We can agree to disagree and let facts decide the questions. The German commanders and pilots that survived Jan 1944 through July 1944 weren't lamenting their inability to 'solve the P-47"
Re: P-47 ace kills vs P-51 ace kills.
I recall reading this in a Walt Boyne article. Walt is a friend, but I won't bother him with "some guy on a meaningless BBS wants your sources, because he doesn't believe your analysis" request. Walt stated it as fact and I have no reason to believe he's wrong. Based upon Walt's thoroughness, I imagine that his data was vetted carefully.
As to Rall. My understanding is that Rall was leading his Staffel, which consisted of 7 Bf 109s that day, but please correct me if my memory is faulty. Rall was not alone, despite much revisionist propaganda stating that he was. Zemke lost two pilots, both low time rookies. Rall stated in a 1999 interview, that he learned much later than only two of his pilots returned to their airfield on May 12. I have that interview in a magazine somewhere in my archives. Joe Powers, with Joe Vitale flying his wing, has been often credited with shooting down Rall. However, my own examination today of the combat reports of both pilots does support Rankin being the pilot who got Rall on May 12, along with four additional 109s he claimed. Likewise, the reports confirm that 109s were everywhere and Rall was not alone in the sky.
For those interested in the encounter reports....
Rankin's report.
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/p-47/er/56-rankin-12may44.jpg His wingman's report.
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/p-47/er/56-thomton-12may44.jpgAs to close escort... Close escort does not mean flying the bomber's wing. It meant staying close to the bomber stream. Typically, the P-47s held station between 3,000 and 5,000 feet above the bombers. Bob Johnson told me that they rarely cruised below 30,000 feet. Up there, the P-47s held the tactical and performance advantage. Moreover, the typical 190s and 109s of the time had a FTH of 22,000 feet or less. If they climbed beyond that, they were on the back side of their power curves. That is not a good place to be. Once the Jugs start coming down, it was usually buttholes and elbows trying to evade the bounce.
I'm going to assume that you don't fly Aces High. If you did, you would realize that the 109G-6 has no business tangling with P-47s at high altitude. If you believe that the 109 can out-turn a Jug at Bomber altitudes, you would be wrong to assume that it can be an advantage. Why? Because they lack the power to sustain a turn, and even more importantly, the loss of airspeed associated with attempting to tightly maneuver at high alt leads to stalls and nasty spins. Remember, it's indicated airspeed that counts, not true airspeed. At 27k, the 109G-6's cruise speed is not very far from it's stall speed. Load it with 3g or more and you'll find the slats popping out and the aircraft threatening to depart. Thus to maneuver effectively, the 109 pilot must trade altitude for airspeed. Meanwhile, the P-47 has plenty of speed and reserve power. He doesn't have to turn, but merely yo-yos and blam! One dead 109. I've demonstrated this with arguably the best 109 pilot in the game. He was unable to do anything but try to drag the fight down to low level as my P-47D-25 was running circles around his G-6. Around 15,000 feet, the 109G-6 began to gain a slight edge, but not enough to win. Finally down at lower altitude, the 109 was the superior turning fighter to the point where he could gain and hold an advantage, but it wasn't easy. One mistake and the P-47's battery will shred the 109. Fighting at high altitude is largely a foreign experience for most AHII players. It's a completely different world up there, and most certainly not the domain of the 109, including the K-4. Up at 30k and beyond, the Jugs rule the roost. However, the Spitfire Mk. IX and Mk. XIV are very able, as is the P-51B (better than the D up high) and the mighty F4U-4. P-38s are formidable, but they have serious issues with compressibility, so getting their nose below the horizon for more that a few seconds can lead to buffeting and control lock-up. The L model's dive recovery flaps do allow for decent elevator authority up to Mach 0.70, and it's still controllable up nearly Mach 0.73. However, the G and J models will be having trouble. So, to reiterate, high altitude performance is all about available power. Low to medium altitude turning ability is of little consequence up high. This is why so many very capable low to medium altitude fighters are absolutely awful at high altitude, and the 109s are not vastly better than those.
In the game, the P-47M and N models are all but untouchable at 30k. Up there, they reach 476 mph. Indeed, they can sustain 460 mph at 40k until they run out of gas. The balance of the P-47s are not quite as fast, but more than fast enough for the 109s to deal with effectively.
So, if you are writing a book on WWII fighter combat, you can learn much by gaining some simulator experience. Aces high is the best WWII fighter simulator that exists. Especially in terms of flight physics and performance fidelity. Sure, it uses a game as the basis of the experience, but the game is less important than the experience. Give it a try, it will provide insight that all of the combat reports on earth can't begin to equal.
