[Juha]

Hello Tony
on 27.12.44 Spit IX pilots made 26 out of 34 2nd TAF destroyed claims, LW lost at least 23 fighters to 2nd TAF fighters, 2nd TAF lost to LW fighters 3 Typhoons, 4 Tempest Vs and 5 Spit IXs. Not bad for the Spit IXs? Vengeances could hardly do better, or? It might be difficult to accept but Spit IXs still flew fighter sweeps on that day, so it was still used both as air superiority fighter and as fighter bomber. So the plus of the Spit IX vs Vengeance was that it could be used in dual role, so it gave to commanders flexibility, con was of course that it could not deliver bombs as accurately as Vengeance and its bomb load was smaller. But I doubt that there was big difference in straffing ability but the flexibility given by rear gunner and extra survivalibity by the radial engine.

And the RAF had no say on tank armour and anyway, there was not a tank immune to 8,8cm Pak 43 or Flak 41.

Juha