"Best" Fighter of World War II

North American Aviation P-51B Mustang and Republic P-47D "Razorback" Thunderbolt
(Source)

You can find lots of opinions on the Internet on the fighter aircraft of World War II. Which one was faster? Which was more maneuverable? Which did experienced pilots prefer? Which did the maintenance guys like? (May seem unimportant to the less knowledgeable, but an aircraft can only do its job if it's in the air. Not on the ground because it's broken!)

Lots of ink has been expended on this topic (I guess that would be lots of electrons for the Internet) and there is no one correct answer. There are seemingly lots of wrong answers (the Brewster Buffalo springs to mind, but the Finns used that particular fighter very effectively in the Winter War of 1940 against the Soviets.)

Brewster Buffalo, B-239 Finnish Variant

The Finnish Air Force produced 36 Buffalo aces. The top three were Capt. Hans Wind, with 39 Buffalo air victories (out of 75), WO Eino Ilmari Juutilainen, with 34 (out of 94) and Capt. Jorma Karhunen, with 25.5 (out of 31.5). First Lt Lauri Nissinen also had victories in the type (22.5 out of 32.5).

The non-Finnish Buffalo aces were: Geoff Fisken (RNZAF), with six air victories, and Doug Vanderfield (RAAF) with five individual kills, plus one shared. Alf Clare (RAAF) and Maurice Holder (RAF) had five victories each.

Only 509 Buffaloes were produced, yet the type produced 40 aces. This may well be the highest ratio of aces per number of aircraft produced, of any production fighter plane.(Source)

The Bell P-39 Airacobra also springs to mind, however, Soviet pilots simply loved that bird.

USAAF Bell P-39Q-1-BE Airacobra, at Hamilton Army Airfield, CA

The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal American fighter aircraft in service when the United States entered World War II. The P-39 was used by the Soviet Air Force, and enabled individual Soviet pilots to collect the highest number of kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type flown by any air force in any conflict. Other major users of the type included the Free French, the Royal Air Force, the United States Army Air Forces, and the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. (Source)

Though the Buffalo and the Airacobra are often looked down upon by many, it's worth noting that -

The P-39 has the highest total number of individual victories attributed to any U.S. fighter type, not kill ratio; Finnish-modified Brewster Buffalos had the highest kill ratio. (Source)

It's not the machine, it's the pilot which determines the worth of a fighter aircraft. It has often been said that a great pilot in a mediocre aircraft will shoot down a mediocre pilot in a great aircraft most of the time. As they used to say, "It's the man, not the machine." (Nowadays you have to include the women pilots, many of them are damned good. I have the honor to know a couple!)

But what exactly is a fighter aircraft?

A fighter aircraft, often referred to simply as a fighter, is a military fixed-wing aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat against other aircraft. The key performance features of a fighter include not only its firepower but also its high speed and maneuverability relative to the target aircraft.

The fighter's main tactical purpose is to establish air superiority over the battlefield. The success or failure of a combatant's efforts to gain air superiority hinges on several factors including the skill of its pilots, the tactical soundness of its doctrine for deploying its fighters, and the numbers and performance of those fighters.

Many fighters have secondary capabilities such as ground attack and some types, such as fighter-bombers, are designed from the outset for dual roles. Other fighter designs are highly specialized while still filling the main air superiority role, these include the interceptor, heavy fighter, and night fighter. (Source)

In reality there has never really been a clear cut definition of what is a fighter. The F-4D Phantom was a fighter, but it was also an effective fighter bomber. The F-15 and F-16 are superb fighter aircraft, but they are also superb as fighter-bombers. (The A-10, as lovely as it is, is not a fighter, it's a ground attack bird. Something which it probably does better than any other aircraft which has ever laid claim to that role!)

The tendency, especially in modern times, has been to design and produce aircraft which can perform multiple roles. Many of these types of aircraft are "jacks of all trades," which often means that they can do many things, not necessarily well, but well enough. In a time when cost overruns seem to be a way of life, the need for the military to get the most "bang for the taxpayer's buck" leads to "Swiss Army Knife" designs. (Most cost overruns, BTW, are attributable more to stupidity and inefficiency, not necessarily greed. Though greed does play a role, the inability of the DoD to settle on requirements and many contractors trying to do things "on the cheap" but charging top dollar are problems which won't go away soon. That problem is nothing new. George Washington was familiar with that!)

But back in World War II, most of the fighter aircraft were designed specifically as fighters.

Focke Wulf Fw-190A-5 Würger and Messerschmitt Bf-109E-3 Emil
(Source)

The Bf-109 was getting rather long in the tooth as a design in late 1940. Yet various models of the aircraft stayed in service until the end of the war. Erich Hartmann scored 352 kills, mostly on the Eastern Front, and stayed in a Messerschmitt cockpit until Nazi Germany surrendered. He knew his aircraft well and was very effective in the air, even against superior aircraft flown by skilled pilots.

The Fw-190 was originally designed as a stopgap as the Germans were worried that they wouldn't be able to produce enough of the Daimler-Benz powerplants used by the Messerschmitt. When introduced to combat in the West in 1941, Allied pilots had a rude surprise. This aircraft is considered by a number of authors as the "best" fighter aircraft of WWII.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (English: Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force). The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, night fighter.

The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941, and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V, particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX. In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialized ground attack units called Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943 onwards. (Source)

The Bf 109 was flown by the three top-scoring fighter aces of all time, who claimed 928 victories among them while flying with Jagdgeschwader 52, mainly on the Eastern Front. The highest-scoring, Erich Hartmann, was credited with 352 victories. The aircraft was also flown by Hans-Joachim Marseille, the highest-scoring ace in the North African Campaign who shot down 158 enemy aircraft (in about a third of the time). It was also flown by many aces from other Axis nations, notably the Finn Ilmari Juutilainen, the highest-scoring non-German ace. Pilots from Italy, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Hungary also flew the Bf 109. Through constant development, the Bf 109 remained competitive with the latest Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war. (Source)

Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate
(キ84 疾風 Gale)
(Source)

The Ki-84 Hayate is not as well known as the A6M Zero. Introduced later in the war, the Hayate was a superb interceptor, able to reach the altitude of the B-29s attacking Japan.

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate is a single-seat fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in the last two years of World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Frank"; the Japanese Army designation was Army Type 4 Fighter. The Ki-84 is generally considered the best Japanese fighter to operate in large numbers during the conflict. The aircraft boasted high speeds and excellent maneuverability with an armament (up to two 30 mm and two 20 mm cannon) that gave it formidable firepower. The Ki-84's performance matched that of any single-engine Allied fighter it faced, and its operational ceiling enabled it to intercept high-flying B-29 Superfortress bombers. Pilots and crews in the field learned to take care with the plane's high-maintenance Nakajima Homare engine and a landing gear prone to buckling. The difficulties of Japan's situation late in the war took a toll on the aircraft's field performance as manufacturing defects multiplied, quality fuel proved difficult to procure and experienced pilots grew scarce. Nevertheless, a well-maintained Ki-84 was Japan's fastest fighter. A total of 3,514 aircraft were built. (Source)

Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
(零式艦上戦闘機)
(Source)

The most famous Japanese fighter was the Zero. Very maneuverable, packing a powerful punch - two 7 mm machine guns mounted over the engine and a 20 mm cannon in each wing, with a very long range, the Zero was the scourge of the Pacific skies early in WWII.

The Zero is considered to have been the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world when it was introduced early in World War II, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) also frequently used it as a land-based fighter.

In early combat operations, the Zero gained a reputation as a dogfighter, achieving an outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms. By 1943, due to inherent design weaknesses, such as a lack of hydraulic ailerons and rudder rendering it extremely unmaneuverable at high speeds, and an inability to equip it with a more powerful aircraft engine, the Zero gradually became less effective against newer Allied fighters. By 1944, with opposing Allied fighters approaching its levels of maneuverability and consistently exceeding its firepower, armor, and speed, the A6M had largely become outdated as a fighter aircraft. However, as design delays and production difficulties hampered the introduction of newer Japanese aircraft models, the Zero continued to serve in a front-line role until the end of the war in the Pacific. During the final phases, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft during the war. (Source)

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats

The replacement for the F4F Wildcat, the F6F bore a certain resemblance to the older Wildcat, which probably surprised the hell out of a number of Zero pilots thinking they were about to tussle with the older bird.

The F6F made its combat debut in September 1943, and was best known for its role as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter, which was able to outperform the A6M Zero and help secure air superiority over the Pacific theater. A total of 12,275 were built in just over two years.

Hellcats were credited with destroying a total of 5,223 enemy aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft. Postwar, the Hellcat was phased out of front-line service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night fighter. (Source)

Vought F4U-4 Corsair
(Source)

The gull-winged F4U Corsair is probably the most recognizable of the WWII U.S. Navy carrier aircraft. Allegedly nicknamed "Whistling Death" by the Japanese* for the sound its engine made, the Corsair is a legend.

The Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy in late 1944 and early 1945. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio. Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's first prototype in 1940. Instead, the Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy. (Source)

Oh, yeah, she whistles!

Though it appears to be an anomaly, a fighter with two engines, the P-38 Lightning was flown by the top three American aces of WWII in the Pacific Theater.

The P-38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations as the aircraft of America's top aces, Richard Bong (40 victories), Thomas McGuire (38 victories) and Charles H. MacDonald (27 victories). In the South West Pacific theater, the P-38 was the primary long-range fighter of United States Army Air Forces until the introduction of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs toward the end of the war. (Source)

The Mediterranean Theater saw the first aerial combat between German fighters and P-38s. German fighter pilot appraisal of the P-38 was mixed. Some observers dismissed the P-38 as an easy kill while others gave it high praise, a deadly enemy worthy of respect. Johannes Steinhoff, commander of JG 77 in North Africa, said that the unit's old Bf 109s were "perhaps, a little faster" than the P-38, but a dogfight with the twin-engined fighter was daunting because its turning radius was much smaller, and it could quickly get on the tail of the Bf 109. Franz Stigler, an ace with 28 kills, flew Bf 109s against the P-38 in North Africa. Stigler said the Lightning "could turn inside us with ease and they could go from level flight to climb almost instantaneously. We lost quite a few pilots who tried to make an attack and then pull up... One cardinal rule we never forgot was: avoid fighting the P-38 head on. That was suicide." Stigler said the best defense was to flick-roll the Bf 109 and dive, as the Lightning was slow in the first 10 degrees of roll, and it was not as fast in a dive. Herbert Kaiser, eventually a 68-kill ace, shot down his first P-38 in January 1943. Kaiser said that the P-38 should be respected as a formidable opponent, that it was faster and more maneuverable than the Bf 109G-6 model he flew, especially since the G-6 was slowed by underwing cannon pods. Johann Pichler, another high-scoring ace, said that the P-38 in 1943 was much faster in a climb than the Bf 109. Kurt Bühligen, third-highest scoring German pilot on the Western front with 112 victories, recalled: "The P-38 fighter (and the B-24) were easy to burn. Once in Africa we were six and met eight P-38s and shot down seven. One sees a great distance in Africa and our observers and flak people called in sightings and we could get altitude first and they were low and slow." General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland was unimpressed with the P-38, declaring "it had similar shortcomings in combat to our Bf 110, our fighters were clearly superior to it." Heinz Bäer said that P-38s "were not difficult at all. They were easy to outmaneuver and were generally a sure kill". (Source)

No matter what your opinion on the Lightning, she's an awesome looking bird!

Lockheed P-38H of the AAF Tactical Center, Orlando Army Air Base, FL, carrying two 1,000 lb bombs during capability tests in March 1944.

The two iconic fighters of the Battle of Britain made history in a time when it seemed as if all of Europe would eventually descend into a new Dark Age as the Nazis seemed to be sweeping all of their opponents off the board before the fighting could really get started. All that stood in the way were the fighter pilots of RAF Fighter Command.

In my book, the Spitfire is one of the prettiest aircraft to ever take to the skies, and the sound of that Merlin engine sends chills up my spine.

While the Spitfire got most of the press, the Hurricane did most of the heavy lifting.

The most famous fighter aircraft used in the Battle of Britain were the British Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire Mk I and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 E variant (Emil) single-engined fighters. Although the Spitfire has attracted more attention, the Hurricanes were more numerous and were responsible for most of the German losses, especially in the early part of the battle. The turn-around time (re-arm and refuel) for the Spitfire was 26 minutes, while the Hurricane's was 9 minutes, which increased its effectiveness.

...

The Spitfire and Bf 109E were well-matched in speed and agility, and both were somewhat faster than the Hurricane. The slightly larger Hurricane was regarded as an easier aircraft to fly and was effective against Luftwaffe bombers. The Royal Air Force's preferred tactic was to deploy the Hurricanes against formations of bombers and to use the Spitfires against the fighter escorts. The view from the "blown" clear cockpit hood of the Spitfire was considered fair, while upwards good; view to the rear was considered fair for a covered cockpit. The curved plexiglass windscreen however was very bad optically and caused considerable distortion, which made long-distance visual scanning difficult. Spitfire pilot Jeffrey Quill made recommendations for the installation of "optically true" glass into the side panels to solve the problem. The Hurricane had a higher seating position, which gave the pilot a better view over the nose than the Spitfire. The upper canopy panels of the Bf 109 through its E-3 subtype were curved, while the E-4 and later Emil subtypes were modified for better visibility with flat panels and the new design was often retrofitted to earlier 109s. (Source)

Supermarine Spitfire MkIIa and Hawker Hurricane MkIIc
(Source)

Let's not forget the Soviets, they had some very skilled pilots. Many of whom loved their Yak-3s!

Yakovlev Yak-3M ZK-YYY, at the Classic Fighters 2015 airshow, Blenheim, New Zealand.
(Source)

The Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian: Яковлев Як-3) was a single-engine, single-seat World War II Soviet front line fighter aircraft. Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by pilots and ground crew alike. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war. Its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance. It proved a formidable dogfighter. Marcel Albert, World War II French ace, who flew the Yak-3 in USSR with the Normandie-Niémen Group, considered it a superior aircraft when compared to the P-51D Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. Before the end of the war it was flown by Polish Air Forces (of the Polish People's Army formed in USSR) and after the war ended, it was flown by the Yugoslav Air Forces. (Source)

Easy to maintain, as an old F-4D maintainer, that's music to my ears. (The Phantom was anything but easy to maintain!)

The first operational jet fighter ever was the Messerschmitt Me-262.

The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed Schwalbe (English: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel (English: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but problems with engines, metallurgy and top-level interference kept the aircraft from operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. The Me 262 was faster and more heavily armed than any Allied fighter, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor. One of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II, the Me 262's roles included light bomber, reconnaissance and experimental night fighter versions.

Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied aircraft shot down, although higher claims are sometimes made. The Allies countered its effectiveness in the air by attacking the aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Strategic materials shortages and design compromises on the Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flow turbojet engines led to reliability problems. Attacks by Allied forces on fuel supplies during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force. Armament production within Germany was focused on more easily manufactured aircraft. In the end, the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war as a result of its late introduction and the consequently small numbers put in operational service. (Source)

Too little, too late.

Thank the Lord for that!

Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

So which WWII fighter was the "best"? You could make an argument for most of those birds shown above. But for my money, the most effective fighter of World War II is the one which contributed most to the defeat of Nazi Germany, and that would be the P-51 Mustang.

Why do I feel it contributed the most to the defeat of the Nazis (compared to the other fighters that is)? Prior to its introduction, bomber casualties over Germany were mounting. Without fighter escorts the daylight bombers (Army Air Forces B-17s and B-24s) were taking lots of losses. The strength of the Luftwaffe fighter arm and the flak defenses of the Third Reich were the prime reason that RAF Bomber Command flew their missions at night. (And they still suffered heavily from flak and night fighters.)

When the P-51 with the Allison engine was first introduced, it was a dog at altitude. Though it had great range, it was slow at 15,000 feet (its service ceiling) the British, for whom it had been designed, relegated it to the ground attack role. Once it was equipped with the Merlin engine, it became a thoroughbred. Service ceiling increased as did speed, with no adverse effects on its superb range. Able to escort bombers all the way to Berlin and back, even Reichsmarschall Göring, upon seeing the P-51 over Berlin, had to admit that the war was lost. (No, he didn't mention this to Hitler, not that Hitler would have believed him anyway.)

While the P-47 was much more rugged and packed more firepower, it couldn't go to Berlin and back. It couldn't protect the bombers. Once the bomber generals realized that they weren't going to make Germany surrender by bombing them and were ordered to seek out and destroy the Luftwaffe, victory in the air was assured. Which made victory on the ground possible. The bombers pounded aircraft manufacturers and aircraft assembly plants as the P-51s swept the German fighter arm from the sky. Later they were released to hunt the German fighters wherever they could be found. The German fighter pilots lost badly from that point on.

With the Luftwaffe no longer a factor, the Allies could come ashore at Normandy and begin the drive which ended on the Elbe. The P-51's contribution to that victory cannot be understated.

Winning a war isn't about how many enemy aircraft you shoot down, not in the long run. Winning a war is all about crushing the enemy's means of resistance. With Allied air superiority over Europe. The Tommies and GIs could get on with defeating the German Army. Without the P-51, I believe the war would have lasted even longer. The Soviets might even have quit had D-Day not occurred when it did. (Commies thought we were a bit late to the game even then!)

Again though, what one might consider the "best" fighter depends an awful lot on its intended role and how well it performed in that role. For my money, the P-51 wins that contest.

But if I was on the ground, I wouldn't mind seeing a handful of Jugs tossing ordnance at the Krauts. Which is best depends a lot on the mission.





* As with most nicknames purported to be given to American units by the enemy. This one is not mentioned in Japanese wartime records.