[TomcatViP]

Originally Posted by Kurfürst

OK, let me be clear too.

The Rechlin paper, which was forwarded to all German fighter units was - IMHO rather useful - a tactical advice for fighter pilots based on the available information and strenghts and weaknesses of enemy types derived from testing. It should be useful in the game against the same type of aircraft, ie. 2 pitch Spits and Hurris, but some other advice is valid for improved types, too.

+1

This shld hve some influence on the way they fighted and it's easy to see how they applied those recommendations in combat report.

On the contrary comments of the type : "I start climbing to evade him" or " I give chase to this 109 knowing that my plane was faster on deck" ... I never read anything like this untill the MkIX came out.

Originally Posted by Kurfürst

As for the all of them had the best stuff etc. I consider it wishful thinking and without evidence. As far as CSPs go we know that they just started to be retrofitted at start of the battle, and the process wasn't about finished until mid-August, so yes, you could definietely meet up with two-pitch in July 1940, early in the battle. As for 100 octane, it was done to death. No evidence or documentation was ever presented by anyone, that would specifically say that all aircraft are using 100 octane, or even all aircraft are planned to use 100 octane. All we know is that the original early 1939 plans called for 16 fighter and 2 blenheim bomber sqns. to be provided with 100 octane by September 1940.The high octane stuff was introduced to select fighter (and some Blenheim bomber) stations in spring of 1940, from which it follows that not all had it. We also have evidence that further conversion of units was stopped in May 1940 due to concerns of overseas supply, especially as the Germans were sinking tankers at an alarming rate, and all 100 octane came from overseas; we also know that the conversion continued, and was finished later in the automn. We also know that about 2/3s to 3/4 of the avgas consumed in the BoB was 87 octane. We also know that there's evidence for about 1/3 of the fighter stations for 100 octane used, predominantly Sector stations and in 11 Group. Everything else is just a wet dream at the currently available evidence.

As for the Rechlin tested Spitfire. You claimed that all Spits had 100 octane. Would it not be strange for the Germans, to capture a plane with 100 octane fuel in its tanks, and then test it with something else than 100 octane fuel, when they had plenty of supply of that, both captured stocks and their own production of high grade C-3 fuel..?
Of course, they may have operated it on 87 octane, but that would only make sense if the plane they captured also had 87 octane in its tanks when it was captured..

Good post Kurf. I hope we will see more like this