Beaufighter vs. Axis fighters

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

Pacific Victory Roll - Home

web.archive.org

So thanks to Fubar for finding that on Wayback machine. I think we should convince whoever ran that, or their heirs or friends or somebody else who can, to revise that website it's a treasure.

Here is a brief example, I just literally opened up the Claims page for the Australians at random, and counted six Beaufighter claims for A6M claims plus a nate in about a 3 month period. Here you go:

Interesting to see there is a Wirraway claim in there!

Of course we can't assume that all those claims are valid, I'm sure they can be checked, some of them should be in "Pacific Air War" series I might be able to find some, but anyway I doubt they are all bogus.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

So here are a few more from Pacific Victory Roll, right up to the end of the war.

I don't see this as such a surprise, because the Beaufighter is fairly fast down low near sea level where it operated, and I think competitive with the A6M on speed at that altitude.

This chart shows a Beau Mk VI at 312 mph TAS at 4,000 ft, and that is at +8 lb boost. I'm not sure precisely the speed of the A6M2 or -3 at that altitude but Allied tests seem to indicate it's slower than that. For example this test shows an A6M3 at 280 mph at Sea Level. I know there were some problems with these tests so I can't be sure how accurate that is..

I think the key for a heavy fighter to have success against single engined types is to have a substantial speed advantage. That way it can hit and run. As soon as the single-engined types get to parity or better, the heavy fighter is no longer successful, and it's a pretty fast tipping point when the speeds change. This worked for example for the Bf 110 in the Battle of France and early days on the Russian Front, but by the BoB and early engagements with Hurricanes and Tomahawks in the Med it was no longer successful at an acceptable rate.

In the Pacific, a Beaufighter I think was a bit faster than an A6M2 or Ki-43 down at low altitude, and certainly could catch float planes and bombers operating down low.

in the Med, a Bf 109 or MC 202 had such a speed advantage that the Beau was more challenged.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, there's a lot of floatplane fighters on that list. Not surprising, that, especially with that fearsome armament.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

yes but also a fair number of "Zekes". And a Rufe of course is a fairly formidable float plane version of a Zero.

Anybody caught low and slow by a marauding Beaufighter is in big trouble, IMO

 

[Wildcat]

Interesting to see there is a Wirraway claim in there!

The Wirraway kill was an Oscar belonging to the 11th Sentai. The Wirraway, A20-103, still exists at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Advanced Search | Australian War Memorial

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

Badass!

 

[SaparotRob]

That's the word I was looking for.

 

[nuuumannn]

The Wirraway kill was an Oscar belonging to the 11th Sentai. The Wirraway, A20-103, still exists at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Here it is on display, the last time I was in Canberra.

DSC_5442

I like the quote from the radio transmission notifying of the kill...

"Archer has shot down one Zeke, repeat one Zeke. Send six bottles of beer."

Only six?

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

They had stronger beer then...

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

They had stronger beer then...

It's still probably Foster's.

 

[SaparotRob]

That's Australian for beer, Mate.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

That's Australian for beer, Mate.

"That's not a knife. This is a knife."

 

[33k in the air]

"That's not a fighter. This is a fighter."

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

"That's not a fighter. This is a fighter."

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Honestly, I don't care if the Beaufighter can't dogfight. If you don't love an attack aircraft with four -20s, six .303s, and eight HVARs, off to the doghouse with you.

Their mission in suppressing flak at Bismarck Sea alone would give them a page in history. They made the skip- and and masthead-bombing very successful indeed.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

Honestly, I don't care if the Beaufighter can't dogfight. If you don't love an attack aircraft with four -20s, six .303s, and eight HVARs, off to the doghouse with you.

Their mission in suppressing flak at Bismarck Sea alone would give them a page in history. They made the skip- and and masthead-bombing very successful indeed.

I mean, apparently they did shoot down enemy fighters.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I mean, apparently they did shoot down enemy fighters.

Sure, no argument here. I'm just saying that I love 'em for an entirely different reason. I guess I have a thing for ugly attack aircraft armed to the teeth.

 

[Denniss]

Always looked to me as a big brother of the Hs 129

 

[SaparotRob]

Always looked to me as a big brother of the Hs 129

But way meaner. Heck, the engines alone on the Beau couldn't wait for the plane.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Always looked to me as a big brother of the Hs 129

The -129 looked like a kid sister to me, but that's perspective, wot-wot.