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Erich said:maybe Soren you should follow up on the operational aspects on the Dora, the poor craft got it's nose very bloodied by P-51's. giving the Mustang a handful it did not. the German pilots were never able to prove themselves with their new toy even back in the Fall of 44 while with the first operational gruppe III./JG 54.
Agaisnt the Soviets it was another story altogether and the Dora reigned supremem over every Soviet fighter pitted against it
Agaisnt the Soviets it was another story altogether and the Dora reigned supremem over every Soviet fighter pitted against it
maybe Soren you should follow up on the operational aspects on the Dora, the poor craft got it's nose very bloodied by P-51's. giving the Mustang a handful it did not. the German pilots were never able to prove themselves with their new toy even back in the Fall of 44 while with the first operational gruppe III./JG 54.
Agaisnt the Soviets it was another story altogether and the Dora reigned supremem over every Soviet fighter pitted against it
no the Dora was flown at mid altitudes to low altitude many times by JG 51 and IV./JG 3 pilots as described in their flugbuchs and in the Geschwader log-buchs. As well as II./JG 301 Doras while in the last battles for Berlin.
Soren do you see my point, you can explain away all the stas you want for both Luftw and US machines and it will do no good, the Dora was slaughtered in the skies over the Reich in all the units that it was destined for. it never gave the Mustang a hard time in the sky.
True some of the noted aces in the 109/Fw 190A flew the Dora in JG 26 but racked up few kills in late 44-45 to even reflect that their bird coudl take out the Mustang at will.
the big deal was it never conclusively replaced the existing Luftw arsenal, if it had in late 44 then a better and overall tribute could be made on it's performance against all Allied "western' fighters.
soren you are off mark. my first comment you quoted was not directed at you but the poster before you concerning the Ost front.
the second point is that you are not quite correct the Dora was flown by many experienced pilots.
I really feel you guys are making the Dora out to be a super a/c against the P-51. Reality here it wasn't.
I have said it so many times it will have to be repeated again, the Dora was not to replace the front line units the TA and the Me 262 had the war continued. I posted the stats twice in older threads about what unit was going to be replaced by what in June/July of 45 with the inkiling of newer equipment such as jets taking complete control.
The Lufw in 45 had literally too many experimental a/c in service with trained/untrained pilots eager to take them up against Allied escorts and Heavies. there was plenty of craft and boys to fly, BUT no fuel.
that was proven even in the Nachtjagd. Had fuel reserves been available then we would of seen an RAF horro like in march of 44 when over 100 RAF heavies bit the dust