Best German Plane of the war?

Seriously, I always hear people saying that the 109 was the best, or the 190 was the best, or even the 262. Which plane WAS the best the Germans used in the period of 1939-1945?

 

Best...or most promising.

Personally, I always liked the FW-190, ME-262 and the Do-335.

 

Many will disagree, but i have always had a soft spot for the Bf110.

1512

 

I'm willing to give you the Bf-110 G-4 night fighter.

 

"Best" is a rather broad and ill defined concept. If you said fastest for instance it wouldn't be too hard to answer but for instance the Me-262 was certainly the fastest fighter but was it the "best" plane? Given the failure rate of it's engines I wouldn't rate it so. The Bf-109 was a very good fighter early in the war and at that point the best German one I believe but once the FW came out that becomes less clear. Then since you don't differentiate by year or function how do you determine "best"? Do you rate it against other German planes of the time or the war or against allied planes? Are you taking the position that late war planes are better than early war planes? In some senses they obviously are but is this really a fair comparison?

 

Exactly when in the period 1939-1945? There were several generations of aircraft and one that shone in 1939 was obsolescent in 1945.


In what context? Best as type? ( Fighter, bomber, anti tank aircraft)

Most advanced design? The Me262 was from a different ages and half a generation ahead of anything produced by any else in the sky.

Most influence on the war? The Ju87 was the worlds leading precision bomber in 1939 and an icon of the Blitzkrieg. The Ju52 was instrumental in support of German airborne operations. Had the war ended with a British Armistice in 1940 either of these would be the leading contender.

 

Overall? The Ju 88. Easily the most useful and flexible aircraft in service.

 

...with the Bf110 as a serious contender as the best fighter right then. Used in all theatres up to then, successful in all....only then was its vulernability to a "boom'n'zoom" attack becoming clear, and it not being very manouverable until right at the top of its speed envelope due to the small control surfaces....and a sluggishness to reach those speeds when used as a bomber escort.

ALL aircraft have had a weakness or three in certain circumstances, and a time when they became obsolete vs. the opposition's next technological jump...

Some had the flexibility in their design to accomodate a few redesigns, or more than a few - like the 109 and the Spitfire....some didn't, like the Hurricane. It was soon at the end of its design path - but could change role, or fighting the right foe in the right environment could last a little longer.

 

TA-152

 

I have always had a soft spot for the FW-190. The Me-262 was certainly an impressive aircraft, however due to how it was in development/production in the closing stages of the war along with the desperate shortage of fuel and an increasing shortage of trained pilots the Me-262 wasn't able to perform the tasks it was meant to do effectively. If the circumstances were different, the Me-262 would have caused a major problem with Allied aircraft.

 

I've always been intrigued by the Ju 88. PFC Don Rich, 327 was a mile or so south of Bastogne and was mesmerized by the beauty of watching them work over Bastogne. Said the guy in the front of the craft was lit up and he could see him. When he saw the snow kicking up towards him, he realized w/o a snowsuit he was pretty noticeable to the aircraft as he was standing outside his foxhole. Made a mad dash to into the hole as the snow kicked up around him.

Not sure he had all the details correctly, but an interesting story. That was at the Salweit Farm west of Marvie, south of Bastogne, about 400 yards east of Arlon Road. He could see the Kessler Farm from there.

 

That reminds me of an account I read somewhere, I'll never remember where, by a British soldier being evacuated from Dunkirk. He said their craft was being strafed by a Ju 88. He said there was an army BREN gunner on the vessel 'who really knew his stuff' (his words) and that he clearly saw the whole glass nose of the Ju 88 shatter. I can't recall what he said happened to the plane. Probably didn't end well for it.

 

I agree about TA-152...

 

or its older sister the FW190D

 

If we take it as "most significant" the Stuka and the Ju 52 take the prize with the Me 109 close behind for it's role in France, the first two also pioneered airpower roles that the other air forces were still dreaming of in 1939 while the 109 was a conventional fighter designed to contest air control over the battlefield. If "potentially most effective" then "the plane that never was", a Me 262 built to pre-war quality standards.

I also quite like the Me 110, though it won't win any "best" prizes from me, most people forget there were pretty few Mr 109 in Poland and Norway and even in the French campaign it pulled it's weigh as an air superiority fighter and went on to soldier until war's end in other roles.

 

The best one IMO was Junkers Ju87 Stuka.

 

Ok, let's be more specific.
Best fighter in:
1939:
1940:
1941:
1942:
1943:
1944:
1945:

 

The thread title says "Best German plane", now it is "Best Fighter".

??

John

308

 

*sigh* Just go with it, brah.

 

Hey, were borderline OCD here when it comes to WWII stuff, so you better get used to it.

Thats how we roll