fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) (12/05/90)
From: fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) > From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) > > Well, actually, earlier in the war, the P-47s > and P-38s didn't have the range to escort bom- > bers all the way into Germany. The later model Perhaps the dividing line between early/late would be the appearance of droptanks on fighters. (Though from the point of view of European participants in WW2, it was all pretty late...) > On a side (very unrelated, actually) note.. > > The British decided, at one time, to teach the > Zero pilots a lesson by sending over, from Eu- > rope, a crack Spitfire squadron to Northern > Australia. The Spitfire pilots decided to use > turning tactics against the Zeroes and ended > up losing 17 pilots out of 27 in two raids. This may have been during the defense of Singapore. After being battered pretty badly, the RAF pulled everyone out who could move and relocated (mostly) to Australia. If you think the Spits got it bad, consider the poor Aussies who were flying Brewster Buffalos at the same time in Malaya. They lost 154 out of 154 within three months. -- ------------ The only drawback with morning is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day. ------------
ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) (12/06/90)
From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) *>> Well, actually, earlier in the war, the P-47s *>> and P-38s didn't have the range to escort bom- *>> bers all the way into Germany. The later model *>Perhaps the dividing line between early/late would be the *>appearance of droptanks on fighters. (Though from the *>point of view of European participants in WW2, it was all *>pretty late...) Well, I was under the impression that even the "early" Jugs had drop tanks. Drop tanks weren't all that new, the Japanese used them from the beginning on Zeroes. Wonder why the British didn't put them on Spitfires - the biggest flaw of which was their short range. *>> On a side (very unrelated, actually) note.. *>> The British decided, at one time, to teach the *>> Zero pilots a lesson by sending over, from Eu- *>> rope, a crack Spitfire squadron to Northern *>> Australia. The Spitfire pilots decided to use *>> turning tactics against the Zeroes and ended *>> up losing 17 pilots out of 27 in two raids. *>This may have been during the defense of Singapore. This was definitely post Singapore. The best fighters the Singapore garrison got were Hurricanes, and they, too, were used unwisely, mixing in close and getting shot down. *>After being battered pretty badly, the RAF pulled *>everyone out who could move and relocated (mostly) *>to Australia. *>If you think the Spits got it bad, consider the poor *>Aussies who were flying Brewster Buffalos at the same *>time in Malaya. They lost 154 out of 154 within three *>months. A pretty good account of this is given in the same book by Martin Caidin in which the above episode is mentioned. Believe it or not, some Zeroes did fall victim to a few of the better Buffalo pilots. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU | Frog is Frog ala Peach Bitnet: NTAIB@IUBACS !
bxr307@csc.anu.oz.au (12/06/90)
From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz.au In article <1990Dec5.030253.6044@cbnews.att.com>, fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) writes: >> From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) >> >> The British decided, at one time, to teach the >> Zero pilots a lesson by sending over, from Eu- >> rope, a crack Spitfire squadron to Northern >> Australia. The Spitfire pilots decided to use >> turning tactics against the Zeroes and ended >> up losing 17 pilots out of 27 in two raids. > > This may have been during the defense of Singapore. > Sorry, no. It was at Darwin. The British in Singapore were flying Hurricanes, Buffalos and Blenheim night fighters. The original poster was correct that the British sent home a Spitfire Mk.VIII squadron from England, plus another English one. Unfortunately I don't know which ones, however when I get home tonight I will find out. Their value was limited due to the short range of the aircraft, particularly in 1943 when they arrived as the pace of operations against the Japanese was chaning over to the offensive. They were kept in Darwin for use as that cities main defences along with a squadron of P.40 Kittyhawks (if my memory serves me correctly). > After being battered pretty badly, the RAF pulled > everyone out who could move and relocated (mostly) > to Australia. > No British squadrons made it intact to Australia. From Singapore most pulled back to Sumatra. When that island was attacked they either then went to Java and then finally to Australia, if they were lucky, or most ended up in Burma and participated in the long retreat from Rangoon to India. > If you think the Spits got it bad, consider the poor > Aussies who were flying Brewster Buffalos at the same > time in Malaya. They lost 154 out of 154 within three > months. Whilst the Japanese got a surprise the first time they took their Zeros and Zeke's up against the Hurricanes. A Hurricane Mk.II which normally carried 12 .303 machine guns could outturn a Zero if the outer 4 MG were removed and full flap applied. Brian Ross