Most effective planes of the early war years

[trackend]

You probably wont like to hear this guys and say "he's off again about those bloody Swordfish" but most effective plane in the early years the do it all Stringbag I am currently reading a brilliant book by Charles Lamb (War in a Stringbag) he served from before the war till 1945 in nothing but Swordfish from Europe too the Far East and he admits they where slow and vulnerable, the on board armaments of one syncronized Vickers 303 and a TAG operated Lewis gun where throw backs to WW1 and virtually useless. Their only real defense was outstanding maneuverability and the ability to take punishment but when used for the right missions they could and where incredibly effective.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

He's off again about those bloody Swordfish! - No Track, I gotta agree!

 

[trackend]

There you are I told you some one would say it

 

[Glider]

Trackend, How many were in France?

Seriously fair point but I suspect that the Devistator was a better torpedo plane at the time.

 

[Jank]

How about the Heinkel 111 or Junkers 88?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

as torpedo planes before dunquirk??

 

[trackend]

Trackend, How many were in France?

Seriously fair point but I suspect that the Devistator was a better torpedo plane at the time.

None Glider,
How many Devastators in the early years of WW2 where in France?

You may be right Gilder that the TBD was a better torpedo plane but the thread is asking for the most effective not the best plane in the early years of the war. for me thats 1939 - 41 within those years I believe that the Stringbag was more effective, indeed it is a bone of contention that the Swordfish was the single most effective anti shipping plane of WW2 in terms of gross tonnage however having tried to verifiy it myself I believe it is extremley hard to quantifiy the exact figures or say that about any other specific aircraft also.
The Stringbag carried an 18" 1610lb torpedo I believe the TBD carried a 1000lb weapon I think punch helps as well as speed.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

And remember, American torpedoes were Sh*t at the beginning of the war!

 

[Jank]

No Lancaster. As effecrtive aircraft. The bloody thread is about effective aircraft. What aboutr the Heinkel 111 and Junkers 88?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i'd say the he-111 was more effective than the ju-88........

 

[Glider]

I surrender on the Devastator

 

[Chocks away!]

yes i think the spit Mk.I should be included as she was in service before dunquirk.........

and i think this's really between the hurricane and -109E if the spit's excluded...........

and of course are we forgetting the wellington?? she was in service but didn't see and major action before dunquirk, but very few british planes did.........

I think you could say the D 520 was at least as good as a Hurricane 8)

 

[lesofprimus]

I still gotta go with the Bf-109... No other plane truley dominated.....

 

[Soren]

Ill go for the 109 aswell, however the Stuka is a close second.

 

[plan_D]

The Bf-109 didn't really dominate. The shock and awe tactics made it seem that the Luftwaffe was unstoppable. Surprise is the greatest weapon of war.
Remember that the Allied air forces were pulling away from the advancing panzers as well.

If we're talking up until Dunkirk for fighters it's Spitfire, Hurricane and Bf-109.

Bombers it's He-111, Ju-87 and Do-17.

 

[lesofprimus]

The Bf-109 didn't really dominate.

I disagree pD... When Britian declared war on Germany, and met those -109's, the world of aerial combat changed forever.... .303's? HA!

The Brits, and later on America, always seemed to try and counter the Germans, starting with the -109...
I wont dog ur Spit, because I favor it as well, but in the earlier stages of the War, it wasnt really the -109's equal.... Later is a different story...

Ur more into the ramification of things, so I wont preach to u, but Im sure u see the importance of leading a technological phase of warfare, and the advantages it creates... The -109 was fine tuned and proven combat effective by the time the Spit Prototype first flew...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

In the beginning of WW2, the -109 and Zero was the benchmark - everything else designed was made to counter it.

 

[lesofprimus]

We kinda ruled out the Zero tho........

 

[plan_D]

The Bf-109 certainly was a remarkable feat of aircraft engineering and technological advancement. However, if anything the Bf-109 was improved to meet the bar that the Spitfire had set.

The British learnt from the Germans in the armament sector. .303cal is laughable but not when there's eight plugging away at your tail. The E-3 of the Battle of France did not dominate over the Spitfire, the tactics of the Luftwaffe did.

The first Spitfire flew in March 1936. By August 19th, 1939, 10 squadrons of Spitfire were present in the U.K. I will say, with ease, that up to Dunkirk the Bf-109 was, without a doubt, the most effective fighter. Nothing stood in it's way, even the bravery of the Allied air men couldn't stand in their way.

The Germans generally set the bar in technology advancements which everyone else had to move up to but I don't believe that's so with the Bf-109, except with it's armament.
Keep in mind though, the Bf-109 had a chance to be perfected in the Spanish Civil War. Combat experience allows the best improvements. If the Spitfire had been sent to the Spanish Civil War, it's pretty safe to say it would have had 20mm earlier.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

yea, you're right, I guess I was exaggerating