15. One German ace shot down 18 Soviet aircraft in a single day
German fighter ace Emil Lang holds the record for the most kills in a single day. His first air-to-air victories occurred over the Eastern Front in March 1943. By the end of that year, his tally stood above 100 victories, including a spurt in the fall which remains unsurpassed, and likely will never be achieved again. On October 13, Lang claimed ten victories, all confirmed. On October 21 he achieved 12 victories, over the course of the three missions he flew that day. As the Battle of Kiev began on November 3, Lang flew four separate missions, shooting down 18 Soviet aircraft in the course of a single day. During October and November 1943, Lang destroyed 72 enemy aircraft.
He was celebrated in German magazines and newsreels. In April 1944, following an awards ceremony at Hitler’s residence in Obersalzberg, Lang transferred to the Western Front. At the time his score stood at 144 enemy aircraft destroyed, all of them on the Eastern Front. He gained another 29 against the British and Americans during the heavy fighting before and following the Normandy landings. On September 3, 1944, Lang and his wingman engaged a flight of American P-51 Mustangs. Lang had already experienced mechanical problems with his aircraft, a Focke-Wulf 190, unable to retract his landing gear. During an attempted evasive maneuver he was hit and crashed in flames. He achieved his tally of 173 victories in just 18 months.