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Originally Posted by WTE_Galway
Essentially with experten leading operational Jagdgeschwader those Jagdgeschwader were the final combat training unit. As the war went on and attrition occurred this system proved detrimental.
Also ... one thing to remember about the target rich environment and 24/7 year in year out fighting of Eastern Front Jagdgeschwader is the entire war became a training exercise for those that survived.
Hartmann did not necessarily start the war with more talent or skill than his lower scoring allied counterparts. Early career, iif provided with the target rich Eastern Front environment that the LW enjoyed, some of the allied aces may even have scored substantially better.
However that is beside the point, by the wars end Hartmann and some of the other experten had several thousand more hours in combat than any non-soviet allied pilot and over 300 "practice kills" against live targets under his belt. It seems unlikely anyone else, no matter how talented, could compete with that level of experience in actual combat.
Its a bit like comparing a talented high school footballer with a seasoned professional. Time in the hot seat really counts.
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Having read "I flew for the Fuhrer" (great book), I got the impression that many of the experienced Luftwaffe pilots (if they had survived) were worn down and fatigued in the later years of the war. With not enough rest, and high attrition, with few safe places to rest as they where under constant attack. Keep in mind that many allied pilots flew many hours and rarely encountered an aircraft with black crosses, whereas the Germans nearly always faced enemy aircraft after 1944, I'm surprised that any Luftwaffe experten who survived the war would still have any interest in flying after being put through all that.