Over the years I have met many WWII fighter and bomber pilots. I became friends with several, some well know, others not.
Arthur W. Heiden wasn't a famous ace, but has attained a high level of recognition due to his large contribution to Caidin's Fork-Tailed Devil book and the fact that the USPS selected his P-38J for the subject of a stamp.
Those of you who fly the P-38J in AH2 probably have used the skin I created depicting Art's Lightning, "Lucky Lady".
Art flew with the 20th FG and participated in many of the early P-38 escort missions in the ETO and was on that first mission to Berlin.
A friend asked Art (via e-mail) about the Bf 109. Below are Art's thoughts on the 109 and several other topics.
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Famjustin writes:
Hi Art,
I've gotten into a debate about the fidelity of a Me109 model in a flight simulator. The debate turns around the 109s ability to retain energy in a turn, and turn in general.
What are your thoughts and recollections about the Me109's turning ability and how it compared with the P38 and the P51 and if you have any knowledge of this and the Spitfire?
Did the Germans fly try to turn with you in a 109 or did they try to dive in and dive away? How successful were they in general at either?
What planes did you fly besides the 51 and 38?
Also someone is quoting a guy who has flown (recently) a P51 who said that it lost an unusually high amount of energy in turns and that it took four seconds to roll through 360 degrees and that this was unusually high. Is that true?
Thanks. - JJ
Me109 Performance:
JJ, you come up with the damnedest Q's. Note: that I've CC'd this to a bunch of old hands that have a pile of experience in this. Some even chased Migs up Mig Ally in F-86's. All of us have different experiences and opinions.
I'd say, that a Me-109 was a light A/c with a big engine, so would
maintain energy very well. To compare it's turning ability with 38, 51, 47, and 40's many other things have to be considered. First is the guy at the stick, and even the individual A/C. Put two guys and two 109's or P-51'S IN THE AIR with the same brand, you aren't going to get a draw, though guns may not be brought to bear. Energy, and the use of it is most important. Altitude is another problem, with it's loss of energy and at 30K' no one has any and everyone is operating just above a stall and an abrupt control deflection gets you an accelerated stall, and a steep bank loses altitude -- so power available/used/energy is in control. The old P-38 had that plus a high lift wing.
A Me-109G-6 had a big engine with injection and was light and slick, also it had leading edge slats. Problem was, they had gaggles of 200hr pilots but few old hands capable of using his advantages. Those that locked horns with one of these, knew he had been somewhere. To tangle with one of these guys, especially in a P-51 with fuselage tank full, would have turned your hair gray. It took talent to use 109's slats and engine to its advantage. A P-51 wasn't the best at hanging on the prop in War Emergency Power, and under control in a stall -- there wasn't enough rudder control. Remember the P-51 TAKEOFF AND AN EMERGENCY Go-Around.
Many a war story has been built around the Luftwaffe Stomp -- hanging a 109 on the prop, at full power, and keeping the slats out, and controlling it in a stalled turn. A P-40 with it's great wing was a good choice to practice with. Too bad, it never got a two-stage blower and a canopy that wouldn't cave in at 300mph. Another advantage that a good 109 pilot had was his injected engine. It ran fine inverted and he could instantly escape by rolling inverted and going straight down.
No American pilot ever admitted to not relishing an opportunity to mix it up with any German A/C. But, it wasn't comfortable finding yourself, suddenly in the middle of a gaggle of 60 of them and this was too common.
My time was about equal in the P-38, 51 and 40, with a couple of flights in the wonderful P-47. The latter, a pure joy to fly. Remember, we were 20yr old kids, just out of HS, with 3000hp under the hood, we were in Paradise!
The worst problem with the 109 and 190 was their short range. It lost them the Battle of Britain and the defense of Germany. About an hour was their duration -- hardly more than enough to TO, climb to altitude and get back to base. Their tactics varied, from time to time. Assembly was a major problem for them and for us. Weather a major element. They like us, had to assemble a large bunch of A/c it could be a disaster.
Fall of 43'/winter of 44' was a major tactics development period.
Starting with the unescorted bombing of Aug - Oct, 43', anything that could fly went, for the Germans and for us, our loses were horrendous.
Desperately, the US, got larger tanks for the P-47s, two P-38 groups operational and robbed the Brits of enough Mustang IIs to get the Pioneer Mustang Group (354thFG) operational. The P-38 and P-51s had almost fatal teething problems in tactics, maintenance and lack of replacement planes and pilots. March 3, 44', was the first attempt to penetrate to Berlin. The Bombers were recalled due to weather, but P-38's OF THE 55TH AND 20TH fgs WENT ANYWAY. Same thing on the 4th of March. The third attempt on the 5th was successful. The 4thFg was transitioning from P-47s to P-51s on the way to the target. The 357thFg, the 2nd Mustang group had become operational in Feb 44' and a flood of P-51s and pilots were being sent to the 8thAAF by now. Big Week, the last week in Feb 44', should be inserted here when discussing tactics.
Doolittle's order to loosen up close bomber escort and destroy the
Luftwaffe -- a major tactic change with the bombers feeling naked again. The two P-38 gps with two later groups were generally left with responsibility for close escort.
This sequence of events turned on a light bulb in Hub Zemke's head (56thFG). Plenty of P-47's in England now with everyone transitioning to P-51s, "I'll take 'em all". So the picture is; German Radar picking up the bombers as they approach the German Frontier and launching their fighter swarms, these formations assembling in the vicinity of Hamburg, Drummer Lake and Hanover. Old Hub says, "They're mine!" So he fans out his "A", "B", and "C" Groups (the Zemke Fan) in front of the bomber formations and has a turkey shoot. What an idea! Now everyone wants in on the act. The new flood of Mustangs soon allow it. Sure blew the Hell out of any T.O.E. in the 8thAAF.
Remarkably, German A/C production increased in the last year of the war. However, pilots and their training deteriorated, as did fuel and transport. Their tactics had to be continually adjusted.
With all the above said, beginning in March 44', German Radar started looking for weak spots in the bomber stream. Weather on assembly out of England could cause havoc in the formations of the bombers -- a few minutes late for Combat Division could cause defensive and escort problems. German Radar looked for this weakness to set their fighters on. Their tactic was to send the 109's to top cover for formations of armored FW-190s diving head-on into the bombers. There were still some Me-110 and JU-88s lobbing rockets into the bombers, too. The hard pressed P-38s, trying to cover the disorganized bombers and get at the shooters, were then set upon by the 109s with a combination of attacking and decoying. In effect, one P-38 group was desperately trying to protect one or two Combat Wings while another was being shot to pieces and screaming for help. Not a satisfying day with the German fighters disengaging if they were at a disadvantage. To leave the Bombers to chase was not acceptable.
With D-day approaching, we in P-38's were more and more busy with bombing and strafing seeing less fighter contact. On May 29th, 44' was target support for the bombers over Berlin. On rendezvous, we were confronted by 50 or 60 German fighters attacking our assigned bombers. We dove into them and they disappeared. Escorting these same bombers on withdrawal, we unexpectedly ran head-on into 60 more German fighters (109's), a big furball ensued, until a flight of 357thFg P-51s showed up chasing some FW-190s overhead. Our 60 Me-109s, as one rolled over and went home. Our Squadron had only time to get 3 or 4 and sore necks.
June and the first half of July was bombing and strafing in support of the beachhead with one exemption. We were vectored to intercept a gaggle of German Fighters forming up in the vicinity of Paris. I was the group commanders number 3, he separated out a 109 which rolled over and did the usual vertical departure. To his (the German's) surprise, Col. Wilson was flying our first P-38J-25, having the new Dive Brakes and Aileron Boost, trying to keep up, I saw an explosion (after sun down), which was from the 109 being clobbered going strait down.
Art
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Last week, Art suffered a mild stroke and was admitted to a Memphis hospital. He was fortunate in that the only side effect was some loss of movement in his right arm and hand. He has been moved to the rehab ward and the doctors think he will regain 80 to 90% of previous function. I'll be speaking with him several times over the holiday weekend.
Here's Art's stamp:
Here's Art, his ground crew and "Lucky Lady".
My regards,
Widewing
