Which fighters by start of 1945 had the best roll rates

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I believe the Spitfire F.21 was in service by January of 1945 however they did not see combat until March of 1945 (this is a contradicting report though since I have read in some sources that the F.21 was too late to see combat.)

The Spitfire F.21 entered service with No 91 Squadron at Manston in January, despite having suffered early handling problems. The squadron began operations with modified aircraft from Ludham in March, flying armed reconnaissances and on 16 April, two aircraft strafed a midget submarine they caught on the surface and claimed it as sunk.

Spitfires also escorted Lancasters and Halifaxes on two of the last major raids of the war - daylight attacks on Heligoland and Wangerooge. One of the pilots was Bobby Oxspring who had started on Spitfires with No 66 Squadron in February 1939 and was now finishing the war as Wing Leader of No 24 Wing, still flying Spitfires.

As well as providing escort to the bombers, Spitfires were being used as dive-bombers with 250lb and 500lb bombs or, more rarely, as rocket-firing fighter-bombers. Little was seen of the Luftwaffe after New Year's Day but the flak remained intense and accurate. Targets for the Spitfires were varied, and included factories, road and railways communications and German Troop positions.

More than 3,000 F.21s had been ordered when the end of the war brought drastic cuts and only 120 were built - enough to equip four squadrons. A few were fitted with contra-rotating propellers, which eliminated skidding and made the aircraft very stable as a gun platform. This idea was later adopted for the Seafire 47.
http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/spitfire/victory.htm

This is from the Spitfire Society:

March 1944 saw the prototype Mk XXI take to the air with a Griffon 61 engine. It was capable of giving over 2,000 hp and the aircraft was taken on as a high altitude air superiority fighter with a forecasted speed of over 470 mph. Sadly the prototype could only reach 450 mph and so the aircraft proved to be a disappointment. At the end of World War Two only 120 Mk XXI Spitfires had been built, all with the return of the older style cockpit and canopy.

From January 1946 four RAF squadrons operated the Mk XXIs, the last example being retired from service in August 1947. At this time the Air Ministry declared that as from the Mk XX, all Spitfire marks would change from roman numerals to arabic and so the Mk XXI became the Mk 21.
http://www.spitfiresociety.demon.co.uk/spitdev.htm

 

[plan_D]

It got delivered to 91st Squadron in Janurary. It's first operational sortie was on the 10th April, on which it did 12 sorties.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It was flying armed recon as early as March with the 91st Squadron.

 

[plan_D]

Read the attachment, it's the official operation record book written in 1945 by 91st Squadron Leader. It states that 10th April was the first operational flight day. Before then they were "playing" with their new rigs.

 

[plan_D]

They almost had their first on the 14th of January, as you can see, but it was cancelled.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap I stand corrected. 8)