High Altitude Combat

[fastmongrel]

What was the greatest altitude where combat between fighters took place. I know the RAF intercepted Ju86 PR planes at 40,000ft+ but that was a specially lightened Spitfire against a converted bomber. I am asking how high did regular combat take place between standard service models of fighters. By service models I mean in squadron service not a small unit that specialised in radically modifying a plane for higher altitude performance.

As far as I can tell during the BOB no combat took place higher than about 25,000ft. Over Darwin combat seems to have taken place at over 30,000ft though there isnt a great deal to read on the web. I have read that Top Cover Mustangs protecting Bomber streams fought 109s at over 30,000ft.

 

[drgondog]

From Encounter Reports and various recounting of individual pilots, occasional encounters started at 33-35000 feet but all went downhill versus manuevering fights at that altitude