Which was the best night fighter?

[Erich]

if you have data for the G-7 then you have it for the G-6 Junkers, there was no G-7 completed nor on operations it was only a G-6, and there were no sub-designations due to different radar sets either like the a, b or c which is all bogus. P-61C did not operated either in Ww 2 it was used soon after the war and based for the imminent probs in Korea or so it was to be supposed......

you are probably right about NO really great night fighter as all types wer upgraded throughout the war, the He 219 poor in my opinion was going through it's own problems of too much experimentation of variants even with rocket assisted take off, rear gunner or not to have one, rear warning radar or not to have one, and on it goes for that poor a/c

 

[102first_hussars]

I agree with Syscom, I think the Mosquito was the best

 

[lesofprimus]

I'll have to agree with the forum here and also say the Mossie XXX was the Best Night Fighter...

However, if I had my choice of which to fly and fight in, I'd pick the Ju 88G-6 with Schräge Musik.... Ju 88 night-fighters destroyed more Allied night bombers in WW2 than all other fighters combined...

Erich, there is no truth to the below quote????

"The final production G series model was the Ju 88G-7, powered by two Jumo 213E engines with MW-50 power boosting to 1,800 hp on take-off. The Ju 88G-7a had FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 radar, while the Ju 88G-7b had FuG 218 Neptune V radar with either the standard 'toasting fork' aerials or a Morgenstern array enclosed in a pointed wooden nose cone. The G-7c had FuG 240 Berlin N-1 centimetric radar with the scanner enclosed in a plywood nose cone. Only ten G-7c were completed, before the end of the war."

 

[Erich]

there were no designations in German for the difference in radars equipped in the Ju 88G-6. No a, b or c guys ............sorry it is all afterwar myths created within publications. the JU 88G-6 had MW 50 and I have some interesting escape stories associated with the craft and the Mossie NF.

 

[102first_hussars]

I'll have to agree with the forum here and also say the Mossie XXX was the Best Night Fighter...

However, if I had my choice of which to fly and fight in, I'd pick the Ju 88G-6 with Schräge Musik.... Ju 88 night-fighters destroyed more Allied night bombers in WW2 than all other fighters combined...

Yeah but how many were lost to allied fighters and door gunners?

 

[Gnomey]

I would go for the Mossie (MKXXX) as well with the Ju-88G6 in second.

 

[redcoat]

I The top speed of the P-61B was 366 mph, very omparable to the Mossie (378) and Ju-88G (around 356 - 390, I don't have top speed of the G-6 so the data shows G-1 and G-7). Ceiling of the P-61B was 33kft with both the Mossie and G-6 below at 28k and 29k respectively. .

The top speed of the Mosquito NF Mk 30 which first entered service in June 1944 was 424 mph at 26,500ft, operational ceiling was 35,000ft.

 

[RAFster]

What about the P-82 Twin Mustang?
It replaced the P61 as the Air Force decided it outperformed and was a better solution.

David
RAFster

 

[Erich]

never flew on ops in WW 2 that is why it is not considered

 

[brickhistory]

Hello to all. Just enrolled, will take a while to go through the threads.
Have read some fairly, to me anyway, informed posts on the many topics.

For my first post, may I appeal for help in finding sources/photos about the four US Beau squadrons? I've written a book on the 417th NFS which comes out in Feb 07 (how's that for a plug?), but am starting one concerning all four, 414th-417th. Of special note would be photos of the 416th's Mossies.

Any guidance out there? I've a trip planned to the USAF Historical Research Agency planned for the spring, but any help now would be appreciated.

v/r,
brickhistory

 

[YakFlyer]

Has no one mentioned the Heinkel He 219? Easily the finest, by a mile.


In my view!

 

[Juha]

IMHO is
The best was Mosquito NF Mk 30
And very good number two was Ju 88G-6
P-61 had very good radar but was rather slow and not a great climber.

Juha

 

[Gnomey]

Has no one mentioned the Heinkel He 219? Easily the finest, by a mile.


In my view!

Read back through the thread and you will see that it isn't as good as it is made out to be. The pilots prefered the Ju-88G6 to the He-219 (Erich has a lot more on this - some of it in this thread).

 

[Erich]

yak why do you state the uhu was hot stuff especially with such a limited record only with I./ NJG 1 ?

read my comments on the first page; I see the myths about this a/c are still in effect for some members .....

 

[YakFlyer]

My apologies, however I have heard some amazing stories, I must get hold of the book of a pilot who flew one of them, and shot down 7 (or 8) Mosquitos and Lancasters in one night, anyway, trivial.

Regards,
Andy

 

[Erich]

5 Lancasters by NJG 1 pilot Werner Streib in 1943. Still wonder if these are truly confirmed. will have to wait for Boitens massive volume on the Luftwaffe NJG pilots/crews this spring for the answer

 

[brickhistory]

Dear Erich,

Would you concur that the 422d's and 425th's efforts with the SCR-720 might be due to inexperience vice unreliable equipment?

The four US Beau squadrons, although they didn't see much 'trade,' seemed to do fairly well in completing intercepts up to, and including, the visual. Of course, they had over a year's head start compared to the 422 et al.

My interviews with numerous crews and the radar maintenance shop chief and the squadrons' records seem to bear this out. Any thoughts?

 

[Erich]

yes I would agree with that. The 422nd and the lesser 425th nfs had the contacts but the problem that I observed through interviews was ID'ing the wrong a/c with at least two at the wrong time. A-20 and a RAF Mossie shot down by P-61's. The winter in Europe of 44-45 caused much grief with limited resources for the two squads including the small portion of the 414th nfs.

Random blips, failed AI and no contacts due to a large array of problems, some due to weather and low fog, cloud and smoke visibility. Luftwaffe night fighters played cat and mouse but were used essentially in the ground attack game and lost more NF's in December 44 than any month of the war. The 422nd was real active as well as the 425th that month and funny by looking over the microfische of both units some of the claims of shot down Luftwaffe a/c are interesting .............. He 111 and Do 217 during the time period

 

[mhuxt]

Hi Erich:

Is there a date for the mossie? Been looking for that one for a while.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Erich]

my friend, greetings ! yes there was a date or two, it is actually confusing and will have to check back in the microfische of both US nfs as I (hopefully) marked the date. On at least 3 intercepts in the fall winter of 44-45 the 422nd nfs chased Mossies by accident

E ~