A WWII fighter ace....or not?

[Jimbuna]

Not only did this pilot shoot down six enemy aircraft, he also shot down forty four V-1 flying bombs:

Colonel Remy Van Lierde, DFC & two bars, (14 August 1915–8 June 1990) was a Belgian pilot who served during World War II in the Belgian and British Air Forces, shooting down six enemy aircraft and 44 V-1 flying bombs, and achieving the RAF rank of Squadron Leader. He returned to the Belgian Air Force after the war and went on to hold several important commands before retiring in 1968.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remy_Van_Lierde

[Sailor Steve]

Since the requirement for the label "Ace" is downing five enemy aircraft, and since he as six, I'd have to say yes, he is an ace. All those doodlebugs don't hurt either. Forty-four is quite an accomplishment.

[MH]

Sure he is ,also shooting the v1's most lilly saved some lives too.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Since the requirement for the label "Ace" is downing five enemy aircraft, and since he as six, I'd have to say yes, he is an ace. All those doodlebugs don't hurt either. Forty-four is quite an accomplishment.

Originally Posted by MH

Sure he is ,also shooting the v1's most lilly saved some lives too.

My thoughts as well

[Stealhead]

He meets the standard of at least 5 kills.Of course no military has ever made the term "ace" official the general standard is 5 kills and the V-1s where not easy to take down both the 'tipping" and the old fashioned gun kill where risky.

During WWII the Luftwaffe did use the term "Experten" a title given to pilots with many kills I do not recall the amount but it was more than 10 aircraft.

I think a German has the record for most kills in one day that would be
Hans-Jochim Marseille who destroyed 17 aircraft in one day not all in the same sortie though but still wicked.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Joachim_Marseille

The the pilot that earned 5 killed most rapidly is Muhammad Mahmud Alam a Pakistani air Force pilot he downed 5 Indian aircraft in one minute!Allah it seems favors this man.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Mahmood_Alam

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Since the requirement for the label "Ace" is downing five enemy aircraft, and since he as six, I'd have to say yes, he is an ace. All those doodlebugs don't hurt either. Forty-four is quite an accomplishment.

Exactly, five is the requirement.

But him shooting down V-1s does make we wonder if unmanned aerial weapons like cruise missiles factor into the kills required for "ace"?

What about drones?

Satellites?

[GoldenRivet]

Due to the highly explosive warhead, V1s were not often shot down because the resulting explosion would result in damage to the pursuing aircraft, instead the allied pilots used a technique called "tipping".

The V1 held course by use of a gyroscopic autopilot of sorts, if an allied pilot could fly in tight formation with the V1 and nudge it with his wingtip the gyro would tumble and the autopilot would lose control causing the V1 to crash.

Wonder how many he "tipped"?

AAA is responsible for downing many as well

[Jimbuna]

One of only a few photographs showing 'tipping' technique:

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Due to the highly explosive warhead, V1s were not often shot down because the resulting explosion would result in damage to the pursuing aircraft, instead the allied pilots used a technique called "tipping".

The V1 held course by use of a gyroscopic autopilot of sorts, if an allied pilot could fly in tight formation with the V1 and nudge it with his wingtip the gyro would tumble and the autopilot would lose control causing the V1 to crash.

Wonder how many he "tipped"?

AAA is responsible for downing many as well

I wonder this as well how many where tips and how many where gun kills.As I understand the tip was preferred but if time did not allow they went for a gun kill.I think a cruise missile counts as something because it is a serious threat the V-1 in particular to civilians.If I where an Allied pilot I'd do anything to stop one even if it might kill me.
I heard on some TV show recently they listed the number of V-1s downed by aircraft and by AAA.I do not recall the amount but for some reason I have in my head that AAA was the number one V-1 killer but not by much it might have been the other way around.

[Oberon]

They set up specific AAA batteries on the normal V1 routes IIRC, they called them 'diver' batteries. There was one up the coast from here at where the nuclear power station now is.

[Stealhead]

The V-1 came onto the scene around the same time that the proximity fuse did as a result the 40mm Bofors had a blast with the V-1....pun intended.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Photos like that give me the creeps. Everything's so blurry and grainy! That said, I rather enjoy looking at them.

[momo55]

He only used once the tipping technique it says in this text :http://www.vieillestiges.be/nl/bio/25 omdat het risico, dat een ontstekingsmechanisme op de vleugel van de V1 geplaatst zou zijn, te groot was. Het was eenvoudiger volgens hem de bom met het kanon neer te halen.
(because the risk was to great that a detonation mechanism (c)would be placed on a wing . It was simpler to shoot it down with his canon he said.)


When he was commander of the KAMINA base in former Belgian Congo ....he discovered this little beauty :

His monument : http://www.hangarflying.be/nl/conten...k-vereeuwigd-3



(sry for my poor English writting)

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

Photos like that give me the creeps. Everything's so blurry and grainy! That said, I rather enjoy looking at them.

That was the photo technology of the time.

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

That was the photo technology of the time.

It some what looks like shadows on the ground to me.The person that took the photo must have been laying on the ground on their back and snapped the shot as the Spitfire and V-1 flew over head using a high speed camera otherwise the photo would have been a blur.