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PILOT SKILLMy main question is: How is it possible that this report's information is legitimate about the P-38 being persistently on the tail of the YAK-9 with the knowledge that the YAK-9 was strong at horizontal maneuvers. It is also true that the P-38 was not an amazingly maneuverable aircraft.
OK.I'll take it.PILOT SKILL
American pilots where much better trained than the Russian pilots and its always been that way.
OK.I'll take it.
But the result of the dogfight is 3-5.
From the begining YAKs had disadvantage:
- 12(P38) -10(Yak)
- low altitude(YAKs)
So why was that the result? IF PILOT SKILL
Most of those P-26s that had been stationed in the Philippines had been sold to the governments of the Philippines by the time of the Japanese attack. The Philippine government acquired 12 P-26As beginning in July of 1941. Some of these P-26s were serving with the 6th Pursuit Squadron of the Philippine Army Air Force based at Batangas Field at the time of the Japanese attack. Despite their total obsolescence, the Filipino P-26s succeeded in scoring some victories against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero during the first few days of the Japanese attack. One of the Philippine P-26s is credited with shooting down the first Japanese plane destroyed during the early attacks on the islands. The best-known action took place. Captain Jesus A. Villamor led the P-26As of the 6th Pursuit Squadron, the only ones of their type to see action in World War II, and they were flown with great courage by their Filipino pilots. On December 12, 1941, Villamor brought down a Mitsubishi G3M2 of the 1st Kokutai over Batangas. Lieutenant Jose Kare even managed to shoot down a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero with his obsolete Boeing on December 23.
That's interesting they apparently use "Bloody Shambles" by Shores to check those claims v Japanese accounts. Usually P-26's are credited with Zeroes Dec 12 (didn't happen per Japanese accounts) and 23rd. Problem is, the latter incident happens to be an apparent error in "Shambles". Shores matches that Filipino claim which was apparently on the 23rd, with a Japanese loss on the 24th (PO1c T. Kikuchi of the Tainan Air Group, KIA, per other sources, no loss on the 23rd) saying there was no known American claim otherwise. But there was: US P35's engaged Zeroes the 24th same place the Japanese said the loss occurred, claiming one or two, apparently the victors over Kikuchi, and the only documented case where a *P-35* ever downed a Zero. Apparently no Zeroes were downed by P-26's.Not according to the official history of the Philippine Air Force.
2 P-38's were actually downed by the Yaks, another to flak. The USAAF reported 2 Yaks, 2 probables, 1 Yak damaged. Rall and Popkov in "Stalin's Eagles" reproduce the 82nd Fighter Group's combat report and other documents reporting this error to higher headquarters.
This seems a poor example to draw any conclusions from: both sides realized, the Soviets immediately (but had to defend the convoy the US was mistakenly strafing), US before the combat ended, that they were involved in a friendly fire incident. And it was just one incident.
Joe
that the P-38 was not an amazingly maneuverable aircraft.