Thanks for the endorsement;. I'll have to try and get hold of a copy.
Best WW2 Fighter TIMELINE
- Thread starter timmy
- Start date
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silence
Senior Airman
"Iron Sky" had me laughing my butt off. Nazis not only make great villains, but great subjects for satire.
Hi Waynos, thanks for getting back with that. There were a number of those luft 46 designs that showed great potential, but the rest, as they say, is history
My sons thought the same about the red skull in "Captain America", but he had gone that one step further! Trying to get back on topic though, does anyone think the FW Ta 152 is a contender for 'Best fighter" of March/ April 1945? It was finally operational in very small numbers at the close of hostilities, basically still at prototype stage with no spare parts. Combat records, all things considered, showed it to be pretty competitive with any and all opposition.
silence
Senior Airman
I want to say, yes, but I can do so only in absolute terms.
- The sample size is far too small to give a good evaluation, but at the same time projections are excellent
- It was never put to work at the altitudes for which it was designed
Since at this point in time range could almost be looked at as an afterthought, I think I'd got with a Spit X!V. If numbers are irrelevant, the 152 is a contender but I lean toward a Dora-13.
WRT US planes the P-47 seems to need altitude to really excel as a fighter, while the Mustang is very good all-around but I think beaten out (but not by much) by the Spit and German planes.
Russian planes are low altitude, as is the Tempest.
The wild card for me is the P-38L: I don't know enough about it to evaluate it against the very latest allied and German fighters.
Nor do I know enough about Japan's last-gasp crop of fighters.
- The sample size is far too small to give a good evaluation, but at the same time projections are excellent
- It was never put to work at the altitudes for which it was designed
Since at this point in time range could almost be looked at as an afterthought, I think I'd got with a Spit X!V. If numbers are irrelevant, the 152 is a contender but I lean toward a Dora-13.
WRT US planes the P-47 seems to need altitude to really excel as a fighter, while the Mustang is very good all-around but I think beaten out (but not by much) by the Spit and German planes.
Russian planes are low altitude, as is the Tempest.
The wild card for me is the P-38L: I don't know enough about it to evaluate it against the very latest allied and German fighters.
Nor do I know enough about Japan's last-gasp crop of fighters.
Japanese and Russian planes do tend to get overlooked. The canard Shinden "Magnificent Lightning" was certainly a contender for innovative and advanced design. Always wanted to do a R/C model of one. maybe one day.....As far as the Ta 152 never operating in its intended role, that is true, but does not detract from the plane itself though. The accounts that I've read regarding its performance against the very latest allied aircraft put it in a very good light. The Luftwaffe pilots were very impressed with it, and it proved it could it hold its own against any thing else out there. They were flown by experienced pilots ( generally), and certainly superior to any other piston engine fighters the Luftwaffe were currently operating. I still think they merit consideration as "best fighter" time line wise for 1945, even if only a handful ever got into action. I'd back one against a Gloster Meteor if pilot skill was equal.
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clarkjwilson
Recruit
- 2
- Jun 8, 2013
WHICH WORLD WAR TWO AMERICAN FIGHTER AIRCRAFT WAS THE BEST OF THE BEST?
It must be said that any fighter aircraft is only a good as the pilot who is flying it.
The top speed of a fighter is generally considered paramount. When comparing the top speeds of the five best American World War II fighter aircraft, several things should be considered such as: top speeds at various altitudes, source of information and the series model of each type.
I have compared the top speeds of the five best operational American fighter aircraft of WWII: the F6F Hellcat, the P-38 Lightning, the P-51 Mustang, the F4U Corsair and the P-47 Thunderbolt. Each aircraft's top speed is given in level flight at about 25,000 feet altitude as this is the altitude and below where ostensibly most WWII air-to-air combat occurred. The top speeds for all fighters at lower altitudes generally decrease proportionally down to sea level.
The Grumman F6F Hellcat had a top speed of 390 MPH at 25,000 feet altitude.
The Lockheed P-38J Lightning's best speed is 405 MPH at 26,000 feet.
The Vought F4U-4 has its best level flight speed of 449 MPH at 26,000 feet.
The North American P-51D's best speed at 26,000 is 442 MPH. The P-51D, however, could just barely out run the Corsair above 25,000 feet with the P-51D's top speed of 450 MPH at 28,000 feet altitude.
The fastest P-51 Mustang was the P-51H model with a top speed of 471 MPH at 22,700 feet. Although some P-51Hs were issued to operational units, none saw combat in World War II.
The Republic P-47D had its best speed of 445 MPH at 23,000 feet and a top speed of 438 MPH at 25,000
The Republic P-47M had a top speed of 473 MPH at 32,000 feet and a top speed of 453 MPH at 25,000 feet. The P-47M could then be considered the fastest operational propeller driven aircraft of WWII, however, the P-47M did not see combat until the last few days of the war in Europe.
Sources: "WWII Aircraft Performance"
WWII Aircraft Performance
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was an important fighter aircraft of WWII. The F6F Hellcat's top speeds, however, were slower than that of the F4U, P-51, P-47 and P-38. The Hellcat is best known for its role as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter which was able, after its combat debut in September 1943, to outperform the A6M Zero and help secure air superiority over the Pacific Theater. Hellcats were credited with destroying a total of 5,223 enemy aircraft while in service. This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft. The high combat score of the F6F is attributed more to circumstance than fighter aircraft attributes. The Hellcat flew much more air-to-air combat sorties compared to the F4U. The Hellcats were tasked with missions into a very target rich air-to-air combat environment, near the end of the war, when the Japanese aircraft and pilots were inferior to the Hellcats and their well-trained pilots. It was, as they say for the Hellcat pilots, a "Turkey Shoot". The Corsair's, at that time, were relegated to mostly ground attack and close air support missions. Most Corsair pilots, grudgingly, did not have the chance to share much of the air-to-air glory and victories that the Hellcat pilots were enjoying.
The F6F Hellcat, P-38 Lightning, the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt were all amazing aircraft. I believe, however, that the F4U-4 Corsair was THE overall best operational fighter aircraft to fly in combat during WWII. My reasons for this conclusion are:
If top speed in air-to-air combat alone would be the determining factor as to which was the better fighter, the F4U-4 Corsair would come out on top at 25,000 altitude. Comparing the F4U-4 with the F6F, the P-38 Lightning, the P-47D Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang, the F4U-4 had the faster speeds at 25,000 feet and below, this ostensibly being the altitude where most air-to-air combat occurred.
The F4U could out-climb and out-maneuver the P-51.
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f4u/p-51b-f4u-1-navycomp.pdf
The Corsair could withstand more battle damage. It could take just one bullet through the P-51 and P-38 liquid engine coolant systems to shutdown the engine where the air-cooled radial engines of the F4U and P-47 could still operate with substantial damage.
The F4U and P-47 and could carry a much larger load of ordinance. The P-47 could carry a bomb load of 2,500 pounds. The Corsair could carry more of a bomb load, more than 4,000 pounds that is more that any other operational fighter of WWII.
The significant advantage that the P-51D had over the F4U-4 and P-47 was that the P-51 had pronominal range.
The F4U Corsair is arguably the most versatile fighter of WWII in that it was not only an excellent fighter/interceptor. The Corsair's exceptionally stable gun platform made the F4U Corsair the best close air support aircraft of its day.
Unlike the P-38, P-47 and the P-51, the Corsair and Hellcat could also operate off of aircraft carriers.
The production run of the Corsair was longer than any other of the WWII fighters, lasting from 1940 until 1952. U.S. Navy and Marine squadrons were flying the Corsair through 1957. This suggests that the Corsair was indeed a most valuable fighter aircraft.
The real test would be if the Corsair and the Mustang challenged each other in actual combat. This actually occurred in the skies over Central America in 1969.
The Last Piston-Engine Dogfights | History | Air & Space Magazine
Perhaps I'm just prejudiced about the Corsair because my dad flew the Corsair in combat during WWII.
It must be said that any fighter aircraft is only a good as the pilot who is flying it.
The top speed of a fighter is generally considered paramount. When comparing the top speeds of the five best American World War II fighter aircraft, several things should be considered such as: top speeds at various altitudes, source of information and the series model of each type.
I have compared the top speeds of the five best operational American fighter aircraft of WWII: the F6F Hellcat, the P-38 Lightning, the P-51 Mustang, the F4U Corsair and the P-47 Thunderbolt. Each aircraft's top speed is given in level flight at about 25,000 feet altitude as this is the altitude and below where ostensibly most WWII air-to-air combat occurred. The top speeds for all fighters at lower altitudes generally decrease proportionally down to sea level.
The Grumman F6F Hellcat had a top speed of 390 MPH at 25,000 feet altitude.
The Lockheed P-38J Lightning's best speed is 405 MPH at 26,000 feet.
The Vought F4U-4 has its best level flight speed of 449 MPH at 26,000 feet.
The North American P-51D's best speed at 26,000 is 442 MPH. The P-51D, however, could just barely out run the Corsair above 25,000 feet with the P-51D's top speed of 450 MPH at 28,000 feet altitude.
The fastest P-51 Mustang was the P-51H model with a top speed of 471 MPH at 22,700 feet. Although some P-51Hs were issued to operational units, none saw combat in World War II.
The Republic P-47D had its best speed of 445 MPH at 23,000 feet and a top speed of 438 MPH at 25,000
The Republic P-47M had a top speed of 473 MPH at 32,000 feet and a top speed of 453 MPH at 25,000 feet. The P-47M could then be considered the fastest operational propeller driven aircraft of WWII, however, the P-47M did not see combat until the last few days of the war in Europe.
Sources: "WWII Aircraft Performance"
WWII Aircraft Performance
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was an important fighter aircraft of WWII. The F6F Hellcat's top speeds, however, were slower than that of the F4U, P-51, P-47 and P-38. The Hellcat is best known for its role as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter which was able, after its combat debut in September 1943, to outperform the A6M Zero and help secure air superiority over the Pacific Theater. Hellcats were credited with destroying a total of 5,223 enemy aircraft while in service. This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft. The high combat score of the F6F is attributed more to circumstance than fighter aircraft attributes. The Hellcat flew much more air-to-air combat sorties compared to the F4U. The Hellcats were tasked with missions into a very target rich air-to-air combat environment, near the end of the war, when the Japanese aircraft and pilots were inferior to the Hellcats and their well-trained pilots. It was, as they say for the Hellcat pilots, a "Turkey Shoot". The Corsair's, at that time, were relegated to mostly ground attack and close air support missions. Most Corsair pilots, grudgingly, did not have the chance to share much of the air-to-air glory and victories that the Hellcat pilots were enjoying.
The F6F Hellcat, P-38 Lightning, the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt were all amazing aircraft. I believe, however, that the F4U-4 Corsair was THE overall best operational fighter aircraft to fly in combat during WWII. My reasons for this conclusion are:
If top speed in air-to-air combat alone would be the determining factor as to which was the better fighter, the F4U-4 Corsair would come out on top at 25,000 altitude. Comparing the F4U-4 with the F6F, the P-38 Lightning, the P-47D Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang, the F4U-4 had the faster speeds at 25,000 feet and below, this ostensibly being the altitude where most air-to-air combat occurred.
The F4U could out-climb and out-maneuver the P-51.
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f4u/p-51b-f4u-1-navycomp.pdf
The Corsair could withstand more battle damage. It could take just one bullet through the P-51 and P-38 liquid engine coolant systems to shutdown the engine where the air-cooled radial engines of the F4U and P-47 could still operate with substantial damage.
The F4U and P-47 and could carry a much larger load of ordinance. The P-47 could carry a bomb load of 2,500 pounds. The Corsair could carry more of a bomb load, more than 4,000 pounds that is more that any other operational fighter of WWII.
The significant advantage that the P-51D had over the F4U-4 and P-47 was that the P-51 had pronominal range.
The F4U Corsair is arguably the most versatile fighter of WWII in that it was not only an excellent fighter/interceptor. The Corsair's exceptionally stable gun platform made the F4U Corsair the best close air support aircraft of its day.
Unlike the P-38, P-47 and the P-51, the Corsair and Hellcat could also operate off of aircraft carriers.
The production run of the Corsair was longer than any other of the WWII fighters, lasting from 1940 until 1952. U.S. Navy and Marine squadrons were flying the Corsair through 1957. This suggests that the Corsair was indeed a most valuable fighter aircraft.
The real test would be if the Corsair and the Mustang challenged each other in actual combat. This actually occurred in the skies over Central America in 1969.
The Last Piston-Engine Dogfights | History | Air & Space Magazine
Perhaps I'm just prejudiced about the Corsair because my dad flew the Corsair in combat during WWII.
J.A.W.
Banned
So CJW, is your purview - that US fighters were "the best of the best in WW 2"..
also solely based on "prejudice" too?
Perhaps a search of the rich data to be gleaned - from within topic relevant threads herein..
might take your 'blinkers' off?
also solely based on "prejudice" too?
Perhaps a search of the rich data to be gleaned - from within topic relevant threads herein..
might take your 'blinkers' off?
Kevin J
Banned
Would anyone here be brave enough to attempt one
Just give a rough chronological order by dates on what fighters dominated WW2. Does not matter if the fighter is an Intercepter/Escort/Carrier fighter
The rules are the fighter truly dominated its air space at the time. It has to be reliable enough and built in reasonable quantity to be truly considered
For the record: The most successful US fighter in the ETO was the Mustang; the Warhawk in the CBI; the Lightning in the MTO; the Hellcat in the Pacific. In the ETO, the most successful fighter in the RAF was the Hurricane with 55% of all aerial victories, followed by the Spitfire with 33% of the victories, the remaining 12% being scored by a large variety of British and American fighters.
JAN 1940.............Spitfire/Me 109
.........................Spitfire/Me 109
JUNE 1940...........Spitfire/Me 109
.........................Spitfire/Me 109
JAN 1941.............Spitfire/Me 109
.........................Spitfire/Me 109
JUNE 1941............Spitfire/Me 109
..........................FW 190
JAN 1942..............FW 190
..........................FW 190
JUNE 1942............FW 190
..........................Spitfire IX/FW 190
JAN 1943..............Spitfire IX/FW 190
...........................Mustang P51B/C
JUNE 1943.............
...........................
JAN 1944...............
...........................
JUNE 1944.............
...........................
JAN 1945................Me 262
............................Me 262
JUNE 1945..............Me 262
I think this Timeline is fairly accurate, maybe I could have still have put the 109 in after Jan 1942 ???? Then the only debate is whether the 262 was truly operational to be considered ? I will not even attempt the years mid 43 to 45. Just to many good fighters and too many arguments on this forum
Maybe someone else might give it a go?
Kevin J
Banned
1939/40 ETO Hurricane I/Spitfire I/Bf 109E
1940/41 ETO Hurricane II/Spitfire II/Bf 109E
1941/42 ETO Fw 190A/Bf 109F
1942/43 ETO Fw 190A/Spitfire FIX/Bf 109G/Typhoon
1943/44 ETO P-47D/Spitfire LIX/P-51B/P-38J/Typhoon/Fw 190A
1944/45 ETO P-47D/P-38L/Tempest/P-51D/Fw 190D/Bf 109K/Spitfire FXIV
1945 ETO P-47M
I've omitted the jets because they are unsuitable for fighter vs fighter combat. I've done a multiple selection because each fighter has its own special attributes; victory in combat would depend on the pilot. For 1945, I choose the P-47M because it has speed, altitude, dive speed and range.
1940/41 MTO Hurricane I
1941/42 MTO Hurricane II/Bf109E/Tomahawk IIb
1942/43 MTO P-40F/Spitfire IX/Bf 109F/Fw 190A
1943/44 MTO P-38J/Spitfire VIII/Bf 109G/P-47D/Fw 190A
1944/45 MTO P-38L
I choose the Lightning for 1944/45 because all its bugs have been ironed out and it has sufficient performance to outclass all its opponents.
1941/42 CBI Tomahawk
1942/43 CBI Warhawk
1943/44 CBI Warhawk/Spitfire Vc/Lightning
1944/45 CBI Thunderbolt/Spitfire VIII/Lightning
No place for the Hurricane as it can't do anything much better than the Hayabusa and some things much worse.
1941/42 PTO P-40E/A6M2
1942/43 PTO P-40K/A6M3
1943/44 PTO Corsair/Lightning/Hellcat
1944/45 PTO Corsair/Lightning/Hellcat/Spitfire LVIII/Shiden(-kai)/Hayate
1945 PTO P-51D/F4U-4/P-47N
So that's my choices.
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DarrenW
Staff Sergeant
My choices are rather basic in nature and only based on general conclusions made while gleaning many an aviation book over the past 40+ years so I'm sure people here could easily find counter arguments to my proposals. I was only concerned with the air superiority role and how much the aircraft truly dominated and crushed their opposition in the locale/year specified:
European Theater:
1939 Bf-109E
1940 Spitfire II
1941 BF-109F
1942 FW-190A
1943 BF-109G
1944 P-51B/C/D
1945 P-51D
Pacific Theater:
1941 A6M2
1942 A6M2
1943 P-38G
1944 F6F
1945 F6F
European Theater:
1939 Bf-109E
1940 Spitfire II
1941 BF-109F
1942 FW-190A
1943 BF-109G
1944 P-51B/C/D
1945 P-51D
Pacific Theater:
1941 A6M2
1942 A6M2
1943 P-38G
1944 F6F
1945 F6F
wuzak
Captain
There, fixed it for you.
DarrenW
Staff Sergeant
You just migt have a case concerning the Spitfire but the how did the P-51H "crush the opposition" without ever firing it's guns in combat lol?
wuzak
Captain
I thought it was about the best aircraft in the theatre. Didn't see the claim about crushing the opposition.
Kevin J
Banned
Yes, I almost agree, providing you have to chose only one fighter, but with the following changes:-
1943 ETO P-47D It has altitude, range, top speed, dive speed and is performance wise somewhere between the Bf 109G-6 and the Bf 109G-6/U6 which was the bomber interceptor version.
1942 PTO P-40F If there were any there.
1943 PTO Corsair
1945 PTO Mustang
I think this is a neat idea!
Here is my list, in order of "best to less". I put asterix next to the rarer types for a given year in a given Theater.
Spanish Civil War
1936/37 SPAIN I-15 / CR 32
1937/38 SPAIN Bf 109D* / He - 112 */ I-16 / CR 42 / I -15
The Spanish Civil War was a fascinating test bed of different aircraft designs and tactics. It started with a very heterogeneous collection of biplanes and strange one-off designs, with typical fighters barely making 200 mph and armed with two machine guns.
By the end monoplane fighters capable of 300 mph like the Bf 109 and I-16 were becoming dominant. The Germans, Italians and Soviets learned many valuable lessons in that nasty war.
Battle of France
1940 FRANCE Bf 109E / Spit I* / Me 110 / Dewoitine D.520 / P-36 / Hurricane / Ms 406
Another interesting prelude to the 'heart' of WW2, the Battle of France saw the clear ascendance if not emergence of the two dominant fighter types of the ETO in WW2 - the Spitfire and the Bf 109,
Spits were very rare in the Battle of France and I think still very early, two prop blade types. Not sure if these were really better than Bf 109E or not, it's kind of a toss up, I gave the 109 the edge partly for reasons of training and organization. P-36 had the best record on the Anglo-French side but that is probably due to pilot familiarity and training. D.520 seems like the most promising aircraft available to the French though it arrived so late that pilots had little time to familiarize themselves with it. The Bloch 150 series though fast and heavily armed (with two 20mm cannon) seem to have had too many teething difficulties and maybe some serious design flaws. Me 110 did poorly later on but in the Battle of France it was one of the most feared aircraft. The French VG. 33 might have been a really good fighter but it came too late.
The ETO
1940/41 ETO Spitfire I - Spit II / Bf 109E / Hurricane
1941/42 ETO Fw 190A / Spitfire V / Bf 109F / Bf 109E
1942/43 ETO Spitfire IX* / Spitfire VII / Fw-190A / Bf 109G / Spit V
1943/44 ETO Spitfire IX / P-51B / Typhoon / Fw 190A / Bf 109G / P-38J
1944/45 ETO Me 262 / Spitfire XIV / P-51D / Fw 190D / P-47D / Tempest * / BF 109K / P-38L
1945 ETO P-47M / P-51H / Ta - 152 / Tempest / Fw 190D9
The Battle of Britain was a "close run thing" as they say, and while the Hurricane did shoot down a lot of German aircraft -particularly bombers but plenty of fighters too - it was the slight qualitative edge of the Spitfire (perceived or real) which pushed the British over the top. Though this is kind of a trope I think it's also true.
In 1941 the Spit V was ascendant until August 1941 when the Fw 190A first appeared. So for the first 8 months of the year Spit V is #1 in my opinion. Once the Fw 190 showed up though as everyone knows, it was the boss. For nearly a year Fw 190 Jabos terrorized the English while the RAF in turn were nearly powerless to interfere with German activities in Belgium, Norway and Northern France.
Then in mid 1942 things reversed as the Spit IX arrived in July 1942, and the Spit VII (with particularly good low-alt performance) started appearing in Oct.
I didn't put in Typhoons until 1943 though they too were helpful in dealing with the Fw 190 even in their early days with all the teething problems. By 1943 you also start getting P-51B/C Mustang III which had very good performance and I think was particularly good at catching and defeating Fw 190s.
The 109 in general while still dangerous, was starting to fall behind the Spitfire in lethality and certainly faced a difficult problem with the arrival of the P-51 - whether due to quantity or quality or both of course is subject of endless debate. The 109G variants from G-6 onward were starting to shift emphasis toward being bomber destroyers and suffered in the fighter vs. fighter arena as a result.
The Russian Front
1941/42 RUSSIA Bf 109E / Yak -1* / P-40C / Me 110 / I-16 -24 / Hurricane I & II
1942/43 RUSSIA Bf 109F / Fw 190A* / Yak - 1B / P-39D / P-40E / MC 202* / Yak 7
1943/44 RUSSIA La 5 / Bf 109G / Yak - 9 / Fw 190A / P-39Q / Bf 109F / P-40K
1944/45 RUSSIA Yak-3* / Fw 190D / La 5FN / Bf 109G-K / P-39Q / Yak - 9 / Fw 190A - F
1945 RUSSIA Yak 3 / Yak -9 / Fw-190D
Germans were dominant qualitatively until after Stalingrad. A lot of this was not simply down to aircraft design but to issues like training and tactics (Russians didn't shift to finger-4 formations until early 1943) maintenance, build quality, availability of good radios and so on on the Soviet side.
During the critical year of 1942 the Germans were qualitatively dominant but the Soviets were still putting up a bitter fight. Lend Lease fighters played a key role (comprising something like 60% of the modern fighters available at one point) particularly in the defense of Leningrad and Moscow. Partly thanks to Lend Lease but also their own improved and increasing production the Soviets began to surpass the Germans in raw aircraft numbers toward the end of 1942.
Regarding Lend Lease The Hurricanes were mostly disappointing for the Soviets but they had good radios which helped a lot and made the Soviets understand the priority of putting radios in their planes, and with the right tactics could shoot down German planes. The P-40s were better but suffered badly from engine and maintenance problems with the Soviets. The P-39 was of course their favorite, partly because they did an extensive work up on the type before deploying it. Spit Vs were available but for reasons still unclear, didn't perform that well. Spit IX became available too but were used exclusively for PVO (rear area air defense) where they protected key Soviet industrial and C3I sites, but their impact on the war was limited so I didn't include them here.
In 1943 the tide started to turn on many of the issues the Soviets were having with their indigenous aircraft production, and Soviet designs got better at an accelerating pace. The slope got ever steeper. The Germans really didn't have an answer to the Yak 3.
The MTO
1940/41 MTO Hurricane I / MC 200 / Gladiator / CR 42
1941/42 MTO Bf 109F / Tomahawk IIb / MC 202 / Bf 109E / Hurricane II
1942/43 MTO Fw 190A* / MC 205* / Bf 109G / Spitfire V / P-40F / BF 109F / P-40K / MC 202 / Kittyhawk I/ Beaufighter / Ju 88
1943/44 MTO G 55* / Re 2005* / MC 205* / Spitfire IX* / Fw 190A -F / Bf 109G / P-47D / Spit V / P-38J / P-40F / MC 202 / Bf 109F
1944/45 MTO MC 205* / Spit XIV / Spit IX / Bf 109G-K / P-51D / Fw-190 A-F / P-38L
MTO was quite a see saw. In the very early days it was almost like a repeat of the Spanish Civil War with obsolescent Gladiators and CR 42 biplanes, Lysanders, Breda 65s and Ju-52s duking it out over the desert skies. Over a few months in 1941 the British initially held the edge over the Italians with the arrival of their first modern fighters- Hurricanes.
Then the Germans came into the Theater and quickly won it back in 1941 with the Bf 109. The Lend Lease aircraft (particularly Tomahawk & Kittyhawk) helped the British draw even that same year, then the Bf109E was replaced by the Bf 109F - which in the hands of the elite JG.27 in particular held the qualitative edge for most of 1942.
JG 27 cracked under the pressure though toward the end of 42 with the loss of several of their leading 'experten' (including at least 4 by the hands of Australian Kittyhawk pilots), and the Luftwaffe began to crumble as the Americans joined the British and Commonwealth forces in an increasingly heavy avalanche of higher quality machines flown by better trained pilots. Arrival of the Spit V in mid 1942 along with the higher flying P-40F and faster P-40K models to replace the old Kittyhawk I helped tip the balance in the Anglo-Americans favor. P-38s had trouble initially but got better and were also playing a role particularly in escorting the heavy bombers.
The Spit V was in particular critical to the defense of Malta. The Beaufighter was also very important for ship killing, protecting convoys, maritime patrol and shooting down German and Italian bombers. Lacking a long range fighter, the Germans pressed Ju-88s into service as long range fighter-bombers and they proved to be surprisingly dangerous and aggressive predators of planes like Wellingtons, Baltimores and even Short Sunderlands. They also shot down a few P-38s.
Spit IXs arriving in early 1943 spelled doom for the Germans in the Med. Fw 190 had an impact on the German side but were available in very small numbers until basically Anzio, by which time their pilot quality seems to have slipped a bit (they were getting the worst of it against USAAF P-40 units like the 79th FG). The 5 series Italian fighters while excellent arrived as Italy itself was collapsing, limiting their impact.
China / Burma / India
1941/42 CBI P-40B-C / Ki-43 / Ki-27 / Hurricane
1942/43 CBI P-40E-K / Ki-61* / P-40E / Ki-43 / Ki 44* / Hurricane II
1943/44 CBI P-40K-N / Ki-61 / Ki-43 / P-38 G-H / Spitfire Vc
1944/45 CBI Ki 84* / P-51D / P-47D / Spitfire VIII* / P-38 L
Ki-43s were very good, and I think underrated, but in the hands of an experienced and disciplined pilot the P-40s could disengage a little too easily from them and this gave the Allies the edge, a very thin edge initially but one which widened over time. The 23rd Fighter Group had something like 25 aces in this Theater. The Ki 61 was a very good plane, and the Ki-84 was excellent, but they came too few, too late and with too many maintenance issues to make a difference.
Spits and P-38s came pretty late and in limited numbers. P-51s start arriving mostly in 1944 and their long range was beneficial in the Theater.
The Pacific
1941/42 PTO A6M2 / F4F / P-40E / Ki 43 / P-40B-C
1942/43 PTO P-38F* / P-40K / Ki-61 / FM2 / A6M2 / F4F-3 / A6M3 / P-40E / Ki-43 / F4F -4
1943/44 PTO F4U Corsair* / P-38G - H / F6F Hellcat / Ki 61 / P-40F* / A6M5 / P-40K -M-N, Beaufighter
1944/45 PTO F4U Corsair / P-38L- J / Hellcat / Spitfire LVIII / N1K2 Shiden(-kai)* / Ki-84 Hayate* / A6M5
1945 PTO P-51D / F4U-4/ P-47N
The Japanese came in like a steamroller in Dec 1941 and wiped out Anglo-American forces in Hawaii, the Philippines, Java, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. etc. They created an aura of invincibility (for the A6M and the Ki-43**) and fear among the Allies which was still very strong for the first few months of 1942 and lingered into 1943.
Most of the destruction of the mighty Japanese Navy was wrought by the US Navy and Marines in very hard fights in 1942 (the tipping point notably at Guam, Coral Sea, Darwin, Midway and Guadalcanal) and 1943 (Marianas etc.), followed by USAAF, RAF, RAAF and RNZAF.
F4F / FM2 had it's issues, but with the Thach Weave tactics and good overall training level of USN and USMC pilots they did quite well and along with the SBD Dive Bomber probably bore the brunt of blunting the formidable Japanese offensive. The Australians and New Zealanders in particular did well with the P-40. (There were at least two squadrons of P-40Fs on Guadalcanal with the USAAF by the way). But most of the USAAF and early USMC fighters during the most critical months of 1942 were planes not really suited for the Theater like the F2A and P-39/ P-400.
P-38s in spite of all their problems proved excellent and 'boom and fast climb' attacks against all Japanese fighters in the Theater, even the early P-38E and F, also thanks to long range and twin engines making long flights safer. Mustangs when they finally arrived proved very useful due to their long range and high speed.
The Beaufighter also proved useful in long range maritime patrol though basically as a fighter-bomber.
Though the F6F / Hellcat did most of the damage in wrecking IJN squadrons, the F4U Corsair was the star of the Pacific, hammering the IJN and IJA alike in the Solomons etc., and also providing excellent close air support in coordination with USMC forward observers.
*Limited numbers
** People tended to think the Ki-43 was a Zero though it still contributed to the fear and panic.
Here is my list, in order of "best to less". I put asterix next to the rarer types for a given year in a given Theater.
Spanish Civil War
1936/37 SPAIN I-15 / CR 32
1937/38 SPAIN Bf 109D* / He - 112 */ I-16 / CR 42 / I -15
The Spanish Civil War was a fascinating test bed of different aircraft designs and tactics. It started with a very heterogeneous collection of biplanes and strange one-off designs, with typical fighters barely making 200 mph and armed with two machine guns.
By the end monoplane fighters capable of 300 mph like the Bf 109 and I-16 were becoming dominant. The Germans, Italians and Soviets learned many valuable lessons in that nasty war.
Battle of France
1940 FRANCE Bf 109E / Spit I* / Me 110 / Dewoitine D.520 / P-36 / Hurricane / Ms 406
Another interesting prelude to the 'heart' of WW2, the Battle of France saw the clear ascendance if not emergence of the two dominant fighter types of the ETO in WW2 - the Spitfire and the Bf 109,
Spits were very rare in the Battle of France and I think still very early, two prop blade types. Not sure if these were really better than Bf 109E or not, it's kind of a toss up, I gave the 109 the edge partly for reasons of training and organization. P-36 had the best record on the Anglo-French side but that is probably due to pilot familiarity and training. D.520 seems like the most promising aircraft available to the French though it arrived so late that pilots had little time to familiarize themselves with it. The Bloch 150 series though fast and heavily armed (with two 20mm cannon) seem to have had too many teething difficulties and maybe some serious design flaws. Me 110 did poorly later on but in the Battle of France it was one of the most feared aircraft. The French VG. 33 might have been a really good fighter but it came too late.
The ETO
1940/41 ETO Spitfire I - Spit II / Bf 109E / Hurricane
1941/42 ETO Fw 190A / Spitfire V / Bf 109F / Bf 109E
1942/43 ETO Spitfire IX* / Spitfire VII / Fw-190A / Bf 109G / Spit V
1943/44 ETO Spitfire IX / P-51B / Typhoon / Fw 190A / Bf 109G / P-38J
1944/45 ETO Me 262 / Spitfire XIV / P-51D / Fw 190D / P-47D / Tempest * / BF 109K / P-38L
1945 ETO P-47M / P-51H / Ta - 152 / Tempest / Fw 190D9
The Battle of Britain was a "close run thing" as they say, and while the Hurricane did shoot down a lot of German aircraft -particularly bombers but plenty of fighters too - it was the slight qualitative edge of the Spitfire (perceived or real) which pushed the British over the top. Though this is kind of a trope I think it's also true.
In 1941 the Spit V was ascendant until August 1941 when the Fw 190A first appeared. So for the first 8 months of the year Spit V is #1 in my opinion. Once the Fw 190 showed up though as everyone knows, it was the boss. For nearly a year Fw 190 Jabos terrorized the English while the RAF in turn were nearly powerless to interfere with German activities in Belgium, Norway and Northern France.
Then in mid 1942 things reversed as the Spit IX arrived in July 1942, and the Spit VII (with particularly good low-alt performance) started appearing in Oct.
I didn't put in Typhoons until 1943 though they too were helpful in dealing with the Fw 190 even in their early days with all the teething problems. By 1943 you also start getting P-51B/C Mustang III which had very good performance and I think was particularly good at catching and defeating Fw 190s.
The 109 in general while still dangerous, was starting to fall behind the Spitfire in lethality and certainly faced a difficult problem with the arrival of the P-51 - whether due to quantity or quality or both of course is subject of endless debate. The 109G variants from G-6 onward were starting to shift emphasis toward being bomber destroyers and suffered in the fighter vs. fighter arena as a result.
The Russian Front
1941/42 RUSSIA Bf 109E / Yak -1* / P-40C / Me 110 / I-16 -24 / Hurricane I & II
1942/43 RUSSIA Bf 109F / Fw 190A* / Yak - 1B / P-39D / P-40E / MC 202* / Yak 7
1943/44 RUSSIA La 5 / Bf 109G / Yak - 9 / Fw 190A / P-39Q / Bf 109F / P-40K
1944/45 RUSSIA Yak-3* / Fw 190D / La 5FN / Bf 109G-K / P-39Q / Yak - 9 / Fw 190A - F
1945 RUSSIA Yak 3 / Yak -9 / Fw-190D
Germans were dominant qualitatively until after Stalingrad. A lot of this was not simply down to aircraft design but to issues like training and tactics (Russians didn't shift to finger-4 formations until early 1943) maintenance, build quality, availability of good radios and so on on the Soviet side.
During the critical year of 1942 the Germans were qualitatively dominant but the Soviets were still putting up a bitter fight. Lend Lease fighters played a key role (comprising something like 60% of the modern fighters available at one point) particularly in the defense of Leningrad and Moscow. Partly thanks to Lend Lease but also their own improved and increasing production the Soviets began to surpass the Germans in raw aircraft numbers toward the end of 1942.
Regarding Lend Lease The Hurricanes were mostly disappointing for the Soviets but they had good radios which helped a lot and made the Soviets understand the priority of putting radios in their planes, and with the right tactics could shoot down German planes. The P-40s were better but suffered badly from engine and maintenance problems with the Soviets. The P-39 was of course their favorite, partly because they did an extensive work up on the type before deploying it. Spit Vs were available but for reasons still unclear, didn't perform that well. Spit IX became available too but were used exclusively for PVO (rear area air defense) where they protected key Soviet industrial and C3I sites, but their impact on the war was limited so I didn't include them here.
In 1943 the tide started to turn on many of the issues the Soviets were having with their indigenous aircraft production, and Soviet designs got better at an accelerating pace. The slope got ever steeper. The Germans really didn't have an answer to the Yak 3.
The MTO
1940/41 MTO Hurricane I / MC 200 / Gladiator / CR 42
1941/42 MTO Bf 109F / Tomahawk IIb / MC 202 / Bf 109E / Hurricane II
1942/43 MTO Fw 190A* / MC 205* / Bf 109G / Spitfire V / P-40F / BF 109F / P-40K / MC 202 / Kittyhawk I/ Beaufighter / Ju 88
1943/44 MTO G 55* / Re 2005* / MC 205* / Spitfire IX* / Fw 190A -F / Bf 109G / P-47D / Spit V / P-38J / P-40F / MC 202 / Bf 109F
1944/45 MTO MC 205* / Spit XIV / Spit IX / Bf 109G-K / P-51D / Fw-190 A-F / P-38L
MTO was quite a see saw. In the very early days it was almost like a repeat of the Spanish Civil War with obsolescent Gladiators and CR 42 biplanes, Lysanders, Breda 65s and Ju-52s duking it out over the desert skies. Over a few months in 1941 the British initially held the edge over the Italians with the arrival of their first modern fighters- Hurricanes.
Then the Germans came into the Theater and quickly won it back in 1941 with the Bf 109. The Lend Lease aircraft (particularly Tomahawk & Kittyhawk) helped the British draw even that same year, then the Bf109E was replaced by the Bf 109F - which in the hands of the elite JG.27 in particular held the qualitative edge for most of 1942.
JG 27 cracked under the pressure though toward the end of 42 with the loss of several of their leading 'experten' (including at least 4 by the hands of Australian Kittyhawk pilots), and the Luftwaffe began to crumble as the Americans joined the British and Commonwealth forces in an increasingly heavy avalanche of higher quality machines flown by better trained pilots. Arrival of the Spit V in mid 1942 along with the higher flying P-40F and faster P-40K models to replace the old Kittyhawk I helped tip the balance in the Anglo-Americans favor. P-38s had trouble initially but got better and were also playing a role particularly in escorting the heavy bombers.
The Spit V was in particular critical to the defense of Malta. The Beaufighter was also very important for ship killing, protecting convoys, maritime patrol and shooting down German and Italian bombers. Lacking a long range fighter, the Germans pressed Ju-88s into service as long range fighter-bombers and they proved to be surprisingly dangerous and aggressive predators of planes like Wellingtons, Baltimores and even Short Sunderlands. They also shot down a few P-38s.
Spit IXs arriving in early 1943 spelled doom for the Germans in the Med. Fw 190 had an impact on the German side but were available in very small numbers until basically Anzio, by which time their pilot quality seems to have slipped a bit (they were getting the worst of it against USAAF P-40 units like the 79th FG). The 5 series Italian fighters while excellent arrived as Italy itself was collapsing, limiting their impact.
China / Burma / India
1941/42 CBI P-40B-C / Ki-43 / Ki-27 / Hurricane
1942/43 CBI P-40E-K / Ki-61* / P-40E / Ki-43 / Ki 44* / Hurricane II
1943/44 CBI P-40K-N / Ki-61 / Ki-43 / P-38 G-H / Spitfire Vc
1944/45 CBI Ki 84* / P-51D / P-47D / Spitfire VIII* / P-38 L
Ki-43s were very good, and I think underrated, but in the hands of an experienced and disciplined pilot the P-40s could disengage a little too easily from them and this gave the Allies the edge, a very thin edge initially but one which widened over time. The 23rd Fighter Group had something like 25 aces in this Theater. The Ki 61 was a very good plane, and the Ki-84 was excellent, but they came too few, too late and with too many maintenance issues to make a difference.
Spits and P-38s came pretty late and in limited numbers. P-51s start arriving mostly in 1944 and their long range was beneficial in the Theater.
The Pacific
1941/42 PTO A6M2 / F4F / P-40E / Ki 43 / P-40B-C
1942/43 PTO P-38F* / P-40K / Ki-61 / FM2 / A6M2 / F4F-3 / A6M3 / P-40E / Ki-43 / F4F -4
1943/44 PTO F4U Corsair* / P-38G - H / F6F Hellcat / Ki 61 / P-40F* / A6M5 / P-40K -M-N, Beaufighter
1944/45 PTO F4U Corsair / P-38L- J / Hellcat / Spitfire LVIII / N1K2 Shiden(-kai)* / Ki-84 Hayate* / A6M5
1945 PTO P-51D / F4U-4/ P-47N
The Japanese came in like a steamroller in Dec 1941 and wiped out Anglo-American forces in Hawaii, the Philippines, Java, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. etc. They created an aura of invincibility (for the A6M and the Ki-43**) and fear among the Allies which was still very strong for the first few months of 1942 and lingered into 1943.
Most of the destruction of the mighty Japanese Navy was wrought by the US Navy and Marines in very hard fights in 1942 (the tipping point notably at Guam, Coral Sea, Darwin, Midway and Guadalcanal) and 1943 (Marianas etc.), followed by USAAF, RAF, RAAF and RNZAF.
F4F / FM2 had it's issues, but with the Thach Weave tactics and good overall training level of USN and USMC pilots they did quite well and along with the SBD Dive Bomber probably bore the brunt of blunting the formidable Japanese offensive. The Australians and New Zealanders in particular did well with the P-40. (There were at least two squadrons of P-40Fs on Guadalcanal with the USAAF by the way). But most of the USAAF and early USMC fighters during the most critical months of 1942 were planes not really suited for the Theater like the F2A and P-39/ P-400.
P-38s in spite of all their problems proved excellent and 'boom and fast climb' attacks against all Japanese fighters in the Theater, even the early P-38E and F, also thanks to long range and twin engines making long flights safer. Mustangs when they finally arrived proved very useful due to their long range and high speed.
The Beaufighter also proved useful in long range maritime patrol though basically as a fighter-bomber.
Though the F6F / Hellcat did most of the damage in wrecking IJN squadrons, the F4U Corsair was the star of the Pacific, hammering the IJN and IJA alike in the Solomons etc., and also providing excellent close air support in coordination with USMC forward observers.
*Limited numbers
** People tended to think the Ki-43 was a Zero though it still contributed to the fear and panic.
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