Comment about a WWII Dogfight
Stephen Leibowitz

The article, “Becket World War II pilot recounts brazen dogfight with German foe,” appeared in The Berkshire Eagle. I posted this comment:

The US would later lift the requirement for the escort fighters to remain close to the bombers. The requirement made even less sense at the time of Roff’s dogfight. The early US fighters lacked the range to escort bombers all the way on long missions. German interceptors would often wait until the escort turned back before attacking the bombers. The best strategy for US escort fighters to protect the bomber fleet was to destroy enemy interceptors, even if it took escorts away from the bombers. Roff’s guns malfunctioned, but his diversion of an interceptor provided the bombers some protection.

Lowering the flaps was mostly used for takeoff and landing, but was also a way of increasing maneuverability for a slow-speed dogfight.

© 2015 Stephen Leibowitz