The Greatest Fighter Pilot of WWII... Finalized....

[Erich]

Les I am not on the personal level but wonder if any new member who might have a friend of the familie or a relative..........well you understand what I am trying to say.

You foursome is pretty good. Preddy might be right up there to as the top Mustang ace in the ETO or Gabreski of the 56th fg flying the P-47. Bong ?

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by lesofprimus

Thats the beauty of opinions, huh Skimmer????

Absolutely.

And why does everybody call me "Skimmer"?

[trackend]

I don't I call you Skim unless you would prefer Nons but that's very close to sounding like nonce which is (in the UK) the same as a Ponce or a Prat
so you'll just have to put up with me calling you Skim

Les your new Sig although really funny (I fell of me PC seat and hurt me backside) does have the possibility to offend a person who has a Downs Syndrome child or relative having them referred to as a retard isn't very nice even if the guy in the pic takes no offense himself. That's not to say as you said the guy was really happy to show off his neat looking outfit and most of the people I know with this complaint are among the most content girls and guys you could find around.
That little waffle was a bit heavy even for me sorry guys.

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by trackend

I don't I call you Skim unless you would prefer Nons but that's very close to sounding like nonce which is (in the UK) the same as a Ponce or a Prat
so you'll just have to put up with me calling you Skim

Works for me, matey. It's not like I really care anyway.

[lesofprimus]

The American Aces, while competent and skilled, just didnt face enough adversity as some of these other guys...... They really didnt get in enough combat engagements for me to really qualify them...

The Mass-Assault tactics that the 8th used to blot the Luftwaffe from the skies really doesnt show me much, except that Gabreski and Preddie were great at picking out their targets in a melee, and that their gunnery was above average....

They were great pilots no doubt, but they really didnt "Shine"..... Gabby was the American Leading Ace in Europe, and only had 28 kills, while Johnnie Johnson had 38 and Paddy had 32... I would rate those 2 guys higher than the Americans... Higher class of competition, with alot of the greater Luftwaffe Aces still airborn and flying sorties everyday.....

[the lancaster kicks ass]

Originally Posted by Nonskimmer

Absolutely.

And why does everybody call me "Skimmer"?

i don't, i call you skimmey

[Nonskimmer]

Pet names don't really count.


:-"

[Erich]

hmmmmmmm not real sure Les if I agree about lesser numbers of aces confronting the US fly boyz.
the Germans being against the 8th AF was not a cake walk as they have said it was easy to punch out Soviet flyers, US was another story though far easier to acheive a kill as there were so many targets available.

[Bushranger]

I think Marseille and his kill totals are misleading.. Yea the guy was skilled. But against what kinda aircraft??? P-40's?????

I wouldn't doubt the P-40 so much. I vite for Clive Caldwell, altough he's not on the list. Here's some reasons why:
-Downing 5 bombers in one engagement:
"I received radio warning that a large enemy formation was approaching from the north-west. No 250 Squadron went into line astern behind me and as No 112 Squadron engaged the escorting fighters we attacked the JU's from the rear quarter. At 300 yards I opened fire with all my guns at the leader of one of the rear sections of three, allowing little deflection and hit No.2 and No.3, one of which burst into flames immediately, the other going down smoking...I then attacked the leader of the rear section from below and behind, opening fire with all guns at very close range. The enemy aircraft turned over and dived steeply...I opened on another again at close range, then enemy caught fire and crashed in flames.

-Caldwell shot down Marseille:
On 21 February 1942, one of the Luftwaffe's most successful desert fighter pilots Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt was shot down in flames by Clive Caldwell.
A quote from Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt (59 Victories).
"One of the leading Kittyhawks (Caldwell) had suddenly pulled up into a vertical position, hung briefly on it's propeller and fired just one burst".

A quote from Hans-Joachim Marseille (158 Victories) who witnessed Caldwell's adventurous attack.
"It was a fabulous shot".

A quote from Bobby Gibbes (10 Victories)
"I saw what you were trying to do but never thought you could do it".

-Surviving 109's
While flying top cover for supply planes inbound for Tobruk, two Bf-109's led by the 114-victory ace Werner Schroer ambushed him. The German planes punched 108 machine gun bullets and five 20mm shells into the hapless fighter, damaging its instrument panel, controls, tail, wings, and wounding Caldwell in the back, shoulder and leg.

Instead of crashing to the ground, the Tomahawk managed to stay airborne. And instead of attempting to escape, the Sydney-born Caldwell turned into his attackers and returned fire. He shot down Schroer's wingman, unnerving Schroer to the point that he ran for home. The Australian ace made it home.


...All with 'just a P40'

[Bushranger]

Also, Willaim Whisner

USAAF ace for two wars, recipient of three DSC

[lesofprimus]

Dude the P-40 was a piece of crap.. The pilots that sometimes had the horrible luck to have to fly the P-40 sometimes were a different story......

unnerving Schroer to the point that he ran for home.

Thats a bunch of crap... I doubt seriously that that was the case......

[Bushranger]

Well, if the P40 was so crap, how come Schroer didn't shoot him down there and then?

[lesofprimus]

Something called pilot skill........ How did so many Finnish pilots shoot down Bf-109's in their Brewster Buffalos???

Pilot skill....... A great pilot can make a POS fly like the wind.......

Like i stated above, maybe Schroer was bingo fuel and had to make it back to his lines.....

[Bushranger]

True. Pilot skill. Isn't this what the poll is about?

[lesofprimus]

UMMMM yea....... But u commented on my comment concerning the -40.... To me someone shooting down 50 P-40's is not as impressive as someone shooting down 50 Spitfires, pilot skill or not....

And the P-40 was a piece of shiit dude..... No one will deny that, except u maybe.....