Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alpha77

In Germany we say "Die Ausnahme bestätigt die Regel", the exception proves the rule :)

US built P-40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk also went to the DAF as it was unsuited to European operations which were generally fought at much higher altitudes and against more formidable opposition. The P-40 was used initially as an air superiority fighter but it was also adapted (and found to be ideally suited) to ground attack missions.
The DAF always outnumbered its Axis opponents and concentrated on long-range interdiction and direct tactical Eighth Army support. Unfortunately these tactics meant that the faster Messerschmitt Bf 109s of Jagdgeschwader 27 usually had the advantage of height and surprise over the low-level, slow-flying DAF fighters and losses were correspondingly heavy.

n 1942, the DAF reorganized its tactics and upgraded its inventory. Spitfires were eventually assigned in the air superiority role, becoming operational in August 1942, which allowed the DAF to finally turn the tide.

Well from Wiki

And maybe your figures are from the time when they converted to Spitfires and also had even higher numerical superiority in this theatre....

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alpha77

Well the US has not much other "better" fighter in 1942, or have they ? They have P40 and P39, some P400. So they need to do their work. Well you get some P38 also but not many........

I was quite amazed that the US used these modells so much, as I know that Luftwaffe pilots held them for easy prey (at least P40s in Africa).  And the Luftwaffe in NA flew mostly standard BF109s no FW190s

EDIT: Now after July/Aug 42 in my game and the Jap airforce in some theaters weakened also my pilots are a bit better now, even these modells do their share of shooting down Japs. However Zeros are still much better. But I even lost some better Hurries in Burma to Oscars, so......

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alpha77

In Germany we say "Die Ausnahme bestätigt die Regel", the exception proves the rule :)

US built P-40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk also went to the DAF as it was unsuited to European operations which were generally fought at much higher altitudes and against more formidable opposition. The P-40 was used initially as an air superiority fighter but it was also adapted (and found to be ideally suited) to ground attack missions.
The DAF always outnumbered its Axis opponents and concentrated on long-range interdiction and direct tactical Eighth Army support. Unfortunately these tactics meant that the faster Messerschmitt Bf 109s of Jagdgeschwader 27 usually had the advantage of height and surprise over the low-level, slow-flying DAF fighters and losses were correspondingly heavy.

n 1942, the DAF reorganized its tactics and upgraded its inventory. Spitfires were eventually assigned in the air superiority role, becoming operational in August 1942, which allowed the DAF to finally turn the tide.

Well from Wiki

And maybe your figures are from the time when they converted to Spitfires and also had even higher numerical superiority in this theatre....

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nikademus RAF Kittyhawks suffered an approximate 2.5:1 ratio loss in favor of the 109.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

overclaiming is a natural product of the environment. A standard rule of thumb in the most general sense is about 2:1 In some cases it was worse....in some cases the claiming was remarkably accurate. In one case Shores found the records of the side that lost the plane to be in error!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zebedee

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

overclaiming is a natural product of the environment. A standard rule of thumb in the most general sense is about 2:1 In some cases it was worse....in some cases the claiming was remarkably accurate. In one case Shores found the records of the side that lost the plane to be in error!

Aye :) That said, some of JG27s over-reporting seems 'zealous' even by the LW standards of the time - several '10 with one blow' kind of claims passed without any critical comment as the Experten racked up their scores. Makes for some interesting discussion sixty years after the event as the historians try to figure things out.

Guess the real underlying point is that neither the P-39 nor the P-40 were truly horrific as planes when used within their limits (or pushed well beyond in the Soviets case - 35 flight hours per engine change surely wouldn't have happened if they were paying for the engines cash on the barrel? XD) by pilots of adequate skill, and that's reflected to a degree in-game. Certainly, speaking as someone who primarily plays Japan vs Allied AI, the P-40 performs adequately given the relative skill disadvantage the Allied squadrons usually have.