The German air force, also known as the Luftwaffe,
was easily the largest and strongest air force in Europe in 1939. Wielding planes like the
Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Luftwaffe was a force to be reckoned with. But it was not invincible.
At least two British fighter aircraft held their own against the Luftwaffe.
These were the P-51 Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. When Luftwaffe pilots saw a fleet of
these aircraft, they trembled with fear. But which of these two planes did the Luftwaffe fear more?
It's not as simple as comparing the Mustang
and Spitfire’s stats. There are many other factors to consider.
So let’s get stuck into it, starting with the Spitfire.
The iconic Supermarine Spitfire first appeared in 1935, but the aircraft wouldn't enter battle
against the Luftwaffe until October 16th, 1939. From its very first battle,
the Spitfire was a success. The Spitfires were sent out to intercept some Luftwaffe
aircraft that were flying over the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It's said that "At
the first sight of the Spitfires, the Germans turned in an attempt to escape.
One of the German pilots who survived said it was ‘not a pleasant experience.’"
The British Royal Air Force, or RAF, produced over 20,000 Spitfires over the next ten years.
This was because the Spitfire wasn’t overly
expensive and could outperform almost any other World War II-era fighter.
It was a single-seater fighter equipped with a V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which was later
upgraded to a V12 Rolls-Royce Griffon. It had a wingspan of 36 feet and 10 inches,
a length of 29 feet and 11 inches, and stood 11 feet and 5 inches tall.
Its relatively small size allowed for better maneuverability, which was essential in dogfights.
Later, they could reach a ceiling of 40,000 feet, or 12,200 meters, and when in the right
conditions, they had an incredible top speed of 440 miles per hour, or 710 kilometers.
The Spitfire proved its dominance in the war. In fact, many believe it was the Spitfire that
"won" the Battle of Britain. When Spitfires chased the Luftwaffe out of Britain, they instilled fear
in the German pilots. In the words of German ace Hugo Broch, "The Spitfire was greatly respected."
However, the aircraft had one major flaw. Because it was slightly smaller and designed as a rapid
interceptor, it couldn’t hold much fuel and couldn't travel as far as many other planes,
including the Mustang. The Spitfire had a maximum flying range of about 600 to 650 miles.
This didn’t stop the Spitfire from dominating dogfights, however. According to Luftwaffe
ace Adolf Galland, “The best thing about the Spitfire was that there were so few
of them,”, meaning he was happy he didn’t have to face so many Spitfires in battle.
Galland realized the potential power of the Spitfires. During a meeting about how the
Germans should succeed against the RAF, Galland replied to the Luftwaffe commander-in-chief,
Herman Goering, to, quote, "give [him] a squadron of Spitfires," as a solution.
His request did not impress Goering but made a point that
the Luftwaffe feared the Spitfires and that the aircraft was one to rival with.
But what did the Luftwaffe think of the Mustang?
The North American Aviation unit created the P-51 Mustang for the RAF in 1940. At least
14,000 Mustangs were manufactured during the war, 8,000 of which were the P-51D model.
The RAF equipped the P51-D Mustang with a V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine,
which was the same engine as the Spitfire. This plane managed incredible heights of up
42,000 feet or 12800 meters, and in the right conditions, the single-seater boasted speeds of
up to 440 miles per hour. But the main purpose of the Mustang was to escort bombers. It could
travel an impressive distance of 1,000 miles or 1600 kilometers with a single load of fuel,
which was important because it meant the fighter could fly to Berlin and back without stopping.
As RAF Captain Eric Brown said in his book Wings on My Sleeve,
"If I was in a dogfight over Berlin, I would want to be in a Spitfire. If I was in
a dogfight over Berlin and wanted to fly back to Britain, I would want to be in a Mustang."
The Mustang had a wingspan of 37 feet. It was 32 feet and 3 inches long and stood 13 feet and 4.5
inches tall. Despite its larger size, the Mustang was maneuverable and performed well in dogfights.
The Mustang earned a reputation among the Luftwaffe pilots as
a far superior aircraft to its Luftwaffe counterparts.
By the time the Mustang made its way into the war, the Luftwaffe pilots had more experience
fighting against the Spitfire, but they were not prepared for a newer and stronger opponent.
So when the Luftwaffe first encountered the P 51,
they felt blindsided and were now fighting against aircraft' that they had not seen before.
When Luftwaffe pilots returned from battles against the Mustang,
they told of the new superior aircraft to their own, and the word spread across the enemy line.
As is best told by Erich Hartmann, known as the pilot with the most aerial victories of all time,
when describing how Luftwaffe pilots felt about the Mustangs Hartmann said "We both
dreaded and anticipated meeting [the American mustangs]. We knew that they were a much better
aircraft than ours; newer and faster, and with a great range." Even though Hartmann claims
to have personally downed at least seven P-51D Mustangs, he clearly had a deep respect for them.
The Mustang was the newest and strongest fighter aircraft in the later part of the war, and even
though the Mustang only went into battle in 1942, it is widely regarded as the best all-around
fighter of World War II. The aircraft claims this title because of its impressive specifications.
The US developed the Mustang almost four years after the British developed the Spitfire, and,
so the Mustang benefited from newer technology.
It goes without saying that the Spitfire and Mustang were great rivals to their enemy aircraft,
and each had its own purpose in the war. But which Allied plane did the Germans fear most?
Perhaps it's best concluded by the Commander-in-chief Herman Goering,
who had a lot of respect for the British fighter aircraft.
In an interview discussing fighter aircraft', Goering mentioned that "The Me 410 was superior
[to the Spitfire] in an attack [against the Spitfire] and not so suitable for purely defensive
purposes as the Spitfire, which, although a little slower, was much more maneuverable."
This interview demonstrated how Goering felt about his pilots battling against the
Spitfire, but his attitude was completely different when speaking about the Mustang.
In an interview, Göring said, "When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was
up." indicating that he felt that the Luftwaffe fleet was defenseless against the Mustangs.
Based on the quotes we featured in this video, we’d say that they feared the Mustang more than
the Spitfire. But the true answer is up for debate. Which of the two aircraft do
you think the Luftwaffe feared more, the Mustang or the Spitfire? Do you agree with our analysis,
or is there something we're missing here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.