Eastern vs Western Front (was: La-7 vs ???)

[Franek Grabowski]

Yes, there's always laughs to be had at someone else's expense Franek. You like to return to that subject, which is good because it ties in with your previous remarks about the Seafire.

Well, yes but perhaps at another thread?

After Operation Avalanche, it is safe to say that USAAF A-36 pilots had no respect at all for the flying skills of British Navy pilots. Major Joseph Kelly of the 27th Fighter-Bomber Group described typical encounters with the FAA, which indicates that their training left much to be desired:

Well, I will leave any comments to our British friends.

The Brits deployed 106 Seafires on their carriers and flew 722 'combat' sorties. 83 Seafires were wrecked or seriously damaged in landing accidents (32 were total write-offs).

No Seafire stats on my part, so cannot comment but I recall US P-40 pilots in CBI/SWP were also quite good in destruction of own aircraft.

The Seafire pilots claimed two German planes shot down, although that is unlikely. If they shot down any planes, they were probably friendlies.

Well, your supposition is not a proof. Quite a lot of RAF pilots believe a bulk of USAAF claims were RAF Spitfires. I am still looking who shot up Poles over Antwerp on 4.05.1943.

A Walrus was dispatched and it soon arrived. Guess who was aboard but Flight Lieutenant Lee.
It must have been an interesting conversation.

I am wondering what Horby told to Lee when he was back. Hmm, I had an email addy for J Norby King somewhere.

I'm not surprised by the comments of Hans-Ekkehard Bob and Joseph Kelly. Fighter pilots are competitive and it's natural for them to belittle pilots from other air forces. But there is a important difference here; the Mustang had a good combat record, and the Seafire did not.

Not necessarily. A friendly fighter pilot was of high regard of Canadian pilots whom he instructed in OTU. Americans of 94 FS were of highest regard of Polish pilots of 303 Sqn.
I never wrote Mustang was a bad aircraft but it was never used as a carrier borne fighter.

I wouldn't know what Rudel bandied about, but he had zero credibility with some of his fellow ground attack pilots. Members of SG 2 referred to Rudel as selfish, childish, a poor leader, and a political extremist. They also thought Rudel was a flake because he refused to fly an Fw 190 like his subordinates. Instead he clung to his beloved Stuka which belonged in a museum by 1945.

Well, he saw much more Mustangs than there were around. A rather limited field of error in Poland in 1944.
As to Rudel, I have heard he was a NS hardcore but at least he had balls not to become a democrat like so many did. I am wondering what was influence of his political views on post war comments on him.