Mosquito as a Day Fighter

[Marshall_Stack]

I always read how versatile the Mossie was in WWII and books will list one of its functions as a fighter. Where there dedicated units that flew them as a superiority fighter in the day or were there just fighter-bomber units that attacked shipping?

 

[Thorlifter]

Yes. The Mosquito F Mk II was a dedicated fighter. They were equipped with 4 .303 machine guns and 4 20mm cannons.

I'm not sure of the success of the units equipped by them.

 

[Bernhart]

418 squadron flew mosquitos as day intruders, web site here

RCAF.com : Squadrons : No. 418 Squadron

 

[drgondog]

I always read how versatile the Mossie was in WWII and books will list one of its functions as a fighter. Where there dedicated units that flew them as a superiority fighter in the day or were there just fighter-bomber units that attacked shipping?

They would hve to fulfill the day (or night) fighter role of taking on the best LW fighters in their designed environment - and win to be a true air superiority fighter.

Would the Mossie truly take on a 109G-6 (much less a 190 Dora) or the He 219 and considtently win. I don't know but doubt it.

If you postulate that a Mossie was as good as the P-51 or Spit IV in air to air combat then make your case?

 

[Glider]

The British did undertake tests of the Mossie in the day fighter role and decided that it wasn't suitable. As a low level strike aircraft, fighter bomber at low level it was decided that it was second to none but it lacked the agility and climb to be a true day fighter.
Interstingly they also decided to find out how it would perform as a single seater. They took out everything that was needed for the second crew member saving if my memory seves me around 1,500lb in weight. This certainly helped with top speed and climb but did little to assist in agility. Soon after this the decision was taken to proceed with a single seat aircraft later named the Hornet which did have a stunning performance.

 

[Kurfürst]

As a fighter I believe the Mosquito was employed in somewhat similiar role as the Me 110 etc. A big, not so manouverable twin engine plane with punch and long range, IIRC there were a lot of clashes between the similiar Ju 88 heavy fighters and Mossies in the Bay of Biscay.

The heavy twin engine fighter operations is pretty much still an unsong saga of WW2; yes there are some works, even good ones on specific areas, but, nothing definiative.

Just try to find something of worth on Me 410 operations, for example...

 

[Glider]

For the battles over the Bay of Biscay I have two books that I would recommend to those interested.

Bloody Biscay by Chris Foss
This charts the history the history of V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40 the main German unit involved in these operations

Conflict over the Bay by Norman Franks
This describes the battle against the U Boats and German aircraft as fought by the British and American aircraft.

Put the two together and there isn't much that you will find missing. Both go into considerable detail of almost every combat, both large and small. Plus of course your seeing the view from both sides of the same action.

 

[Kurfürst]

Yes I know about Chris Foss`s work, it`s excellent IMHO; but for other theatres of operation, the information is almost totally missing.. operations in the Desert, Russia, Reichsverteidigung etc...

 

[Glider]

True, but I was only after information on the Bay of Biscay so it fitted my purposes.
The Bay always had a fascination for me, almost a private battle in its own right with aircraft normally associated with nighttime combat facing off against each other in daylight.

 

[Erich]

Mossie against a He 219........yes the Mossie would win almost every time, if we are talking the Mossie nf variants

 

[Glider]

And if we are talking about daylight combats between the two, we will never know.

 

[Erich]

the Mossie still wins as there were at least two day light combats with the Uhu, the Uhu lost

 

[Marshall_Stack]

They would hve to fulfill the day (or night) fighter role of taking on the best LW fighters in their designed environment - and win to be a true air superiority fighter.

Would the Mossie truly take on a 109G-6 (much less a 190 Dora) or the He 219 and considtently win. I don't know but doubt it.

If you postulate that a Mossie was as good as the P-51 or Spit IV in air to air combat then make your case?

This is what I was getting at. I keep reading that one of its roles was as a fighter but I haven't read much about accounts about them dogfighting the Luftwaffe or the Japanese in Southeast Asia.

If it would have been a good fighter, the USAAF could have used them as an escort until the P-51s and P-47s had the range.

 

[Glider]

IT WASN'T ANY GOOD AS A DAY FIGHTER against single engined fighters
It was tested as such and the results were as my earlier posting

 

[helmitsmit]

The mosquito relied on speed and height to escape fighters and such. Speed is only a good defence. You try using the mosquito to attack these fighters and you lose a lot of what the mossie was good at. Plus it was better on it's own in fighter formations it would have been eaten alive!

 

[mhuxt]

Mosquitos provided daylight escort to Bomber Command Lancasters and to Coastal Command Beaufighters.

 

[Glider]

Mosquitos provided daylight escort to Bomber Command Lancasters

I admit that I could be wrong but I have never heard of that happening.

and to Coastal Command Beaufighters.

Again I could be wrong but only as far as I am aware when on strike missions against convoys, where the Germans would only have long range (Ju88) fighters giving cover. Beaufighters also acted as escorts on these missions

 

[Maharg]

IMHO the DH-98 was designated as a Fighter by the Air Ministry in the early stages of the War. Then when it was realised that a twin couldn't compete with the 109, 190, etc. She was relegated to other roles eg: Night Fighter, Fighter Bomber, PR etc. At which she excelled.

@Glider good book links thanks M8.

 

[AL Schlageter]

Nice link on the Mossie.
[1.0] Mosquito Origins Variants