Quote:
Originally Posted by Kutscha
The P-47 was used for the short/medium range escort.
On May 8 1944 the 56th FG claimed 6 enemy a/c while the 352cd FG claimed 27 enemy a/c out of the total of 44 enemy a/c claimed that day. The ascendancy of the P-51 is clearly shown.
Source of my data for May 12 1944
http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii/usaf/html/ |
But without this short/medium escort the success of operation was not possible. Only with few P-51 the 8th air force only repeat the desaster of october 43 again and again.
Generally I am confidence, that LW in the west was not destroyed during strategic bomber operation in jan-may 1944. It suffers high losses but was still able to fight back. And only landing in the Normandy( and opening of 4rd major air front) bring LW to death. And in tactical air war was the role of P-51 no more significant as Spitfire or P-47