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The Spitfire Mk.XIV was the best piston-engined fighter in Europe during WWII

by Till Daisd December 13, 2022

As the war came to an end, technology advanced quickly, and the first jet aircraft were pitted against or alongside the most powerful piston-engined types the world had ever seen. How did they differ, though?

When World War II in Europe came to a close, there were roughly 20 high-performance fighter variants at least nominally in service:

Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV
Hawker Typhoon Mk.lb
Hawker Tempest V
Gloster Meteor F.3
North American P-51D Mustang
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Lockheed P-38L Lightning
Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star
Bell P-63A Kingcobra (an American fighter but initially flown almost exclusively dive by the Russians)
Lavochkin La-7
Yakovlev Yak- 3
Yakovlev Yak-9U
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-9
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9
Ta 152 H-1
Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4
Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a
Messerschmitt Me 163 B-1
Heinkel He 162 A-2

Which one was best?

There are some glaring omissions from this list of 20 aircraft, according to Dan Sharp’s book Spitfires Over Berlin, while selecting which was the greatest. The Typhoon can be fairly ruled out because the British Hawker Tempest V was a superior fighter.

The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 and both Fw 190 variants fall under the same category. You can get rid of the A-9 and the D-9. While the infamous Volksjager has to go because the Me 262 would have been a superior fighter even if the He 162 could have been made to operate flawlessly. The Me 163 can also be removed from consideration since its endurance was too brief to make it an effective fighter.

The P-38 Lightning was the American model that moved the most slowly. Although it climbed well, it was outclassed as a dogfighter, therefore it must also go. All three Soviet types (along with the P-63A) can be excluded since, despite their skill in close combat, they were not better than the most remarkable of their contemporaries.

Here’s why, also according to Adolf Galland, the Spitfire Mk.XIV (and not the P-51D) was the best piston-engined fighter of WWII in Europe

The Tempest V, Spitfire IX and XIV, Meteor F.3, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, P-80 Shooting Star, Me 262 A-1a, Ta 152, and Bf 109 K are the remaining aircraft in the top 10.

The non-operational Meteor F.3 and P-80 can probably be ruled out due to ongoing development issues, the Bf 109 K could not be said to have surpassed the Ta 152 in performance, the P-47 Thunderbolt was less maneuverable than the P-51 and the Spitfire IX lacked the raw speed to keep up with the new German jets, so a reasonable top five would be the Tempest V, Spitfire XIV, P-51 Mustang, Me 262 A-la and Ta 152.

The Ta 152 was built as a high-altitude fighter, and its sophisticated engine was crucial to giving it an incredible turn of speed. Its guns were prone to jamming, and the majority of the stories from partisan witnesses support its reputation. Therefore, it should be disregarded.

The Tempest V was swift and lethal, but it lacked the high-altitude capability and straight-line speed. In a dogfight, could it have defeated a Spitfire XIV? Perhaps, perhaps not.

The Spitfire XIV, the P-51 Mustang, and the Me 262 A-1a are actually the only three options. All three were powerful dogfighters that their pilots loved and their enemies feared. The P-51 was the world’s greatest aircraft for escorting bombers over great distances at great altitudes, but was it the best fighter of the three finalists?

It was slower than either the Spitfire or the Messerschtnitt, and it had a substantially slower rate of climb. Although it had exceptional maneuverability, the Spitfire still had a little advantage.

The Me 262 was a precursor to the future of air combat. Its weaponry was unmatched, and it could outpace practically anything, but it had significant operational issues. It would have unquestionably defeated the Spitfire if it had been constructed by devoted German engineers, flown in large numbers from fortified airfields, and kept well-supplied with fuel and new engines. However, in reality, Germany’s involvement in the war, along with its own design flaws, hindered the development of the first truly successful jet fighter.

The British Supermarine Spitfire XIV and the German Me 262 must share the victory in the end. With the exception of the Ta 152, no other piston-engine aircraft was faster, more maneuverable, or capable of climbing at such a phenomenal rate as the Spitfire Mk.XIV. Although it was inadequate for escort missions because of its small range, it was simply incredibly difficult to defeat in a straight fight.

Even yet, a Spitfire Mk. XIV pilot would have had an extremely difficult time defeating a Me 262, especially given that the latter was capable of traveling 93 mph quicker. Although the Spitfire pilot would have had more horizontal maneuverability and acceleration, the Me 262 pilot would still have needed to catch the Spitfire by surprise or make a catastrophic mistake. Adolf Galland, a former General of Fighters and Me 262 pilot for the Luftwaffe, claimed following the war: “The best thing about the Spitfire XIV was that there were so few of them.”

Spitfires Over Berlin is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here along with many other beautiful aviation books.

Photo by Rob Hodgkins via Wikipedia, Crown Copyright Top image via Scale Hobbyist

December 13, 2022 0 comment

History

When Chinese embassy in Belgrade was bombed by a B-2A Spirits

by Till Daisd December 13, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The Chinese Embassy in central Belgrade was one of the B-2’s objectives, and when it was struck by three GPS-Aided Munitions on May 7, 1999, it led to the OAF’s largest diplomatic faux pas. As a result of the tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of three people, the Chinese authorities launched loud protests

The B-2A Spirit was designed to fight the Cold War, but it has since proven essential in the fight against terrorism and the “New World Order.” The Spirit is the go-to weapon when America strikes its adversaries early in a campaign due to its low observability, precise strike, range, and payload versatility. The first shots of Operation Allied Force (OAF) were launched by B-2s from the 509th Bomb Wing (BW), which is the only frontline user of the aircraft.

The Chinese Embassy in central Belgrade was one of the targets the B-2A Spirit Units in Combat targeted on May 7, 1999, and was struck by three GPS-Aided Munitions, as reported by Thomas Withington in his book (GAMs, the precursor to the GBU-31 satellite-guided JDAMs). The incident resulted in the deaths of three people and sparked raucous protests from the Chinese authorities. As soon as tensions rose, conspiracy theorists started conjecturing as to why the Embassy had been assaulted. One of the milder hypotheses circulated online involved “Cloak and Dagger” tales of the Chinese government acting as a covert communications channel for radio signals from the Serbian government to its forces in the field.

Months after the tragedy, two major European newspapers made the intriguing suggestion that the strikes were planned. The US and NATO wasted no time in declaring that the bombings were an accident in the moments following their detonation. Meanwhile, the UN ambassador for China condemned what happened as a “crime of war” and a “barbarian act”.

The war’s public face, British NATO spokesperson Jamie Shea, was awakened in the middle of the night in Brussels and told he would be speaking to the media the following morning. He would offer one of the first explanations of what had transpired along with an apology despite the limited knowledge that was available in those early hours. He stated from the briefing stage that the airplanes “struck the wrong building.”

The Night USAF B-2 Spirits Bombed Chinese Embassy in Belgrade

“It’s like a train accident or a car crash – you know what has happened but what you don’t know is why it has happened,” he said to BBC 20 years later. “That took a lot longer to establish… But it was clear right from the get-go, that targeting a foreign embassy was not part of the NATO plan.”

It would take the US more than a month to fully explain to Beijing why three GAMs had struck the Chinese embassy, including one that hurtled through the roof of the ambassador’s home close to the main building but didn’t explode, perhaps saving his life.

The Yugoslav Federal Directorate for Supply and Procurement (FDSP), a governmental organization that imported and exported defense material, was the main objective, according to officials. Near the location of the embassy, hundreds of meters away, the gray office building is still standing.

At first, NATO anticipated the bombing campaign would end quickly with Milosevic withdrawing his forces from Kosovo and allowing peacekeeping to take over. However, it had already lasted for more than six weeks by the time the embassy was attacked. The US government’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which is not often involved in target-picking, had decided that the FDSP should be struck in the haste to discover hundreds of new targets to prolong the aerial assault.

However, it now appears that the CIA had mistakenly targeted the structure as the Serbian Federal Directorate for Supply and Procurement by using an outdated map. It was given imagery and targeting coordinates, and it attacked the target as directed. The CIA, and ultimately President Bill Clinton, were much higher up the chain of command and held accountable for the error.

In a book, Pan Zhanlin, the Chinese ambassador who narrowly survived the attack, denied that the embassy had been used for rebroadcasting or that China had received parts of the US F-117 stealth fighter jet that Serbian forces had shot down in the early stages of the NATO campaign in exchange for its cooperation.

The bombing of the embassy was one of several incidents that demonstrated the US was waging a “new Cold War against China,” according to Liu Mingfu, a retired colonel of the People’s Liberation Army who is well known for his extreme views of the US.

“It was totally intentional. It was a purposeful, planned bombing, rather than an accident,” he said.

In exchange for the bombing, the US would pay China $28 million in damages. However, China was required to reimburse the US for close to $3 million in losses due to demonstrators who rushed the diplomatic district and attacked the British and American embassies with concrete, paint, eggs, and stones. The US gave the families of the deceased and injured another $4.5 million.

The Spirit and the 509th BW, on the other hand, were absolutely safe. James Kinnu, Northrop Grumman’s B-2A Project Manager, summed up his thoughts on how the B-2A performed in OAF by saying, ‘All of us who were fully knowledgeable of its capabilities saw it being deployed just the way it was designed. The ability to fly from Whiteman AFB, to go “black” near the European continent and have everybody try to find it, but nobody doing so. Then having it accurately deliver weapons on target, including the Chinese Embassy, which was a mistake but not by the bomber, and the ability to do it under all weather conditions’.

B-2A Spirit Units in Combat is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Sasa Stankovic/EPA/Shutterstock

December 13, 2022 0 comment

History

When the only two Tupolev Tu-16 airstrikes against Israel were carried out by the Iraqi Air Force

by Till Daisd December 11, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Both Israeli Mirage pilots were scared away by Tupolev Tu-16 defensive fire from the tail-mounted barbette after their Shafrir Mk.1 air-to-air missile attack attempt failed

The Iraqi High Command in Baghdad gave Squadron Leader Farouk at-Tail, commander of the No. 10 Squadron, Iraqi Air Force (IrAF), the order to launch an air strike on Ramat David AB in northern Israel early on June 6, 1967 (the second day of the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War). Tail made the fast decision to send four crews and four Tupolev Tu-16 bombers into this operation as single ships, with a quarter-hour between each aircraft. Each bomber was equipped with six FAB-500 bombs (caliber 500kg).

Together with Flt Lt Majid Turki, Tail piloted the first Tu-16. They traveled to Mafraq AB (now known as Salti AB) in Jordan at a high altitude before making a steep descent to save fuel. He increased his speed to 900 km/h as soon as he entered Israeli airspace, then began a climb to look for his intended target. The crew then reported having found Ramat David AB and released its bombs without any disturbance, around 0500hrs local time.

Israeli accounts claim that the crew actually struck an unspecified military installation close to Ta’amach, which is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Afula; the attack destroyed many structures, resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers, and injured five others. The other two Tu-16s had less luck; they were both forced to return to Ton Habaniyah early after having to abort their missions because of mechanical issues. Sqn Ldr Hussein Mohammad ‘Kaka’ Hussein piloted the Tupolev Number 4, with Flt Lt Alwan serving as co-pilot, Flt Lt Rashid, Flt Lt Kargoli, and Flt Lt Sabih serving as navigator-gunners 1 and 2, respectively.

Like Tail before him, Hussein silently began a similar rise and entered Israeli airspace. But for some reason, his group was unable to launch an attack on the intended target. In defiance of directives not to attack civilian targets, it dropped its warlord shortly after 6:00 a.m. over the center of Netanya, a coastal town in northern Israel, killing one person and injured 21 others. Hussein and Alwan then redirected their bomber back into Israeli airspace while flying over the Mediterranean Sea. At that point, two Israeli Defense Force/Air Force (IDF/AF) Mirage IIICJ aircraft attacked them.

What specifically transpired after then is a subject of some debate. The Shafrir Mk.1 air-to-air missiles fired by the Mirages in one version of the story missed their target, and the two pilots were subsequently scared off by Sabih’s defensive fire from the barbette mounted on the back of the aircraft. They claimed that Sabih and Kargoli had fired from their barbettes on the aircraft and installations they observed below. Hussein and Alwan then flew their bomber directly over Ramat David AB while being pursued by two Mirages.

An Israeli air-to-air missile should have struck the lone Tu-16 shortly after that. The bomber was still under control and trying to flee in an easterly direction, Hussein said over the radio. He should have avoided a military base in Megiddo, where his bomber is said to have been shot down by an IDF-operated 40mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun. The bomber destroyed two teams of 120mm mortars and three barracks when it fell into a military storage facility, killing not only its crew but also between 11 and 14 Israeli soldiers in addition to its own crew members.

These two were the only Tu-16 airstrikes against Israel that are known to have taken place.

The photograph below was taken in 1965 and shows one of the Tu-16s from No. 10 Squadron together with the majority of its pilots. With the material at hand, I am unable to confirm the involvement or the death of any “Hussein ad-Dahy” in the airstrike on Ramat David on June 6, 1967. However, it’s possible that the pilot of the lost Tupolev bomber went by that complete name.

Iraqi Air Force Performed the Only two Tupolev Tu-16 Air Strikes Ever Conducted against Israel

Photo by U.S. Air Force

December 11, 2022 0 comment

History

Famous German Ace Adolf Galland recounts his final combat mission

by Till Daisd December 11, 2022

written by Till Daisd

“As usual in a dogfight, I was tense and excited. I forgot to release the second safety catch for the rockets. They did not go off. I was in the best firing position, I had aimed accurately and pressed my thumb flat on the release button -with no result. Maddening for any fighter pilot,” Adolf Galland

General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland, one of the key players in the Luftwaffe from 1942 to 1944, was relieved of his duties at the start of 1945. He was soon given the go-ahead to establish Jagdverband 44, his own squadron of Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters.

He would fly his final mission with this unit, according to Dan Sharp’s book Spitfires over Berlin, as Galland himself wrote in The First and The Last: “On April 26, I set out on in my last mission of the war. I led six le jet fighters of the JV 44 against a formation of Marauders. Our own little directing post brought us well into contact with the enemy. The weather: varying, clouds at different altitudes, with gaps, ground visible in about only three-tenths of the operational area.

“I sighted the enemy formation in the district of Neuburg on the Danube. Once again I noticed how difficult it was, with such great differences in speed and with clouds over the landmarks, to find the relative flying direction between one’s own plane, and that of the enemy, and how difficult it was to judge the approach.

“This difficulty had already driven Lutzow to despair. He had discussed it repeatedly with me, and every time he missed his run-in, this most successful fighter commodore blamed his own inefficiency as a fighter pilot. Had there been any need for more confirmation as to the hopelessness of operations with the Me 262 by bomber pilots, our experiences would have sufficed.

“But now there was no time for such considerations. We were flying in an almost opposite direction to the Marauder formation. Each second meant that we were 300 yards nearer. I will not say that I fought this action ideally, but I led my formation to a fairly favorable firing position.

“Safety catch off the gun and rocket switch. Already at a great distance, we met with considerable defensive fire. As usual in a dogfight, I was tense and excited. I forgot to release the second safety catch for the rockets. They did not go off. I was in the best firing position, I had aimed accurately and pressed my thumb flat on the release button -with no result. Maddening for any fighter pilot.

The ringmaster’s Grand Finale: Legendary German Ace Adolf Galland tells the exciting story of his last combat mission — *B-26 Marauder*

“Anyhow, my four 30mm cannons were working. They had much more firing power than we had been used to so far. At that moment, close below me, Schallmoser, the jet-rammer [he had accidentally rammed a USAAF P-38 Lightning with his Me 262 in a previous mission], whizzed past. In ramming, he made no distinction between friend or foe.”

Flying in “White 14,” Schallmoser launched his R4M rockets, blowing up one of the B-26s.

Galland wrote: “This engagement had lasted only a fraction of a second – a very important second o be sure. One Marauder of the last string was on fire and exploded. Now I attacked another bomber in the van of the formation. It was heavily hit as I passed very close above it.

“During this breakthrough, I got a few minor hits from the defensive fire. But now I wanted to know definitely what was happening to the second bomber I had hit. I was not quite clear if it had crashed. So far I had not noticed any fighter escort. Above the formation I had attacked last, I banked steeply to the left, and at this moment it happened: a hail of fire enveloped me. A Mustang had caught me napping.”

Technical Sergeant Henry Dietz, a former weapons instructor, had targeted Galland as he attempted to evaluate the harm he had done to his most recent victim after he had been injured by defense fire from one of the B-26s.

Dietz recalled: “Probably the most important thing I remembered from gunnery school was to fire short bursts and forget about the tracer bullets – just use your sights.

“That day, we were flying as flight leaders, and we were about 10 minutes from the target. I flew in the waist position from where I could see all the mechanical parts of the aircraft. I had never seen a jet before. Galland slowed down to the speed of the B-26 so that he could observe and take score. I thought `dummy’. He was flying low, right into the sights of my machine gun. I shot a burst. Nothing happened. A little higher, a little lower, I just kept shooting.”

1st Lt. James Finnegan of the 10th Fighter Squadron, 50th Fighter Group, the pilot of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt escort fighter, had also spotted Dietz as he opened fire on Galland’s aircraft.

Finnegan later remembered: “I was leading the top cover of P-47s that was escorting the B-26s to their target. As I gazed down I saw two objects come zipping through the formation, and two bombers blew up immediately.

“I watched the two objects go through the bomber formation, and thought ‘That can’t be a prop job, it’s got to be one of the 262 jets’. I was at about 13,000ft and estimated them to be at about 9000-10,000. They were climbing, and I pulled a split-S toward the one that turned left, and almost ended up right on top of him – about 75 yards away.

“I gave a three-second burst and saw strikes on the right-hand engine and wing root. I was going so fast, I went right through everything, and guessed my speed at about 500mph. I recorded it as probable. I was flying a D-model Thunderbolt with a bubble canopy, a natural metal finish, and a black nose. The 262 had green and brown mottled camouflage with some specks of yellow. That turned out to be my last flight in a P-47.”

Galland wrote: “A sharp rap hit my right knee. The instrument panel with its indispensable instruments was shattered. The right engine was also hit. Its metal covering worked loose in the wind and was partly carried away. Now the left engine was hit too. I could hardly hold her in the air.

“In this embarrassing situation, I had only one wish: to get out of this crate, which now apparently was only good for dying in. But then I was paralyzed with the terror of being shot while parachuting down. Experience had taught us that we jet fighter pilots had to reckon on this. I soon discovered that my battered Me 262 could be steered again after some adjustments.

“After a dive through the layer of cloud, I saw the Autobahn below me. Ahead of me lay Munich and to the left Riem. In a few seconds, I was over the airfield. It was remarkably quiet and dead below. Having regained my self-confidence, I gave the customary wing wobble and started banking to come in.

“One engine did not react at all to the throttle. I could not reduce it. Just before the edge of the airfield I, therefore, had to cut out both engines. A long trail of smoke drifted behind me. Only at this moment, I noticed that Thunderbolts in a low-level attack were giving our airfield the works.

“Now I had no choice. I had not heard the warnings of our ground post because my wireless had faded out when I was hit. There remained only one thing to do: straight down into the fireworks. Touching down, I realized that the tyre of my nosewheel was flat. It rattled horribly as the earth again received me at a speed of 150mph on the small landing strip.

“Brake! Brake! The kite would not stop. But at last, I was out of the kite and into the nearest bomb crater. There were plenty of them on our runways. Bombs and rockets exploded all around; bursts of shells from the Thunderbolts whistled and banged.

“A new low-level attack. Out of the fastest fighter in the world and into a bomb crater, that was an unutterably wretched feeling. Through all the fireworks an armored tractor came rushing across to me. It pulled up sharply close by. One of our mechanics. Quickly I got in behind him. He turned and raced off on the shortest route away from the airfield. In silence, I slapped him on the shoulder.

“He understood better what I wanted to say than any words about the unity between flying and ground personnel could have expressed.

“The other pilots who took part in this operation were directed to neighboring airfields or came; into Riem after the attack. We reported five certain kills without loss to ourselves. I had to go to Munich to a hospital for treatment of my scratched knee. The X-ray showed two splinters in the kneecap. It was put in plaster. A fine business.”

Oberstleutnant Heinz Bar took over operational command of JV 44 with Galland now out of commission and Steinhoff still in the hospital (he was hurt in an accident on takeoff with his Me 262 on April 16). The unit was given orders to go to Salzburg-Maxglan on April 28. There, it was to conduct operations from woodland positions alongside the Munich-Salzburg Autobahn. This turned out to be JV 44’s last move.

On May 4, as the Americans closed in, the unit destroyed its Me 262s by placing grenades in their engine intakes. The remaining pilots were apprehended and brought in for interrogation. The following day, Galland submitted to American forces and JV 44 was no more.

Spitfires Over Berlin is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here along with many other beautiful aviation books.

Photo by U.S. Air Force Noop1958 and German Federal Archive via Wikipedia

December 11, 2022 0 comment

History

When RAF Wellington bombers strafed Italian ocean liners Rex and Conte di Savoia

by Till Daisd December 10, 2022

written by Till Daisd

In order to target the Italian liners Rex and Conte di Savoia, which were being employed as troop ships to North Africa, two aircraft flew very low, to roughly 300 feet and 390 feet, respectively

Bomber Command’s operations in Italy are frequently described by eyewitnesses as being tedious and taking a long time (around 9 hours), with only the thrill of seeing the snow-covered Alpine peaks and the brief drama of hitting the target serving as breaks.

However, the previous Italian raids in 1940 and 1941 frequently turned out to be far wilder adventures. Individual aircraft chose their own route to the target, and once there, they often engaged in “further activities” such as the low-level shooting-up of flak positions, airfields, road convoys, moving trains, or ocean liners, as described by Richard Worrall in his book The Italian Blitz 1940–1943.

Early in December 1940, the “Italy assignment” was handed to 3 Group, which flew the Vickers Wellington Mk Ic, as 4 Group had been taken off Italian operations due to the need to conserve its Whitley Mk Vs for significant fire-raising missions against German cities.

The operational directives from HQ Bomber Command stated that they were to attack Italian targets, but only with a maximum of 15 aircraft; they were given a fixed list of German targets from which to choose alternatives if the weather prevented attack upon Italian objectives, but it was obvious that the latter was the priority. When 15 aircraft were assigned to bomb the Royal Arsenal in Turin on December 4th, the 3rd Group launched its first Italian operation. Wellingtons were also sent to Italy on December 18th, December 21st, and January 11th and 12th, 1941.

The oil refineries at Porto Marghera, close to Venice, were to be attacked the following night by seven Wellington aircraft. The bombers made direct strikes on the target area: one 1,000 lb bomb dropped from 700 ft. generated a big explosion with reddish/white smoke and flames to 400 ft.; additional bombs caused oil storage tanks to burst; and a sizable building to fall and disintegrate.

A British Beaufighter aircraft pulls up after attacking the Italian ocean liner *Rex* with cannon fire and rockets, location: coast between Izola and Koper/Capodistria, present-day Slovenia.

The target area was characterized by aircrews as being a mass of flames fifteen minutes into the strike. However, the aircraft of 3 Group had only traveled a short distance (a round trip of 1,500 miles) to discharge their modest bombloads (at that range of about 1,500lb). With little chance of being intercepted – in early 1941 the Regia Aeronautica had yet to train for the night-fighter role – the Wellingtons used their machine guns to strafe the oil refinery and flak positions.

In order to target the Italian liners Rex and Conte di Savoia, which were being employed as troop ships to North Africa, two aircraft flew very low, to roughly 300 feet and 390 feet, respectively. According to the raid report, a second Wellington that was returning struck the Padua aerodrome from an astounding 20 feet away.

Such behavior perfectly captures the daring, if occasionally careless, the endeavor of the initial bomber raids on Italy. Although the daylight operation to Milan by the Lancasters of 5 Group on October 24, 1942, which culminated in some low-level flying and machine gun strafing, would be the final “wild ride,” operations did become a lot more organized, more controlled, and, ultimately, more devastating from autumn 1942 onward.

Regarding the two Italian liners, the Rex would be sunk near Trieste on September 8, 1944, when the RAF attacked it along with Beaufighters from the South African Air Force. German forces destroyed the Conte di Savoia in Venice on September 11, 1943, but it was later salvaged and demolished in 1945.

The Italian Blitz 1940–43 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

The night RAF Wellington bombers strafed Italian ocean liners (used as troop ships to North Africa) Rex and Conte di Savoia — The Italian liner REX, lying on her side and on fire in Capodistria Bay, south of Trieste, two days after the attack by Bristol Beaufighters of the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force which capsized her.

Photo by Crown Copyright

December 10, 2022 0 comment

History

The B-52 ‘Flak-Bait II,’ the U.S. warplane that flew the most combat missions in WWII

by Till Daisd December 9, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Flak-Bait II now shares a name with the first bomber and its history

A Martin B-26 Marauder by the name of Flak-Bait had completed 207 missions by the time World War II came to a close in 1945, more than any other American aircraft. However, as Master Sgt. Ted Daigle, 307th Bomb Wing, in the article Spirit of B-26 Marauder lives on at Barksdale AFB, its achievement was lost to history until three Barksdale Air Force Base crew chiefs named a B-52 Stratofortress after the record-setting B-26.

During the war, Flak-Bait lived up to its name. It received hits on almost every mission, and German 88mm guns twice destroyed its electrical system and once took out its hydraulics. It only used one engine to return home on two additional sorties. By the conclusion of the war, the aircraft had taken more than 1,000 hits. There was not a single panel on it that was unharmed.

Meet B-52 ‘Flak-Bait II,' the BUFF named after the B-26 ‘Flak-Bait,’ the U.S. warplane that flew the most combat missions in World War II — Flak-Bait II, a B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing, sits on the flight line at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, May 22, 2020. The jet’s crew chief recently renamed it in honor of a B-26 Marauder that flew more combat missions than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle)

It was disassembled after the war and transported in crates to the storage site in Washington, D.C., for the National Air and Space Museum. It was kept in storage for many years, and the current generation of bomber aircrew had mostly forgotten about its name and past.

That is until 11th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief Senior Airman Joshua Rich came upon the name. Rich was in command of a newly painted B-52 and was looking for a new name for it with the assistance of his two crew chiefs from the 307th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Staff Sergeant William Etheridge, and Tech Sergeant Patrick Deslauriers.

Rich accidentally proposed the moniker Flak-Bait when they first started naming things because he was unaware of the B-26 and its past. Rich was unable to explain how he came up with the name.

“It was something that was just in my head,” he explained. “I was a big airplane buff as a kid, so maybe it was something I read about in my childhood.”

The crew chief learned about the bomber’s past thanks to an internet search for the name and they became hooked. The Airmen chose to recreate the original plane’s nose painting and give the B-52 the designation Flak-Bait II. None of them had ever renamed a jet, therefore the steps to do it were quite unusual.

The crew chiefs made the choice to get in touch with the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to find out if they required authorization to use the name. They didn’t and the museum curator was enthusiastic about the concept. Officials from the Smithsonian Institution advised Etheridge to contact Roberta Dow-Faulkenberry, the B-26 Marauder Historical Society’s secretary, for assistance in duplicating Flak-nose Bait’s decoration.

Since 1980, Dow-Faulkenberry has researched the history of Flak-Bait. She estimates that she has spent several hundred hours researching the bomber. When Etheridge contacted her, she was delighted to assist.

“It’s amazing that we are actually bringing our first-generation aircrew back into the light,” she said. “There aren’t very many of them left.”

The original Flak-Bait has been preserved for a few years now at the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. It was proposed to display Flak-Bait and Flak-Bait II together, but the B-52 was too big to maneuver the center’s flight line. However, Flak-Bait II now shares a name with the first bomber and its history.

December 9, 2022 0 comment

History

Japanese Zero-sen naval aviators used the outmoded V formation against allied fighters

by Till Daisd December 8, 2022

written by Till Daisd

An Allied fighter pilot who managed to get an A6M in his gunsight would typically find himself quickly targeted by the remaining two members of the shotai.

Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) A6M Zero-sens employed the three-aircraft shotai (tactical formation) during World War II in the Pacific, which was organized in an echeloned V formation as depicted in the following image.

How Japanese Zero-sen naval aviators turned the obsolete V formation into a formidable tactics in dealing with allied fighters during the early stages of the Pacific War

Although the three-aircraft shotai was an antiquated formation by European standards, the Japanese naval aviators made it highly functional by virtue of their exceptional teamwork and keen situational awareness, as explained by Peter Ingman in his book P-40E Warhawk Vs A6M2 Zero-sen East Indies and Darwin 1942. Typically flying without communications, pilots were very aware of the positions and combat circumstances of the other two shotai members.

When combined with the exceptional maneuverability of the Zero-sen, these tactics proved formidable for any adversary during the early stages of the Pacific War. The brief engagement between IJNAF A6M2 Zero-sen and USAAF P-40E Warhawks on February 20, 1942, demonstrated how fast the remaining two shotai would attack an Allied fighter pilot who was able to get an A6M in his gunsight.

Japanese troops had landed on Bali and Timor on that day, cutting off the air route between Darwin and Java and isolating the latter. IJN vessels off Bali supporting the invasion were a great target for American aircraft flying over Java, so seven A-24 Banshee dive-bombers from the 91st BS launched with a powerful escort of 16 P-40Es from the 17th PS (Prov).

When the formation was approaching the target at 14,000 feet and just as the final three A-24 pilots started to push over in their dives, Zero-sens of the 3rd Kokutai bounced it from above. Although none of the A-24s were shot down by the Zero-sens in the ensuing battle, four P-40E aircraft were lost (and a fifth was so badly shot up that it crashed back at Ngoro), and Capt. Charles Sprague, the CO of the 17th PS (Prov), was killed.

In contrast, US fighter pilots employed four-aircraft flights of two pairs during the early Pacific War (as shown in the image below).

The group’s original strategy was to climb as quickly as they could in the direction of the bombers. However, it was discovered that using “dive and zoom” strategies gave the heavier US fighters a noticeable speed advantage against the lightweight Zero-sens when diving. These updated strategies, when executed properly, effectively countered the Zero-sens sen’s agility.

P-40E Warhawk Vs A6M2 Zero-sen East Indies and Darwin 1942 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Osprey Publishing and Kogo via Wikipedia

December 8, 2022 0 comment

History

A monument for the F-14 fighter used by the US Navy and the 68 Naval Aviators who perished

by Till Daisd December 7, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The memorial will honor the renowned Grumman fighter plane in addition to the people who manufactured and maintained the aircraft flew it and gave their lives doing so

A monument honoring the F-14 Tomcat fighter plane will be erected on Virginia Beach’s oceanfront, according to The Virginian-Pilot on May 25, 2020. The memorial will honor the renowned Grumman fighter plane in addition to the people who manufactured and maintained the aircraft, flew it and gave their lives doing so.

A granite obelisk with four sides will serve as the memorial. A variety of pictures of the aircraft in use will be shown on panels along with information on how it was used and who maintained it. In actuality, a panel will remember the 68 pilots who lost their lives.

The F-14 Tomcat operated as an advanced interceptor and air superiority fighter, capable of striking six enemy aircraft simultaneously at a range of over 100 miles with the AIM-54 Phoenix missile. It is arguably the most well-known US Navy fighter because of its starring role in Top Gun.

A fleet defense fighter that could engage high-altitude bombers from well beyond visual range was necessary because Soviet long-range patrol and bomber aircraft during the Cold War had advanced. The famous F-14 Tomcat, according to the National Naval Aviation Museum, was Grumman’s response. With this hefty load, an interceptor’s fast speed was required, therefore Grumman created the F-14’s very effective variable-sweep wing, which allows it to fly at a variety of airspeeds.

The Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter led to the evaluation of General Dynamics’ F-111B, an aircraft that would promote the Department of Defense’s aim of commonality with the Air Force and its F-111A. When the F-111B was found to be too heavy for carrier operations after being upgraded to fulfill Navy mission requirements, the contract was terminated in April 1968. The Navy then launched a new design competition for what was known as the VFX program, with McDonnell Douglas and Grumman serving as its two main rivals.

Grumman’s Model 303 suggested a variable-geometry, two-seat, twin-engined design centered on the Hughes AWG-9 weapons system while McDonnell Douglas studied a navalized version of the F-15. Grumman’s earlier XF10F Jaguar, which had only been constructed as a prototype, had given it significant experience with “swing-wing” technology. The selection of Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans, which are comparable to those used in the F-111, was required by the necessity for quick development and fielding of the aircraft.

The new “Tomcat,” which continued Grumman’s practice of naming its aircraft after felines, took to the skies for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after going through a number of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 being assigned the responsibility of crew training. VF-1 and VF-2 were the first operational squadrons to receive the new aircraft on the West Coast, while VF-14 and VF-32 were the first squadrons assigned to the Atlantic fleet on the East Coast. The Marine Corps was getting ready to launch VMFA-122 at NAS Miramar in 1974 when it was decided to stick with modified variants of the trusty F-4J Phantom II.

In August 1981, two Libyan Su-22 planes were shot down by an F-14 over the Gulf of Sidra. It saw considerable duty in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2006, the final F-14s were taken out of service.

Photo by U.S. Navy

December 7, 2022 0 comment

Military

What we know about the B-21 Raider Stealthy

by Till Daisd December 7, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The B-21 Raider, the world’s newest stealth heavy bomber, was eventually made public by Northrup. The B-21 builds upon the success of its illustrious predecessor, the B-2 Spirit, which was also created by Northrup, and is named in honor of Jimmy Doo Little’s B-25 raiders, which memorably struck Imperial Japan shortly after the events of Pearl Harbor during World War II.

The B-21’s technology is thought to be at least two generations superior to the B-2’s, which is astounding given that the B-2 is still one of the world’s most stealthy platforms despite having been in use for more than two decades. Northrop Grumman was given the engineering contract for the B-21 by the USAF in 2015, and the critical design assessment was finished in 2018.

On December 2, 2022, the B-21 Raider was introduced to the public. Compared to the B-2, the B-21 is smaller and can carry less cargo. At first glance, the payload of the B-21 appears to be a disadvantage, but when you consider that the B-21 will be more stealthy given its advanced design and materials, this should allow it to penetrate deeper into contested airspace and hit targets with even greater precision as compared to today’s bombers. The payload of the B-21 is currently estimated to be above 30,000 pounds.

The Air Force is also budgeting for 100 B-21s, which is five times as many as B-2s now in service. By having more B-21s, the Air Force will be able to deploy them internationally and put them within two hours of any target. The B-21 Raider will actually be a part of a larger family of systems for a conventional long-range strike, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance or ISR electronic attack, communication, and other capabilities. The Raider is also designed to accommodate manned or unmanned operations, making it an extremely effective deterrent.

The B-21 is referred to as dual-capable when it comes to weaponry, which means it can use either conventional or nuclear munitions. The B61 variable yield nuclear fuel could be a potential payload. Gravity Bomb, Directed Energy Weapons or lasers could be used by future weapon systems, such as the B-21, as well as long-range standoff nuclear cruise missiles, long-range anti-ship missiles, conventional free-fall bombs, and laser-guided bombs to hit or disable targets. Additionally, it is said that the Raider has the same engines as the F-35.

If you want to learn more about adaptive engines, you can read about the now-in-use Pratt & Whitney F-135 series engines or the under-development adaptive cycle engines like GE’s XA-100 that are also intended to be used in the F-35. The B-21 and F-35 will benefit from lower costs and higher mission-capable rates because of the employment of similar engines. The B-21 might also be used as a mothership for swarms of tradable drones of varying sizes, either as a fighter screen for the bomber or as a networked hub for strike aircraft. Radar on the B-21 would enable this prospective application.

A stealth bomber was only revealed to the general public twice in history. Some of you may recall the first occasion of this kind, which took place in November 1988 when the B-2 Spirit was revealed to the public. The YB-35 and YB-49 piston engine flying wing concepts from Northrop were far earlier than the B-2, which is without a doubt the company’s most popular flying wing design. These two concepts were developed in the 1940s, long before the idea of stealth aircraft was even conceived.

Reduced Parasitic Drag weight from non-lift-generating components, such as vertical tail surfaces, was the driving force behind the development of flying wings. Theoretically, a flying wing might transport larger cargoes further, faster, and for less cost than current designs. Despite never being put into production, it was discovered during flight tests that these early flying-wing bombers had a modest radar cross-section. This would affect the stealth qualities of the two in a few decades; more on that later. Although it’s difficult to understand now, the B-2’s introduction in 1988 effectively marked the world’s first glimpse of a stealth aircraft.

Even though the F-117 Nighthawk had been in use for a while, the public didn’t really start to notice it until the Gulf War in 1991. However, the B-2’s effect was felt practically immediately.

Actually, the airframe design and materials are the two essential elements that enable America to restore its competitive edge in stealth farming technology. Similar to its predecessor, the B-21 will have flying wings. But we need to quickly review the history of stealth technology, which strangely started in Russia, in order to comprehend why a flying wing is so effective for stealth. Petr Ufimtsev, a Soviet mathematician, wrote a paper titled “Method of edge waves in the physical theory of diffraction” in 1971.

The paper was mostly overlooked in Soviet Russia, but Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s international technology branch translated it the same year it was published. Dennis Overholser, an engineer at Lockheed Skunk Works.

The F-117 Nighthawk, also known as the Hopeless Diamond, was created as a direct result of a mathematical calculation created by Dennis Overholser, a Lockheed Skunk Works engineer, that used the theories from the paper to compute the radar cross-section or RCS of a three-dimensional object. The F-117’s numerous jagged angles and surfaces for radar deflection or diversion were a direct result of the limited computational capability at the time as well as the essential aerodynamic design trade-offs.

It’s interesting to note that Northrop competed in the project to create the Nighthawk, a stealth aircraft, but lost to Lockheed. However, Northrop kept working on the Cell technology and created the B-2 Spirit using the knowledge gained from the fighter competition and the ever-increasing computational capacity of computers. The B-2 is more streamlined and curved than the Nighthawk in part because of this; the idea is the same, it’s just that the B-2 has a lot greater resolution. This is analogous to how early digital photographs appeared pixelated or blocky, but now ultra-high quality images look realistic. Each picture has square pixels. The more recent photos simply create the image by assembling millions of much smaller blocks.

As previously established, the B-2 is still among the most stealthy aircraft in use today. In fact, even though they are smaller and more recent designs than the B-2, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning are not as difficult to spot as the B-2. This is especially true for fighter aircraft, which, unlike bombers, are required to be able to execute daring maneuvers if close-range combat, often known as dogfighting, occurs. The twin vertical tails used by the F-22 and F-35 enable extreme maneuvering but reduce their RCS (Radar Cross-Section). Despite efforts by the designers of the Lightning and Raptor to lessen this design penalty, the vertical tails nonetheless reduce RCS on both aircraft.

Because of this, the majority of sixth-generation ideas include a tailless or flying wing configuration. With exceptionally advanced flight control systems, it is believed that a vertical tail is not necessary, even for a highly agile fighter. To return to the bombers, the B-21 builds on the knowledge gained from the B-2 in this regard. Just consider the developments in computing technology since 1988; the Raider is probably the most stealthy aircraft on the market today, despite having an appearance that is identical to the Flying Wing design.

A benefit of the B-21 will include next-generation radar-absorbing materials or Ram code structures in addition to the Raider’s shape. According to reports, modern Ram Coatings are rated to absorb between 70 and 80 percent of incoming radar radiation.

These coatings, however, are very pricey, difficult to apply, and vulnerable to harm from the elements or even routine flight operations. Ram Coatings have largely been the subject of ongoing research to increase their cost-effectiveness and durability due to these limitations. The alternate high-frequency material, or AHFM, which has been used on the B-2 bomber fleet since around 2004, is one example of a more recent Ram coating.

This more recent material provided the same performance while costing less to maintain. The redesigned B-21 design has adopted recent advancements made to the coatings and coding systems. According to estimates, today’s more modern coatings might absorb up to 90% of focused energy while costing less, taking much less time to install, and being easier to maintain. The improved airframe design and these more recent coatings make it obvious that the B-21 will have a very small radar signature.

Amazingly, the B-21 debuted at the same Palmdale site where the B-2 did back in 1988. It may only come along once in a lifetime to have the chance to see aviation history being made. At a time when geopolitical unpredictability is reigniting the world, the introduction of the Raider will help America preserve its competitive edge because of the B-21’s enhanced health characteristics and large fleet size. A global fleet of stealth bombers capable of launching an undetected attack on any target within two hours is essentially an incredibly potent deterrent. Like the B-2 before it, it appears that the B-21 will once more usher in a new era of strategic deterrence.

The Next Generation Air Dominance or End Guide Fighter and the Navy’s fax fighter will likely follow the B-21 into service in the middle of the 2020s. It’s interesting to note that the B-21 Raiders did not plan to replace the B-52, only the B-2 and B-1.

December 7, 2022 0 comment

History

Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown and the Seafire ‘crabbed’ landing

by Till Daisd December 6, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Brown avoided the curved approach in favor of a landing technique known as the “crabbed” landing on most, if not all, of the Seafire carrier tests he conducted

The front-line Fleet Air Arm Squadrons were there when the naval version of the legendary Spitfire finally entered service after a long and occasionally challenging voyage. The Seafire was far from ideal as a naval fighter since it lacked endurance and was challenging to land on a carrier, but it gave the Royal Navy an interceptor with a superlative performance in the air, helping to turn the tables on the enemy as the Allies went on the offensive.

The Seafire saw action in Malaya and Korea while serving in the Second World War from the North Atlantic to Japan and into the 1950s. Captain Eric Melrose “Winkle” Brown, widely regarded as Britain’s greatest-ever pilot, conducted a significant portion of the Seafire’s deck landing assessment while at the Royal Aircraft Establishment and the FAA Service Trials Unit, according to Naval aviation historian Matthew Willis’ account in his book Supermarine Seafire.

Brown was chosen to conduct deck-landing trials on an escort carrier in September 1942, obviously with the impending invasion of North Africa in mind. Despite the carrier not being ready for deck landings, the wires not being raised, and the ship’s head not even totally pointed into the wind, as described in the book Wings of the Navy, he flew his Seafire Ib to HMS Biter and landed without any issues. Three months later, Brown used the L IIc to make many landings and takeoffs aboard HMS Activity.

According to Brown, the FAA was persuaded to switch all Mk IIs to the low-altitude variant by the Merlin 32-engined L IIc’s takeoff performance during these testing. Early in 1943, he served as RATOG. Later that year, in June, he conducted deck-landing tests with the Mk III, and in August, he conducted low-wind landing tests aboard HMS Fencer, Tracker, and Pretoria Castle according to conditions anticipated during the Salerno landings, which turned out to be accurate. Considering the difficulties encountered during that procedure. Brown conducted additional low-wind speed landing tests with strengthened, modified aircraft, this time on the HMS Ravager, slowing the ship down one knot at a time until his propeller eventually “pecked” the deck, and a different aircraft was required.

The story of legendary test pilot Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown and the Seafire ‘crabbed’ landing — *Eric Melrose ‘Winkle’ Brown*

Brown eschewed the curved approach in favor of a technique known as the “crabbed” landing on the majority, if not all, of the carrier tests he conducted. He described it thus: “As I closed towards the stern, I swung the nose to starboard with the rudder, and counteracted the swing by putting on the slight opposite bank. In this way, I made the Seafire crab in sideways so that I had a view of the deck over the leading edge of the wing.” Brown, a skilled pilot with the ability to maintain the delicate balance necessary to fly obliquely, found that this strategy worked effectively since it would increase drag and allow a slower landing speed. The technique, however, was criticized as being too challenging for the typical service pilot to understand. Jeffrey Quill recommended that “Pilots had to be trained to employ a curved approach to the deck as the crabbed approach was acceptable only for skilled and experienced pilots.”

Brown was appointed Chief Naval Test Pilot of the RAE in 1944 after his predecessor perished while attempting to land a Seafire aboard a carrier. In October/November 1944, Brown performed the Mk XV’s initial deck landing before collaborating with Quill on the type’s deck landing trials.

Brown has been erroneously associated with the controversy surrounding the Seafire’s service use approval and its ensuing career of accidents. Henry “Hank” Adlam of the Fleet Air Arm was harsh in his criticism of Brown for approving the Seafire for service usage and for recommending the “crabbed” landing method. The Seafire was in fact certified as suitable for deck landing by Lieutenant-Commander Bramwell, and the ‘crabbed’ approach was never recommended in favor of the curved one.

Similar to many FAA pilots, Winkle thought the Griffon-engined Seafire behaved brilliantly in the air but had significant limitations as a deck-landing fighter. He called the Seafire “sheer magic.”

Supermarine Seafire is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here along with many other beautiful aviation books.

Photo by Imperial War Museum via Wikipedia

December 6, 2022 0 comment

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