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Deadly dance: Messerschmitt versus Hurricane. JULY AUG. 2021 | VOLUME 28, NO. 4
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THE BATtLE
OF BRITAIN’S
BEST
FIGHTER
Spitfire and Hurricane vs. Bf 109
BY CLIVE ROWLEY, MBE RAF (RET.)
 Hawker Hurricane Mk II LF363 (foreground) and Supermarine
Spitfire IIa P7350 of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight (BBMF). P7350 is the sole surviving Spitfire
from the Battle of Britain still airworthy today.
(Photo by John Dibbs/Facebook.com/theplanepicture)

Fighter pilots live, work, fly and fight in an extremely

competitive environment. Winning or losing may well
mean the difference between life and death in the
fast-moving and lethal business of aerial combat. For
sheer survival, fighter pilots want—indeed need—to be
the best, and they want to be flying the best.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN’S BEST FIGHTER

Spitfire 1s of 610 Squadron
on patrol, July 24, 1940,
two weeks into the Battle
of Britain. The Spitfires are
flying in the RAF’s favored
three-ship elements in
tight “vic” formations.
In aerial combat there are several factors that
may affect the outcome of a fight. To win you
need superior equipment or tactics, better
training, greater experience, or a mixture
of these factors. Beyond that there are only
intangibles that may affect the result, things
such as fighting spirit, aggression, courage
and luck, which should not, perhaps, be relied
upon for victory.
If my time as a Royal Air Force fighter
pilot had started 33 years earlier than it did,
I could have been flying and fighting in the
Battle of Britain in 1940. To have had the best
chance of winning and surviving, which of
the principal two types of RAF fighter aircraft
would I have preferred to have flown, the
Hurricane or the Spitfire? Which would you
have preferred, if it were you?
In addressing that question, I call not
only on my background as a “modern” RAF
fighter pilot, but also on the privileged time
I spent flying both of the contenders during
my 11 years with the RAF’s Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight (BBMF), including Spitfire
IIa, P7350, the only surviving airworthy
example of the type to have fought in that
greatest air battle of all time.
Context
Which is the better Battle of Britain fighter,
the Supermarine Spitfire or the Hawker
Hurricane? This question has been debated
among pilots, historians, and enthusiasts
since 1940, but the question needs a
context: Best at what? Against what?
At the time of the Battle of Britain, the
RAF fighter pilots had no doubts about their
ability to take on the Luftwaffe bombers,
which their Hurricanes and Spitfires could
outperform in every department. (Although,
of course, RAF fighters were brought down
and pilots were killed by return fire from the
German bombers.) The Luftwaffe single-
engine fighter that the RAF pilots faced,
the Messerschmitt Bf 109E, was a different
proposition, however: it was a much more
dangerous opponent and accounted for
most of the losses suffered by Fighter
Command during the Battle. So, the real
context of the question is which of the two
RAF fighters compared most favorably with
the Bf 109, as well as which was “the best”
in terms of the overall victory in the Battle.
From the cockpit
From the point of view of the pilot in the
cockpit, trying to shoot down enemy
aircraft while staying alive, there are several
factors that may make one fighter aircraft
better than another. These include aircraft
performance, the armament and the ease
with which it can be brought to bear, and
survivability.

“The Hurricane, though vastly more maneuverable than either the Spitfire or the Me 109, was sadly lacking in
speed and rate of climb. The Spitfire, however, possessed these two attributes to such a degree that, coupled
with a better rate of turn than the Me 109, it had the overall edge in combat.”
Air Commodore Al Deere, DSO OBE DFC and Bar (54 Squadron Spitfires)

8 FlightJournal.com
Hawker Hurricane Mk 1s Power and Weight
of 245 Sqn in 1940.
Engine power and the aircraft’s power-to-
weight ratio are obvious factors that will
affect performance. The Hurricane Mk 1 and
Spitfire 1a, which were the fighter types
most used by the RAF during the Battle of
Britain, shared the same Rolls Royce Merlin
III engine, driving a 3-blade constant-speed
propeller and producing the same amount of
power (a nominal 1,030hp). Their opponent,
the Bf 109E, had a Daimler Benz engine,
which produced a roughly comparable
1,150hp. The Spitfire II, which began to
enter service during the Battle, was fitted
with a Merlin XII delivering 1,175hp, while
the Hurricane Mk II, which began to enter
squadron service from August 1940, had a
Merlin XX producing 1,185hp. The Hurricane
was the heaviest of the three aircraft, so it
had the worst power to weight ratio. The Bf
109E possessed the best power to weight
ratio of all three fighters, and this was
reflected in aspects of its impressive top-
end performance. The table on the following
page provides the performance data for all
three types.
Rate of Climb
Climb rate was a factor that particularly
concerned the RAF fighter pilots during
the Battle of Britain, as they were often
scrambled later than they would have
wished. The time taken to climb to height
therefore became tactically critical if they
were to stand any chance of engaging
enemy raids with an altitude advantage.

“The Hurricane had an altogether exceptional combination of maneuverability, rugged strength, stability, ease
of control and gun aiming, and viceless landing characteristics, which went far towards offsetting the fact that
its climb, level speed and altitude performance were slightly slower than the Spitfire and the ME 109.”
Wing Commander Roland “Bee” Beamont, CBE DSO and Bar DFC and Bar (87 Squadron Hurricanes)

10 FlightJournal.com
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BATTLE OF BRITAIN’S BEST FIGHTER
The Spitfire had a clear performance
benefit over the Hurricane in its time to
height, taking a minute less to reach 20,000
feet. The Spitfire’s climb rate advantage over
the Hurricane is apparent with the BBMF
aircraft today. On air tests, a timed climb
to 7,000 feet is conducted and the Spitfire
is one minute quicker in the climb to that
altitude than the Hurricane.
The Bf 109 had a rate of climb superior to
both the RAF fighters, but this was less of
a factor to the Germans during the Battle
of Britain as they had plenty of time and
distance to achieve their desired height
before they were engaged. However, the
“In a dogfight,, Luftwaffe pilots could use the Bf 109’s
the Hurricane excellent climb rate to good effect during
could almost combat, when diving attacks could be
turn on her tail. converted into a zoom climb, which the RAF
In pursuit, she fighters could not match.
could cut the
corners, and Speed
only when the The Hurricane also lost out to the Spitfire
superior climb and to the Bf 109 in terms of maximum level
or dive of the speed, by some margin. Due to the extra
Me 109 took it drag created by its airframe and thick wing
out of danger section and its slightly inferior power-to-
had we to weight ratio, the Hurricane could typically
look for other manage only about 325 mph in level flight,
‘game’.” some 25 mph below the maximum level
Group Captain Tom speed for the Spitfire and the Bf 109. This
Gleave, CBE (253 could be significant, as it could seriously
Squadron Hurricanes)
compromise the Hurricane’s ability to close
on a fast-moving opponent or, perhaps, to
disengage from one.
Roll Rate
Many of the Battle of Britain dogfights
between Bf 109s and the British fighters
started with the 109s bouncing the RAF
fighters from above. As long as the RAF
fighter pilots saw them coming—and that is
a big if—they could roll into a break turn and
pull hard into the enemy attack. This would
almost invariably cause an overshoot by
the Bf 109, which would be unable to turn
with either a Spitfire or a Hurricane in these
circumstances. The ability to roll rapidly into
such a break turn was therefore vital. Roll
rate also governed how fast a turn could be
reversed from one direction to the other and
how fast the aircraft could be rolled from
erect to inverted flight.
12 FlightJournal.com
The Spitfire had a roll rate advantage over
the Hurricane (which was further improved
when metal ailerons replaced the fabric-
covered ailerons originally fitted to the
Spitfire). The Bf 109 rolled more quickly than
either of them. All three types suffered from
reduced roll rates at higher speeds when the
ailerons became quite heavy.
Turning
The comparative rates and radii of turn are
important factors in a dogfight. The wing
loadings of the Hurricane and Spitfire were
almost identical, whilst the Bf 109’s was
considerably higher. A lower wing loading
means that the wing can produce more
lift, which can be translated into a turning
vector in a steeply banked turn.
Both the Spitfire and the Hurricane had a
better turn rate and smaller turn radius than
the Bf 109 and, if well flown, could fare very
well in a dogfight with the German fighter.
In theory, the Hurricane possessed a slight
advantage over the Spitfire in its turning
ability, with a fractionally greater turn rate
(in degrees per second) and a significantly
lower turn radius. The Hurricane, though,
would tend to bleed energy more easily
in a hard turn than the Spitfire, due to the
Hurricane’s lower power to weight ratio
and the higher lift-induced drag generated
by its thick wing. This is apparent to BBMF
pilots flying the same display sequence in
both types today. With the same power
available, the Hurricane is more inclined to
lose speed (energy) if it is hauled around the
sky, while the Spitfire retains speed in the
same maneuvers. In a prolonged, turning
fight, the Hurricane pilot would therefore
be more likely to find himself relying on the
minimum radius turn, rather than having
sufficient energy to achieve a high rate of
turn. This would make him more defensive
and less offensively capable.
The Bf 109’s design compensated to some
degree for its high wing loading, as it was
fitted with automatic slats on the outer
half of the wing leading edges. At high
angles of attack, and usually at low speeds
or under high-G loads, these popped out
(sometimes with quite a bang and some
resultant aileron snatching) to restore the
airflow over the wing. This delayed the stall
This Bf 109E Emil was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 51 during the Battle of Britain and piloted by 27-year-old
Eduard Hemmerling, a veteran of combat in France. On July 29, 1940, during an air battle over Dover, Hemmerling
earned his third victory in combat, but his own aircraft was mortally damaged, and he turned towards home. The
Bf 109 crashed off the coast of Cap Blanc-Nez and Hemmerling was killed. In 1988, the Bf 109 was excavated and
moved to England for reconstruction and restoration to flying condition. It joined the Flying Heritage & Combat
Armor Museum in Washington State in 2007. (Photo by John Dibbs/Facebook.com/theplanepicture)

Performance data for the principal single-engine fighters of the BatTle of Britain*
Hurricane 1** Spitfire 1*** Bf 109E-3
Engine Power 1,030hp (RR Merlin III) 1,030hp (RR Merlin III) 1,150hp (DB 601)
Weight Loaded (pounds) 6,600 lb. 6,000 lb. 5,600 lb.
Initial Climb Rate (feet per minute) 2,240 fpm 2,800 fpm 3,100 fpm
(reducing above 15,000 ft.)
Time to 20,000 ft. 8.5 minutes 7.5 minutes 7 minutes
Service Ceiling 33,000 ft. 34,700 ft. 36,000 ft.
Maximum Level Speed 325 mph 350 mph 350 mph
Wing Area (square feet) 257.5 sq ft 242 sq. ft. 174 sq. ft.
Wing Loading (pounds/square feet) 25 lb./sq. ft. 25 lb./sq. ft. 32 lb./sq. ft.
Maximum Roll Rate (degrees/second) 90 deg./sec. at 200 mph 95 deg./sec. at 225 mph 105 deg./sec. at 250 mph
Maximum Turn Rate (degrees/second) 26 deg./sec. 26 deg./sec. 24 deg./sec.
Minimum Turn Radius (feet) 600 ft. 700 ft. 880 ft.
(Full throttle at 12,000 ft.)

*Figures are for “average” operational aircraft

** The Hurricane Mk IIA began to enter squadron service in August 1940, equipped with a RR Merlin XX delivering 1,185hp and giving it a
maximum speed of 342 mph, initial climb rate of 2,380fpm, and 35,000ft ceiling.
*** Data for Spitfire 1a with Rotol constant speed propeller and laminated “bullet-proof” windscreen. Deliveries of the Spitfire IIa began in
June 1940. Equipped with a RR Merlin XII delivering 1,175hp, the Spitfire II’s initial climb rate was 2,600 fpm and its maximum speed was
370 mph.

July/August 2021 13
Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 R4118 is a Battle of Britain
survivor that flew 49 sorties during the Battle with 605
Squadron from Croydon, wearing the code letters UP-W.
It was credited with shooting down or damaging five
enemy aircraft before itself being damaged in combat
on October 22, 1940 and moved out of the front line for
repair. (Photo by John Dibbs/Facebook.com/
theplanepicture)

“The Hurricane was very stable but

at the same time maneuverable.
If you didn’t want it to turn, it was
absolutely rock stable. If you did turn,
it was very maneuverable.”
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley Norris, GCB
DSO OBE FRSA (3 Squadron Hurricanes)

pilot report gg Hawker HurRicane

The Hurricane is an aircraft that feels strong, robust, and rugged; it inspires
confidence in the pilot. It is an extremely stable aircraft, and it is easy
to understand why wartime pilots said it was a good gun platform. That
stability means that larger control inputs are needed to get the Hurricane
moving, compared with other aircraft I have flown. The control forces
are lighter in roll than in pitch, except at higher speeds when the ailerons
become quite heavy. However, the roll rate is rather sluggish. When flying
air displays in the Hurricane, I routinely flew with both hands on the control
column “spade grip.”
When it comes to landing the Hurricane, lowering the flaps causes
a pronounced nose-down change of trim and, as the pitch control is
relatively sluggish and heavy, you need to be ready to catch it and add a
significant amount of nose-up trim with the large wooden elevator trim
wheel. Approaches to land are best flown more steeply than modern
aircraft, probably about a four-degree approach angle, with a trickle of
power applied and nicely trimmed, using the “crab” technique if there is a
crosswind. It is wise to avoid closing the throttle too briskly in the landing
flare, as that causes the nose to drop sharply, which will result in a bounce,
something that the Hurricane is prone to. When all three wheels are on the
ground, the Hurricane is relatively easy to keep straight, using the correct
techniques of large pre-emptive rudder inputs, and the view forward over
the sloping nose is quite good. —Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.)
and allowed the pilot to pull harder into a clear winner, but the Spitfire has the edge
turn, albeit at the cost of some speed due to over the other two fighters as not only did it
the increased drag. However, the superior turn very well, but it would also maintain its “The Hurricane
turning capabilities of the British fighters energy better. remained rock
meant that Bf 109 pilots were best advised steady when
not to get into a prolonged turning fight Stability vs. Agility you fired. The
with either the Hurricane or the Spitfire. The The Hurricane’s stability is famed and is Spitfire was
German pilots’ best option was to use “hit usually mentioned in commending the less steady
and run” tactics, diving down with superior aircraft as a steady gun platform. However, when the guns
energy, hoping to attack unseen, then if stability and agility are effective opposites were firing
spotted and if an attack was spoiled by the in terms of aircraft design and handling. The because, I have
British fighter’s break turn, to disengage, Hurricane is as steady as a rock if the pilot always thought,
zoom back up or continue diving away with does not make any control inputs to alter they were
the extra starting speed. Such tactics were the status quo. However, if the Hurricane spread further
extremely effective in the early stages pilot wants to maneuver his aircraft rapidly along the wing,
of the Battle, when the German fighters in a dynamic environment, such as aerial and the recoil
roamed ahead and above their bombers as combat, this takes more doing and it effect was
a fighter sweep. When the German fighter requires relatively large control inputs to get noticeable.”
Group Captain Douglas
pilots were ordered to provide their bombers the Hurricane moving. Bader, CBE DSO and
with close escort, their tactical freedom was The Spitfire is neutrally stable about Bar DFC and Bar (19
curtailed. They were less able to utilize the all axes, the control forces are light even & 222 Squadrons
strengths of their own aircraft and instead at high speeds, the controls are sensitive Spitfires and 242
played into the hands of the RAF pilots. and the aircraft is extremely responsive. Squadron Hurricanes)
In these hard-turning regimes there is no The Spitfire will maintain a flying attitude

“About as exciting as it
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BATTLE OF BRITAIN’S BEST FIGHTER

with hands and feet off, but the pilot can
quickly and effortlessly initiate dynamic
maneuvers. This is what makes the Spitfire
such a delight to fly – virtual fingertip
control throughout the flight regime – and
the reason why anyone who has flown one
loves the feel of it, and everyone who has
read about it wants to experience it.
These differences in the control responses
between the Hurricane and the Spitfire
actually have little bearing on either
aircraft’s ability or performance in combat,
but the Spitfire pilot may well feel more in
control and better able to maneuver rapidly.
The Bf109 was rather too stable
longitudinally for a fighter and at high
speeds its maneuverability was seriously
compromised by the heaviness of its
controls. Above 300mph the 109 pilot really
needed two hands to move the control
column and pulling out of a steep high-
speed dive was difficult. Even with a pilot
using all his strength, the aircraft was only
capable of pulling about +5G at high speed.
Stalling
The stalling characteristics of the Spitfire
and the Hurricane differ markedly, and
these qualities could affect the confidence
that pilots had in flying their aircraft to the
limits.
The Spitfire’s beautiful ellipsoidal
wingtips are as close to an optimum
aerodynamic design as you can get for
the speed regime in which it operated.
This wing shape generates the least lift-
induced drag by minimizing the wing tip
vortices. This is one of the principal reasons
why the Spitfire generates less drag than
the Hurricane when turning hard. Also,

Opposite page: Spitfire IIa

P7350 of the RAF Battle

The BatTle of Britain of Britain Memorial Flight

is the only Spitfire that
fought in the Battle of
Britain in 1940 and is still
In 1940, Britain stood alone as a last bastion of freedom against the German Third Reich, which had flying today. It flew with
266 and 603 Squadrons
overwhelmed and occupied virtually all of Europe and now threatened to invade the British Isles. during the Battle and
The Luftwaffe needed to destroy the Royal Air Force for the invasion to go ahead, and air crash-landed, wheels-up,
after being shot down by
superiority was key to the German plan.
a Bf 109 on October 25,
The Battle of Britain is deemed by historians to have been fought between July 10 and October 1940. It is now painted
31, 1940. At the start of the Battle, the German Luftwaffe fielded approximately 2,600 aircraft (two to represent the Spitfire
flown during the Battle
thirds of them bombers) that could be used against Britain. Opposing them, RAF Fighter Command by the New Zealand RAF
had 640 aircraft. fighter ace Al Deere, with
54 Squadron, with his
At the end of the Battle, 2,936 British and Allied RAF airmen were awarded the Battle of Britain personal Kiwi emblem on
clasp for having flown at least one authorized sortie with an accredited unit of RAF Fighter Command the fuselage sides. (Photo
by John Dibbs/Facebook.
during the period of the Battle. Of these airmen, 2,340 were British; the others came from Australia, com/theplanepicture)
Barbados, Belgium, Canada (112), Czechoslovakia (88), Falkland Islands, France, Ireland, Jamaica, New
Zealand, Palestine, Poland (145), Rhodesia, South Africa, and the United States.
The RAF lost 1,087 aircraft during the Battle, including 601 Hurricanes and 357 Spitfires; the
Luftwaffe lost 1,652 aircraft.
Five hundred and thirty-seven RAF pilots and aircrew were killed or mortally wounded during the
Battle (about one in six of those who fought), of whom 449 were fighter pilots.
The Luftwaffe lost an estimated 2,600 aircrew during the Battle.
September 15, 1940—a day now celebrated as Battle of Britain Day—was a turning point in the
Battle. Two days later, Hitler cancelled the planned invasion and Britain survived to become the
launch platform for the subsequent offensive against the Nazi regime, which led to ultimate victory
for the Allies in 1945.
The Battle of Britain truly was a momentous, epic, and world-changing event that is rightly
remembered and commemorated annually.
(Note: Sources vary considerably; the figures stated reflect modern research and are considered
the most accurate.)

16 FlightJournal.com
 pilot report gg Supermarine Spitfire
The Spitfire is the finest handling aircraft it is
possible to imagine. It takes skill and finesse to fly
it well, but as soon as you’re “hooked up” with it, the
result is infinitely satisfying. You just think about
what it is you want to do, pitch or roll, bank, turn or
climb, and with the slightest touch on the controls
you’re doing it. The Spitfire is so agile and pitches
and rolls so rapidly that it is just wonderful to fly.
Being considerably lighter and less “draggy” than
the Hurricane, the Spitfire is the livelier of the two
with the same engine power set.

The Spitfire is virtually viceless in the air; it tells

the pilot when he is doing something wrong and has
no unpleasant handling characteristics at all. If you
pull too hard in a turn with the speed too low, it will
buffet and then, when the wing roots begin to stall
and the wings lose lift, it just “mushes,” which you
can feel, but it is still quite controllable.
However, throughout the joyful experience of
flying a Spitfire there is the nagging concern that
you are going to have to land it at the end of the
sortie! That is when the aircraft’s vices will come
to the fore and it will bite the unwary, or any
pilot who does not give it sufficient respect.
On the runway after landing, the narrow-track
undercarriage does not aid the Spitfire in
running straight. Meanwhile, the relatively
small fin and rudder, especially on the
early-mark Spitfires, do not endow the
aircraft with much directional control.
After touchdown, a Spitfire can be
totally unpredictable, and it can quite
unexpectedly veer off in any direction it
cares to take. The landing roll requires
great attention by the pilot, applying
“The Spitfire was a useful aircraft in that instant, rapid, and positive corrections
an idiot could fly it. The Spitfire used to with the rudder and the ailerons to keep
glide down when it stalled; it didn’t drop a it under control, otherwise a ground
loop or worse is a likely outcome.
wing. The Hurricane did.”
Meanwhile, you cannot see where you
Squadron Leader Gerald “Stapme” Stapleton, DFC (Dutch)
are going over the Spitfire’s long nose!
(32 Squadron Hurricanes and 603 Squadron Spitfires)
—Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.)
“The pilot’s forward visibility from the Hurricane was
considerably better than in the Spit, because the nose sloped
downwards more steeply from the cockpit to the spinner.
This, of course, gave much better shooting conditions.”
Wing Commander Bob Stanford Tuck, DSO DFC and three Bars AFC (65 & 92 Squadron
Spitfires and 257 Squadron Hurricanes)
Representing the two main fighter aircraft
types operated by the RAF during the Battle
of Britain, the BBMF’s Hurricane LF363 and
Spitfire P7350 break away from the camera
ship, displaying the very different wing shapes
and planforms of the two types. (Photo by John
Dibbs/Facebook.com/theplanepicture)
when the wing roots of the Spitfire have
stalled, the wingtips will still be flying quite
happily, and the ailerons provide good roll
control even at the stall. The Spitfire gives
its pilot good warning of an impending stall,
then there is a loss of lift and a “mushing”
sensation in a turn, but with no tendency to
drop a wing or to flick. The stall in a Spitfire,
even in a hard turn, is completely benign,
and the aircraft can easily be flown to its
limit and at its optimum angle of attack with
great confidence. In the air, the Spitfire is
totally forgiving of any over-enthusiasm by
the pilot. The Spitfire is much the nicer of the
two aircraft in this respect.
The Hurricane, on the other hand, gives
its pilot less warning of the approaching
stall and will invariably drop a wing if fully
stalled. In a tight turn, this might lead to
the Hurricane “flicking” if the pilot pulls too
hard.
Similar to the Spitfire, the Bf 109 had
benign characteristics in a high-speed stall.
It gave the pilot plenty of warning, with a
wide buffet margin approaching the stall.
It would not normally drop a wing, flick, or
depart into a spin unless it was mishandled
or out of balance. Experienced 109 pilots
were, therefore, able to fly their aircraft to
the limits with confidence.
Armament and gunnery
During the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane
and the Spitfire shared identical armament
of eight .303 Browning machine guns. To
be effective, these rifle-caliber weapons
had to be close to the target, ideally 200
yards or less. (The experiments with 20mm
cannons on the Spitfire were not successful
until after the Battle.) The pilots of both
RAF fighters had a similar amount of firing
time (16 seconds in a Spitfire; 17 seconds
in a Hurricane). The Bf 109E was equipped
with cannons as well as machine guns and
this armament could make its firepower
devastating against the British fighters.
The weight of fire from a three second burst
of gunfire from the Hurricane or Spitfire
was 10 pounds, whereas for the Bf 109,
with cannons and machine guns, it was 18
pounds.
Every pilot who flew the Hurricane said
it was an excellent gun platform, not least
July/August 2021 19
BATTLE OF BRITAIN’S BEST FIGHTER
A Spitfire 1 of 19 Sqn
being re-armed and
turned round at Fowlmere
during the Battle of Britain
in 1940. The torn fabric
patches on the gun ports
show that the Spitfire’s
eight 0.303-inch machine
guns have been fired,
making the arrangement
of the guns, spread out
along the thin wings,
clearly visible.
because of its rock-steady stability. In
addition, the Hurricane’s sturdy wings
provided solid bracing for the guns, which
were mounted in twin batteries of four,
closely grouped together in each wing
and as close to the fuselage as possible
while clearing the propeller. The view from
the Hurricane cockpit, over the aircraft’s
slightly sloping nose, is better than that over
the long, straight nose of the Spitfire, so a
Hurricane pilot could pull more lead when
taking a deflection shot without losing the
intended target under the nose.
Because of its thin wing, the Spitfire’s
machine guns had to be spread out along
the wing, with the outboard gun a third of
the way in from the wing tip, then a group
of two and an inboard gun on each side. The
wings would flex in turbulence or when
pulling G, so the guns could be slightly out of
line from their ground harmonization when
they were fired, making them less accurate,
especially over range.
Survivability
By the time the Battle of Britain occurred,
all three aircraft had armor plating that
provided the pilots with similar levels of
protection. With its rugged construction,
the Hurricane could absorb an enormous
amount of punishment and still get its pilot
home. This was not so true of the rather
more delicate Spitfire, nor of the Bf 109.
All three single-engine fighters suffered
from weak or critical points which, if hit by
enemy gunfire, would bring powered flight
to a rapid and premature end. Principal
among these were the radiators and cooling
systems, which were easily damaged and
without which the liquid-cooled engines
would not run for long.
Of most concern to the pilots was the
possibility of catching fire, and many RAF
pilots were terribly burned before they
could get out of their cockpits. The fuel
tanks in the Spitfire were in the nose, ahead
of the pilot and behind the engine. The
Hurricane had a fuel tank in each wing and
a reserve fuel tank in the nose, ahead of
the pilot and above his feet on the rudder
pedals. It was not until September 1940 that
the Spitfire and Hurricane started to get
“self-sealing” fuel tanks, but, in any case,
these were not effective against cannon
shells that would rupture the tanks, causing
an explosion and fire that could rapidly
spread into the cockpit. When the pilot
opened the canopy to bail out, this drew the
flames further into the cockpit. While fire
was an equal concern for pilots of both the
Spitfire and the Hurricane, the positioning
of the Hurricane’s reserve tank above the
pilot’s feet was perhaps the least desirable.
The Bf 109 had an L-shaped fuel tank
behind the cockpit armor and underneath
the pilot’s seat. Although sitting on the
fuel tank might seem less than ideal, the
layout proved to be robust; only a cannon
shell could penetrate the armor to cause an
explosion, and then the flames were behind
the pilot and blown rearward by the airflow.
Bailing out of each of the three aircraft
 “An exceptionally sturdy aircraft, the Hurricane never let me down, and how my aircraft stayed
together after Adolf Galland’s assault on me in 1940, with 132 machine gun rounds and 64 cannon
shells, is a mystery to me.”
Squadron Leader Pat Wells, DSO (249 Squadron Hurricanes)
types was relatively straightforward, with
no indication that it was easier or more
likely to be successful from any one of them.
At this stage of the war, however, only the Bf
109 had a canopy that could be jettisoned.
One important aspect of survivability
was landing! The Hurricane had a distinct
advantage over both the Spitfire and the Bf
109 because of the relative ease with which
it could be landed. The view over the nose of
the Hurricane makes it easier to see ahead
on the approach to land. Its wide, sturdy
undercarriage, coupled with effective rudder
control when the tail is down, gives much
better directional stability and control on
the ground. The Hurricane was, therefore,
far better suited to rough landing strips and
landing in less-than-ideal circumstances.
On the other hand, the Spitfire’s narrow-
track undercarriage does not assist the
aircraft to run straight on the ground, and its
relatively small fin and rudder do not endow
it with great directional control—especially
once the tail wheel is on the ground and
the nose and fuselage are blanking the tail.
Where the Spitfire is forgiving of its pilot in
the air, the Hurricane is more forgiving on
landing. In this respect, the Bf 109 was by
far the worst of the three types, earning a
notorious reputation for landing accidents,
which resulted in some 10 percent of Bf 109
losses.
Statistics
Statistics from modern research indicate
that the 19 Spitfire squadrons operating
during the Battle of Britain should be
credited with 521 victories (an average
of slightly over 27 per squadron) and a
victory-to-loss ratio of 1.8:1. In comparison,
the 30 fully engaged Hurricane squadrons
are credited with 655 victories (an average
of just fewer than 22 per squadron) and
victory-to-loss ratio of 1.34:1.
On the basis of the statistics alone,
therefore, the Spitfire has a slight edge. We
know that the German Bf 109 fighter pilots
feared the Spitfire most and they that they
would not fall victim to a Hurricane’s guns,
although, of course, many did.
Hurricane or Spitfire?
The question of whether the Hurricane or
the Spitfire was the best Battle of Britain Hawker Hurricane Mk
1 P3886 UF-K of 601
fighter does not have a definitive answer. Squadron is serviced in a
Each aircraft has its advantages and its dispersal at Exeter during
the Battle of Britain in
disadvantages. Each was created under a 1940. The thick wing sec-
completely different set of circumstances tion is clearly visible.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN’S BEST FIGHTER
and they came from totally different
backgrounds and antecedents; they could
not, in fact, have been more different from
one another.
What is clear is that within the context of
the Battle of Britain and using the yardstick
of the Bf 109E as the most capable opponent
they had to face, the advantages and
disadvantages of each were not particularly
significant and tended to balance each other
out. Both aircraft were equally capable
fighters in the combat environment they
faced during the Battle, and they both
played a decisive and equally vital role in the
eventual victory.
With the benefit of having flown both
Hurricanes and Spitfires, which would I have
chosen if my time as a RAF fighter pilot had
started 33 years earlier than it did? I would,
I am sure, have felt quite confident going
into combat in a Hurricane during the Battle
of Britain. That said, if I had the choice, I
would choose the Spitfire—not that anyone
was given a choice. As one Battle of Britain
veteran said to me when I asked him this
question, “The Hurricane was alright until
you flew a Spitfire!” There were, however,
a few fighter pilots during the Battle who
flew Spitfires first and then transitioned to
Hurricanes, usually without complaint.
The bottom line
More telling than attempting to differentiate
between the advantages and disadvantages
of the Hurricane and the Spitfire is the
conclusion that during the Battle of Britain,
RAF fighter pilots did not have fighter
aircraft that were vastly superior to the
opposition.
I have suggested that there are three
tangibles that could affect the outcome of
aerial combat: superior equipment, tactics,
and training/experience. Not only was there
not a significant advantage in equipment,
but also there were no advantages with the
other two factors.
RAF combat tactics were outdated
when the Battle began, although they
steadily improved. The initial tight and rigid
formations flown by Fighter Command, with
elements of three aircraft in a “Vic” and
line-astern formations, were a hangover
from peacetime training and meant that
22 FlightJournal.com
most of the pilots in the formation were
concentrating on station keeping rather
than looking out to avoid being bounced.
The Germans, meanwhile, started the
Battle well with their more flexible and
maneuverable tactical formations and by
working to their strengths by sweeping
ahead and above the bombers. They lost
their tactical advantage when they were
tied to providing close escorts to the
bombers.
The pilots on both sides were trained to
similar standards, although many of the
German pilots had more combat experience.
Even young RAF fighter pilots, who were
famously thrown into Battle with very few
flying hours on Spitfires or Hurricanes, had
typically received 150 hours or more of
previous flying training of a high standard.
The RAF fighter pilots were in many cases
short of combat experience compared
with the Luftwaffe pilots, but if they lived
through the first few fights this was quickly
rectified.
So, if the RAF pilots did not have a
particular advantage over the Germans in
equipment, tactics, or training/experience,
how did Britain win the Battle of Britain? It
leaves only the conclusion that the real key
to victory lay in the RAF pilots themselves.
Their character and determination, their
aggression, courage, and sheer fighting
spirit, all those intangible aspects that I
earlier suggested ought perhaps not to be
relied upon for guaranteed victory, were
perhaps the deciding factor. It really was a
close-run thing! 
BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL FLIGHT
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is an
established unit of the Royal Air Force, funded by
the Ministry of Defence, with a commemorative
role. The BBMF operates an Avro Lancaster PA474,
a Douglas C-47 Dakota, six Supermarine Spitfires of
varying marks, two Hawker Hurricanes, and two de
Havilland Chipmunk trainers from its base at RAF
Coningsby in Lincolnshire, England.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Q RAF BBMF: raf.mod.uk/bbmf; Facebook.com/
BBMF.Official; Instagram @raf_bbmf_official;
Twitter @RAFBBMF
Q RAF Memorial Flight Official Club:
memorialflightclub.com
Q BBMF Visitor Centre: lincolnshire.gov.uk/bbmfewf
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FLYING
THE

Luftwaffe ace Hans-Ekkehard Bob

recounts his experiences

During the Battle of Britain, the Hawker Hurricane was the main RAF fighter
that helped to hold off the German aerial attacks. Here, Bf 109E pilot John
Romain is flying formation with Hurricane pilot Alan Walker. This 109 was
actually flown in the Battle of Britain by Hans-Joachim Marseille.
 BY NICHOLAS WRIGHT | PHOTO BY JOHN DIBBS/PLANE PICTURE.COM

BETWEEN 1938 AND 1945, Hans-Ekkehard Bob flew more than 2,000 missions in
Messerschmitt 109s, at least half of them in combat. He served in almost every major
campaign from the invasion of Poland and the Battle of Britain to the Russian campaign
and the final defense of Germany. He notched up an impressive 60 aerial victories,
including one by ramming. He was shot down behind Russian lines, awarded the Knight’s
Cross by Hermann Göring and capped his impressive military service by joining the small
group of élite pilots who flew the world’s first jet aircraft, the Me 262, in the waning days of
the War. It is sobering to think that when he returned to civilian life he was only 28.
FLYING THE BF 109 IN COMBAT

The start of the War return individually and low on fuel. Bob
While Bob and his classmates were busy just managed to reach Rostken. Others
training, the political situation in Europe were not as lucky: the Group registered six
steadily worsened. Making good on his losses that day owing to Verfranzen—loss
promise to tear of orientation. It made little difference: the
up the Treaty Polish Air Force was quickly subdued and
of Versailles, Poland itself capitulated within 16 days.
Adolf Hitler had
re-militarized War in the West and the
the Rhineland, defeat of France
forced the Following the defeat of Poland, Bob’s unit
Czechoslovakian was transferred to Mönchengladbach
government to in western Germany, where they were
surrender the given brand-new Bf 109Es and were
Sudetenland officially redesignated “III/JG54”—
and was making part of the legendary Green Hearts
bellicose noises (Grünherzgeschwader). On May 10, 1940, the
toward Poland. “Phoney War” with France and Britain came
This time, however, to an end. At 10:33 a.m. on that day, Bob
the international scored his first victory—against a Belgian
community at last Gloster Gladiator. Then, on May 26, came a
seemed ready to call memorable encounter with a French Curtiss
his bluff. P-36. While his 109 was faster, the P-36
In the spring of was more maneuverable. The clash began
1939, Bob was at around 12,000 feet, and after 20 minutes
transferred to East of relentless curving, they were almost
Prussia to help set down to ground level. Bob then tried a ruse.
up a new fighter Pretending to abandon the pursuit, he flew
Hans-Ekkehard Bob was group, I/JG21, equipped with Bf 109Cs and away and the P-36 headed in the opposite
a 60-victory ace when he Ds. He accepted the posting with a heavy direction. After a few minutes, Bob turned
flew for the Luftwaffe
during WW II. heart; his new home at Gutenfeld, near around, quickly caught up with the
the former royal city of Königsberg, was a unsuspecting fighter and shot it down:
world away from his native Black Forest. “I then did something completely
Later, however, when his former unit was forbidden and landed [near the crashed
decimated during the campaign against P-36]. I pulled [the pilot] out of the machine;
Britain, he regarded the move as having he’d been hit in the knee. Then, along came
saved his life. some German soldiers. I ordered them to
In July, I/JG21 began to prepare for an take him first to the airfield and then to the
unspecified mission. On August 31, his military hospital. When you have a victory,
Staffel (squadron) was transferred to an you have to have a witness, you see. When
advanced airfield at Rostken. At the mission I got back to base, I reported to the CO, ‘I
briefing that evening, they were ordered to scored a victory.’ ‘Do you have a witness?’ I
enter Polish airspace at 0335 on September said, ‘Sir, the witness is on the way now. The
1 and destroy any Polish air forces they guy I shot down can report himself that I
met. What proved to be the opening of WW shot him down!’ It was very funny.”
II was an anticlimax, as they encountered Afterward, Bob kept a promise he had
none. made to the P-36 pilot—a French sergeant—
Bob, however, had his first taste of aerial and sent a postcard to his family to inform
combat later that day. Escorting a force them of his whereabouts. Although he
of He 111s to Warsaw, his Group—some never knew whether it arrived, after the
30 109s—encountered 20 to 30 Polish War, he did find out that the sergeant had
PZL 43s. The resulting dogfight scattered managed to return home safely.
the German planes and forced them to During this campaign, the 109 pilots took

26 FlightJournal.com
advantage of their superior speed to mount
surprise attacks on the enemy. The tactic
proved highly successful, and within a
short time, the French Air Force had been
wiped out. The Luftwaffe turned next to the
remaining British forces, now in a headlong
retreat to the Channel port of Dunkirk. There
were fierce encounters with the RAF, and
Bob describes them as being a “trial by fire.”
But German military might was dominant,
and before long, the British were beaten
back to their side of the Channel.
The Battle of Britain
With everyone in Britain now awaiting
an invasion, the Luftwaffe was ordered
to destroy the RAF. Bob’s unit moved to
an airfield at Guines-South, near Calais,
from where they conducted fighter sweeps
and escorted bombing raids on strategic
AS HE ACCELERATED PAST THE BOMBER AND PREPARED
TO PULL AWAY, HIS COCKPIT SUDDENLY WENT SILENT. HIS
ENGINE HAD BEEN KNOCKED OUT BY A DIRECT HIT.
targets in southern England. The raids
quickly brought British aircraft production
to its knees and caused the RAF to suffer
potentially crippling shortages. At one point,
unbeknown to the Germans, RAF Fighter
Command had committed every available
pilot and plane and had nothing in reserve.
It was a grueling campaign, nonetheless.
The pilots were kept in a constant state of
readiness, in full flight gear from dawn until
dusk, and stand-down days were very
seldom. In the air, the frequently atrocious
weather meant a great deal of flight time
and, more important, fuel was expended
simply trying to rendezvous with the
bomber formations. At this stage, the
109s had sufficient fuel for only 1.2 hours
of flying—barely enough for a roundtrip
on longer escort missions. This left them
vulnerable to any delay, especially in
combat when their engines were at
maximum performance and fuel tanks
quickly emptied. On the return trip, pilots
were often forced to ditch in the Channel or
make a belly-landing near the French coast.
Although the Luftwaffe mounted wave
after wave of attacks, Bob is quick to dispute
the significance of August 13, 1940, or
Eagle Day (Adlertag), when they flew more
than 1,800 sorties. Regarded by many as
the high-water mark for the German air
offensive, he recalls that it was a day like
any other. He is proud, though, that
the fighter pilots made a distinction
between man and machine:
“While over the Channel during the Battle
of Britain, I knew that we were not fighting
the pilots, only their planes. One time, when
a British pilot was shot down, we gave him
a big welcome and took him to our canteen
and ate and drank with him.” The British
were still able to spring some surprises,
however. One day, while escorting a
bombing mission, Bob’s group was flying
between two thick layers of cloud, which
was supposedly ideal cover. Suddenly, a
large force of Spitfires ambushed them from
behind. The Germans could not understand
how the enemy had been able to sneak up
undetected. Only later did they discover
that they had been intercepted using a new
device: radar. Crucially, it allowed Fighter
Command to pick and choose its battles and
to prevent their forces from being bled dry.
On one occasion, Bob’s luck came close
to running out. It is a testament to his skill
that his response was adopted as a standard
tactic. Attacked by Hurricanes at 12,000 feet
above England and 60 miles from France, his
cooling system was hit and his engine
threatened to burn out. At that distance, he
was too far to try to glide back: the 109 could
manage only 7.4 miles for every 3,000
feet of altitude, so he would wind up in the
Channel. Instead, he allowed the engine to
cool off in idle before switching it back to
full power and climbing as high as he could
before it again overheated. Repeating this
“stepped flying” procedure, he made it as far
as Calais, where he crash-landed safely on
the beach. Thereafter, this was known as
“bobbing.”
July/August 2021 27
FLYING THE BF 109 IN COMBAT
The birth of the “Jabos”
On September 7, 1940, after the RAF had
bombed Berlin, Hermann Göring made the
fateful decision to refocus the bombing
campaign on London. This allowed the
RAF vital breathing space to regroup and
regenerate. The German fighters were free
to roam over southern England, but pickings
were frugal, as the RAF had almost ceased
to go up unless bombers were detected. Bob
and his fellow fighter pilots interpreted this
as a sure sign that their enemy was on the
ropes; they didn’t understand the significant
defeat that was being steadily inflicted on
their bomber force.
Determined to draw the enemy out, they
tried a new tactic. The 109s in Bob’s Staffeln
were equipped with bomb-discharge
equipment that allowed a 250kg bomb to be
strapped to them. He flew the test flight in
what may have been the first Jagdbomber,
UNHURT, HE EXTRACTED HIMSELF FROM HIS PLANE AND
FOUND HIMSELF ALONE AND WITH A FEELING HE HAD
NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE—FEAR. IT WAS BELIEVED
THAT THE RUSSIANS WOULD TORTURE AND THEN KILL
DOWNED PILOTS.
or fighter bomber, action. As he taxied off,
many considered it a suicide mission. He
was soon in the air, however, and heading
for London’s Tilbury Docks. The tactics paid
off. Ground observers reported bombers,
but the responding fighters found only 109s.
The missions continued and forced the RAF
fighters to resume combat against their
German counterparts.
On November 11, 1940, Bob downed a
Spitfire over Margate. It was his final victory
over England and his 19th in total, and it
earned him his Knight’s Cross. Early in the
New Year, he and his unit were transferred
east as attention turned to Russia. At the
same time, the German High Command
permanently shelved plans for the invasion
of Britain. To this day, Bob maintains that
the final outcome of the Battle of Britain
was a stalemate with both sides ultimately
defeated by the weather. Whatever the
merits of his argument, he ignores the
strategic reality: this stalemate saved
Britain from invasion, and it was the first
28 FlightJournal.com
time that the German military had been
held back in battle.
The Russian campaign
On June 22, 1941, German forces launched
Operation Barbarossa—the massive assault
on the Soviet Union. Re-equipped with
brand new Bf 109Fs, Bob and his fellow
Green Hearts flew in support of Army
Group North as it advanced on Leningrad
and covered a 230-mile stretch of the front
from the Gulf of Finland in the north to
Dem’yansk in the south. The experienced
German pilots decimated the squadrons of
Soviet SB2 and SB3 bombers that attempted
to stave off the German advance. On June 30
alone, the pilots of JG54 scored 65 victories;
from July 4 to 7, they scored another 109. On
August 1, 1941, Leutnant Helmut Ostermann
scored the Green Hearts 1,000th kill.
For Bob, however, his first victory in the
campaign could have been his last. On just
the second day, June 23, he led his Staffel
against a force of nine Russian SB2s around
Kedainiai. In short order, his pilots dealt with
eight of the nine Russian planes, leaving
the leader to try to escape eastward.
Giving chase, Bob and his flight attacked
repeatedly from behind and above but
without success.
Running low on fuel, he pursued the
bomber down to about 60 feet above a wood
and managed to set the Russian on fire with
some carefully aimed shots. Then, as he
accelerated past the bomber and prepared
to pull away, his cockpit suddenly went
silent. His engine had been knocked out by
a direct hit.
Knowing that he had to land fast, Bob
couldn’t see anything around him except
forest. With seconds to spare, he eventually
spotted a clearing that was just large
enough for a belly-landing. Unhurt, he
extracted himself from his plane and found
himself alone and with a feeling he had
never experienced before—fear.
“You are now completely alone. And when
they capture you, they are going to kill you.
It was believed that the Russians would
torture and then kill downed pilots. And
with this fear, you find yourself 114 miles
behind the Russian lines. That was my worst
moment—worse even than the collision.”
It was not long before he heard dogs.
Retrieving his emergency rations from the
plane, he disappeared into the forest where
he dug a hole and lay down in it, covering
himself with leaves and branches to throw
his pursuers off. It was quite literally an
agonizing wait; no sooner had he hidden
himself than he was attacked by thousands
of mosquitoes. Late that afternoon, he heard
aero engines. Four 109s were escorting a
slower reconnaissance aircraft as it tried to
rescue him. It even attempted to land in the
clearing. Bob faced an agonizing choice: risk
capture by showing himself when there was
no certainty that the rescue plane would
even be able to take off again, or stay under
cover and try to reach safety on foot. In the
end, he stayed hidden.
When night fell, Bob headed west and
continued his lonely march for the next few
days until he heard gunfire in the distance
and realized that he was near the front. He
emerged from the forest—filthy, unshaven,
his skin badly bitten by insects—and
immediately encountered a German convoy.
Amazed soldiers gawked as this shambling
figure implored them not to shoot. He was
taken to the convoy’s commander who,
on seeing his Knight’s Cross, declared, “It
seems we have rescued a brave holder of
the Knight’s Cross and a famous pilot.” After
the strain of the previous days’ adventures,
Bob wept with relief. That night, he returned
to his unit, which arranged a celebration for
his escape. He hadn’t any time to dwell on
his experiences, though. He was back in the
air the next day, and on June 30, he scored
four victories over Duenburg.
Bob served on the Eastern Front for
another 18 months and took part in air
operations as far afield as Leningrad and
Sebastopol in the Crimea. He had to cope
with appalling weather, including winter
temperatures as low as -52 degrees
Celsius. Despite this and even though many
FLYING THE BF 109 IN COMBAT
A LITTLE HISTORY
Hans-Ekkehard Bob was born on January 24, 1917, in Freiburg, in the
Black Forest region of southwest Germany. He first flew in 1927,
when famous stunt flier Erich Haal visited his hometown and agreed
to take him and one of his
sisters up for a ride. He
took off that day in Haal’s
Raab-Katzenstein biplane
with three cushions stuffed
under him to prevent him
from falling out of the
safety harness. It was
a pivotal experience for
the young Bob. From that
moment, he could think Hans-Ekkehard
and an oil paint-
only of becoming a pilot. ing that shows
him during
INTO THE LUFTWAFFE his Luftwaffe
service.
He began his career with
the Luftwaffe on December
1, 1936, and quickly distinguished himself by becoming the first
in his year to fly solo after just 17 training flights. Not all his fellow
cadets were so successful. One was the future Oberst Hans-Ulrich
Rudel, who later destroyed more than 500 tanks and earned
Germany’s highest wartime decoration, the Knight’s Cross with
Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the time, however, Bob
recalls the trouble Rudel had simply completing his flight training:
“... He just couldn’t do it. They wanted to send him to a flak unit.
They thought he wouldn’t be able to manage it. And, finally, after he
had completed about 100 training flights, he was able to fly solo. In
the end, he was probably the most famous flier in the world!”
After earning his military pilot’s license, Bob started his fighter-
pilot training in the middle of 1938 under the command of Hubertus
von Bonin, who had recently returned from service with the Condor
Legion in Spain and who went on to command the JG 54 Green
Hearts squadron during the War. Flying Arado 68 biplanes, students
mastered the skills required of a fighter pilot: formation flying and
the art of curving without losing height. The latter was essential in
combat, for he who lost height wouldn’t stand a chance. But for Bob,
the most important lesson was what made a true combat flier: “The
fighter pilot needed a special disposition, I mean, ‘fighting spirit.’
They are temperamental, fly tremendously fast and have really
mastered their machine.”
This was the secret to his later success. He did not simply fly
well.
During the years that followed, he totally mastered his aircraft
and made it an extension of himself. And he is in no doubt as to its
superiority over all rivals, including the Spitfire:
“I flew the 109 almost 2,000 times. For me, there’s nothing
better, and of course, there’s always this rivalry between the 109
and the Spitfire. And I am often asked: which plane I think is better.
I tell them I shot down 10 Spitfires, and that’s my answer.”
30 FlightJournal.com
preferred the more robust Fw 190, he never
once lost faith in the 109. For Bob, comparing
the two was like comparing a stallion to a
farm horse:
“When you are in Russia with these
conditions—everything was mud and dirt
and stuff—naturally, you can do more
with a farm horse than a racehorse. Yes,
the Focke-Wulf was ideal in this dirt. But
nevertheless....”
His faith and skill were rewarded. By the
time he and his unit were transferred to the
West at the beginning of 1943, he had a tally
of 56 victories.
The rest of the War
Bob’s remaining wartime service deserves
an article in its own right. In 1944, he joined
the élite Replacement Fighter Squadron 2.
There, he was initially tasked with testing
the Me 163, the world’s first rocket-
powered plane. Shortages of fuel forced
his reassignment; he was to test the Me
262, the first jet-powered plane. His delight
with the new aircraft was as great as the
frustration all the pilots felt at the ineptitude
and disorganization that prevented the jet’s
effective production and use:
“We had about 50 [Me 262s]; for the
Americans, that was nothing, but for us,
it was a lot. But just compare them: the
Americans were sending 1,000-plane
bombing missions, and then along came
four Me 262s. They must have laughed. If we
managed to shoot three or four bombers
down, we were happy. We attacked 1,000
bombers with four planes!”
Bob fought with distinction and is proud
of his service, but he is scathing of the
German High Command and its approach to
the War. Even now, his words strike a chord:
“It was a real pig’s ear. And from the start,
this war was nothing but improvisation.
When I don’t have enough [of what I need], I
don’t start a war. And we junior officers
were left in the shit.” 
Hans-Ekkehard Bob’s book “Betrayed
Ideals: Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Ace”
is available from Cerberus Publishing.
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Bad-to-the-bone B-1B bomber
TEXT & PHOTOS BY TED CARLSON/FOTODYNAMICS.COM

The first of four B-1A bomber prototypes blazed into the wild blue yonder in De-
cember of 1974. Initially designed for low-level penetration at a blistering Mach
2, the B-1A was ultimately canceled due to budget constraints. President Reagan
later resurrected the program and the B-1B was born, with the first production
aircraft flying in October 1984. Let’s fast forward to 46 years later and explore the
 A pair of Boeing B-1B Lancers of the
28th BW/37th BS Tigers and the 28th
BW/34th BS T-Birds fly past Devil’s Tower
National Monument, Wyoming during a
training sortie. The B-1 was designed to
perform exceptionally well at low level
missions, and it indeed does that.

B-1B of today; it’s a much-evolved animal. Although the official USAF aircraft
name is the “Lancer,” it is more commonly referred to as the “Bone” within the
community, a product of “B + one.” Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, is home
to the 28th Bomb Wing consisting of two operational combat B-1B squadrons, the
34th Bomb Squadron (BS) Thunderbirds and the 37th BS Tigers.
LETHAL LANCER
Lancer pilots fire up a Bone and proceed through the startup checklist via the challenge and response method. This aircraft has the SB16 upgrade that
includes a hybrid glass cockpit with large displays. Before takeoff, all crew members will adorn their helmets.
The B-1Bs were previously Air Combat
Command assets but now fall under the
Global Strike Command (GSC) umbrella.
THE CREW Prior to the realignment, the nuclear-
CONSISTS OF
capable bombers were already GSC assets.
It was deemed to be more efficient to have
FOUR: A PILOT, all bombers (long-range strike aircraft)
CO-PILOT, AND report and be aligned to a single, centrally
TWO WEAPON
managed parent organization, regardless
of whether the aircraft have a nuclear
SYSTEMS capability or not. The B-1, B-2, and B-52 all
OFFICERS have functional strengths and weaknesses,
(WSOS) so employment can be custom-tailored to fit
the mission at hand.
SITUATED AFT
OF THE PILOTS. Bone Evolution
The 1980’s-vintage B-1Bs remain a viable
and lethal asset in today’s sophisticated
warfighting arena. While the Bone no
longer has a nuclear role (a result of a
treaty with Russia), the aircraft have a low-
level capability superior to other aircraft.
They can also deliver the goods from high
34 FlightJournal.com
altitude and from far standoff distances. To
achieve the ultimate weapon delivery goal
per mission requirements, the B-1B can be
configured with a mix of specialty weapons
designed for various niches and roles. The
list of weapons that can be carried is quite
extensive.
The crew consists of four: a pilot, co-pilot,
and two Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs)
situated aft of the pilots. The Defensive
Systems Officer resides on the left side,
while the Offensive Systems Officer crews
the right.
One of the latest B-1B modifications
was the Sustainment Block 16 (SB16). This
was a robust upgrade that included new
avionics, added multi-function displays,
and enhanced the jet’s Link 16 capability.
Although the upgrade didn’t change aircraft
performance, it makes the job much easier
for the crew, greatly minimizing crew
tasking. This allows the crew to focus on
more important events during a mission
Situated behind the pilots, two Weapon Systems Officers go through their checks and prepare for an early morning departure. The Defensive Systems
Officer can be found on the left side, while the Offensive Systems Officer mans the right. All four crew members have ejection seats.
and avoid the potential of task saturation.
Sensors have become an instrumental
component of the Bone, with the latest
version of the Sniper pod being the SE
sensor suite (called the “Sniper SE”).
To remain compliant with treaties, the
B-1B still performs a conventional-only
role. The mighty Bone is sometimes simply
called upon to perform a non-kinetic “Show
of Force” mission, simply to deter foes and
make them think twice. Bones have been
deployed on a regular basis since 2001
in most hot spots around the globe. Both
Ellsworth-based squadrons stand ready to
deploy on a moment’s notice.
Flying the Bone
“The B-1 is a great asset to fly due to being
both ‘crew-based’ and a large powerful
jet,” commented Bone driver Capt. ‘Gut’
David, a pilot with the 37th BS Tigers who
has 1,000 hours of B-1 flight time and has
been stationed at Ellsworth AFB. “It goes
very low and very fast, plus it has quite good
maneuverability for such a large aircraft. It
is a simple jet to fly and a lot of fun. Some
flights I may be the mission lead, and other
flights the WSO may do it—we rotate.”
“I have been in two different theaters of
operation for combat. In the Southwest Asia
CENTCOM area, we are often integrated into
large joint-service and country formations,
with over 50 aircraft involved. We all had
the same mindset and mission goals on
who we are targeting. A single flight can
last anywhere from 10 to 20 hours. We need
tanker support, and [on] one mission our
formation of aircraft employed over 150
weapons. France and the Netherlands both
participated. We were heavily involved in
that mission.
“Another operating area in a different
direction, we were supporting Special
Tactics personnel via Close Air Support
[CAS], and we had the opportunity to meet
them in person as they would flow through
LETHAL LANCER
the base. It was great to be able to support
those guys and their fight. They were able to
regain territory they had lost; we could see
the progress and that we were helping to
make a difference.”
“I truly enjoy the crew makeup of four
tactically proficient smart aviators all
working together to solve problems within
one jet,” added Lt. Col. Seth Spanier, former
commander of the 34th BS Thunderbirds. He
has 2,900 hours in the B-1, with 1,300 hours
of those being combat hours. He served
with the 37th BS from 2004 through 2011
and made four deployments. The first was
to Guam, and the last three were all to the
Middle East. He was a B-1 weapons school
instructor and later chief of operations for
PACAF, managing the continuous bomber
presence in Guam. He took command of
the T-Birds in June 2016, and the unit soon
thereafter deployed to Guam.
Lt. Col. Spanier continued, “The aircraft
itself is flexible, capable, and an impressive
machine. It is like flying three different
airplanes: one being high-altitude cruise
with the wings forward, low-altitude with the
IT GOES VERY LOW AND VERY FAST, PLUS IT HAS QUITE
GOOD MANEUVERABILITY FOR SUCH A LARGE AIRCRAFT.
IT IS A SIMPLE JET TO FLY AND A LOT OF FUN.
wings fully aft, and lastly in the traffic pattern
low and slow, with the wings forward. A pilot
has to learn how to fly the Bone in all three
flight regimes. The SB16 upgrade is amazing,
and it is easy to be good in an SB16 jet—it is
the new B-1 of today. Going from the SB15 to
the SB16 was a huge leap and mastering the
B-1 happens much sooner. I love the power,
the maneuverability, and it is a great airplane
to fly.
“In the past ten years, we have gone
through constant software block upgrades
and each version was an evolutionary step.
Opposite page: A nice We adopted the Sniper targeting pod in
planform shot of a B-1B 2008 and that exponentially increased our
flying over Wyoming. The
canards, jutting outward, capability with electro-optical targeting
are noteworthy, just solutions and allowed us to better fly the
ahead of the cockpit.
The canards, which are CAS role. Also included are flying IMC and
controllable, are an in- through clouds, and the pod gives us good
strumental component in
allowing for a smooth and
accuracy. That being said, the SB16 was
fast low-level ride. a revolutionary upgrade, compared to all
36 FlightJournal.com
evolutionary upgrades before. While the
plane still performs the same, the increased
ability allowing the crew to interface with
the jet, along with data link sharing with
other platforms, makes crew synergies
extremely easy and frees us all up,
minimizing task saturation.
“We currently are using the Sniper SE
pod, SE meaning Sensor Enhancement.
We started with the Sniper XR, followed
by the AT, and the ATs were modified
into the current SEs that enhance our
maritime mode, along with increased
sensor fidelity and better target resolution.
A couple of our newer weapons include
the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, with the ability
to carry 24 on one aircraft, and the very
capable 500-pound GBU-54 LJDAM (Laser
JADM). We can now hit fast-moving and
maneuvering ground targets. For the
maritime role, we soon will have guided
mines. Essentially, we add a JDAM tail kit to
the normally unguided Quickstrike-series
of mine, calling them the Quickstrike-J.
“The next B-1 upgrade will be SB17, which
will enhance the machine-to-machine
interface. The Sniper pod will be more fully
integrated into the AFS, and the anti-ship
AGM-158C LRASM will be fully integrated.
Other future upgrades will be a helmet-
mounted cueing system that will interface
with Sniper and the other sensors on the jet.
Later, a new BRU-56 bomb rack will allow
us to carry the small diameter bomb and
have two 500-pound weapons per station,
allowing for a total of 48. Another important
long-term B-1 upgrade will be the defensive
avionics enhancements.
“We just returned from a CBP [Continuous
Bomber Presence] deployment in Guam.
It is a PACOM (U.S. Pacific Command)
mission, and we work for PACAF while
in theater, rotating within the theater as
the commander sees fit. The point of it is
assurance and deterrence; essentially, we
assure our allies and deter our potential
adversaries. Terms such as Long-range
and Pacific Power Projection are officially
used too, but we simply call them higher-
headquarters missions because that is
where they are directed from. A typical
mission involves taking off and joining up
with a tanker, then traveling to some far-
LETHAL LANCER
Below: A pair of Mark 62
Quickstrike mines are
loaded into the weapons
bay of a Bone. Anti-ship
mining operations is one
of the B-1B’s missions,
although the community
has not been tasked much
with that role over the
years.
Bottom: A Sniper SE
pod is mounted on an
external rack just forward
of the first weapons bay,
favoring the right side.
The pod is instrumental
in allowing for precision
guided weapon utilization,
ultimately giving the Bone
pinpoint target accuracy
while minimizing collateral
damage.
THE AIRMEN THAT EMPLOY AND MAINTAIN THE B-1 TRULY DRIVE THE INNOVATION THAT HAS
CONTINUALLY CHANGED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE PREMIER BATTLEFIELD INSTRUMENT OF TODAY.
38 FlightJournal.com
reaching portion of the Pacific.
“During our deployment, we went as far
west as Diego Garcia, we went to the eastern
seaboard, as far north as Alaska, and
down south to the lower part of Australia.
It is a massive area. We made multiple
penetrations into the South China Sea and
worked around the Korean area. It gave our
crews the opportunity to perform a whole
spectrum of new and different B-1 mission
sets and work within a new-to-us AOR.
The training was invaluable. We saw some
pretty impressive results from our crews,
and it was helpful working alongside of our
allies.”
Commander Comments
“The B-1 has come a long way during my
time in the aircraft, since I first came to it
back in 1997,” said Col. John Martin, former
28th BW Operations Group Commander.
He has 2,700 B-1B flight hours, four combat
deployments and is a recipient of the Lemay
Award and the Bronze Star. He initially
served with the 37th BS, then the 28th OSS,
was an instructor at Dyess AFB, Texas with
the 28th BS, and later served as the 34th BS
squadron commander.
“While I was at the schoolhouse squadron
in 1997, it was then when we stopped
performing the nuclear role in the B-1 on
October 1 of that year. The aircraft had
originally been designed to penetrate
Russia during the Cold War and we had a
nuclear-only mission. That was why the B-1
didn’t participate in Desert Storm also. The
decision was made to upgrade the aircraft
to what they called the CMUP [Conventional
Munitions Upgrade program].
“Initially we dropped a lot of 500-pound
Mk82 general purpose unguided bombs. A
few years later, the 2,000-pound GBU-31
JDAM materialized and became the ‘go-
to’ weapon. Then the 500-pound GBU-38
followed. The JDAMs are frequently our
weapons of choice and have been used
around the world by B-1s, including in
Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq. A few years
ago, we started using the GBU-54 Laser-
guided JDAM and that works well in
conjunction with our Sniper pod. Those
three are our bread-and-butter weapons—
the GBU-31, GBU-38, and GBU-54.
“Sustainment Block 16 doesn’t change
what we do or the munitions we carry. It
changes how we do things and interact with
the aircraft. It expedites the kill chain for
us and turns the B-1 into a millennial jet;
it now is a hybrid glass-cockpit with color
MFDs and is more computer-oriented with
mice and cursors. You can right click on
a target and simply select which weapon
you wish to employ against the target. It is
well-suited and intuitive for our younger
generation that has grown up with this
technology.
“In the next couple years, we should be
getting the GBU-56, a 2,000-pound LJDAM
and a better crypto-compliant radio suite.
The LRASM will also be used on various
platforms, including the B-1, across the
board on DoD aircraft, and will be a niche
weapon that we are excited about.
“The 34th BS returned from a continuous
bomber presence that we haven’t executed
in the past ten years in the B-1 community.
We have been very busy in other theaters,
mostly Afghanistan, so only the B-2s and
B-52s had been supporting the CBP. The
34th flew in a major Pacific theater exercise
called ‘Valiant Shield.’ As for real-time
events in that deployment, after North
Korea set off a nuclear bomb, we flew a
deterrence missionalong the DMZ and
landed the jet at Osan for their airshow.
“From July 2015 through January 2016,
the 37th BS deployed to the desert and set a
record for the highest number of weapons
dropped in theater—5,037 to be exact—and
they were very ‘kinetically engaged’ with
the foes in Iraq, Syria, and a lesser amount in
Afghanistan. Most missions, they returned
Winchester [all ordnance expended]. Some
missions, they were tasked to drop on
financial banks, disrupting the ISIS cash
flow and crippling their monetary supply
line. The 34th BS
and 37th BS are
hallmarks of the
Air Force and the
heritage goes
back to the WW
II Doolittle Raid.
In June of 2017, both squadrons celebrated
their 100th birthday. We will continue
to operate the B-1 until the B-21 enters
the scene and deploy to the Pacific and
Southwest Asia theaters of Operation in the
meantime.
“Both squadrons have been doing
tremendous work, especially with the
limited resources we have. Since October
2001, we have essentially been in non-stop
combat operations in a variety of places.
However, it has impacted our readiness
rate some. We have been a workhorse in
OEF [Operation Enduring Freedom], OIR
[Operation Iraqi Freedom], OFS [Operation
Freedom’s Sentinel], throughout Southwest
Asia, and earners in the war on terrorism
since 2001.”
The former Commander of the 28th BW
is Brig. Gen (Sel.) Gentry Boswell, who has
amassed over 5,000 flight hours. He initially
flew in Intelligence and Reconnaissance
aircraft, including the RC-135S/U/V/W,
Command and Control in E-6Bs, and then
Top left: One of the B1’s
unique features is its
swing-wing design, giving
it safe landing speeds and
also a low-drag, high-
speed flight regime. This
photo illustrates the wing
slot area, relief and seal
for the wing to nestle
inside of, when the wings
are swept aft.
Above: The B-1B has four
General Electric F101-
GE-102 turbofan engines
with afterburners, propel-
ling the mighty Bone up
to a maximum speed of
Mach 1.25. The B-1A was
faster yet, but the higher
speed came with a very
expensive cost, so the B
model was a compromise;
affordability outweighed
the desired performance.

July/August 2021 39
LETHAL LANCER
WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO THE B-1 COMMUNITY, WE COULD PUT A 2,000-POUND BOMB INTO
YOUR BACKYARD AT 10 MILES AWAY. TODAY, WE CAN TAKE THAT SAME BOMB AND PUT IT
THROUGH YOUR DOORKNOB AT TWICE THAT DISTANCE.
Electronic Warfare in B-1Bs. He started training in B-1s
in 1999, right when they made the initial combat debut.
He has served with all three operational B-1 squadrons
over the years: the Dyess AFB, Texas-based 9th BS
Bats, the 34th BS Thunderbirds, and the 37th BS Tigers.
When asked about the B-1, he commented, “Since I
joined the community, it has been a steady stream of
combat operations. In the first three years with B-1s,
I deployed three times, which included the Pacific,
European, and the Middle East theaters.
“We were the first community to get JDAMs and the
ALE-50 towed decoy system. I have made numerous
deployments all around the globe and had the
opportunity to see the same footprint I would have
seen in the Recce community. In the past decade, we
have been doing a lot of the heavy bomber work in the
Middle East.
“The airplane has an incredible capability, and it is
interesting to look at what it was initially designed to
do, compared to how we use it these days. It had been
designed as a long-range low-level nuclear penetrator,
and it was not even designed to carry conventional
weapons. Now, it is the complete opposite. The airmen
that employ and maintain the B-1 truly drive the
innovation that has continually changed the aircraft
into the premier battlefield instrument of today. That
includes payload, range, and speed to do a variety of
things, being the aircraft’s best attributes. General
Mosley has called the B-1 the ‘roving linebacker’ and
that relates to a football field, being able to cover any
threat, deal with it, having great range, precision, and
speed.
“When I first came into the B-1 community, we could
put a 2,000-pound bomb into your backyard at 10 miles
away. Today, we can take that same bomb and put it
through your doorknob at twice that distance. The
sensor integration with the Sniper pod has been a huge
leap forward for us. We are one of the few platforms
that can organically initiate and complete a kill chain.
The non-kinetic capabilities are great also. Using the
pod, we can perform surveillance and reconnaissance,
with the ability to simply monitor and watch. Then
as events develop, the B-1 can go right into a kinetic
engagement.
“With SB16, we have the ability to take all of the
40 FlightJournal.com
information from a great variety of assets on the
battlefield and pump it into the cockpit through the
data link. Then we marry that with the kinetic systems
on the aircraft and then we have a God’s-eye view
of the battlefield with great situational awareness.
That keeps us on the cutting edge, lethal, capable,
and precise over the B-1B lifespan. Bombers all have
persistence, payload, and now precision, and that
keeps us relevant. The mitigating factor we will always
need to balance in the future is survivability, and the
B-1’s low level and high-speed capability, coupled with
its impressive defensive avionics suite and standoff
weapon arsenal, afford it excellent survivability.
“Recently we have shifted over to the Pacific and
European theaters and that has brought value to us in
the community. We were in the CENTCOM area for the
past decade, so it is a moderate shift for us because
we have been in that mindset for a while now. We will
deploy all over the world, wherever our leadership
needs us to be, and that gives us a global perspective.
Here at home, the Powder River Training Complex was
enlarged, so we now have the largest slice of military
training airspace in the nation; it is even larger than
the Nellis range. We conduct large force exercises in it
four times per year.”
The New Kid on the Block
The newest bomber in the US inventory is the B-2A
Spirit, with the last example having been produced
some 27 years ago. The oldest bombers are the B-52Hs
that rolled off the production line a staggering 60
years ago. As the USAF bomber force ages, aircraft
have been continually upgraded, but a new asset is
needed to keep the U.S. on the cutting edgeto ensure
air superiority in the event of a major conflict. The new
kid on the block, in the form of the Northrop Grumman
B-21 Raider, is under development now, and it will
replace the B-1s. Not only will it be able to penetrate
and survive, but it will also have a great kinetic value
and serve as a deterrent to keep the peace. The first
B-21 is currently under construction, and its initial
operating capability is tentatively scheduled for
FY2025/2026, with a planned buy of somewhere
between 100 and 145 Raiders. 
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 GALLERY

Classic Ryan
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY GILLES AULIARD

In 1934, Tubal Claude Ryan created a new corporation, aptly named the Ryan Aeronau-
tical Corp., whose first design, the ST—for sport trainer—became an instant classic. As a
trainer, the ST was a big improvement over its competitors.
The U.S. Army showed immediate interest in the new machine and ended up ordering
an off-the-shelf ST-A for evaluation that led to the acquisition of a grand total of 1,203
PT-16, PT-20, PT-21, and PT-22 aircraft, the last of the series being delivered in 1942.
Other countries also showed a deep interest in the Ryan, and the plane sold reason-
ably well in South America and China; however, Ryan’s biggest export customer was the
Dutch government, which ordered 108 STM-2s in 1940.
Never a cheap airplane, the surviving Ryans are now the pride and joy of their own-
ers in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. One prime example is flying in the hands of
Gary Kozak of Downers Grove, Illinois.
The Ryan flies over a cornfield near Brodhead, Wisconsin. The pictures were taken from Ted Miller’s Stearman during the Midwest Antique Airplane
Club Fly-in that takes place at Brodhead airport the weekend after Labor Day. Noteworthy on Kozak’s plane is the absence of spinner, which had to
be removed before the photo flight, as it developed a crack during the flight from Illinois to Wisconsin.

The Ryan is all-metal construction

with riveted aluminum panels over a
metal-truss frame. It has a monocoque
structure with a wooden spar and metal
ribs. Noteworthy are the fuel float in front
of the cockpit and the crash bar.
GALLERY

Kozak’s Ryan STA Special (STM) N8146

(S/N 457) was ordered by the Dutch
government on June 25, 1940, as part of a
batch of 12 STM-S2 earmarked for the MLD,
the Dutch Naval Air Service. Assigned serial
number S-21, it arrived on the island of Java
on January 3, 1941, and flew training missions
before being evacuated to Australia ahead of
the Japanese invasion.
Acquired by the Newcastle, NSW, Aero
Club on July 7, 1947, it became VH-BBJ on
the Australian register. Dorr Carpenter, of
Chicago, Illinois, imported S-21 to the U.S. in
December 1969 and restored the airplane to
its original MLD markings, selling it to Robert
“Bob” Friedman of Highland Park, Illinois, in
1971.
In May 1999, after flying the airplane
for almost 10 years, James O’Donnell of
Naperville, Illinois, decided to sell it to Kozak, Above: The wheel pants are one of the most endearing features of the STM,
who comments: “Since then, I have been inherited from the early 1930s racers. They do not offer any real aerodynamic
advantage, but they look good.
enjoying each flight and the challenge that
goes with antique airplane ownership. The Below: The instrument panel is quite basic but is enough for primary instruction
with, from left to right: oil temperature, oil pressure, cylinder head temperature,
plane is fully aerobatic, but I have not tried altimeter, airspeed indicator, compass, attitude indicator, manifold pressure,
much yet, as the airplane is 68 years old. G-meter (-5 to +12), rpm indicator, Hobbs meter and ignition switch.
Nevertheless, I am sure the Ryan is perfectly

44 FlightJournal.com
 Above: The ST is one of the most attractive
designs from the mid- to late 1930s and is a
classic from that period. The military versions,
equipped with the Kinner engine and without
wheel pants, degraded the pure lines of the
airplane in search of better functionality.

Left: Kozak stands next to his Ryan STM. He has

been flying since age 16 and completed his
commercial license in college. After instructing
and flying freight, he accumulated enough flying
time to apply to American Airlines, which he
joined in 1999, and is now a captain flying the
Boeing 757 and 767 on domestic routes.

safe for all the basic aerobatic maneuvers.

“I am not a high-time tailwheel pilot, so
it is a very challenging airplane for me on
the ground as it does like to ground loop;
however, in flight, it is a very straightforward
machine.”
With its classic good looks and bright
colors, Gary Kozak’s Ryan cannot be ignored
and is a prime example of a little known
warbird. 

July/August 2021 45
Flying an F-4D decoy mission in Vietnam
BY LT. COL. MICHAEL P. KENNEDY (USAF RET.)
 The F-4D Phantom II was not equipped with a gun. During the Vietnam war era,
the concept of relying on air-to-air missiles to make the kill was premature
due to reliability issues. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps never adopted an
internal gun in their F-4s. (Photo by Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics.com)

IT WAS ANOTHER HUMID DAY, with the smells of Thailand heavy in the morning air as
I walked into the Triple Nickel Fighter Squadron building at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force
Base (RTAFB) in northeast Thailand. The 555th was the top MiG-killer squadron, but
hunting had been scarce since I joined them earlier in the year. It was just another
day of war, November 20, 1970, and time seemed to run together. I really enjoyed
flying combat missions in the F-4; the adrenaline rush of being shot at without result
was as exhilarating as Winston Churchill pronounced. But before fun, there was a job
of making out the squadrons’ flying schedule for the next day. As a newly promoted
captain, I had the responsibility as the assistant operations officer to take the air
battle order (FRAG) that was broken down into missions to be flown by each squadron
and assign crews to each mission.
TROLLING FOR SAMS
The author, then Captain We sent the number of aircraft needed and
Michael Kennedy, on his
second of three combat launch times to the maintenance crews to
tours. A USAF Academy get the F-4s ready and sent the specified
graduate, he flew 460
F-4D/E combat missions
ordnance loads to munitions to be delivered
during his three tours and to each aircraft for loading. We were flying
was awarded two DFCs the F-4D, aka the mighty Phantom II or
and 28 Air Medals.
“Double Ugly” with a front and rear cockpit.
Each crew consisted of a pilot and navigator
dubbed a Weapons Systems Operator
(WSO). It was the newest and best fighter
of the day: Mach 2 up high and 700+ knots
on the deck was easy with two afterburner
17,000 pound thrust engines—but it really
drank the fuel going flat out. Many are the
F-4s left in the jungle after running out of
fuel chasing a MiG.
“Just find a crew—now!”
This was in the dark ages before computers,
and the schedule was a giant jigsaw puzzle
to fit together. I had the joy of making sure
each mission had qualified crew, everyone
would be happy with their assignment,
and each had crew rest. I am kidding about
48 FlightJournal.com
the happy part as no mortal could do that.
(At least they would be qualified and have
crew rest.) Part of the job included making
sure training was done on schedule and all
the non-flying duties were manned. I used
a large grease board and spreadsheets to
keep all the square pegs in round holes. I
had volunteered for the scheduling job as
it was one studiously avoided by most—too
many continuous headaches. My motivation
was to keep busy and out of the O club bar.
I was still trying to get rid of bad habits
picked up on my first combat tour. I had quit
smoking three packs a day after my son
was born between tours. My buddies often
ribbed that decision with the comment that
an “optimist was a fighter pilot who thought
he would die of lung cancer.” It was a “live
for today for tomorrow we die” culture. I
still drank too much and cutting my time in
the bar was a good thing. Those were days
when you were taught as a new lieutenant
that bar time was mandatory, drinking was
expected, and don’t leave the officers’ club
bar before the commander. How times have
changed.
One of those additional pilot ground
duties I alluded to was Supervisor of Flying
(SOF), and that was an 8-hour shift sitting in
the control tower to assist aircraft returning
with emergencies. The controllers were
great at their air traffic control job, but they
had no flying expertise to know what the
emergency aircraft might be experiencing.
This included both aircraft with mechanical
emergencies and battle damage. There
was not a lot the SOF could do when an F-4
limped back home after being shot up. The
attempt to land was up to pilot skill, luck,
and God.
There was a cable barrier, à la Navy,
at both ends of the runway, and the F-4
retained the Navy tail hook which was
useful in getting damaged aircraft stopped
after landing. I used it numerous times
and was glad to have it. The SOF just made
sure the crash crews were standing by the
runway to pick up the pieces—if any—and
give encouragement over the radio.
On a side note, my third day at Udorn
I heard a deafening roar as an RF-4 (the
photo-taking model) cleared my billet roof
by a few feet and crashed into the building

one down from mine. The sound of a huge
explosion had me out the door in an instant.
There was nothing left of the building or the
F-4 but a ball of fire, which unfortunately
killed the nurses living in that billet. War
can be most uncaring and cruel. The RF-4
had the hydraulic system shot up and since
the F-4 flight controls were all hydraulically
actuated, that was a huge problem. The crew
wobbled back to land as they did not relish
the thought of having to walk back from the
jungles of Laos. The hydraulics gave up the
ghost on short final and the crew punched
out (ejected) just as the aircraft started
an uncontrollable fatal roll. That roll took it
off the runway heading and straight at our
line of buildings. Their parachutes opened
in time to save the two crew members
(thank you Martin-Baker—the ejection seat
manufacturer), but one landed on top of
the movie theater and I was told he broke
his leg when he fell off the roof. If the F-4
had been 10, feet lower, I would have been
toast. But as they say, “close only counts in
horseshoes and hand grenades.”
I digress. Shortly after I started the
scheduling process, I received a call from the
432 Wing Command Post (CP) to send them
a qualified crew—now! “What qualification?”
I asked. “Just not any newbies” was the
response. In fighters, you were a newbie
until you had 10 missions under your belt.
Statistics had shown that there were more
Above: Udorn Air Base was the home of the 432 Tactical Fighter Reconnaissance Wing,
a dual aircraft wing. It had two F-4D fighter squadrons and an RF-4 reconnaissance
squadron.
Left: Author and then Captain Kennedy was the assistant Operations Officer and Sched-
uling Officer during his second tour, 1970-71. The 555th “Triple Nickel” Fighter Squadron
was known for its MiG kills.
casualties in the first 10 missions than all
the rest. That has been the same since World
War I days; the new guys tend to die first and
quickly. It took a few missions to be able to
fully function under combat conditions. So
much happens when folks are trying to kill
you in the chaos of battle that it can take
that long for an individual to be aware of the
total situation. The first mission, the new
guy is told to “stay on my wing, do what I do,
and do not lose sight of me.” Trust me when
I say I know this new guy thing is true—but
that’s another story. There was no “asking”
for a volunteer, I just grabbed the first
crew standing by the ops desk and off they
went. “What’s up, Michael?” they asked.
I told them I had no idea, just go and then
maybe you can tell me. Oh yes, CP also said
the crew would not be available for at least
24 hours! What? More hair-pulling to find
another crew for the now empty slot!
The rest of the day was change after
change to my imploding schedule as more
crews were requested—all immediately. My
WSO assistant, Tony, and I finally finished
the job when the last call came in around
1700—one more crew! No! I told them I did
not have anyone left unless they cancelled
one of the missions for the next day. The
response was, “That is not happening,
Captain; just find a crew—now!” I said there
was no one left: everyone is flying, on duty,
or crew rest for tomorrow’s go. Only my
July/August 2021 49
TROLLING FOR SAMS

assistant and I were left, and we would be
out of crew rest to fly that night. Crew rest
was 8 hours of no duty, and that meant
when you hit 16 hours of on-duty time,
you could not fly for 8 hours after that. I
then violated a sacred military tenet and
volunteered to waive my crew rest if the
Wing Commander approved it. They were
desperate, so they quickly called back and
said it was waived. Of course, there was
nothing in writing, so guess who was left
holding the bag if anything went wrong? But
what could go wrong in war?
Mission Brief
When we had tramped to the CP, there was
a strangely quiet aura. By this time, I had
experienced a lot—I was on my second F-4
combat tour and had over 300 missions—
but nothing like this. The first item was an
individual briefing that consisted of: You
will not talk to anyone besides your WSO,
and you will not discuss anything about
this mission with anyone—including other
crews, your crew chief, or anyone else we
have not mentioned. They did not have
to add “or we will kill you,” but I knew it
was serious. Obviously, it was to ensure
no one knew enough from his small part
to compromise whatever the heck was
planned. Next, we were sent to intel for a
mission brief. They had a large map of North
Vietnam on the table with the Surface to
Air Missile (SAM) site locations and their
maximum lethal range circles drawn in
red. They touched each other as you would

THE FIRST ITEM WAS AN INDIVIDUAL BRIEFING THAT CONSISTED OF: YOU
WILL NOT TALK TO ANYONE BESIDES YOUR WSO, AND YOU WILL NOT DISCUSS
ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MISSION WITH ANYONE—INCLUDING OTHER CREWS,
YOUR CREW CHIEF, OR ANYONE ELSE ... THEY DID NOT HAVE TO ADD “OR WE
WILL KILL YOU,” BUT I KNEW IT WAS SERIOUS.
expect to allow them to launch at you
anywhere over bad guy land. There was
also a black line with TACAN radial azimuth
and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)
mileages marked to start and end an orbit
that bisected where the red circles touched.
Hmmm … that looked like a fun place to
fly. Just at the edge of their missile range,
tempting them to take a free shot at me. The
intel officers said, “Captain Kennedy, you
will fly at 22,000 feet in an orbit between
the DME leg’s segments starting at 0100.”
“How long?” I asked. “Until you are told
to come home. Refuel as necessary on
Orange track and get back to the orbit as
quickly as possible.” Weather briefing: rain,
thunderstorms, and instrument conditions
expected. Ordnance load: four air-to-air
(AIM) 9s (heat seeking Sidewinders) and
four AIM 7s (radar-guided Sparrows). I was
astute enough to not bother asking, “What
gives?” as it was obviously above my pay
grade.
We made our flight plan: fly to the first
tanker, top off all our tanks, and hit the orbit
point on time. Then fly lazy holding patterns
over North Vietnam alone, with no Wild
Weasel (anti-SAM) support, in the soup on
instruments, with thunderstorms all over
and only our Radar Homing and Warning
(RHAW) scope to warn us of SAM launches
in our direction. The RHAW detected the
different radar signatures for anti-aircraft
artillery (AAA), SAM search radar, and
SAM guidance radar and displayed them
with azimuth, estimated range, and with a
specific symbol on a round 3-inch scope in
both cockpits. There was also an aural tone
for each—it could be a noisy bugger over
North Vietnam. But wait, the SAMs can’t
get us, we’re between them at their max
ranges, right? But wait, our intel on SAM
site locations is at best 48 hours old, so they
could have unknowingly moved closer to us.
No problem: surely, we’ll see any launches. An F-4D taxies out for a
No, we’re in the weather on instruments, mission. An AIM-9 Side-
winder air-to-air missile,
which means we may hardly see our also known as a “Heater,”
wingtips—and there will be lightning all is slung under the near
wing. (Photo by Ted
over the sky, too. At least we should be out Carlson/Fotodynamics.
of range of most radar-guided heavy AAA. com)
TROLLING FOR SAMS

What could possibly go wrong? Nothing
more to do now but eat the culinary delight
known as a military box lunch (much better
than C-rations), as no one can leave the
command post except to be taken to his
aircraft. Then a delightful pastime to which
every military person can relate: sit around
and wait.
Orbiting SAMs
Finally, around 2300 we get to our trusty
steed. Everything checks out fine and we
taxi for takeoff. Blasting off at night into the
dark sky in sparsely populated South East
Asia is intimidating. There are no ground
lights to give you a clue of your attitude.
You could dive into the ground and never
see it coming. You release the brakes, light
the afterburners, and get the push back
into the seat, off we go, sensation. At 100
knots, rotate the nose to 10 degrees on the
Attitude Indicator and hold it until you lift
off the runway. Then out of burner, landing
gear up, and turn to your initial heading
while accelerating to 350 knots. I set the
cockpit lights as dim as possible and still
see all the gauges and take a few glances
out the cockpit to confirm what I already
know: it is dark and there is nothing to see.
So back to the instruments and head for
the tanker. My WSO Tony is looking for a
radar scan of the tanker, and eventually
we lock on and use the radar to close up to
the KC-135. We are cleared in to refuel, and
I slide into the refueling station, watching
the closure rate as we settle into position.
A light bar on the bottom of the tanker has
a moving bar controlled by the refueling
boom operator to direct you to the proper
position—an imaginary box about 6 x 6 x 6
feet. Unfortunately, trying to chase that bar
will have you constantly moving all over
the place. After the first refueling during
F-4 check out, you learn to find a spot on
the tanker that is in the proper position and
just fly tight formation on the spot. Mine
was the top canopy bow at the bottom of the
boom operator’s window. Then the boom
operator plugs the extendable boom into
the raised receptacle just behind the rear
cockpit and starts the fuel transfer. Tanks
full, we disconnect, exchange pleasantries,
and tell the tanker we will see them again
later tonight. Now it is time to check that the
running lights are off (running lights or an
afterburner will get everyone’s attention on
the ground at night). I can’t think of a more
chilling sight than a fighter with running
lights still on over enemy territory. With the
tracers of every AAA gun in range focused
on it, the fighter looks like a star on top
of a Christmas tree. Missiles armed, fuel
feeding wing tanks first, gun sight reticle set
dim, and RHAW scope checked again to be

Dealing with the SA-2

When the SA-2 appeared in Southeast Asia, it was a new and unexpected threat to
fighter pilots. Until then, anti-aircraft missiles were viewed as strategic weapons for
use against bombers. Fighter pilots had to learn how to defend themselves from the
SAMS. We did get RHAW scopes in the cockpit that would tell you if you were being
tracked by AAA or missile radar and if there was a missile guidance radar directing
an SA-2 at you. These warning would be shown on the scope with different audio
outputs—the SA-2 warning was a rattlesnake tone. Our only defense was to visually
spot the incoming missile and try to outfly it. It could not do square corners or pull many Gs.
The SAM operators soon figured out we could see their radar outputs, so they would try to trick us by locking on without
launching a missile on one side of the aircraft; then, while we were searching for the missile on that side, they would launch
a missile on the opposite side and wait until the last seconds to turn on the tracking radar, hoping to catch us unaware.
The only defense was to keep your head on a swivel.
We never had the missile defense pods modern fighters carry, but during my third tour we would put chaff packs (radar
fouling metallic strips) in our speed brake wing wells. We could put the speed brakes out momentarily to dump the packs
to try to spoil the radar lock on. Of course, if you forgot and used your speed brakes on join up with the KC-135 tankers, our
ground radar stations were not happy.

52 FlightJournal.com
 AFTER THE FIRST REFUELING DURING F-4
CHECK OUT, YOU LEARN TO FIND A SPOT ON THE
TANKER THAT IS IN THE PROPER POSITION AND
JUST FLY TIGHT FORMATION ON THE SPOT

Top: F-4s refueled on

KC-135 tankers inbound
and outbound from most
missions.

Above: The Radar Homing

and Warning Scope
(RHWS) displays four
different SA-2 launch
warnings with their
azimuth to the aircraft.

Right: F-4 cockpit through

the gunsight.

July/August 2021 53
TROLLING FOR SAMS
WE WERE sure it’s on and working. Using the TACAN
navigation site hidden in Laos, we set up our
TOLD ABOUT
briefed orbit and wait on the control center
THE SON frequency for any warnings or orders. It is
TAY RAID quiet except for the sound of our breathing
TO RESCUE in the oxygen mask. It is not pleasant
OUR POWS ... outside: there is lightning all around, a soup
I NOW FELT of clouds and rain and pitch black. The radio
THAT MY is quiet as I listen intently to see if I can pick
up any chatter that might give a hint of what
TROLLING is transpiring. We orbited for an hour or
FOR SAMS more at a time, then off to refuel and back
WAS WORTH to the orbit. We sweat each time the RHAW
THE RISK scope came to life—was that a launch or
just lightning static giving a bad reading? It
seems there are continuous flashes going
off. Was that at SAM exploding under us or
just another lightning bolt? SAMs would
explode either with a proximity fuse or at
the end of their flight. It goes without saying
we don’t feel tired because of the extended
crew day as there is plenty of adrenaline
to keep us alert. Just sweat and squirm
in the dark cockpit and try not to let your
imagination run wild.
Mission Revealed
Just before sunup, we finally get a call to
head back to the tanker and then home.
Now I was tired. I really started to wonder,
what the heck had we been doing? There
was too much going on during the mission
to contemplate on why we were trolling the
sky to get missiles launched at us. On the
way home, I wondered if maybe we were
decoys for a B-52 strike around Hanoi or
some other big strike mission. A mantra
kept coming to mind from my cadet days
at the Air Force Academy: “Warriors never
question why; they just do or die.” I still did
not like the thought of being used as SAM
bait. I much more enjoyed the challenge of
“you keep trying to kill me and I will keep
trying kill you” with a load of bombs and
cluster bombs units.
As the sun was rising, we entered the
pattern and landed at Udorn RTAFB. Taxiing
in, I noticed a C-130 with its ramp down
parked in the transit aircraft area. Coming
down the ramp were a large group of “snake
eaters,” which is what fighter pilots called
the SEALs, long-range reconnaissance
54 FlightJournal.com
patrols, and other special-ops ground types.
They were very grim faced, which I found
strange as most others I met in Vietnam
were stoic, never showing emotion. We
fighter pilots, on the other hand, always
had happy, carefree faces; if you might die
tomorrow, why worry today?
I shut down the engines and again faced
the ground crew questions and again gave
the same answers as the night before,
“Sorry; secret; can’t say.” After taking off
our helmets, parachute harness, survival
vests, and anti-G suits, we were taken
directly to the CP for debriefing. It looked
like we were about the last aircraft of the
missions to land. Debrief was quick, “Did not
see anything, cannot confirm if any SAMs
launched at us or how many, and it was very
dark and rainy with lightning all around.”
In the CP, the mood was very somber, and I
finally had to ask, “What is going on?”
We were told about the Son Tay raid to
rescue our POWs and that it had failed as
they found the POWs had been moved. I
said I hoped at least they killed all the bad
guys they found, but it was an enormous
disappointment, and I was dejected to hear
it. At least I now felt that my trolling for
SAMs was worth the risk, even if it was
just a small part of a major mission. And I
was certain we were not the only F-4 crew
doing diversionary tactics that night. Some
were probably fighter cover, some were
probably in a MiG patrol to shoot down any
intercepting aircraft, and others I don’t even
know about. I was incredibly proud at that
moment to be an American fighting man.
Looking back now, many years later, taking
part in the Son Tay raid is something that
will always be a prized memory. Even as
SAM bait, it was an awesome experience.
During my three combat tours, I was
always impressed when one of our aircraft
went down, the air war would be stopped to
commit the resources to find and recover
the downed airman. The Son Tay raid
reinforced my belief that my service to the
United States of America was appreciated
over the misguided roar of anti-war, anti-
military sentiment. Above all, leave no one
behind. 
 CLASSIFIEDS

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July/August 2021 55
“Mac” McWhorter
splashes Zeros
BY ROBERT F. DORR

Retired Cdr. Hamilton “Mac” McWhorter III

was one of the Navy’s great World War II
fighter pilots—a hero who inspired many.
During our interviews, Mac told of flying
and fighting in the tough, robust F6F Hellcat.
These are his words:
This F6F-3 Hellcat is the same type flown by Lt. Hamilton
“Mac” McWhorter of VF-9 in 1944 when he became
the first Hellcat double ace. This aircraft was restored
to flying condition for the Fighter Collection by Fighter
Rebuilders of Chino, California. (Photo by John Dibbs/
Facebook.com/theplanepicture)
HELLCAT ACE
Deadly dogfight
Imagine you’re in a metal shed and someone
throws rocks against the outside. That’s
what it sounded like when machine-gun fire
ripped into my Hellcat.
I looked around, and sure enough, a pair of
Japanese Zero fighters was right behind me.
Tracers were coming at me.
I was the pilot of a magnificent Grumman
F6F Hellcat, probably the best fighter of
World War II. I was a member of Navy
fighter squadron VF-9, operating from the
USS Essex (CV 9). We were escorting our
carrier's bombers on a strike to Rabaul, New
Britain, in the South Pacific on November
11, 1943. American troops had just landed at
nearby Bougainville.
This was a big battle, high over Rabaul,
The F6F-3 cockpit photo
was taken at Bethpage at
with 100 Zeros and 50 Hellcats fighting
the Grumman factory. one another and planes tumbling all over
58 FlightJournal.com
the sky. When I heard slugs hitting my
Hellcat, I wondered if this huge, sprawling
dogfight was going to be the last of my
brief (so far) Navy career, which had begun
shortly before Pearl Harbor. I had never
really wanted to kill or be killed, but since
childhood, I had wanted to fly.
Early aviator
I was born in 1921 in Georgia into a middle-
class family. I was nine years old when Dad
arranged my first flight, in a Ford Tri-Motor.
Soon afterward, I saw a fighter plane for the
first time. I wanted to fly fighters.
I attended college in Georgia, but my real
satisfaction came from qualifying for naval
aviator training. I was learning to become
a Navy pilot when the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor. In training, I flew the Brewster
F2A Buffalo; it was completely inadequate.
 After pinning on wings and ensign’s bars
in 1942, I trained in the Grumman F4F-4
Wildcat. They assigned me to Fighting Nine,
or squadron VF-9.
Being a Wildcat pilot was an unforgettable
experience. The ship’s stalky landing gear
gave it dubious ground- or deck-handling
characteristics. It could be “mushy” when
maneuverability counted most. You caught
a violent draught if you slid the cockpit
hood open in flight. You had no provision
for jettisoning the hood in an emergency.
The pilot’s seat was too low relative to the
location of your head.
An early problem was the tendency of
the Wildcat’s .50-caliber Browning M2 guns
to jam for no visible reason. In early carrier
operations, the problem went unnoticed, but
in the harsh conditions of tropical combat
more than one Zero pilot escaped with his
life because the Brownings wouldn’t shoot.
Navy ordnance men suggested a solution
that divided the ammunition trays to keep
belts from shifting. This modest change
worked and was adopted.
We expected to go to the Pacific when
VF-9 went aboard the carrier USS Ranger Lt. Hamilton “Mac”
McWhorter of VF-9 in his
(CV 4). Instead, I saw my first combat in F6F-3 on February 19,
November 1942 during Operation Torch, 1944 after scoring two
kills and becoming the
the invasion of North Africa. While many first Hellcat double ace.
naval aviators were confronting Japan’s He scored two further kills
vaunted Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero, I was in with VF-12 to finish the
war with 12 aerial kills.
the Mediterranean wondering how my
Wildcat would perform against a German
Messerschmitt. Several Wildcat pilots in my
squadron racked up aerial victories, not
against Messerschmitts but against Vichy
French pilots flying the Curtiss Hawk 75.
We came home and were berthed at Naval
Air Station Oceana in Virginia. They said
we’d be converting to F4U Corsairs. Instead,
VF-9 became the first operational F6F-3
Hellcat squadron in August 1943. Grumman
built 12,275 Hellcats between June 1942
and November 1945, the largest number
of fighters ever to be produced at a single
factory.
Dramatic debut
It was like going from a Model T Ford to
a Cadillac. Consider the simple matter of
taking off: the F4F Wildcat was a real bear
July/August 2021 59
The TBM Avenger/F6F during takeoffs and landings. The Hellcat
Hellcat mix was common,
as seen here during flight was easy to keep straight going down the
deck operations aboard runway.
the USS Monterey,
CVL-26 operating in
The Hellcat was more stable and was
the Marshall/Gilberts a beautiful gun platform. My practice
Campaign of late 1943. gunnery scores went up when we got
the Hellcats. It was very maneuverable. It
probably had the biggest wing area of any
American fighter. It would darn near land
itself on the carrier without any help from
the pilot. The Hellcat was a heavyweight. It
had a 2,000-horsepower Pratt & Whitney
R-2800-10W Double Wasp 18-cylinder
radial piston engine driving a threebladed,
constant-speed Hamilton Standard
Hydromatic propeller. It had a gross weight
of 15,413 pounds, more than twice as much
as a Zero at just 6,945 pounds. It had six
THE HELlCAT WAS MORE STABLE AND WAS A BEAUTIFUL GUN
PLATFORM ... IT PROBABLY HAD THE BIGgEST WING AREA OF ANY
AMERICAN FIGHTER. IT WOULD DARN NEAR LAND ITSELF ON THE
CARrIER WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM THE PILOT.
60 FlightJournal.com
.50-caliber M2s with 400 rounds per gun
and the sturdiness to survive against
Japanese fighters armed with larger-bore
cannons. It had a better rate of climb and
higher speed.
The all-silver XF6F-1 prototype made its
first flight on June 26, 1942, piloted by Seldon
A. Converse. The initial production version,
the F6F-3, first flew on October 4, 1942.
We received our Hellcats so early that
they didn’t yet have a pilot’s operating
manual. We used mimeographed sheets.
The F6F entered combat in August 1943,
when Lt. Richard Loesch of VF-6 scored
the Hellcat’s first aerial victory. I was in
that action, but not much happened to my
squadron. Hellcats had successes in the
Solomon, Gilbert and Marshall Islands.
Piloting the Hellcat, Cdr. David McCampbell
of Carrier Air Group 15 became the Navy’s
all-time ace of aces, with 34 aerial victories,
including nine aircraft in a single mission,
earning him the Medal of Honor.
We qualified aboard the new US Essex
(CV 9) in February 1943, were ready to go in
May and traversed the Panama Canal. I was
more experienced than some of my buddies
in VF-9, but most of us had just 50 to 80
hours in the F6F. Later in the war, pilots
started with 300. We raided Wake Island on
October 5, 1943. That was my first real fight.
That day, my squadron commander
Cdr. Phil Torrey was first to shoot down
a Zero. He said no one would ever again
talk about the Zero being superior. I dived
into a formation of Zeros, lined up one
in my gunsight and fired a short burst.
Although they would later label me “One
Slug” McWhorter because they said I was
very frugal with the taxpayers’ .50-caliber
bullets, the real reason I didn’t fire a second
burst was that the Zero blew up in front of
me. I had scored my first air-to-air kill. I was
told that at Wake we shot down 22 Japanese
aircraft while losing six in air-to-air battle. Lt. Cdr. Paul Buie CO of
VF-16 briefs his pilots
I flew 89 combat missions. The most prior to a mission from the
memorable was against Rabaul—the one I USS Lexington CV-16 in
early 1944. Each Fighting
began this account with—on November 11, Squadron on board Essex
1943. The Japanese were massing CV Class heavy carriers
warships at Rabaul to threaten our guys on consisted of up to 36 F6Fs.
Bougainville, so they sent us down.
We were apprehensive. We were launched
from 150 miles southeast of Rabaul,
escorting our task force’s SBD Dauntless
dive bombers and TBF Avenger torpedo
bombers. We started toward Rabaul flying
the standard cover, with the bombers in
a box formation and us about a thousand
feet above them. The clouds topped at
10,000 feet, so we stayed above them.
About 50 miles from Rabaul, we were boring
through the sky when a dozen or so Zeros
showed up. We got through that first batch
of Zeros. My two kills, that day, came later—
after I encountered the Imperial Japanese
Navy.
The first thing I saw was a long white
streak behind the
Japanese warships as they were speeding
out of Rabaul harbor in a long column. We
July/August 2021 61
Coming into service
at the same time, the
new battle-armed and
armored CV Class carriers,
married with the Grum-
man Hellcat, finally put the
U.S. Navy on the offensive
in the Pacific beginning in
the late summer of 1943,
eventually creating over
300 F6F aces by VJ-Day.
62 FlightJournal.com
him, shooting. Cannon shells from the Zero
were hitting the Hellcat and blowing
pieces of metal off. The Hellcat was smoking
badly. He was not taking evasive action.
Maybe he was wounded.
In the fight
I banked sharply, maneuvered into position
and got underneath the Zero. From 300 feet
or so, I fired a short burst and got hits all
along his fuselage. On the verge of a midair
collision, I had to pull up slightly to go over
the top of the Zero. As I did, I looked directly
down into his cockpit.
I actually saw flames coming out from
under the instrument panel inside the Zero’s
cockpit. The Zero pilot had no chance. The
Zero had no armor plate in its cockpit.
I started after another Zero when a very,
very loud noise occurred. I looked around,
and sure enough, a pair of Zeros was right
behind me, and a long stream of tracers was
coming at me. I looked up and saw another
Zero crossing in front of me. I barely had
time to put the nose of my plane ahead of his
and get the lead. I fired. The Zero exploded. I
had gotten my second and third kills.
The Jap pilot who fired at me riddled my
I BANKED SHARPLY, MANEUVERED INTO
Hellcat, but he also prevented another one POSITION AND GOT UNDERNEATH THE
from shooting. When it was over, I was still
in the air.
ZERO. I FIRED A SHORT BURST AND GOT
I went down, pulled out at 3,000 feet and HITS ALl ALONG HIS FUSELAGE ... THE
headed back to the rendezvous point.
We escorted our bombers back to the ZERO PILOT HAD NO CHANCE.
Essex. I knew I’d been hit and hit pretty
hard, but I had no idea where. Despite the
damage, I was able to land. When I got back
aboard the Essex and checked my Hellcat, I
found bullet holes in each wing and on both
sides of the fuselage. They went straight
through the wing. The Zero had narrowly
missed my cockpit. There was not a single
hit in my fuselage. I want to thank the
Japanese Zero that made the overhead run
on me because if he hadn’t hit me when he
did, the other Zero flying with him would
have gotten me good.
On that mission to Rabaul, we lost one
F6F to a Zero and one SBD to ground fire, but
we shot down 14 Zeros.
Our raids on Rabaul demonstrated that
carrier task forces could operate within
range of Japanese land-based bombers.
We went next to Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert
Islands, where VF-9 provided air support for
the Marines. I shot down a Mitsubishi F1M I got my 11th victory, a Zero. The Hellcat’s unique
double wing-fold design
“Pete” floatplane near Tarawa on November If we could attack the Japanese islands, is evident as deck hands
18. The next day, again with only a little they could attack us. On May 13, 1945, a prepare for an April 9,
1943 flight from the
ammunition (86 rounds), I was credited Nakajima C6N Saiun “Myrt” reconnaissance USS Essex (CV 9) by a
with a Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” twinengine plane came over our task force at 25,000 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
bomber. That made me the first air ace to feet. I was on combat air patrol and put of Fighter Squadron Nine,
or VF-9.
get all of his kills in the F6F Hellcat. some rounds into him. The aircraft
Our squadron saw action January 29, was so close, its oil sprayed all over my F6F.
when a 12-carrier task force supported the Debris from the Myrt evened the score by
invasion of Kwajalein in the Marshall downing one of our pilots, and we spent
Islands. Fighting Nine drew the job of the rest of the day covering a Vought OS2U
strafing the Japanese airfield at Roi inlet, Kingfisher that rescued him. That recovery
using 18 Hellcats led by Lt. Cdr. Herb Houck. mission lasted five and a half hours, the
I was credited with two Japanese Mitsubishi longest time I ever spent in a Hellcat cockpit.
A6M2 “Hamp” fighters that day. I was 
credited with two more Zeros on February
19, 1944. That made me the first carrier pilot
and first Hellcat pilot to become a double
AUTHOR’S NOTE: McWhorter married Louise Edel in 1943. “He did everything
ace. he wanted to do and left us suddenly,” Louise said. McWhorter flew in the
I went back to war in VF-12 aboard postwar Navy, retired as a commander in 1969 and was a civilian flight
the USS Randolph (CV 15) when we were instructor for two decades. “He was always proud when one of his students
beginning, finally, to conduct operations went on to the airlines,” Louise said. He wrote an autobiography, The First
against the Japanese home islands. We had Hellcat Ace, with Jay A. Stout (Pacifica, Calif.: Pacific Military History, 2000).
the F6F-5 Hellcat now. On February 16, 1945, “He was never satisfied with anything that didn’t involve flying,” Louise said.

July/August 2021 63
IN THEATER
Second Kill
D
uring the desperate days of the
first half of 1942, the virtually
unchallenged Japanese Army and
Naval forces had almost completed their
domination of the Western Pacific. The
Philippines were abandoned; Indochina,
Java, the Solomons and Burma had been
overrun. China was half occupied and
losing ground, and even India was being
threatened. There was little hope for the
Allies, except for the stopgap efforts of
the Flying Tigers in China.
Efforts to reinforce the theater began
in January 1942 with the movement of
several P-40 groups to the Southwest
Pacific. Although it was intended initially
for duty in Java, the 51st FG was diverted
to India after most of its aircraft had
been lost when the USS Langley was sunk.
Ten of their P-40s made it to Karachi,
India, by March, and except for their 16th
FS (which was detached to reinforce
the 23rd FG that replaced the AVG), the
remaining pilots languished while waiting
for new aircraft.
By September, the 51st FG had moved
east to Assam and provided the 10th Air
Force with support for the accelerating
Hump operations and ground support
over Burma and Indochina. A year later,
they were relocated to China to become
part of Chennault’s 14th Air Force buildup.
In this staged scene in Kunming, Sgt.
Elmer Pence and his furry assistant
appear to be adding a kill marking to
Maj. Ed Nollmeyer’s P-40K-5 (42-9768).
Nollmeyer, then CO of the 26th FS, had
actually made his second kill while still
in India and would shortly become the
first ace in the 26th with three kills
recorded in December. A shark’s mouth
was later applied to Nollmeyer’s “White
255,” and the unit kept its P-40s until late
1944, when P-51B and C models became
available in that theater. —Stan Piet

July/August 2021 65
PARTING SHOT

Attack Yak
BY LOUIS DEFRANCESCO

Designer Alexander Yakovlev’s Russian fighter has

always lived in the shadows of the more glamorous
fighters like the Mustang and Spitfire. Its only
advantage over these airplanes was that it could be
manufactured much more quickly and in far greater
numbers than its Allied counterparts.
It was a run-of-the-mill aircraft that was designed
to use the materials and labor available. Like the
T-34 tank and PPSh-41 machine gun, it was a purely
utilitarian but effective machine: simple, rugged, and
reliable.
The Yak’s primary role was to support the ground
forces and keep the air clear of Luftwaffe fighters
and bombers. It could outclimb the Me 109, and
later models had enough range to escort Allied B-17
shuttle bombers from Britain over Russia to Italy.
The 30,000 Yak fighters produced (twice the
number of Mustangs) and made available for combat
were easy to maintain under conditions that would
have grounded the more refined Allied combatants.
History has favored this aircraft and affirms the
Yak-1, -3, -7, and –9 series of continuous fighter
development contributed greatly to the Soviets
winning the Great Patriotic War.

The Alpine Fighter

Collection’s Yak 3, flown by
Tom Middleton, sits framed
against the New Zealand
Southern Alps, to the west
of its home field of Wanaka.
(Photo by John Dibbs/
facebook.com/
theplanepicture)
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