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In my opinion, sheer numbers of virtually any 1940's fighter would have finished off the LW. That's the nature of attrition.
drgondog- Even if the Alies wouldnt have had Mustangs, US industrial capacity would have provided them with that many more P-47s, etc. and the LW would have still been steadily reduced to ineffectiveness. You know, just like the VVS did to them in the east after Barbarossa.
The Luftwaffe conducted a 1,000 aircraft mission during January 1945. So it's readily apparent the Allies never had complete control of German skies.
Stug, you may not have gotten the points made earlier. While the P-47 was an excellent fighter at high altitude, was effective against the LW when they had the range to engage (or the LW obliged by flying in range) most of the air to air engagements prior to D-Day were Netherlands, France, Belgium and Western Germany. Neither the VVS nor the 8th/9th AF Fighters were engaging LuftFlotte Reich over central and eastern Germany - except the P-51. Ergo, all the airpower implied by Yak-3, P-47, Spitfire was negated by distance. Absent the P-51B, Only the B-17 and B-24 and three Groups of P-38s were available between Big Week and D-Day.
As an illustration of the comparative effectiveness between the P-38 and P-51B in that period, the 51 was credited with 1073 destroyed, the P-38 with 82. There is 'steadily reduced to ineffectiveness' versus 'rapidly slashed and stretched to the limit'.
So, voila - replace 1072 day fighters and the KIA/WIA pilots downed by the P-51B and add that force to LF 3 to attack the beachead and offshore transports on June 6, 7 and 8.
With a better planned mission and some luck the Luftwaffe might have landed a solid punch even as late as January 1945.
Stug, you may not have gotten the points made earlier. While the P-47 was an excellent fighter at high altitude, was effective against the LW when they had the range to engage (or the LW obliged by flying in range) most of the air to air engagements prior to D-Day were Netherlands, France, Belgium and Western Germany. Neither the VVS nor the 8th/9th AF Fighters were engaging LuftFlotte Reich over central and eastern Germany - except the P-51. Ergo, all the airpower implied by Yak-3, P-47, Spitfire was negated by distance. Absent the P-51B, Only the B-17 and B-24 and three Groups of P-38s were available between Big Week and D-Day.
As an illustration of the comparative effectiveness between the P-38 and P-51B in that period, the 51 was credited with 1073 destroyed, the P-38 with 82. There is 'steadily reduced to ineffectiveness' versus 'rapidly slashed and stretched to the limit'.
So, voila - replace 1072 day fighters and the KIA/WIA pilots downed by the P-51B and add that force to LF 3 to attack the beachead and offshore transports on June 6, 7 and 8.
So was attacking Taranto with 21 aircraft and attacking Bari with 100 aircraft. Calculated risks sometimes pay off.
With a better planned mission and some luck the Luftwaffe might have landed a solid punch even as late as January 1945.
If I've read history correctly on the first mission to Berlin escorted by P-51's both P-47's and P-38's were also present. Apparently the Jug did have some legs. I have also read that in the Pacific they flew some very long missions in the P-47.
........ And ultimately, the atomic bomb was only months away.
Do you mean the US or Germany?
How would this enhanced Jug perform against the latest LW fighters if the 51 wasn't around? Machines like the K-4, D-9 and more 262s?
What evidence do you have that Germany was closer to obtain the atomic bomb?
I don't know how this reality would develop itself. Absence of the P-51 could have meant a change of priority for the P-47 development.
No evidence really outside of an episode of "Secrets of the Dead" which went into great length about Germany's efforts to develope the bomb. How close? Unknown, but there were production facilities (heavy water I believe) in Norway that were targeted by the RAF and Special Forces. Thats all I have.
and thats the question. In this hypothetical thread topic, what would be the change of priority and how would it fare against the newer LW machines.