16. Another German ace shot down 13 enemy planes during one mission
Emil Lang’s multiple victories often came in more than one mission, with the indefatigable pilot flying several sorties per day. Another German flyer, Erich Rudorffer, shot down 13 Soviet planes over the course of a single mission. Rudorffer achieved ace status before deploying to the Eastern Front in 1943. He flew against the British and French in the Battles of France and Britain. He participated in the German response to Operation Torch, and attacks against American bombing raids. Several times he completed missions in which he shot down five or more enemy aircraft, though never reaching double figures in a single mission on the Western Front.
When Rudorffer transferred to the Eastern Front, he brought with him his combat experience against pilots flying aircraft superior to those presented by the Soviets. His experience served him well. On October 11, 1943, he claimed his 100th enemy aircraft was destroyed. On November 6, during the fighting around Kiev, Rudorffer shot down 13 Soviet fighters in an action which lasted but 17 minutes, bringing his total to 122. His final victory tally over the course of the war included 222 enemy aircraft. He achieved his last twelve flying the Me 262 jet fighter, making him one of history’s first jet aces. He survived the war, dying in 2016 at the age of 98.