Face it, the only time the Luftwaffe ever shone was up against Eastern European biplanes and when it was used as an artillery arm for the Wheremacht.
Actually, they did more then what should have been required by them, and they did great in all theaters. They fougth a 3 front war, allmost no country can win such a war, specially not against US and Rushia at the same time. The High command, Goering and Hitler, made the role of the fighter pilots nearly impossible, as soon as they lost one single battle Goering and Hitler imediatly reorganized the whole Luftwaffe to use new tacics, they lost BoB because the 109's had too short legs and they were tied to the Bombers, much like the Allied planes in 1943 were. The allies too, when their were tied to the slow heavy bombers, suffered great losses.
Face it. They flew second rate stuff so they lost.
Second rate stuff? Hardly
The 109, was outdated by 1942, before that it was one of the best fighters of all time.
In May 1941 the 190 entered serbice, it gave the RAF HUGE troubles and the superiority of the 190 over the Spit V was huge, not untill the summer of 1942, when RAF recived the Spit IX could they fight the 190 on equal terms, and even then, the 190 (A4 and A5) was better in both climb, roll, zoom and speed (I have the RAF WW2 documents).
The 190 was the first multi-roll airplane of the war, and it was amongst the best, if not The best fighter-bomber of the war.
In 1944, when the D mustang entered service (44 right? not 43?) the 190 A found it self in a tight spot above 20 000Ft. The 190 D9, aka Long Nosed 190, was as good, and in some aspects better then the P51D and the quality was once again up-to-date.
Have it any way you want. YOU explain why "the finest, flying the finest" ended up dead, captured or wearing make up in Argentina.
What led to the disaster (for Hitler, good thing for the rest of the world) was his, and his high commanders (a few of them) stupidity, hunger for power and and inability to see what was needed.
They lost the BoB because:
1. Short legs of the 109 made it impossible to escort bombers far.
2. Goerings order to the Fighters to stay close and slow with the bombers, this took away the great advantage of the 109, wich was speed and E performance. The 109's were forced to Turnfight the Spitfires, and we all know the spit turns better.
3. They stopped bombing the RAF airfields and thus gave GB the power to come back. They started bombing London (this was terror bombing, just like the Allies did in 1943 and onwards, only they did it in a much greater extent)
4. They didn't attack GB rigth after France was beaten, they stopped and let GB recover some.
They lost the war because:
1.They didn't win BoB (because of stupid tactics) and thus gave the Western allies a great place to bomb Germany from.
2. They attacked Rushia, wich MIGHT have worked if:
A. They had waited till they had taken GB, or atleast had the RAF under controll.
B. Most important, attacked Rushia 2 weeks earlier and prevented the winter War with an enemy, who's men and machines have all been trained (the few of them who were trained) and designed for Sub-Zero temperatures.
C. Not dragged USA into the Warm no country can win over Rushia and USA at the same time, both those countries have a HUGE amount of resources.
The main reason they lost the war was because, in simple words, they got gangbanged.
[ 06-07-2001: Message edited by: Wilbus ]
