"Ace" credit for strafing victories?

[DaveM2]

Not forgetting many airfields later in the war had numbers of 'dummy' aircraft spread about also - impossible to tell which was which at high speed!

Dave

[lmritger]

I'd imagine it was used as incentive to get the pilots down on the deck in what was clearly a more hazardous duty. Seems like I remember reading that only one 8th AF Ace went down in air combat, Kidd Hofer of the 4th, while all the others that were shot down were to ground fire. Thinking Beeson, Godfrey, Gabreski was on a strafing run, etc.

Hofer was also a victim of ground fire... he went off on his own to beat up an airfield near Mostar, Yugoslavia and got hit by a flak gun there. A fighter right to the last, he dove his mortally stricken fighter right into the gun emplacement.

Lynn

[henning]

And one more thing to add...

John Godfrey of the 4th was shot down by his own wingman.... while on a strafing run! Not by ground fire.

He saw the gun camera film of his wingman once he got back to Debden months later after being a POW.

Its in his book: "the look of eagles" by john t. godfrey... its a great read of a great guy. Little hard to find, kind of
rare in fact but if you can, check it out.

henning

[John Dupre]

I'd imagine it was used as incentive to get the pilots down on the deck in what was clearly a more hazardous duty. Seems like I remember reading that only one 8th AF Ace went down in air combat, Kidd Hofer of the 4th, while all the others that were shot down were to ground fire. Thinking Beeson, Godfrey, Gabreski was on a strafing run, etc.

Hofer was also a victim of ground fire... he went off on his own to beat up an airfield near Mostar, Yugoslavia and got hit by a flak gun there. A fighter right to the last, he dove his mortally stricken fighter right into the gun emplacement.

Lynn

I have never heard this about Ralph "Kid" Hofer. I read 40 years ago that after going off on his own he was never seen again. Indeed there is some speculation that he may have been shot down by Erich Hartmann since he claimed a Mustang in that general area on that day. Of course there has been a lot of research since then. Any sources to this claim?