Hi Sycom,
>HoHun, look at your figures for November and December 1944.
>Why were there so many 262's available for use, yet so little to show for it.
As Koolkitty pointed out, the majority of the jets were flown in the fighter bomber role (by KG 51, KG 54 according to Ethell/Price seems not to become active yet in that period). After Nowotny's death in early November, Kommando Nowotny (redesignated JG 7) had been pulled out of the front line for additional training as the transition to twin-engined jet fighters had been more difficult than expected for single-engine propeller fighter pilots. EJG 2 was an operational training units anyway, and Kommando Braunegg was a reconnaissance unit.
As a result, there effectively was no jet fighter force on the front line in this period. To a certain degree, this can be attributed to Hitler's order to use the Me 262 as a bomber, since KG 51 could (and probably would) have been established as a fighter unit instead if it hadn't been for this order.
Regards,
Henning (HoHun)
>HoHun, look at your figures for November and December 1944.
>Why were there so many 262's available for use, yet so little to show for it.
As Koolkitty pointed out, the majority of the jets were flown in the fighter bomber role (by KG 51, KG 54 according to Ethell/Price seems not to become active yet in that period). After Nowotny's death in early November, Kommando Nowotny (redesignated JG 7) had been pulled out of the front line for additional training as the transition to twin-engined jet fighters had been more difficult than expected for single-engine propeller fighter pilots. EJG 2 was an operational training units anyway, and Kommando Braunegg was a reconnaissance unit.
As a result, there effectively was no jet fighter force on the front line in this period. To a certain degree, this can be attributed to Hitler's order to use the Me 262 as a bomber, since KG 51 could (and probably would) have been established as a fighter unit instead if it hadn't been for this order.
Regards,
Henning (HoHun)