109 e3b against spitfire II

[Kurfürst]

Originally Posted by *Buzzsaw*

And the conclusions are clear. RAF Fighter Command had 100 octane fuel in plentiful supply at all of its major 10, 11, and 12 Group fields.

Source please.

(and these fields provided the supply for their satellite fields)

Source please. This was already discussed. http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...0&postcount=38

Based on the current evidence (feel free to add new sources showing 100 octane at the said airfield during the Battle and I'll update the list) shows that 100 octane aviation spirit was supplied to

8 out of 19 Sector Airfields
9 out of 32 Fighter Airfields (however 7 of the 32 functioning as satellite airfield for rotation etc., with no Sqn permanently based there).

The best debate on this issue occurred on the WWII Aircraft forum which has very high standards of proof required. The discussion was led by 'Glider', real name Gavin Bailey, who is published on the subject of high octane fuel use by the Allies in WWII. His article "The Narrow Margin of Criticality: The Question of the Supply of 100-Octane Fuel in the Battle of Britain" was published by THE ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW, a well respected historical journal whose material is subject to critical scrutiny by the best of English historians.

Glider has nothing to do with Gavin Bailey, nor anyone participating in the thread for the matter.

As for Bailey's article, it doesn't state anywhere that 100 octane was universal for fighter use; actually, it gives little attention to subject of the extent of use, and instead it concentrates on belittlening the - allegedly widely and wrongly perceived - importance of American 100 octane imports, and the put emphasis of CSP propellerers.

On the matter of 100 octane use, it writes:

By the time war broke out, the available stocks of aviation fuel had risen to 153,000 tons of 100-octane and 323,000 tons of other grades (mostly 87-octane).35 The actual authorisation to change over to 100-octane came at the end of February 1940 and was made on the basis of the existing reserve and the estimated continuing rate of importation in the rest of the year.36 The available stock of 100-octane fuel at this point was about 220,000 tons. Actual use of the fuel began after 18 May 1940, when the fighter stations selected for the changeover had completed their deliveries of 100-octane and had consumed their existing stocks of 87-octane. While this was immediately before the intensive air combat associated with the Dunkirk evacuation, where Fighter Command units first directly engaged the Luftwaffe, this can only be regarded as a fortunate coincidence which was contingent upon much earlier decisions to establish, store and distribute sufficient supplies of 100-octane fuel.

Then it goes back again how little American supplies meant in RAf plans, how limited the importance of 100 octane was compared to CSPs etc. There's no doubt some nationalistic odor to it.


Comparison table of FC's sorties vs. the amount of 100 octane and 'other' (ie. 87 octane) aviation fuel issued during the month clearly show that Figther Command was relying on 87 octane for a number of its operational fighter Squadrons.



A few of my own observations:

a, It seems clear that 100 octane has begun replacing 87 octane towards the end of September / start of October. Until then, 87 octane is by far the major fuel consumed.
b, This corresponds with what the Lord Beaverbook memo noted about re-starting the conversion
c, Its also very appearant that issues have a bit of 'delay' built into them. Obviously supply's nature is that they re-supply after the fuel at the airfields has been used and there's reported need for new issues. This takes time.
d, 100 octane issue curves are clearly responding to FC sorties number increase/decrease. Though that's not news, FC used that fuel. But it should be kept in mind that number of Blenheim Sqns also used and were issued 100 octane fuel, and a Blenheim sortie would consume 4-6 times the fuel a fighter sortie would.
e, On the other hand, 87 octane issues ALSO clearly reacts to FC sorties number increase/decrease. It shouldn't, if all frontline Sqns would be using only 100 octane.
f, Obviously the 87 octane curve reaction is less pronounced, as
fa, A good percentage of FC used 100 octane, so they don't their needs 'do not exists' from the 87 octane issues POV
fb, A large number of other aircraft also uses 87 octane, and many of them - bombers, patrol craft etc. - consume much more fuel than small fighters.

In my opinion, the most conclusive evidence that even towards the end of October a number of fighter squadrons were flying on 87 octane is evident by the sudden and perfectly parallel rise of both 87 octane issues and FC sorties curves at the time.

Tendencies to have British aircraft using only the best possible configurations are nothing more than the naked truth of gamers wanting more advantage to their aircraft, regardless of historical accuracy.