Luftwaffe reports on downed Lavochkins

[Kjetil Aakra]

John, certainly understand your concern and the discussion with Franek regarding the merits of Soviet aircraft is over from my side.

I do have something else however, that may add to the original disucssion.

According to Soviets pilots Luftwaffe fighter often stayed at high altitude in the last months of the war, refusing to engage Soviet fighters low down in dogfights, often to the frustration of the latter (since the high-altitude perfomance of their Lavochkin wa snot as good as the Germans, reportedly). And I suspect that if they did engage it was the usual hit-and-run tactic
leaving little time to gain an impression of the opponent's aircraft. This could be one reason why the reports often refer only to "generic" La-5s.

Kjetil