Battle of Britain - Pilot's view

English and German pilots comment on the aircraft, tactics, advantages and disadvantages they had during the air battle in 1940. (Editing Notes: Where Galland mentions the "thousand sorties" flown by German pilots versus the 80 or 100 flown by English pilots this is in reference to the entire war; it is not specific to the Battle of Britain. Also in this clip the entry of the Fw 190 into combat is included as a later technical development of the air war. The 190 was of course, not in service until after the "Battle of Britain" had ended.)

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• RAF
• Luftwaffe
• Spitfire
• Me
• 109
• Fw
• 190
• Adolf
• Galland
• Beamont
• Kingcombe
• Obleser
• Broadhurst

[Atkinsmustache]

As Joseph Gorbels said "I knew we were going to lose the War the moment I saw Mustang fighters escorting US bombers over Berlin"

I rest my case. The USA won WW2 and liberated all of Western Europe.

[ae62ea]

I'm not sure what "case" you're resting, but it was Hermann Göring who made the remark about the Mustangs...

[YrHen]

Perhaps I'm being picky Atkins, but this video is about the Battle of Britain in 1940. Remind me how many P51 Mustangs were flying then! and how USA was liberating Europe as a neutral country at that time.Wonderful aircraft, mind you,once it was fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin! So I rest MY case!

ps. As a Swiss resident you would know about resting during wars!

[JoeTyler85]

H-E-R-O-E-S

All of them

[timberwolf7102james]

Test done after the war both planes used the same fuel at the war the BF-109 used a cheap form of fuel which was way under 100 octane Where Mk spitfires where using Britsh and Ameriacan fuel with over 100 octane and yes it does make a big differce when superchargers are involed and your running a plane lean

[johnnybravo234]

I agree, the spit was definitely slower.

[creamycurdy]

what engine powered the mustang hmmmmmmmm

[hoadmaback]

Yes OK I made my comment before seeing the whole clip! (Slow connection)

[hoadmaback]

I also read that the standard reaction of most 109 pilots upon realizing there was a spit on their 6, was to simply put the nose straight down in to a neg G dive.

A Spit could not do this manouver without the engine cutting out, due to not being fuel injected.

[hoadmaback]

Read Adolf Gallands book on his war (The guy at the start of the vid)

Those German pilots had tremenous respect for the Spit. And a comment really was made to Goering by one of the senior Luftwaffe officers when Goering asked if there was anything more they needed, - The answer was; 'Yes, a squadron of Spitfires' - It did not go down well!!!!

[zaohad1]

ah thatd be the battle of stamford bridge, near York Harolds men had to march something like 200 miles south and then give battle, foot weary and tired.

.

[zaohad1]

One of the major advantages of the me 109 was its fuel injected engine which enabled it to dive like a bomb and get out of trouble. The battle of Britian was lost when Germany stopped bombing airfields and switched to bombing London instead on Hitlers direct orders in retaliation for an RAF single bomber raid over Berlin.

[halomolim]

I don't mind for the British too much! They sold out their allies in Serbia, and helped the communist monsters come into power in 1945! We all know what horrors happened in that wonderfull, and strong, peace loving country! Yes, the British are responsible the most! Had they kept their humanity, there would have been no terrible wars in former Yugoslavia! Thank you Mr. Churchil, almost 200,000 dead!