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Originally Posted by Igo kyu
Actually, I read the first couple, but after that? I've got more interesting things to do with my time.
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That's all right. Different strokes for different folks. Sorry to bore you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igo kyu
That is not accurate for WW2 in Western Europe. The P51s were given free rein to roam the bomber streams attacking all enemy fighters they saw. They had huge numerical superiority, so this paid off.
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Depends on the month and year. In 1943 the USAAF had more traditional escort tactics, where the fighters were prohibited from straying far from the bombers. Not surprisingly, the fighter pilots hated it.
In March 1944, the 8th Air Force allowed some of its fighter squadrons to precede the bombers and perform "fighter sweeps." Later in the year, these formations were allowed to "go low" to strafe German airfields. Even later, escorting fighters were allowed to detach from the bombers and go on strafing missions after the bombers had dropped their bombs.