Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl-Fredrik Geust
In autumn 1943 and early 1944 some 45 Hurricane Mk.IID and 30 Mk.IV intended for ground-fighting (equipped with 40 mm cannons) were delivered. Evaluation and conversion training showed clearly that cannon-equipped Hurricanes were inferior to Il-2s already in major production, and were thus not used for frontal sorties.
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Could you, or anyone else, please explain what the Russians discovered during the evaluation and conversion training that led them to conclude the Hurricane IID and Hurricane IV were inferior to the Il-2 for sorties over the front line.
And would you know if this conclusion was relayed to the Air Ministry in London through the British Military Attache in Moscow, and whether and what was replied to the Russians.
You will know of the conflict between the British Army and the RAF over the quality of close air support in 2TAF, which categorically refused throughout the war to fly armoured aircraft like the Il-2 and Hs129B, or dive bombers like the Ju87, Pe-2, Henley, Vengeance and Skua. The RAF argued then, and their decision even to this day is supported vocally on this forum, that the Typhoon IB with four 20-mm cannon and two 1,000lb bombs under the wings, or with 8 rps; that the Spitfire XVI with two 250lb bombs under the wings and one 500lb bomb on the under-fuselage drop-tank fittings; and that the Hurricane IV with 350lb of additional armour and either two 500lb bombs under the wings and two .303-in mgs, or two 40-mm cannon and two .303-in mgs, or 8 rps and two .303-in mgs, were the ultimate ground-attack aircraft available anywhere in the world, and nothing better could be conceived or manufactured.