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In fact the Defiants had one good day, when some BF-109's tried to sneak up behind them, with the turret fighter crews no doubt saying, "Looks like they've got us right where we want them." But it was only one good day, and the Defiant was soon withdrawn from daylight service.
'Did the RAF buy the Economy version, one ravaged by the evils of Value Engineering?
The RAF concept for the Defiant was for the turret fighters to park themselves in the front of unescorted enemy bomber formations, in front of and just below the lead bombers. The turret gunners would fire upwards and aft to hit the bombers in their vulnerable unarmored and all but unarmed noses. This would savage the crews, since in the words of Stanford-Tuck, "The Germans like to sit close together and hold hands." Take a look at the design of the He-111, Do-17, and Ju-88 and you can see what he was talking about. With dead and wounded crews on board the bombers would drop out of formation and then the Defiants would go to work on the next ones in line, until the formation was totally disrupted and the Spitfires, Hurricanes, and fighter Blenheims could deal with them without having to face that deadly interlocking field of fire from a whole formation.
In fact the Defiants had one good day, when some BF-109's tried to sneak up behind them, with the turret fighter crews no doubt saying, "Looks like they've got us right where we want them." But it was only one good day, and the Defiant was soon withdrawn from daylight service.
Wow. This reminds me of reading, for the first time, that the Brewster Buffalo wasn't just a target. Amazing how informative this site is.'
I can't comment on your original-point ("17 guns"), sadly - & I'll read what happens here, with interest....
But I "can" assure you that the B.P. Defiant DID have (far) more than just (quote you), "Only One Good Day"
Remember these TWO main/major RAF Boulton-Paul-Defiant Squadrons felw from 'my namesake', so naturally, I DO have slightly more than a passing interest
Regarding the 'Two Daylight' Squadron....... one was actually well-led (the far more efficient & more well-known of the two, No.264)
The 'other' (No.141), was NOT well-led & had a rather stubborn (pig-headed?), leader, who just wouldn't listen to the (vastly) more experienced Phillip Hunter
Basically, in a nutshell (going dangerously from my beer-addled-memory here...), No.141 got basically 'wiped-out' in a day (over Southampton area.
Meanwhile, 264.Sqdn (who had vastly more experience), even had previously fought over 'the low-countries', prior to the Battle of Britain, in May 1940**
** Elsewhere, I have at least a dozen shots of these particular 264-Sqdn Defiants, shot-down, being put onto Luftwaffe 'low-loaders' & taken-away/salvaged.
The RAF markings/roundels are particularly noteworthy, as they ALL differ slightly, making it "of interest" to both modeller & historian.
Lastly, (given your inaccurate/generic/without knowing enough about the Defiant = "only one good day" remark/quote)............ This.
Barker & Thorn (264 Sqdn), whilst being "shot-down" inside L.7005 , with Thorn looking for an ideal field, to put down into (for a gentle crash-landing).....
......... managed to be shooting-down THEIR TWELFTH VICTIM, = Yet another Messerschmitt. Me.109-E (again)
I can assure you truthfully, that both they (& the rest of 264), NEVER managed to KILL/shoot-down/destroy TWELVE German planes, in (quote) "ONLY ONE GOOD DAY" (unquote)
This, above, just releates to the deadly-duo combination of Thorn/Barker - (Ted Barker WAS still-alive/well & living in Hornchurch, post 21st Century/2000+)
This relates to just ONE single Boulton-Paul-Defiant crew, BTW.
Here they are, enjoying rather more than just (quote)_ "one good day only"
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'I am simply stunned to discover that the Defiant fully validated the turret fighter concept and, with improved versions, fought throughout the war with great success. It must have been those 14 machine guns and three cannon that did the trick. And that explains the jet powered turret fighters that every major air force uses today.
I am simply stunned to discover that the Defiant fully validated the turret fighter concept and, with improved versions, fought throughout the war with great success. It must have been those 14 machine guns and three cannon that did the trick. And that explains the jet powered turret fighters that every major air force uses today.
However, the Defiant's operational performance was not as bad as many make out.
Sorry if calling out the "one good day" myth offended sensibilities.
I never said it was a fully validated concept. It was clearly based on flawed assumptions about the perceived inability of fighter pilots to employ deflection shooting techniques at high speed. However, the Defiant's operational performance was not as bad as many make out. Sorry if calling out the "one good day" myth offended sensibilities.