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Re: Airacobras in Tunisia
Oh no, again the P-39 argument.
Christer, thanks for those quotes from FOT but in matter of fact 350th FG returned to front line action and flew ground attack missions in Italy and met Bf 109s and Fw-190s later on. For example on April 6th 1944, this is from Eric Hamel's Air War Europe (1994), "...The 350th FG, in modified ground-attack P-39s, mounts all-out effort against German Army lines of supply and communication...the group mounts 75 sorties in ten missions...When a flight of six of the group's P-39s is attacked in the afternoon by 10 FW-190s and Bf-109s in the Grosseto area, 10 P-39s flying top cover down five of the GAF fighters and drive away the rest without loss." Now, I don't know the real results but at least the pilots believed that they could fight with the LW fighters with their P-39s.
To more firm turf. In the Report on actions of the Fighter Sqn 34 1.6.44 - 31.8.44 (this was the premier Bf-109 sqn of the Finnish AF, flying Bf 109G-6s during the great Soviet Summer offensive against Finland in 1944) 0n p.9 in the chapter Tactical experiences with the MT a/c (read Bf-109G-6) from 1.6.44 to 31.8.44. "...AC (P-39) is about as good as La-5 but maybe a little bit more awkward..."
Juha
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