That's a lot of work to shoot down one or two planes. Was he a good military leader? If you lose the battle but don't lose a single man then one might question your willingness to engage the enemy, a necessary unpleasantry of war.

His men undoubtedly most appreciated him because he kept them out of combat and alive.

And was the plane detected/shot down because of the defenders' skills or were there plane malfunctions, etc.?