Airacobras in Tunisia

[Juha]

Christer
I recommended that You (and why not everybody else) buy a copy of both Osprey A/c of the Aces Specials, the "Long Reach" (VIII FC aces answers in 1944 to a questioner on fighter tactics) and the "Twelve to One" (V FC fighter leaders notes on fighter tactics in 1945). They give an interesting insight on the thinking of several well known USAAF aces and of several less well known fighter leaders, even if they don't handle Your speciality the Eastern Front.
The 3rd Special "Down to Earth" is on straffing tactics.

On Parsons, he have had rather difficult time in P-39D but he had found out that N model was better and that they could handle Japanese with it if they kept the speed up. P-47 meant more range and so more combat opportunity and also better high altitude performance. He probably had liked P-39N but admits that with P-47 they could reach more Japanese.

the 14 kill is from Osprey's P-39 Aces, but I'm not absolutely sure was it for NA only or for the whole MTO, too tired to climb to attic to check that out, sorry. And thanks for the extra info on 350FG.


JeffK
Yes, later model P-39s got better versions of Allison and so hold up their performance better at altitude. They also had ability to use WEP (War emergency or combat power) which meant an opportunity to use 1420hp power for 5 minutes (the normal military power was still 1200hp for 15 minutes). Also their 37mm gun (M6?) was modified and so less prone to malfunction than the original M6? in P-39Ds.

Juha