Erich Hartmann was the greatest ace of all time, with 352 aerial victories. He flew with JG 52, JG 53, and JG 77, fighting primarily on the Eastern front. In 1944, Hartmann found himself fighting against American pilots around Ploesti, and though he wasnt as successful as he was against the Russians, he continued to add to his incredible tally, including one mission where he shot down 4 P-51s. Perhaps the most incredible feat was that Hartmann was never shot down by enemy fire. Hartmann's BF-109 was easily distinguished by the "Black Tulip" on the nose of his aircraft; his own trademark. The only other distinguishing mark on his aircraft was a red heart with the name "Chrystl" in honor of his wife. Hartmann was nicknamed the "Black Devil" by the Russians, who wanted him downed at all costs, even putting a bounty on his head for whoever shot him down. Hartmann, like many Luftwaffe pilots, achieved incredible scores due to being in combat continuosuly for the entire war, while Allied pilots would rotate out. To put in in perspective, most allied aces flew 50 missions; Hartmann flew 1,404. Of his total kill count, 345 were Russian planes, with just 7 over the Americans. Flying on the Eastern front against Russian pilots with less training and sub-par aircraft also allowed pilots such as Hartmann to amass such scores. However, Hartmann would have done well no matter who he flew against, and will probably be the Ace of Aces for human history. His incredible combat scores were also tempered with his outstanding leadership skills. After the war, he was taken to a Russian labor camp. When released in 1955, he joined the new German Air Force.