively a gulag masquerading as a research facility, where engineers too useful to be shot were kept under close supervision.
The success of the Pe-2 effectively gave Petlyakov his freedom and he was allowed to have his name associated with the aircraft. Though almost perfect in every other respect, it did have one significant flaw. Due to the nature of its wing design, which was optimized for high-altitude flight, the aircraft was less maneuverable at slow speeds. This meant that the pilot literally had to pull the twin-engine bomber off of the runway, which required real strength. Once you had gotten over this alarming reality, the aircraft was apparently very docile when in the air.
The Pe-2 was one of the most produced twin-engine aircraft of the war, with 11400 being produced. Of these, the Germans claimed 2061. The Pe-2 accounts for 3% of all German claims, and about the same proportion for the top 20 experten.
Yakovlev Yak-9
The Yak-9 was to become one of the most versatile and beloved Soviet fighters of WW2. It was fast, highly maneuverable at low altitude and was a match for any German fighter in the right hands.
Starting life as an offshoot of the successful Yak-7, of which 592 the Germans claimed to have shot down, the Yak-9 was to evolve into something more remarkable. Initially designed as a wood-metal airframe, improvements in material and production techniques allowed Yakovlev to produce a much lighter airframe. The secret was duralumin, a lightweight aluminum used to skin the aircraft, paired with an excellent series of Klimov engines.
The much lighter aircraft allowed it to be modified both in terms of armament and to achieve longer range. In total, 15 main variants of the Yak-9 were produced, most notable is the Yak-9T, the famed tank buster. While perhaps not always able to knock out German tanks, the heavy 37mm cannon mounted in these Yak-9s could do immense damage.
Some have compared the Yak-9 to the P-51 and Spitfire, even saying it was a better aircraft. That’s of course the subject of a different video. What we can say is that following its introduction over the skies of Stalingrad, the Yak-9 became a deadly adversary to the Luftwaffe.
14579 airframes were built during the war – another 2000 or so post war. Of these, the Germans claimed to have shot down 16%, some 2289 aircraft. The Yak-9 accounts for around 3.3% of all Allied aircraft claimed by the Germans, and just shy of 5% of those claimed by our top 20 Aces.
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The B-24 Liberator has often been overlooked as historically it stands in the shadow of the famed B-17 flying fortress. Consolidated actually aimed to build a bomber to replace the B-17, but instead produced an aircraft that would join it in the fight against the Axis forces.
After a visit to the Boeing factory, a result of a production initiative in the late 1930s, Consolidated had put forward a modern bomber design. Sporting many features the older B-17 didn’t possess, such as a tricycle undercarriage and high-mounted wings. This last feature actually gave the aircraft better fuel efficiency and range.
The British, who were the first to operate the type in combat, didn’t think much of them and initially relegated the B24 to the transport role. This was largely because earlier models didn’t come with self-sealing fuel tanks.
The first B-24 to be claimed by the Luftwaffe was one of 13 Halverson Project or HALPRO B-24s, sent to bomb the Romanian oil fields on 12th June 1942. Flying from Habbaniyah, Iraq, the group had to traverse neutral Turkey to reach Romania. Over the target they met JG 77, and Ltn. Heinz-Edgar Berres claimed to have downed an American bomber. However, American records suggest that only 4 B-24 were lost on the raid, those that landed in Turkey and were interned. So, again, take this with a pinch of salt as we are talking about claims and not entirely verified aerial victories.
In that spirit, the Luftwaffe would claim 2293 B-24 liberators destroyed, 12% of all those made, but the top German aces barely accounted for half a percent of this total.
Lavochkin La-5
The Lavochkin La-5 has gained a reputation as being one of the best Soviet fighters of WW2. Ironically it was born from one of the worst.
Shortcomings in the performance of the earlier LaGG series, before Lavochkin, Gorbunov, and Gudkov team was broken up, had shown a need for better fighter aircraft. This was compounded by the German invasion of 1941.
The La-5 solved many of the issues faced by the LaGG-1 and LaGG-3, starting with the engine. Going down the radial engine route, the La-5FN would eventually get a Shvetsov ASh-82FN radial piston engine developing 1,850 horsepower. Other design features led to the La-5 being much lighter than previous fighters. This was achieved by substituting heavier delta wood in certain areas of the airframe with conventional wood. Other weight-saving features in early La-5 included using an air starter motor instead of an electric one. Production methods were also improved which led to nearly 10,000 aircraft being produced from 1942.
The first La-5 claimed by the Luftwaffe fell to the guns of Fw. Wilhelm Crinius of JG 53 on 3rd September 1942. In total, the Germans would claim 2569 La-5s, which is roughly 26% of all those produced. The La-5 also accounts for nearly 5.5% of all claims made by the top 20 German flyers.
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is by far the most recognizable British 4-engine bomber of WW2. It is associated with some of the most daring missions of the war, including the infamous dambuster raid in 1943 and the successful attack on the Tirpitz the following year.
For the most part, however, the Lancaster joined the rest of RAF Bomber Command, and her sister services, at the coal face where it slowly wore down the German war machine one city at a time.
The Lancaster was produced in larger quantities than its other 4-engine counterparts, the Short Stirling and Handley Page Halifax. In total 7377 Lancasters rolled off the production lines. 2682 were to be claimed by the Luftwaffe during WW2, which is a whopping 26%. Lancasters made up nearly 4% of all the aircraft the Luftwaffe claimed to have shot down, but ironically account for 0.02% of the claims made by the top 20 aces. Clearly, it was harder to amass a huge tally flying at night.
The first clear claim for a Lancaster shot down was made by Ofw. Willi Stratmann of JG 2 on 16th April 1942. A further 42 would be claimed by night fighters that year alone.
Reportedly the Lancasters fought back by flying 156,000 operations and dropping 608,612 tons of bombs during WW2
Boeing B-17
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress will forever be associated with the mighty 8th air force and its crusade against Nazi Germany in WW2. Although not the most produced American bomber of WW2, more than twice as many B-24 Liberators were made, and nearly twice as many B-17 were shot down. This isn’t surprising when you consider that 27 of the 42 bomber groups in the 8th AF by 1944 operated the type.
It is said that in total the B-17 flew 290,000 sorties and dropped 640,000 tons of bombs during the entire war. Initially, many B-17 crews would not make it through the 25 mission tour they needed to complete to make it home. A large proportion of the 26,000 men killed while serving with the 8th air force lost their lives in a flying fortress.
However, the first B-17 claimed by the Luftwaffe was not flown by an American crew. On 28th June 1941, Ltn. Siegfried Mikosek of JG 52 claimed a B-17. As Germany didn’t claim war on the United States until 11th December 1941, it must have been an RAF-operated flying fortress.
A total of 4447 B-17 were claimed by the Luftwaffe, which is an astounding 35% of the total 12731 built. Fortresses account for 6.5% of all German claims during the war, but again only 1.2% of those claimed by the top 20 German pilots. Hunting was much better further East it would seem.
Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3
As previously mentioned, the LaGG-3 has been given a reputation as one of the worst Soviet fighters ever. I actually go into a lot more detail about why that is in another video, which you can check out if you want by clicking on the link above.
Let’s just say that when the LaGG-3 encountered the Luftwaffe in 1941, it was at a distinct disadvantage, but was one of the best answers the VVS had to the threat. The design was soon improved upon with the evolution into the La-5, as well as other better Soviet fighters that came to replace it.
However, in the meantime, Soviet fighters had to operate an aircraft that was not easy to fly and had wings that would shatter when hit with German shells. Also, due to the classic early Soviet fighter design, the visibility from the cockpit was poor. Many Russian pilots didn’t even see the enemy coming.
As an aircraft, it has to be the most decimated type, at least under the guns of the Germans. After checking the numbers a few times to be sure, I can confirm that at least 75% of all LaFF-3s produced were claimed destroyed by the Germans. That’s a whopping 4928 aircraft of 6528 built. In terms of total victories claimed by the Germans, the LaGG-3 represents 7% of all aircraft shot down but nearly 14% of those shot down by the Top 20 most successful Luftwaffe aces.
Clearly, you didn’t want to be in a LaGG-3 flying over the Soviet Union, nor one on the ground.
Supermarine Spitfire
In many ways it’s unsurprising that the Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire is one of the top victims of the Luftwaffe. Although some aircraft on this list are clearly there because they were inadequate and easy meat for Luftwaffe pilots, that’s not the case with others. The Spitfire was clearly in the thick of it from the first weeks of the war, right up until the final days. For the most part, those Spitfires were flown by the western Allies, and more often than not by RAF pilots. Only some 200 Spitfire Vs made it to the Soviet Union, and 50 of those were intended to be cannibalized for spares.
So with my little patriotic rant over, let’s get down to the facts.
During WW2 around 22,417 Spitfires of all marques were produced, the Luftwaffe claimed to have shot down about 23% of them. That’s 5265 Spitfires in total. In the grand scheme of things, the British fighter accounts for nearly 8% of all aircraft downed by the Luftwaffe but just 2.3% of those victories were claimed by the top 20 German aces. The very first Spitfire shot down by the Luftwaffe was claimed by a pilot of LG 1 on 23rd November 1939.
However, I’m not entirely convinced by this claim. Several Spitfires were claimed over parts of Germany in 1939 and 1940 where they CANNOT have been flying. So again, we need to take these claims with a big pinch of salt. The most likely first Spitfire likely to be shot down by Germany was over Dunkirk, but Ltn. Hans Krug of JG 26 may also hold that honour. He claimed one over Rotterdam on 13 May 1940. During this time Spitfires were escorting RAF bombers over the Netherlands, flying from English bases.
The Spitfire itself would account for 5950 aerial victories against all enemies, the vast majority being German-flown aircraft.
Ilyushin Il-2
The dubious honour of the most shot-down aircraft by the Luftwaffe goes to the Il-2 Sturmovik. It was produced in astounding numbers, 36000, which makes it the second most produced aircraft on this list, just after the 37000 Yak-1s built. When you combine the Il-2 with its very similar successor, the IL-10 a total of some 42,330 are reported to have been built. This would make it the most-produced military aircraft in history.
The Luftwaffe claimed to have shot down 7607 between 1941 and 1945, which is still 21% of the 36000 Il-2 produced. The Sturmovik accounts for over 11% of all Luftwaffe claims and 9.5% of the top 20 German pilots. The first to be claimed fell under the guns of Uffz. Leopold Münster from JG 3 on 8th August 1941.
The Il-2 Sturmovik, which was designed as a ground attack aircraft, was heavily armoured and was certainly a challenge to shoot down both from the ground and air. Early variants were only crewed by a pilot with later types including a rear-facing gunner as a form of defence. Il-2 were also pushed into the fighter role, especially during the Battle of Stalingrad. Their heavy armour made them ideal adversaries for light German bombers. However, they must still have been vulnerable to German fighters.
| Ranking | Aircraft | Total Claimed | Percentage claimed | % Of All LW Claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Il-2 | 7607 | 21% | 11.23% |
| #2 | Spitfire | 5265 | 23% | 7.77% |
| #3 | LaGG-3 | 4928 | 75% | 7.28% |
| #4 | B-17 | 4447 | 35% | 6.57% |
| #5 | Lancaster | 2682 | 36% | 3.96% |
| #6 | La-5 | 2569 | 26% | 3.79% |
| #7 | B-24 | 2293 | 12% | 3.39% |
| #8 | Yak-9 | 2289 | 16% | 3.38% |
| #9 | Pe-2 | 2061 | 18% | 3.04% |
| #10 | DB-3/IL-4 | 2055 | 30% | 3.03% |
| #11 | Curtiss P-40 | 1961 | 14% | 2.90% |
| #12 | Yak-1 | 1940 | 5% | 2.86% |
| #13 | Hurricane | 1750 | 12% | 2.58% |
| #14 | P-39 | 1740 | 18% | 2.57% |
| #15 | Halifax | 1690 | 27% | 2.49% |
| #16 | I-16 | 1413 | 14% | 2.09% |
| #17 | P-47 | 1310 | 8% | 1.93% |
| #18 | P-38 Lightning | 1220 | 12% | 1.80% |
| #19 | P-51 Mustang | 1191 | 9% | 1.76% |
| #20 | MiG-3 | 1124 | 33% | 1.66% |
