Quote:
Originally Posted by bristol scout
Hi Terry,
Although I was being a bit tongue in cheek when I mentioned the D.H.2--I was not that far adrift---the D.H.2 never got a proper mount for the Lewis--which always makes me chuckle when some here try to claim that the Albatros D11 (I'm thinking of MvR's fight with Hawker here) was NOT superior to the little pusher!!!!
You are spot on with the comparitive ease of aiming the whole aeroplane--and are on firm ground with the 'Biff' as an example of just what a two seater should be.
I still feel that tackling a two seater---(and the under the tail attack was --well, difficult to say the least and probably omly the real top exponents of that particular mode were any good at it)----was a very dangerous thing to do for a single scout (one on one) of middling abilities (as most were)---and often two scouts ( or a whole flight )would go for a two seater.
Dangerous times mate.
Dave.
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Hi Dave,
Thanks for that info on the DH2. All the fixed mounting was done on the field! I never knew that
Great little fighter, but as you say no match regardless of pilot ability for the fiercesome Albatross.
Although I agree with you as to the dangers of tackling a two seater it is oddly enough the F2b more than any other aircraft that draws attention to the vulnerability of the type. When it was first encountered on the Western Front my assumption is, it was treated with the same respect afforded any other two seater by the German air force as it was flown in the manner any other two seater was flown at that time. As you know the first F2b sqaudron was decimated. Von Rithchofen announced it to be rubbish and probably cost a few German pilots theirs lives in doing so.
Of course the tactics Leefe Robinson was told to use were two seat manual tactics and did not utilise the aircraft's fighting prowess. It does however possibly highlight a few things . Firstly from this, the German Air force appeared to have little respect for two seat designs and clearly knew how to deal with them. The F2b even if it was not flown correctly was still light years ahead of any other two seater in allied service. Also the manual tactics currently in use at that time were clearly flawed if such an aircraft as the F2b had little chance of survival, (that is of course without the distraction of any fighter cover)
However I am aware this may be a somewhat simplistic way of looking at things.
For example I don't know off hand how many German aircraft were involved or how seasoned they were in respect of the British squadron in that particular situation. It is also worth noting renowned pilots like Ball and McCudden were not slow in their appreciation of certain two seaters they had come up against and the fact is many an ace fell to the guns of the lowly two seater.
No doubt a number of factors have to be taken into account to get even the slightest idea of how hard or easy the typical two seater (if such existed) was to shoot down,
aircraft type, pilot ability, gunner ability, numbers involved, tactics, weather, fuel etc. etc. I wouldn't like to have been on either side of the fight to be honest
Your bud Terry