Post by magnum on Dec 11, 2019 21:02:23 GMT
The best single engine fighter of WW2
Let me suggest one that nobody else has yet mentioned.
You may not have heard of it.
But it was claimed to be the fastest fighter in the world. Its enemies had no reason to doubt that.
It was never defeated in combat; never lost a pilot.
It was brilliantly successful in its intended mission.
Do you recognise it?
That's a photograph published to show it in squadron service as a night fighter.
Here's a clearer impression.
Did you recognise the Heinkel 113?
It was feared by the RAF in 1940 and 1941 as there were reports that it was entering service with the Luftwaffe. Some pilots reported interceptions and even combat with the feared weapon.
Then nothing. No more was heard of it.
It didn't exist. It was fake news; propoganda, to mislead and confuse. It certainly did that.
Award yourself a gold star if you thought it was the Heinkel He100. That was an experimental aircraft, which faked as the He113 in photoshoots.
** Edit 01 **
John J Scherer asked, in a comment, how I came across it. I first heard about it when looking through my grandfather's old books and materials. Having been an infantryman in the Great War, he was exempt from national service in 1940, on the ground of seniority.
He volunteered for the Royal Observer Corps; trained sky-watchers whose reports were vital for inland fighter interceptions.
In the eariy war years the Observers were given a lot of information on this aircraft and how to recognise it. It was clearly considered quite a menace. I was always slightly puzzled why it was never mentioned in the histories I read.
Many years later, and I discovered the Ian Allen bookshop in Birmingham, shortly before taking a long train journey. On the journey I read the book, 'Hitler's forgotten secret weapon; the amazing story of the Heinkel He 113′ by Leonard James[1] . It was really satisfying to find the truth after so many years!
** Edit 02 **
The closing words of Leonard James’ book are:
‘… as an example of disinformation and propaganda warfare at its best, the He 113 Super Fighter has never been surpassed.’
Here is one important example of how it was used.
In 1938 Ernst Udet invited an old friend to visit him in Berlin. Udet was an ace from WW1 who was then involved in developing the Luftwaffe. His friend was another WW1 ace, Joseph Vuillemin, then Chief of Staff of the French Air Force.
Together they toured a number of factories building modern aircraft for the Luftwaffe. Vuillemin got close enough to a Bf 109 to see that it was dangerous. Visiting the Heinkel works, Vuillemin saw a He112 (which had fought in Spain, in small numbers, and was being built for export).
(Heinkel 112 - source Heinkel He 112 - Wikipedia)
At the end of the tour, Udet took Vuillemin up in a Fieseler Storch, to see the site from the air. As they were landing, they were bounced by a sleek fighter in Luftwaffe marking which raced past at very close quarters - within 10m of the Storch - and incredible speed.
(Source: WINGS OF GERMANY)
Vuillemin saw enough that he knew it was neither Bf 109 nor a He 112. Udet bundled him away while Vuillemin tried to watch it land and taxi back to the hangar. Vuillemin realised that this was a new, secret design, more advanced than even the Bf 109.
Later that day, back in Berlin, one of Vuillemin’s colleagues overheard a conversation between Udet and Erhard Milch (Goring’s deputy) about three production lines for the ‘new fighter’.
The aircraft Vuillemin saw was, of course, a He 100 levelling out from a power dive. Both incidents were carefully choreographed to hint at a far more powerful fighter force than really existed.
Vuillemin reported back to his government that the French Air Force was completely outclassed. This was very important later in 1938 when France was considering whether it should go to war with Germany to prevent Hitler seizing the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Of course, the policy of appeasement prevailed.
In 1939, the Nazis claimed an air speed record of more than 460mph. The aircraft was called the He 112U. Little information was published about it; all photos were blurry or showed an obstructed view.
It was a purpose built experimental version of the He 100, renamed to suggest a close link to the He 113.
(Source: Heinkel He 112U Archives - This Day in Aviation)
** Edit 03 **
Others have suggested that this question should be answered only by reference to aircraft that saw actual combat service. The P51 Mustang seems an understandably popular - but wrong - choice.
The Supermarine Spitfire would be the only possible correct answer, as I explain here: Dutch Newchurch's answer to In your opinion, what is the greatest fighter aircraft, past or present, made outside the U.S.?
Let me suggest one that nobody else has yet mentioned.
You may not have heard of it.
But it was claimed to be the fastest fighter in the world. Its enemies had no reason to doubt that.
It was never defeated in combat; never lost a pilot.
It was brilliantly successful in its intended mission.
Do you recognise it?
Did you recognise the Heinkel 113?
It was feared by the RAF in 1940 and 1941 as there were reports that it was entering service with the Luftwaffe. Some pilots reported interceptions and even combat with the feared weapon.
Then nothing. No more was heard of it.
It didn't exist. It was fake news; propoganda, to mislead and confuse. It certainly did that.
Award yourself a gold star if you thought it was the Heinkel He100. That was an experimental aircraft, which faked as the He113 in photoshoots.
** Edit 01 **
John J Scherer asked, in a comment, how I came across it. I first heard about it when looking through my grandfather's old books and materials. Having been an infantryman in the Great War, he was exempt from national service in 1940, on the ground of seniority.
He volunteered for the Royal Observer Corps; trained sky-watchers whose reports were vital for inland fighter interceptions.
In the eariy war years the Observers were given a lot of information on this aircraft and how to recognise it. It was clearly considered quite a menace. I was always slightly puzzled why it was never mentioned in the histories I read.
Many years later, and I discovered the Ian Allen bookshop in Birmingham, shortly before taking a long train journey. On the journey I read the book, 'Hitler's forgotten secret weapon; the amazing story of the Heinkel He 113′ by Leonard James[1] . It was really satisfying to find the truth after so many years!
** Edit 02 **
The closing words of Leonard James’ book are:
‘… as an example of disinformation and propaganda warfare at its best, the He 113 Super Fighter has never been surpassed.’
Here is one important example of how it was used.
In 1938 Ernst Udet invited an old friend to visit him in Berlin. Udet was an ace from WW1 who was then involved in developing the Luftwaffe. His friend was another WW1 ace, Joseph Vuillemin, then Chief of Staff of the French Air Force.
Together they toured a number of factories building modern aircraft for the Luftwaffe. Vuillemin got close enough to a Bf 109 to see that it was dangerous. Visiting the Heinkel works, Vuillemin saw a He112 (which had fought in Spain, in small numbers, and was being built for export).
At the end of the tour, Udet took Vuillemin up in a Fieseler Storch, to see the site from the air. As they were landing, they were bounced by a sleek fighter in Luftwaffe marking which raced past at very close quarters - within 10m of the Storch - and incredible speed.
Vuillemin saw enough that he knew it was neither Bf 109 nor a He 112. Udet bundled him away while Vuillemin tried to watch it land and taxi back to the hangar. Vuillemin realised that this was a new, secret design, more advanced than even the Bf 109.
Later that day, back in Berlin, one of Vuillemin’s colleagues overheard a conversation between Udet and Erhard Milch (Goring’s deputy) about three production lines for the ‘new fighter’.
The aircraft Vuillemin saw was, of course, a He 100 levelling out from a power dive. Both incidents were carefully choreographed to hint at a far more powerful fighter force than really existed.
Vuillemin reported back to his government that the French Air Force was completely outclassed. This was very important later in 1938 when France was considering whether it should go to war with Germany to prevent Hitler seizing the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Of course, the policy of appeasement prevailed.
In 1939, the Nazis claimed an air speed record of more than 460mph. The aircraft was called the He 112U. Little information was published about it; all photos were blurry or showed an obstructed view.
It was a purpose built experimental version of the He 100, renamed to suggest a close link to the He 113.
** Edit 03 **
Others have suggested that this question should be answered only by reference to aircraft that saw actual combat service. The P51 Mustang seems an understandably popular - but wrong - choice.
The Supermarine Spitfire would be the only possible correct answer, as I explain here: Dutch Newchurch's answer to In your opinion, what is the greatest fighter aircraft, past or present, made outside the U.S.?