It’s April, 1945
and in the skies over Germany a battle is underway.
This is not just a battle between Axis and Allies
but is also a clash of the technology of the age.
In one corner is the pinnacle of the established technology
of piston engines and propellers, the P-51D Mustang.
Powered by a Packard Merlin engine
it had a top speed of 440 mph
and with its external tanks it has the range and capacity
to escort American bombers all the way to Berlin and back.
The training manual called “The Long Reach” it said:
“Where the bombers go to bomb, the fighters go to protect them.”
In the other corner the Germans have produced the technological marvel
that is the Me 262.
This is the dawn of the jet age
and the twin engined 262 is the Luftwaffe’s answer
to the continuous bombing raids over the skies of Germany.
The 262 could reach well over 600mph in a dive
and could climb at an incredible 10 m/s.
Generalmajor Adolf Galland described the experience as
“It felt as If Angels Were Pushing!”
Armed with four 30mm cannons and up to 24 rockets
it also had the destructive power needed to wreak havoc in the heavens.
Coming in on a fast dive
they could inflict their firepower on the bombers
and get away before the escorting fighters even had a chance to intercept.
If the P-51s did intercept,
they were forced to drop their external fuel tanks to give them a chance.
This meant that irrespective of the outcome of the chase, with minimal fuel
the P-51s would be forced to turn for home
leaving the bombers undefended for the Germans to pick off.
But from 1944 it was stated that the first duty of the 8th air force fighters
was no longer to bring the bombers back alive,
but instead was “to destroy german fighters".
This led the P-51s to roam more offensively
which also led to some incredible engagements
of P-51s vs Me 262s.
When on April the 10th, 1945
over 1,200 bombers and 900 fighters
from the 8th air force were over Germany,
Leutnant Walter Hagenah was in one of two Me 262s from JG7 sent to intercept.
He describes the engagement as follows:
"We received no instructions from the ground when airborne –
our task was merely to “engage bombers over Berlin.”
Once above cloud at about 5,000 m,
I could see the bomber formation clearly at about 6,000 m.
I was flying about 550 km/h
in a slight climb after them.
Everything seemed to be going fine –
in three to four minutes we would be with the bombers.
Then, as an experienced fighter pilot, I had the old
“tingling in the back of the neck” feeling
that perhaps enemy fighters were about.
I had a good look around,
and in front and above,
I saw six Mustangs passing above me from almost head-on.
At first I thought they had not seen me,
and so I continued on.
But, just to be on the safe side, I glanced back one more –
and it was a good thing for me that I did,
because at that moment I saw the Mustangs
diving down and curving round on to the pair of us.
With the speed of their dive,
and the speed we had lost because of our climb,
they stood a good chance catching us.
Then they opened fire and tracer began to flash
disconcertingly close to our aircraft.
I opened my throttle fully
and put my nose down a little to increase my own speed,
and resolved outrun the enemy fighters.
I did not attempt to throw them off their aim –
I knew the moment I turned my speed would fall,
and then they would have me.
I told the Feldwebel on my left to keep going,
but obviously he became scared
because I noticed him weaving from side to side,
then he turned away to the left.
It was just what the Mustang pilots wanted,
and in no time they had broken off from me
and were on to him.
His aircraft received several hits
and I saw it go down and crash –
my companion was unable to bail out.
I kept an eye on the enemy fighters at 4,000 m
and watched them reform and turn around
to fly westwards for home.
Feeling vengeful, I decided to have a go at them.
I rapidly closed in on them from behind,
but at a range of about 500 m,
the Mustang leader started rocking his wings
and I knew that I had been seen.
If I continued I knew that the enemy fighters would probably split up into two
and curve round from either side onto my tail,
so I resolved to strike first.
I loosed off all 24 of the R4M rockets under my wings
straight at the enemy fighters
and I was very lucky –
I hit two of them and they went down out of control.
This time I had plenty of speed,
and had little trouble in avoiding the fire from their companions.”
Almost out of fuel coming into land at Köthen airfield,
he was targeted again by P-51s.
Forced to put his plane in a tight curving approach
the Mustangs scattered assuming he was coming in for an attack.
He managed to quickly put the bird down
before the Mustangs started strafing the airfield.
The end of his account on that day states:
“Fortunately for me, the flak defenses were still on their toes
and I was not hit.”
By early May 1945 the Allies owned the skies.
And the last few Me 262s sat waiting on the runways,
awaiting capture from the allied ground troops,
their technology to be studied and used in the upcoming cold war.
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We recommend the excellent book
"Me 262 vs P-51 Mustang" by Robert Forsyth
to find out more on these incredible duels and clashes of technology.
Please let us know what other stories you would like us to cover.
Thank you.