jrk
Airman 1st Class
the hurricane could also take a s**tload of punishment and could still get home.
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cheddar cheese said:But I betcha the Hurricane was easier to repair...Actually I dont know about the P-40's ease of maintenance, how was it?
FLYBOYJ said:A repost - but nails home the point!!!
"Records of success in combat like these were not isolated to the Pacific Theater. In Italy the 325 Fighter Group, commonly know as "The Checker-Tailed Clan" amassed one of the best kill to loss ratios of any fighter group in the European Theater. With a yellow and black checkerboard adorning the tail of their P-40s (and later P-47s and P-51s), they flew many sorties against more numerous German forces, and won most of the time. In 1943 the 325th won two major engagements. On July 1, 22 checker-tailed P-40s were making a fighter sweep over southern Italy when they were jumped by 40 Bf-109s. After an intense air battle, the result was half of the German aircraft shot down for the loss of a single P-40. There was a similar situation on the 30th of July, again over Italy, when 35 Bf-109s ambushed 20 P-40s. On this occasion, 21 German fighters were shot down, again for the loss of a single P-40. Because the pilots of the 325th were trained to maximize the P-40's strengths and minimize its weaknesses, it became a lethal opponent for the German fighters. The final record of "The Checker-Tailed Clan's" P-40s was 135 Axis planes shot down (96 were Bf-109s), for only 17 P-40s lost in combat."
The P-40 took its lumps - it sure gave it out as well....
Soren said:FLYBOYJ said:A repost - but nails home the point!!!
"Records of success in combat like these were not isolated to the Pacific Theater. In Italy the 325 Fighter Group, commonly know as "The Checker-Tailed Clan" amassed one of the best kill to loss ratios of any fighter group in the European Theater. With a yellow and black checkerboard adorning the tail of their P-40s (and later P-47s and P-51s), they flew many sorties against more numerous German forces, and won most of the time. In 1943 the 325th won two major engagements. On July 1, 22 checker-tailed P-40s were making a fighter sweep over southern Italy when they were jumped by 40 Bf-109s. After an intense air battle, the result was half of the German aircraft shot down for the loss of a single P-40. There was a similar situation on the 30th of July, again over Italy, when 35 Bf-109s ambushed 20 P-40s. On this occasion, 21 German fighters were shot down, again for the loss of a single P-40. Because the pilots of the 325th were trained to maximize the P-40's strengths and minimize its weaknesses, it became a lethal opponent for the German fighters. The final record of "The Checker-Tailed Clan's" P-40s was 135 Axis planes shot down (96 were Bf-109s), for only 17 P-40s lost in combat."
The P-40 took its lumps - it sure gave it out as well....
One must remember though, that at this time of the war American "kill counts" were very inflated. Not to say that the P-40 didnt do well against the axis, cause it definitely did.
Of crucial importance to this thread is, German pilots in Africa rated the P-40 a more dangerous opponent than the Hawker Hurricane.
FLYBOYJ said:Soren said:FLYBOYJ said:A repost - but nails home the point!!!
"Records of success in combat like these were not isolated to the Pacific Theater. In Italy the 325 Fighter Group, commonly know as "The Checker-Tailed Clan" amassed one of the best kill to loss ratios of any fighter group in the European Theater. With a yellow and black checkerboard adorning the tail of their P-40s (and later P-47s and P-51s), they flew many sorties against more numerous German forces, and won most of the time. In 1943 the 325th won two major engagements. On July 1, 22 checker-tailed P-40s were making a fighter sweep over southern Italy when they were jumped by 40 Bf-109s. After an intense air battle, the result was half of the German aircraft shot down for the loss of a single P-40. There was a similar situation on the 30th of July, again over Italy, when 35 Bf-109s ambushed 20 P-40s. On this occasion, 21 German fighters were shot down, again for the loss of a single P-40. Because the pilots of the 325th were trained to maximize the P-40's strengths and minimize its weaknesses, it became a lethal opponent for the German fighters. The final record of "The Checker-Tailed Clan's" P-40s was 135 Axis planes shot down (96 were Bf-109s), for only 17 P-40s lost in combat."
The P-40 took its lumps - it sure gave it out as well....
One must remember though, that at this time of the war American "kill counts" were very inflated. Not to say that the P-40 didnt do well against the axis, cause it definitely did.
Of crucial importance to this thread is, German pilots in Africa rated the P-40 a more dangerous opponent than the Hawker Hurricane.
Dude - this action posted was one of the most touted P-40/ Me-109 encounters, I doubt there was any inflation -
give credit where credit is due - this day the Luftwaffe got waxed!
I'll definatly agree with that Soren...The difference is the confirmation system, and by 43 the German system was more thorough than the Allied one.
Good post Jon.evangilder said:Goos analysis, Jon. They are both unsung aircraft of the war, durable and reliable. They lacked the glory that other aircraft like the Spitfire and Mustang, yet labored on. I think this is probably going to come down to personal taste as there is not clear winner.
both of them were one ot the most underrated aircraft of WW2