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Ruy
I agree Japanese aircraft should not be discussed here.
Concerning your other points.
T-bolt superiority in high altitude performance was questioned by some pilots - taken from Il-2 forum.
James Tapp: 8 victories 15FG (PTO)
"Through the end of the war I flew 33 hours in the P-39, 788 in the P-40, 267 in the P-47D, 218 in the P-51D(all 8 kills were recorded in this type) and even 1 hour in a P-38L.
When we transitioned to P-51D's, I was making claims about its superiority over the P-47s we were still flying. An argument rose: "Yeah, but the P-47 outperforms the P-51 above 30,000 feet." The Republic tech was particularly sensitive about this. Our engineering officer, based on what I was claiming, bet the tech that the P-51 could outrun the P-47 above 30,000. The Group CO, Lt.Col. Jim Beckwith, had a P-47D28 with a bubble canopy specially readied to race the Mustang. The Thunderbolt's wing racks were removed and it looked like it had been waxed. The P-47 was flown by vice CO Maj. Emmett Kearney, while I went out to the line and jumped into one of the Mustangs there and taxied out behind Kearney.
I flew on his wing and had to hold the P-51 back while we climbed to 30,000 feet. After we reached altitude and leveled off, he signalled that he was going full power. I stayed with him for awhile and asked, "Is that all you have?", to which he nodded. I then pushed the throttle full forward to 3,000 RPM and ran off and left him. TO rub it in, I dove for base, knowing that because of the P-47's compressability problem, she could not follow. I landed, grabbed a coke and a folding chair, and waited for him to taix in."
Of course you may find opposite statements but it is evident, superiority was not clear.
Concerning demise of Luftwaffe - significant quality drop occured during Spring 1944, still there were several experienced pilots and units like JG2, which performed very well in Normandy. The latter however turned to be a real hecatombe! Look that whole units were dissapearing even several times - losses of eg. JG3 were tremendous, I think that during June alone they lost double or triple number of aircraft entered combat with. In one of most famous battles of PAF, the one over Beauvais on 18 August, 12 Mustangs reduced II/JG26 strenght by 1/4! Allies simply cut down any chance to ressurect Luftwaffe and by annihilating German early warning capabilities, secured victory in the air.
Another point, to follow your argument about superior Thunderbolt role in the Big Week. Following your logic, Spitfire was then the numerically superior aircraft and was taking part in hundreds of sorties covering Northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Also, paraphrasing your words, Spitfire engaged the Jagdwaffe when it was relativly speaking an equal adversary comparing to Thunderbolt times, hence its achievements must be waged accordingly. Thus I understand you will claim Spitfire won the airwar over Europe.
Actually, US air offensive so successfull because of Mustang and Spitfire part - Spitfires did short range escort, Thunderbolts - mid one and Mustangs - the longest. As the German tactics was to attack at the limit of range of escort and due to change of US tactics after Schweinfurt disaster, intorduction of even relatively few Mustangs did a major change in warfare. In turn, Thunderbolts alone could do nothing.
Then concerning your reply to Jens, if you claim losses in the East were so significant, you must admit that:
- Luftwaffe in the late 1943 was not an equal opponent to P-47,
- qualitative drain of the earlier Battles of Poland, France and Britain attritions (1939 to mid 1941) was a decisive factor.
A little bit chaotic, sorry.
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