On tanker aces........

Top American tanker was probably Staff Sergeant Lafayette G. Pool, who had little experience in tank warfare, [and was fighting against Panthers in his hopelessly outclassed M4]

During his short career Pool and his crew were credited with 258 enemy vehicles kills, from Kubelwagens to Panther tanks. The crew of "In the Mood" had taken over 250 prisoners and killed over 1,000 German soldiers.

The highpoint in the sergeant's exploits came at Namur, Belgium, when he and his regiment killed sixteen enemy tanks with a loss of only five of theirs. Pool was credited with 3 tank kills, including a Panther at close range.

It was during a night action near Colombier, France. In the darkness, Pool's tank nearly rammed the Panther before it became visible. The Panther got off two panicked shots at close range but missed.

Corporal Oller, the ever-alert gunner (it was said he saw all of France and Germany through the sights of his main gun) calmly took aim, fired, and ripped the heavy turret from the body of the enemy tank.

Finding themselves then surrounded by German infantry, Pool's crew fought them off with machine gun fire till reinforcements appeared.


By all accounts the top Russian ace was Guards Capt. Samokhin Konstantin, 4th Tank Brigade, in BT-7's, and T-34's, died in 1942 with 69 kills + 13 other AFVs, 82 guns, 117 motor vehicles.
Although Lavrinenko Dmitriy (T-34, 4th tank brigade) is some times mentioned as the top Panzer killer.