Bf-109E vs Hawker Hurricane Mk I

[Grandsonofharry]

It's all on kurfurst, French trial of a Bf 109E-1. On paper it looks faster than a Hurricane I, but it's a one minute rating. The Hurricane I had 5 mins with 100 octane and 12 lbs boost. Below 15000 feet the Hurricane was superior. Of the 600 Bf 109E's lost in the BoB, 100 went down out of fuel. On wwiiaircraftperformane, the combat reports from Hurricane pilots indicate they can catch up in level flight withe the Bf 109E.

The reason so many Bf 109Es went down out of fuel was because they had to not only cross the channel, but often, also had to wait in the air until they rendezvoused with the german bombers before the crossing.

 

[Grandsonofharry]

One of the major problems encountered in building the world's first integrated air defence system, before the development of electronic IFF, was that of finding a way to identify friendly fighter aircraft both to stop them being engaged by their own AAA, but more pertinently to allow them to be tracked by the Observer Corps.

Chain Home radar was a floodlight system, illuminating 360 degrees around the transmitters, but to be effective the inland signals were blocked electronically. Any aircraft inland of the radar could not be tracked and all the plotting information required for a successful interception, such as the location of the fighters in relation to the enemy formations once they had crossed the coast had to be obtained visually by the Observer Corps.

The black/white underside has origins in a letter from Dowding to the Air Ministry of 10th May 1937 in which he suggested that the underside of one of the lower main planes (on the mostly bi-plane fighters of the day) should be finished in silver dope, the other in black. Experiments were carried out at North Weald, but with one wing black the other white. They were deemed a success, and on 28th October 1937, with Hurricane production gaining pace, Dowding again wrote to the Air Ministry suggesting that the wings of these aircraft, including flaps and ailerons, should be painted black on the port side, white on starboard. The Air Ministry agreed to finish a batch of Hurricanes in this way, and the rest is history.

It was the introduction of electronic IFF that rendered the markings obsolete, and the under surfaces of fighter aircraft were specified to be finished in a new colour identical to the Camotint developed by Cotton at Heston as an experimental colour for PR aircraft. This colour was given the name Sky and adopted from June 1940, as stocks became available.

So, my Granddad had the wing of his hurricane shot off by British Ack Ack in August 1940. "Baled out at 200 feet. Near thing. Collected a couple of flesh wounds" (he spent the next two and a half months in hospital before rejoining his unit). Maybe it would have been better for him if they'd stuck to the black and white!

 

[stona]

So, my Granddad had the wing of his hurricane shot off by British Ack Ack in August 1940. "Baled out at 200 feet. Near thing. Collected a couple of flesh wounds" (he spent the next two and a half months in hospital before rejoining his unit). Maybe it would have been better for him if they'd stuck to the black and white!

It probably wouldn't have saved him

All AAA had a reputation at shooting at anything with wings. For some reason the Royal Navy had the worst reputation, even among their own FAA pilots!

More seriously, the IFF system then in place should have informed AA Command where friendly formations were positioned, but the system was not perfect.

Cheers

Steve

 

[nuuumannn]

The Battle of Barking Creek was the most publicised friendly fire incident, taking place three days after the declaration of war; for those not sure what this was, read here:

Battle of Barking Creek - Wikipedia

The first victory for the Supermarine Spitfire in combat was... A Hawker Hurricane. Things didn't change though, in December 1939, Handley Page Hampdens of 44 Sqn tasked with hunting for the German pocket batleship Admiral Sheer were shot down by 602 Sqn Spitfires over the mouth of the Firth of Forth. More info here:

Accident Handley Page Hampden Mk I L4090, 21 Dec 1939