# Need help from a WW2 dogfighting person



## MacArther (Nov 30, 2005)

I am currently working on a story that entails a lot of detail, especialy when it comes to dogfights. One problem, aside from the short videos I have seen over the years on the History Channel, I have no experience as to how a dogfight should play out, and how much damage specific planes can absorb (especially from different guns). Many of the fighter forums have helped with damage ratios, but I'm still a bit fuzzy about how the fights themselves. With all of this, bear in mind that it is a Historical *fiction* book I'm working on. Also, this is only the preliminary set of chapters; I plan on expanding on the story much further when I have the time away from school work. Anyway, please submit a post If you have any Ideas as to where I might be fudging things, or if you can help with airial combat scenes.

Here is the story link
http://www.fictionpress.com/read.php?storyid=1943010


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## elmilitaro (Nov 30, 2005)

This is preety good, but I can't help out much.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 30, 2005)

Have you read "Thunderbolt" or "The Blond Knight." I thought both books were very discriptive in their air-to-air combat accounts. Even "The Forked Tailed Devil" had some pretty good combat from P-38 pilots...


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## MacArther (Dec 1, 2005)

sad to say, but I have never even heard of those books. I spend most of my book money on the technical guides to every thing and anything concerning warfare.


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 1, 2005)

Try to get your hands on at least Thunderbolt. It gives a discription of Robert Johnson flying his Thunderbolt over Europe, shooting down aircraft and getting shot at as well....


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## wmaxt (Dec 1, 2005)

Jack Ilfry's book 'Happy Jacks Go Buggy' can be odtained from on line sources. 
P-38 Online has some short stories from some aces on both sides.
http://p-38online.com/index.html
Flight Journal Magazine has some. 
Here are is a source available on line. John Tilley.
http://www.kilroywashere.org/003-Pages/Tilley-John/03-Harm-Tilley-story.html

wmaxt


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 1, 2005)

Just Remembered.....

"Peter Three Eight." A whole bunch of P-38 combat information...


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## pbfoot (Dec 1, 2005)

Terror in the Starboard Seat by dave macintyre is an excellent book dealing with a mossie night intruder crew that that covers both in air and ground experiances with humour and fact


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## MacArther (Dec 2, 2005)

Muchisimo gracias!!!  Right, need to find time to read the stories. Stupid high-skool. It doesnt teach me nothing!


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## evangilder (Dec 2, 2005)

You might also check fighter group association websites. They often have first hand accounts of pilots that flew the missions and their experiences. The 78th FG site has some interesting stuff about the Me-262 that they shot down, sort of. It was pretty much on the way down before Meyers shot it.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 2, 2005)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Have you read "Thunderbolt" or "The Blond Knight." I thought both books were very discriptive in their air-to-air combat accounts. Even "The Forked Tailed Devil" had some pretty good combat from P-38 pilots...



I have not read Thunderbolt but I enjoyed "The Blond Knight".


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 2, 2005)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> FLYBOYJ said:
> 
> 
> > Have you read "Thunderbolt" or "The Blond Knight." I thought both books were very discriptive in their air-to-air combat accounts. Even "The Forked Tailed Devil" had some pretty good combat from P-38 pilots...
> ...



There's a good part where Johnson gets the sh*t shot out of him, tried to bail out but the canopy was jammed - good reading even though it was a "Cadin" book.....


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## MacArther (Dec 2, 2005)

Was el militario the only one to check and see if I had made any glaring errors (aside from my P40 N-2 model, and the earlier introduction of the Hurricane IIC) in my story???


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 2, 2005)

I have not looked yet, will check it out though, dont worry.


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## MacArther (Dec 2, 2005)

okay, sorry if I was being a bit of a nag


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Dec 4, 2005)

No worries.


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## MacArther (Jan 3, 2006)

Good news and bad news. The good news is that I have purchased a few flight combat books, whose names I will post later. The bad news is that getting through all of these books will delay my next update to my story.


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## sharron (Jan 3, 2006)

mY FATHER FOUGHT IN WW2 hE WAS A TAIL GUNNER IN THE NEW aIR fORCE, His name was Homer Roy Beck...would like to know if there are any of his war friends alive to tell me any thing about him, I am his illigitamate daughter and he passed before I learned about him..Also would like to learn about the aircraft he flew in.. Thank You


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## FLYBOYJ (Jan 3, 2006)

sharron said:


> mY FATHER FOUGHT IN WW2 hE WAS A TAIL GUNNER IN THE NEW aIR fORCE, His name was Homer Roy Beck...would like to know if there are any of his war friends alive to tell me any thing about him, I am his illigitamate daughter and he passed before I learned about him..Also would like to learn about the aircraft he flew in.. Thank You



Hi Sharron, what aircraft did he fly? Try here...

http://b24bw.proboards33.com/index.cgi

http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/


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## MacArther (Jan 3, 2006)

I'll try an pull some strings with my grandpa, and see if he and his friends remember anyone by that name.


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## MacArther (Jan 9, 2006)

sorry no luck, my grandpa contacted buddies, and they couldnt remember anyone by that name.


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## MacArther (Feb 1, 2006)

Ok, more help needed. If I were to send the Peregrines over Sicily in a Catialina for bombing, would it seem feasible for a special squadron that usually gets hand-me-downs?


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## MacArther (Feb 9, 2006)

Personal opinion question, should I have the squadron participate in defending Malta?


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## Gnomey (Feb 9, 2006)

If it is an American Squadron then no, if a British or Commonwealth then it depends where they are, I would say yes.


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## MacArther (Feb 10, 2006)

Its an eagle squadron with people from all over the globe.


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## Gnomey (Feb 10, 2006)

It may of been sent to there in real life and so I would say it would be plausible for them to go to Malta.


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## MacArther (Feb 10, 2006)

Sweet, new chapter idea. Thanks Gnomey!!


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## peter benn (Jun 23, 2007)

If you have the time to read detailed WW2 airwar histories, the Shores/Cull books are pretty definitive about Malta, and other theatres. There are also many books written about Beurling.

An interesting Spitfire pilot's-eye view is Dennis Barnham's "One Man's Window," c.1956 (William Kimber) and reprinted in the 80's in paperback.

When you find one book you like, check its bibliography for the source books the author used, and then find and read those. Rare books can be found fast through abebooks.com.


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