Brewster

LDSModeller · Jul 13, 2014

GregP said:
Hi LDSModeller,

If you used the same tactics against Zeros as you used against Bf 109's, you'd be a victim. The British would dogfight with a Bf 109 almost eagerly (not really ... nobody likes combat). Doing that with a Zero while in his best airspeed range was suicide.

That's the point! The British and Commonwealth pilots started out using European tactics against the Japanese. You could not dogight a Zero at less than 300 mph and, unlike a Bf 109, the Zero could show up anywhere at any time. It was not range limited and could and did hit you 500 miles from home base when and where you least expected it. It took them some time to evolve the best tactics against a foe that was much more maneuverable and could stay airborne longer than you could. At least in the bbeginning, the Japanese also had some great pilots that were VERY well trained. Some survived the war and were leaders at the end.

Hi Greg

As I said in my previous post The RAF/Commonwealth pilots didn't meet IJN A6M's till later in the battle for Singapore (this would have been circa mid January 1942).

The initial aerial combat was with Japanese Army Air Force aircraft From December 8 1941 (December 7 on otherside of International Dateline).
You're right in that RAF Battle of Britain tactics would not work against the A6M. However by the time the A6M arrived on the scene the remaining RAF/Commonwealth pilots had learned a lesson or two how best to fight the Japanese. The A6M pilots were still a force to be reackoned, but the RAF/Commonwealth pilots would be more wary in engaging them. And things didn't always go in favour of the A6M pilots.

Regards

Alan

oldcrowcv63 · Jul 13, 2014

Vassili Zaitzev said:
Damn. Thought for sure I had it. Thanks for the correction. Do you mind suggesting a source for me in regards to the Buffalo?

Gosh, My Buff library runneth over.

1. A particularly good source (quite reliable) is authored by one of our own forum members, albeit an infrequent poster here, Jim Maas whose F2A Buffalo in Action, A/C no. 81 is an excellent and detailed summary history.
2. Jim also wrote Fall From Grace: The Brewster Aeronautical Corp., 1932-42, American Aviation Historical Society, Summer, 1985, p 113-135.
3. Chris Shores wrote the excellent The Brewster Buffalo, Aircraft Profile no. 217, (1971).

Aircraft Profile No. 217: The Brewster Buffalo: Christopher F. Shores: Amazon.com: Books

For Finn Air Force service:
4. Kalevi Keskinen's History of the Finnish Air Force, Part 1. Brewster B-239, Humu.

There are also compilations of briefs addressing fighters and naval fighters including those by Green Swanborough and J.V. Mizrahi

For the A/C's later USN history in early WW2:
5. Fighting Two The Flying Chiefs Part Two Pearl Harbor to Coral Sea, by Capt. W.E. Scarborough, USN (Ret.), The Hook, Fall 1991.

Both Jim Maas and Chris Shores were indispensable sources of information in writing: Naval Air Supremacy and the development of the Brewster Buffalo: American Aviation Historical Society, Summer, Winter, 1996, p 270-276.

oldcrowcv63 · Jul 13, 2014

I neglected to add Dan Ford's "Annals of the Brewster Buffalo" web site:
http://www.warbirdforum.com/buff.htm

and his Smithsonian Air and Space 1996 article: The sorry saga of the Brewster Buffalo ,

Vassili Zaitzev · Jul 13, 2014

Thanks Crow. I'm trying to expand my knowledge of the early Pacific, and the Buff played a part in that. This helps!

oldcrowcv63 · Jul 13, 2014

Vassili Zaitzev said:
Thanks Crow. I'm trying to expand my knowledge of the early Pacific, and the Buff played a part in that. This helps!

For the early phase (First 6 months) of the Pacific war, I recommend, Chris Shores 3 volume "Bloody Shambles", Bill Batsch's three volumes (Doomed at the Start, MacArthur's Pearl Harbor, and Every Day a Nightmare) on the army air Pursuit squadron activities during the PI campaign of 41 and early 42 and the defense of the NEI. For Naval Air Operations, there is Lundstrom's First Team and Black Shoe Admiral.

buffnut453 · Jul 22, 2014

There's also "Buffaloes Over Singapore" for those whose Brewster fetishes tend in that direction.

varsity07840 · Jul 22, 2014

As was pointed out by the author in Bloody Shambles, maximum speed means little in a slow speed turning fight. Turn and climb rates and acceleration are paramount. In all three cases the A6M, Ki43 and even the Ki27 were deadly when opposed by Buffalos
flown by pilots that lacked training in fighting opposition that they were told was less than second rate.

Duane

buffnut453 · Jul 23, 2014

Actually, the paramount thing is not allowing oneself to be drawn into a slow speed turning fight if your aircraft can't turn with that of the enemy (as Chennault drummed into the AVG pilots). Combat reports from Burma indicate the Buffalo was faster than the opposition and pilots in Singapore soon learned to adopt similar tactics to the AVG of making slashing, diving attacks and not turning with the Japanese fighters. The key problem in Singapore was lack of adequate warning once the Malay peninsula was in Japanese hands.

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