Erich
the old Sage
side note : 263 P-40's claimed by II./JG 27 while in Afrika
The Greatest Fighter Pilot of WWII... Finalized....
- Thread starter lesofprimus
- Start date
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Bushranger
Airman
I agree, to an extent. It definitely wasn't the best fighter available, but it was the most [i[most[/i] available. And it got the job done, if it was THAT bad it would have been withdrawen.
The Mohawk was a great aircraft, the only problem was that it was a little slow. The P-40 wasn't a good aircraft, it was just in high supply and in 1940-'42 the RAF was using anything and everything they could get their hands on.
In the hands of the right pilot it was good. The AVG performed almost miracles in those things.
In the hands of the right pilot it was good. The AVG performed almost miracles in those things.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
- Thread starter
- #45
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Guys, ur kinda getting confused here... For theatrics, I am over-embelishing the lack luster performance of the P-40 Warhawk... Yea, Chenault and his boys, including Boyington, did a good job fighting the Japanese, when the Japanese had a huge advantage....
But what really set those guys apart from the Japs was the tactics.... Chenault was a God back then..... And he knew his shiit....
I remember, in Boyingtons book, he tells a story about how Chenault had the Tigers all lined up, comin outta the sun, as the Japs attacked their field.... Boyington wanted to drop in on em, but Chenault said wait wait wait..... Finally after they were done strafing and whatnot, he orders the bounce........
Zeros with no ammo and on bingo fuel......... How lucious is that meal????
They tore em to pieces....
The -40 was an ok plane that was produced in WAAAYYYY too many #'s.... Same as the P-39...... A POS as well.... But look how some of the Russians did flying that crate......... They used superb tactics as well.....
ANyways...... The -40 was outclassed in every theatre of the War..... That some were able to achieve success in it proves tactics and pilot skill DO matter....
But what really set those guys apart from the Japs was the tactics.... Chenault was a God back then..... And he knew his shiit....
I remember, in Boyingtons book, he tells a story about how Chenault had the Tigers all lined up, comin outta the sun, as the Japs attacked their field.... Boyington wanted to drop in on em, but Chenault said wait wait wait..... Finally after they were done strafing and whatnot, he orders the bounce........
Zeros with no ammo and on bingo fuel......... How lucious is that meal????
They tore em to pieces....
The -40 was an ok plane that was produced in WAAAYYYY too many #'s.... Same as the P-39...... A POS as well.... But look how some of the Russians did flying that crate......... They used superb tactics as well.....
ANyways...... The -40 was outclassed in every theatre of the War..... That some were able to achieve success in it proves tactics and pilot skill DO matter....
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
YEP - AGREED TOTALY DUDE! 
cheddar cheese
Major General
Also, the P-39 and P-40 were designed to the same specification as the P-38...and look how much better the P-38 was.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Get the Magazine (I think its Wings) were Steve Hinton gives his review on the Hawk-75. Amazing it took 65 years to realize this!
Blitzkrieg Bop
Airman 1st Class
Frank Versteegh just simply is the best! 
marseille jr
Airman
- 52
- Mar 28, 2005
i read this on the internet:
Every great ace has his own distinct style. Hans-Joachim Marseille had his deflection shot at unbelievable angles, Erich Hartmann would have his 'close-range' shot. The strategy whereby you come so close to the enemy aircraft,' that your canopy glass fills with the enemy craft's mass,' and then you fire. Hartmann would become legendary for this tactic. Making him the highest scoring German Ace with 352 kills of all kinds of aircraft. The only other fighter pilot really worth mentioning with Hartmann would have to be Hans-Joachim Marseille, the 'Star of Africa'. The controversy comes into play because of those who consider 3 Russian fighter planes being equal to one western-flown fighterplane. That being so then one is tempted to name Marseille with his 158kills( all against British aircraft) as the premiere fighter pilot.
Hence, as marseille was only 22 when he died, shot down over 150 aircraft within a year without being shot down himself, shot down 17 in one day, shot down some in one sortie with just two 7.62mm's, outturned spits in his bf 109 and so on , I think it's rightful to call him the best deflection shooter and (dog)fighter pilot of WWII.
Every great ace has his own distinct style. Hans-Joachim Marseille had his deflection shot at unbelievable angles, Erich Hartmann would have his 'close-range' shot. The strategy whereby you come so close to the enemy aircraft,' that your canopy glass fills with the enemy craft's mass,' and then you fire. Hartmann would become legendary for this tactic. Making him the highest scoring German Ace with 352 kills of all kinds of aircraft. The only other fighter pilot really worth mentioning with Hartmann would have to be Hans-Joachim Marseille, the 'Star of Africa'. The controversy comes into play because of those who consider 3 Russian fighter planes being equal to one western-flown fighterplane. That being so then one is tempted to name Marseille with his 158kills( all against British aircraft) as the premiere fighter pilot.
Hence, as marseille was only 22 when he died, shot down over 150 aircraft within a year without being shot down himself, shot down 17 in one day, shot down some in one sortie with just two 7.62mm's, outturned spits in his bf 109 and so on , I think it's rightful to call him the best deflection shooter and (dog)fighter pilot of WWII.
Attachments
Erich
the old Sage
sorry but Heinz Bär could outdo either one of the greats you posted
- Thread starter
- #53
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
I agree erich... Im not really sure shooting down hapless Brits in their P-40's and 16 year old Russian kids flying wooden planes counts as being the best...... Bar fought EVERYWHERE, in EVERY front.... And dominated in each Theatre...
He wasn't a great fighter pilot as such but I think Hubert Zemke was an amazing flight leader. I'm reading 'Zemke's Stalag' at the moment and although it's primarily about his time in Stalagluft I it gives little bits of information of his fighting career and also the such dedication and leadership abilities he had.
In anything about pilots I think he would always deserve a mention as the leader of the greatest collection of U.S fighter pilots in the ETO, the 56th FG.
In anything about pilots I think he would always deserve a mention as the leader of the greatest collection of U.S fighter pilots in the ETO, the 56th FG.
- Thread starter
- #55
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Zemke was a great pilot, and a greater leader... A tough sumbitch... He knocked down his share of enemy planes...
evangilder
"Shooter"
Zemke's Wolfpack are famous, or notorious, whichever you choose! But he was an amazing guy. I think he was one of those leaders you would follow to the gates of hell itself.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Another one was Col. Glenn Eagleson - I've seen him on documentaries, crusty but real funny!
Erich
the old Sage
I knew Hub, and interesting character.........just like Gabby Gabreski
- Thread starter
- #60
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
I've met Gabby before, awhile back, but never met Zemke.. Heard some great stories about him, some true, some 60 years old... Hehe..
