oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
The Bf-109 story was by and large a propaganda ruse thought up to deflect the racist question of how we could have been so soundly defeated by an "inferior" race. It was easy for pilots to belive the stories that on Dec. 8th Bf-109s were shot down and "blonde, white pilots" were captured.
Duane
I agree that propaganda and racism played an important role in this myth. But, what I find most fascinating about this phenomena is its persistence into late 1942 despite observations by presumably well trained professionals. I believe the later advent of the Tony was regarded by some as confirmation of their early presence in theater. It seems to me a cautionary tale of the fallibility of human perception when combined with their own predjudices. In other words people tend to see what they believe they will see not what's actually there. On the one hand you have FEAF pilots being pursued by A6M's and initially mistaking them for T-6s (an understandable mistake based on similarity in the forward aspect). OTOH, mistaking a radial engine nose and extended bubble canopy for an inline (no matter how streamlined the A6M may have appeared) and blended canopy seems a difficult mistake to make on the surface. Not having experienced the drama of an actual aerial duel to the death, it may reveal the level of fear that may attend such an encounter.
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