The DH Mosquito was irrevocably the ''Best Nightfighter of WWII''....
-This is a documented fact, and it was a part of the unique configurations this aircraft was developed to undertake, very early in it's career...and one it carried-out from it's inception as a Nightfighter, throughout the War and beyond into the fifty's when replaced by jets...
It's role as a Nightfighter and it's service was unsurpassed by any other aircraft and a contributing aspect to it's legendary status....
Germany tried unsuccessfully to copy it in the form of the Fw-154, and the He-219 was another attempt and although it's initial success was a half-dozen Mossies and some bombers, we may find that they were Mosquito Bomber or Pathfinder variants...
If those who believe the He-219 was the better aircraft and want to read up on it, you'll find that Capt. Eric Brown CBE,DSC,AFC,RN; wrote most illuminatingly of it's real performance after extensively testing it [and other German aircraft], in his book 'Aircraft of the Luftwaffe', and it's also reprinted in Air International July 1975 ' Viewed from the Cockpit'.....
While I feel the He-219 was a great looking aircraft with some special features, it was underpowered, [Brown only coaxing a max speed of 378mph out of it], not receiving the correct engines due to shortages, it was supposed to be fitted with DB-603G's but got mostly DB-603A's, a difference of 150hp, but it was also a very heavy fighter in comparison to the Mossie....Although well armed, it was not as manoevrable, had a lousy climb-rate and like many German aircraft it was too little, too late, a common feature of RLM's role of aircraft selection processes....this aircraft was on the drawing-board in 1940, and they dragged their heels on it for a good part of the War......
Northrop's P-61 was the only aircraft of this era specifically built as a Nightfighter, and it too suffered similar faults, being too heavy and not as manoevrable, although it performed good service in the Pacific towards the end of that conflict....Perhaps the P-38 NF variant's service was probably more successful there, but I don't have any figures to support this......
Personally, I feel the Ju-88 was the closest contempary to the Mosquito, and both the Bf-110 and Do-217 also did good service to Germany in this role also, but all said and done, the superlative Mosquito was and still is heralded as the ''Best Nightfighter of WWII''..............