P-47 Fanboy Rewrites History

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Here is an excellent example of why one can not trust everything written on Wikipedia. On the Fw 190 page there are included the comments made by Leutnant Karl-Heinz Ossenkopf of 2./JG 26 in which he discusses how the Fw 190 D-9 compared to the Fw 190 A-8 as well as various Allied fighters. Apparently some P-47 fanboy did not enjoy his remarks as to how the Dora-9 compared to the Thunderbolt and edited his remarks to give the impression that the comparison was based upon the early P-47C as can be seen below:

"Compared with the early P-47 ThunderboltC..."

He then edited the footnote to add the following:

"This comparison was to the early P-47C. However, this was not true of the later P-47D with its 433 mph (697 km/h) top speed and paddle propeller, which came as a shock to German Fw 190 pilots used to a more sluggish opponent."

Of course, Ossenkopf, who joined JG 26 in August 1944, was not comparing the Fw 190 D-9 to the P-47C. I./JG 26 began taking the Dora-9 on strength in December 1944 and as such the variant of the P-47 that Ossenkopf would have engaged with this type would have been the P-47D. As an aside, someone should inform our fanboy that you do not edit direct quotes no matter how strongly you may disagree with the sentiments of the author.

Horrido!

Leo