Cobras, Mustangs, Thunderbolts, Eastern vs Western front, Franek vs ...

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by kalender1973

Hi Bill,

I am also convinced that Mustang play very important role. But without other component of air force component they were not so successful.

I would be also careful with the statements of former responsible of wehrmacht generally and especially with Galland. He was responsible for fighter arm and he is also at least partly responsible for the disaster over Germany. After the war all former german generals try to give over own responsibility to other. And Galland was not an exception: he was the best, he understood all but Hitler, Göring, Joschenek etc were fault at the problems. And the last but not least: “Mustangs, what we can do?” But if I read his “The first and the last” and compare it with actual facts, I see many problem, where Galland was pesonally responsible.

Best regards,

Igor - these were among many corroborating and supportive statements by Galland, Rall, Krupinski, Steinhoff and others at a Fighter Aces convention in Tuscon some 25 years ago.

In the context of the discussion, the Mustang was recognized as not necessarily the 'best', but was the most important Allied Fighter - in that it could do what the Spitfire and 109 and 190 could do in air to air combat, but had the range to do it everywhere.

It was of zero importance to RAF Heavy Bomber ops at night, or medium range bomber escort during the day (Spit, Tempest, P-47, P-38 could all perform this role) - but the daylight strategic raids would have been stopped and the Oil Campaign never started in time had it not been for the Merlin powered Mustang.