Quote:
Originally Posted by CJE
Those who read the memories of Albert Speer certainly recall the argument between Galland and Göring, when the latter was boarding his special train for a hunting party in the Rominter Heide, about the fact that an American escort fighter had been shot down east of Aachen. This argument ended up when Göring shouted: "The American fighters were not there, that's what I'll say to the Führer. Have you understood? It is an official order!".
Speer stated that this incident took place during the Summer of 1943.
But at that time, no Allied fighter was able to fly as far as Aachen and I assume Galland was talking of a P-51. However, this type did not appear before late December of the same year.
My guess: was it the P-51 shot down by Obfw Emil Schmelzinger (9./JG 11) near Attendorn (60/70 km East of Aachen), on 11 December 1943?
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Just a query could it be not of been P38 escort fighter in 1943?
"The P-38 entered service with the 8th Air Force at a crucial moment in the daylight bombing campaign. 14 October 1943 was the date of the disastrous raid on the ball bearing factory at Schweinfurt, well beyond escort range for the P-47. For 370 miles the B-17s were unescorted. Sixty aircraft were lost, without making any significant dent on ball bearing production. For the rest of October the daylight bomber offensive was virtually suspended.
The next day the 55th Fighter Group flew its first P-38 mission from Britain, a fighter sweep over the Dutch coast. Equipped with 75 gallon drop tanks, the P-38 had an effective escort radius of 520 miles (compared to 375 miles for the P-47).
In February 1944 the P-38 units received 108 gallon drop tanks, which increased their effective radius of operations to 585 miles, long enough to reach Berlin. Between October 1943 and March 1944, the P-38 was the longest range fighter available to the 8th Air Force (in March 1944 the P-51D finally received drop tanks that gave it an effective escort range of 650 miles)"
Quote from HistoryOfWar.org.