basenjib123 (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

Once the P51 Mustang was properly fitted with the Rolls Royce Engine it was bad news for the Germans. The Mustang could escort the US Bomber to the target and back! FW190 was a great fighter though and thats not debatable.

adobo777 (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

lol that Thunderbolt is one resilient little bitch

lemonite1 (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

in his biography, Erich Hartmanns kill totals were the same against USAAF planes. It was his method, not his plane that made him a killer. He once shot down 2 P 51s and afterward out-ran, out-flew 8 others on his tail w/out taking a single hit. He blew out his engine and bailed over friendly lines.

lemonite1 (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

i have a book P 51 vs. FW 190. by Osprey. it has a list of German aces and kill totals against P 51s. I don't know if i agree with you.

daska66 (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

In fact the Soviet planes included a number of allied planes given on the lend lease program. German planes in general were more advanced technically than all allied plaves. The P 51 was at par. That being said, the real achievment was carrying out an air campaign at all in the face of such overwhelming odds. Outnumbered German pilots would usually give better than they got. The large number of German aces- not only in the East against the Russians but against the English in the West proves it.

fuguetaoamazonia (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

amarican watch many History CHannel and Discovery Channel

acfinney (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

These aces were shooting down inferior Russian pilots. Not to mention, all of the B17 and 24s. Very few P51s were shot down, due to the fact that the Americans had better training, as well as superior fighter planes. By 1944, Germany had little to offer in the way of Air Defense. Dont let the cool axis planes and snappy uniforms get in the way of the facts...people.

Cris7Yerly (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

Actually hartmann was never shot down by enemy fire it was by the debri from the planes that he shot down tat damage his own plane

JG52Karaya (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

Well he was shot down by anti aircraft fire and by rear gunners (on his first engagement for example) but not even a single time by an enemy fighter. The fact he was most proud of is that he never lost a single wingman in action.When he was in charge of a Staffel he would downgrade Rottenführer who had lost wingmen to the enemy because they had gone after bandits greedily instead of helping their wingman

blakduk (December 31, 1969 at 5:59 pm)

That last piece of footage looks really interesting. They appear to be FW190's attacking with belly-tanks still attached, and they seem to be barrelling in without any coordination. It seems as if they are nearly shooting each other down.It'd be good to know if what they were doing- were they a novice unit?