Aircraft that did not quite produce a full top ace

[bearoutwest]

Beaufighter losses to Ar196 (Appendix I - Fighters over the Aegean):

17-Sep-43 252 Sqn V8335

29-Oct-43 47 Sqn JM225

6-Nov-43 47 Sqn LX998

27-Jan-44 603 Sqn LZ144

22-Feb-44 227 Sqn X8103

1-Jun-44 227 Sqn JM235

1-Jun-44 603 Sqn LZ517 (shared with flak)

1-Jun-44 16SAAF NE641

17-Jun-44 16SAAF NExxx (shared with flak)

Here's an oddity for you - a Beaufighter shot down from return fire of a Ju52:
30-Aug-44 603 Sqn NV213

If you compare straight performance statistics between Beaufighter and Ar196, the Beau wins hands down. However, remember that combat is not a comparison sheet. The Beau has good low-level speed, but in a shipping srtike wouldn't be going flat-out top speed on the way in to target. Down low, the Arado was very nimble. If the Arado takes the Beau by surprise or the Beau's crew is over-confident and underestimates the floatplane result is not so sure. As for the benefits of the Beau's heavy armament....well RAF crews were supposed to be lousy shots in general. Air-to-air marksmanship was not as heavily drilled in the Commonwealth as for the USN/USMC or USAAF training.


...geoff