"Skipper 190s on a starboard … roger … (bursts of bursts) … coming in from behind … gunner yu mine … gunner …"
But the shooter did not have time to answer the commander - in an instant, the entire tail section was torn off by a cannon burst. The debris rushed to the ground: “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!"
The Browns were stinging from overheating, but those damn FW-190s didn't seem to feel the hits. A deafening cannon salvo - and the "fortress" went to the ground, in parts. It was all over in a few minutes. Göttingen blazed below. The domes of American parachutes settled in the smoky sky.
The sky was decorated with swastikas and black crosses. The heroes of the Luftwaffe began to descend, but their way was blocked by 50-caliber routes - the belated Mustangs pulled up to the place of the battle.
In a few minutes it was all over - the domes of German parachutes hung over the destroyed Göttingen.
Twenty-nine FW-190s at the cost of the loss of one P-51.
Descriptions of the battle in various sources differ in the details and modifications of the aircraft, but the overall picture looks unambiguous. The bombers burned down the city, they were burned by the Focke-Wolves, which were burned by the Mustangs.
September 1944, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of those events
The 445th bomber group got lost, went to the wrong target, was left without cover and clashed in battle with the "assault by staffels" from the 3rd, 4th and 300th squadrons of the Luftwaffe.
Air defense squadrons equipped with a special modification of the FW-190 - "Shturmbok" ("Battering ram") and equipped with fanatics and penalties. According to the legends, the pilots of the "storm of shtaffel", who returned without victories, were to be shot on the ground. But these are just legends.
The 445th Bomber Group was killed almost entirely. Of the 35 "Liberators" (according to other sources, 37), only four returned to the base, of which three were not subject to restoration.
The ease with which the Sturmboks dealt with the Liberators shows how effective the FW-190A-8 / R8 fighters were at encountering four-engine fortresses.
However, the speed with which the Focke-Wolves "leaked" the air battle to the Mustangs raises even more questions.
Even with the unaccounted for losses from the fire of bombers, recorded on account of the victories of the Mustangs (there were at least six of them), the overall picture of the battle over Göttingen indicates that something was wrong with the FW-190A-8 / R8 fighters. The suspicions are confirmed by all further history and tactics of the use of "Shturmboks".
Siege of "fortresses"
For those who are not used to reading long texts, the whole point is in one paragraph. A typical "front-line" fighter of that period - a single-engine piston aircraft with a take-off weight of about 3.5 … 4 tons, of which up to 40% could fall on the payload (fuel, weapons, ammunition, avionics) had little chance of coping with the "flying fortress" … To do this, he would have to make several runs, which in practice was unlikely. There would be neither time nor ammunition.
Readers can cite the example of the raid on Schweinfurt and Regensburg (1942). But it only confirms my thesis. The Luftwaffe had to pull to the scene of events almost 400 Me-109G and FW-190, which "bite" the armada of bombers throughout the raid - an hour before the approach of the target and on the way back. Shot down 60 "fortresses", but how long did it take them? B-17 managed to bomb out, the target was destroyed.
Most fighters of that era were armed with one or two 20mm cannons at best. At the height of the war, the Germans had four-gun modifications of the Focke-Wulfs, but their number was several times inferior to the Messerschmitts.
The second pair of guns on most FW-190s until the end of 1943 consisted of the MG-FF. In terms of the mass of the projectile and the totality of other characteristics, the MG-FF only vaguely resembled other artillery systems of 20 mm caliber. In terms of muzzle energy, it was even inferior to the 12.7 mm UBS machine gun. That is why the MG-FF was light enough to complement the MG-151/20 pair of Focke-Wolf fighters. Or did someone think that uber engineers were our way to radically increase the% payload?
Most of our fighters, the Germans, and the Allies were armed at about the same level. "Messers", "Yaki" - one and only motor-gun. Two-cannon "Lavochkin" appeared only in the middle of the war.
Where can conventional fighters get the firepower to deal with the "flying fortress"?
Its wing area is like that of three Junkers, four engines, multiple duplication and dispersal of all important systems, covered with 900 kg of armor plates.
The 37-mm Aerocobr and Yak-9T cannons became a real "exotic". Firepower was never overkill, but the overpowering recoil and scanty b / c made them a controversial decision in aerial combat. Single shots sniper fire only. It is no coincidence that the potential of the "Aviacobra" was revealed only in the USSR, where they ended up in the guards regiments. They were piloted by real aces and sniper pilots, capable of "riding" any technique and taking advantage of its hidden advantages.
The Germans did not have either the Airacobr or the Yak-9T. But there were armada of "fortresses" overhead.
The best the Über engineers could come up with was to replace the two 20mm cannons in the outer wing of the Focke-Wolf with 30mm guns with 55 rounds per barrel. The second pair of cannons at the root of the wing was left unchanged (MG.151 / 20 with 250 rounds of ammunition).
The increase in calibers passed without significant consequences. Indeed, in terms of maneuverability and flight performance, the FW-190A-8 fighter had nowhere to degrade. The creators of the MK.108 cannon also tried a lot, creating a compact "sawn-off" with a barrel length of only 18 calibers.
To save weight on many Focke-Wolves, synchronized MG.131 machine guns were dismantled due to the lack of sense in them in the presence of such a powerful cannon weapon. However, this measure could no longer save the Foka from overloading.
No matter how many wolves you feed, the elephant is still bigger
The disgusting ballistics of the German 30-mm cannons were partially offset by the size of the air targets. In the same way, the problem of choosing a lead was solved when firing with different calibers (2x20 mm, 2x30 mm). The main thing is to get closer and give a queue, filling the space with hot metal. Unlike the "whistles" Me.262, due to the significant difference in speed of those who spent a fraction of a second near the target (to fire once and hide in the clouds at 800 km / h), the low-speed "Shturmbok" had enough time to approach from the side of the tail, aim and "feed" the fortress with bicaliber fire.
This beautiful plan was incomplete without one circumstance. With this attack scheme, the fighter was guaranteed to come under intense fire.
In WWII front-line bombers, the number of defensive "trunks" often exceeded the number of crew members (a striking example is the Ju-88). As soon as the enemy left the firing zone of one machine gun, the shooter (navigator, bombardier) in a cramped cockpit had to crawl to the next one, bring him into a combat position and aim again. This circumstance greatly depreciated the value of defensive means.
It is for this reason that 90% of the air victories on the Eastern Front, both on our side and on the German side, were won by fighters from a distance of less than 100 meters. They came in from the tail and beat them point-blank. Long-range shooting has been widely recognized as ineffective, to the point of being completely useless.
But everything changed upon meeting with B-17 and B-24.
On board there was enough space to accommodate 10-11 crew members. Each sector of space was covered by one or several turrets, with their own arrows - the density of fire did not allow approaching them with impunity, even for a short time.
The art of sniper fire in the Luftwaffe was owned by a few. The ballistics of German air cannons also discouraged attempts to shoot from distances of more than 150 meters. The German fighters raised to intercept had to learn to "hold" at least a few hits of 12.7-mm bullets until their cannon burst from a short distance hit the four-engine target.
The main feature of the "Shturmbok": exceptional security by aviation standards
The factory set R-8 (Rustsatze 8) for turning the FW-190A-8 into an "assault" fighter in the field, in addition to replacing the guns, provided for 30 mm thick armored glass for the movable part of the cockpit canopy. Outside, the cockpit was wrapped in steel linings, and the cannon shells received additional protection. All this was mounted on the Focke-Wolfe, a late modification of the A-8, which already had impressive protection:
- windshield - 57 mm;
- side front bevels of the lantern - 30 mm;
- armored ring around the air intake - 5 mm;
- armored ring around the previous ring - 3 mm;
- the lower part of the hood - 6 mm;
- plate in front of the wing slug box MK108 - 20 mm vertically;
- a plate above the wing slug box MK108 - 5 mm horizontally;
- lining on the sides of the cab - 5 mm;
- tiles under the MG131 compartment - 5 mm horizontally;
- tiles from the previous tile to the frontal bulletproof glass - 5 mm;
- armored back - 5 mm;
- armor plate protecting the shoulders at the back - 8 mm;
- armored headrest - 12 mm.
The choice of the type of fighter for the role of a hunter for "fortresses", for which it made sense to carry out work to increase security. Here the choice of the FW-190 over the Me-109 was obvious. A wide 14-cylinder air-cooled Focke-Wolfe engine protected the cockpit. At the same time, he had sufficient survivability to continue working with the loss of one or even several cylinders. Finally, the FW-190, according to the Germans, still retained its modernization potential. Unlike the Messerschmitt, whose take-off weight was almost a ton less, and the design capabilities reached their limit back in 1942.
The Germans took the heaviest 4-gun modification "one hundred and ninetieth", already inferior in maneuverability to all their peers, and added more protection and weapons!
And now we will try to take off with all this …
18 square meters of the wing allowed the 5-ton car to get away from the runway, but then obvious difficulties began.
In the process of evolution of the FW-190, many parameters were affected: armament was added and reduced, survivability increased, engine power increased, new engines appeared, which were not even thought of when creating this fighter (Dora project), the internal layout changed, the fuselage length was adjusted … Everything changed except the wing area. A new wing would mean the creation and production of a new aircraft. The Germans could no longer afford this.
More than 270 kg per sq. m wing on takeoff! Even with a "combat weight" with 50% fuel remaining, the specific wing loading of the FW-190A-8 / R-8 remained too high for a fighter of its era.
Later modifications of the Focke-Wolves were too slow to gain speed and altitude. The Germans did not have enough engines for 5-ton fighters.
There were two solutions to this: bad and very bad.
It was a very bad decision to leave it as it is. The bad thing is to try to create at least something based on existing technologies. As a result, the Luftwaffe had the MW-50 (Methanol-Wasser) afterburner system, which many military historians from aviation consider the model of German prudence.
Why Hans's engine stalled
The Germans did not have their own analogue "Merlin" or "Double Wasp" with a turbocharger from the exhaust gases, but not necessary. The mixture of water and methanol was enough for 20 minutes - for the entire duration of the air battle. The power of the BMW-801D-2 in the Focke-Wolfe fighter increased by an impressive 20%, reaching 2100 hp at its peak, as in the best Allied fighters with air-cooled engines.
The truth about the MW-50 system is this: regardless of the capacity of the tank, the duration of continuous operation of the motor using the mixture could not exceed 10 minutes. But the most unpleasant thing is that the system could not be activated where it was needed most of all, at high altitudes. Where was the enemy. To launch the MW-50, it was required to descend below 5000 m. This circumstance violated the entire organization of air combat for the Germans.
These are not all the restrictions on the injection of a water-methanol mixture. Hans pressed the red button, the engine roared - and stopped.
A typical example of German engineering. Future technologies.
Heavenly slug
To accelerate in a dive, competing in speed with other fighters, the FW-190A-8 / R-8 was hampered by its aerodynamic appearance, spoiled by mounted protection elements. Plus a wing mutilated by cannons. Plus a blunt-nosed fuselage with an air-cooled "star". Designers of fighters with such engines (La-5, Thunderbolt) needed to make significant efforts to achieve performance similar to sharp-nosed Yaks, Mustangs, Spits, and other fighters with liquid-cooled engines. The designers of the FW-190, at some point, they simply “scored” on everything …
All the FW-190A-8 could count on in aerial combat was its superior survivability.
Even without the use of "Ryustzats-8", he could withstand several hits more than a conventional fighter. But when enemy fighters appeared in the air, it came to an end. For the Mustang, such an enemy represented a slow-moving, low-maneuverable target. An analogue of a front-line bomber, moreover, devoid of a tail defensive installation. Entering the tail after the first bend - and turn at close range. And no amount of protection will save those who allow themselves to be shot from six "Browning", spewing 70 bullets per second.
I will try to choose the right words to suit the tastes of the discerning audience. Fortress hunter, "Shturmbok", like its "basic version" FW-190A-8, is not a classic fighter.
All enthusiasm about their high survivability and powerful weapons (four 20-mm long-barreled (!) Cannons or 2x20 + 2x30 mm) should be accompanied by an explanation: by the middle of 1944, the FW-190 was no longer a fighter.
It was a "gunship", a flying firing point, which had to be covered by "ordinary" "Messerschmitts" before entering the formation of bombers. In truth, the Me-109s themselves had to be covered from the Allied fighters, so backward were the flight characteristics of German fighters by the end of the war.
Could Soviet MiG-3s intercept B-17s?
The direction of evolution of the FW-190 and the fact of the appearance of "Shturmboks" testifies to the following. Discussions and comparisons of fighter weapon power based on their ability to intercept four-engined bombers are meaningless.
Could the high-altitude MiG-3 shoot down the B-17 in the event of a hypothetical conflict with the Anglo-Saxons? Or La-7? Answer: the question was asked incorrectly. You need to clearly distinguish between tasks.
Typical weapons of WWII fighters (1-2 cannons or several machine guns) fully satisfied their purpose. Fighting air targets, which by their take-off weight (and all related parameters) differed at times from the "flying fortresses".
The Germans created a unique fighter capable of effectively fighting four-engined bombers in daylight. At least under design conditions, he demonstrated outstanding results.
And this is not some small experimental series.
The heaviest FW-190A-8 is the most famous and most massive modification of the Focke-Wolfe, produced in the amount of 6,655 units
Given the priorities and basic nature of the Luftwaffe's missions in 1944, as well as the fact that 2/3 of German aviation was operating on the Western Front, the FW-190A-8 with its removable factory kits can confidently claim the role of the best German fighter.
Due to the inevitable progress and the timing of its appearance (the late period of the war), the Focke-Wolfe 190A-8 can also be considered the most technically advanced of the fighters created in the Third Reich. Of those who managed to take a massive part in hostilities.
The weakness of the "Shturmbok" concept was that the "fortresses" rarely appeared unaccompanied. Escort "Mustangs" have learned to accompany strategic bombers along the entire route due to their significant take-off weight (on takeoff - 5 tons, "barrels of gasoline") and a laminar wing, which increased fuel efficiency in long-distance raids. In case of alarm, they could drop bulky PTBs and turn over any point in Europe into ordinary fighters, not inferior in flight characteristics to their so-called. front-line colleagues.
"Storm Shtaffels" managed to win several resounding victories. In addition to the massacre over Göttingen, the defeat in the skies over Leipzig in November 1944 is known. At that time, the tactics in which the 109th Messerschmitts tied the escort Mustangs in battle allowed avoiding losses among the Sturmboks. To be more honest, they sacrificed themselves.
But it soon became clear that it was becoming impossible to ensure the interaction of "assault" groups and cover groups. For this, the Luftwaffe no longer had enough fuel, no airfields, no equipment. The territory of the Reich was rapidly shrinking - in the last months of the war, having flown to intercept the "fortresses", it was possible to collide in the air with the Soviet La-5.
The final evolution of the FW-190 is an attempt to lighten the car. To return to her the ability to conduct an air battle, operating under conditions of absolute domination of the enemy's destroyer forces.
For the production of protective kits, there were also no longer enough materials. By the way, there were several options for "Ryustzats" - for converting fighters into aircraft for various purposes. The most famous were the R-2 and R-8, "fortress" interceptor kits. According to model historians, the R-2 and R-8 existed only in theory. In the field, all aircraft had a different composition of weapons and protection, often the kits were not used in full. The very concept of "Sturmböcke" appeared in the late autumn of 1944, when the history of super-protected interceptors was coming to an end.
Epilogue
"Shturmbok" was such one, and there is simply no one to compare it with. In aggregate, LTH is not like all known fighters, but these were the priorities of the Luftwaffe.
The main drawback of the "Sturmbok" was that he promised to protect the skies of the Reich, but did not fulfill his promise. In the era of piston engines, it turned out to be impossible to build a fighter with powerful weapons, capable of independently, without significant losses, breaking through to the formation of bombers through a fighter escort.
The ability to build such aircraft appeared after the war, with the development of jet engines. The MiG-15 was able to fight on equal terms with any enemy, while retaining the ability to knock down a four-engine bomber with one salvo. But the slow piston "fortresses" have already gone down in history.
As far as the controversy over the best fighters of the Luftwaffe is concerned, it will undoubtedly need to be continued. The Germans had other interesting samples of aircraft. Which of them and during what period could claim the title of the best? I can assure you that there will be many surprises.
