World War II (WWII) saw a significant shift in fighting methods from earlier conflicts. In fact, aviation became an important aspect of warfare during WWII, and as countries competed for dominance, they were forced to modernize their aircraft fleets rapidly and rigorously. This essay will focus on the pivotal role of fighter planes during the battles, including the comparison and analysis of the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt, which, based on the maneuvering abilities and speed characteristics, will show the superiority of the Spitfire.
Fighter planes played the most important role during WWII. These planes were the fastest and easiest to maneuver as they even could be controlled remotely. In some cases, the fighters were used to shoot down enemy bomber planes, which was possible when they were equipped with some characteristics of bomber planes (Khazanov et al., 2019). In the past, the battles were more predictable as the involved sides’ main fighting capacity included mostly land troops. However, the development of aircraft allowed the use of sudden air attacks. Therefore, the types of fighter planes had a significant impact on the two sides’ favored battle strategies.
Comparing the specific types of fighters, British Supermarine Spitfire outperformed the German Messerschmitt in maneuvering. The Spitfire had thin elliptical wings that, at higher altitudes and the cases of close fight, allowed the plane to effectively dodge from attacks (Imperial War Museums, 2021). For example, if a German aircraft is chasing a British Spitfire, the Spitfire can turn to the left as tightly as feasible, which is more than the German Messerschmitt can. In this situation, Messerschmitt’s bullets, both from the machine guns and the two cannons, will just pass harmlessly by the tail of the chased Spitfire shooting into empty space. According to Hence, the British Supermarine Spitfire is better at maneuvering in the air.
When it comes to the maximum speed, the Spitfire is slower at low altitudes. That is why the Messerschmitt was in a winning position at the altitudes lower than 20,000 feet, which corresponded to the majority of battles (Khazanov et al., 2019). Khazanov et al. 2019 claims that Messerschmitt’s DB 601 engine had an automated variable-speed supercharger that improved the engine’s power output. At low altitude, the advanced engine of the Messerschmitt gave a considerable speed advantage over the Spitfire. Fuel-injection technology was also used in the engine, allowing the plane to pitch forward into a dive. However, the Spitfire cannot dive right away, wasting valuable fighting seconds because of having a less powerful engine. That is why the Spitfire was at disadvantage at a lower altitude.
The later models of the Spitfire solved the problems with its turning abilities at lower altitudes making it the best fighter plane during the WWII. Having its wings cut, the Spitfire 5 was able to maneuver at lower altitudes with increased speed (Imperial War Museums, 2021). This also added some horsepower to its speed increasing from 1000 to 1400, which turned to 2400 horsepower in the latest Spitfire 24 (Imperial War Museums, 2021). That is why the improved versions of the Spitfire improved all the shortcomings of the plane and made it more powerful than its German counterpart.
In conclusion, it is important to highlight the pivotal role of the fighters during WWII that developed the warfare strategies and moved the fight to the next level. Looking specifically at two types of fighters, the German Messerschmitt outperformed the British Spitfire in the climb and dive. At higher altitudes, however, its speed advantage over the Spitfire began to erode. At lower and middle altitudes, the Messerschmitt’s top speed was more than enough to keep up with the British fighter plane. Nevertheless, the Spitfire had a significant advantage in turns, which allowed it to hide from the bullets and effectively attack the German aircraft from behind.
Reference
Imperial War Museums. (2021). Spitfire Mk1 to Mk24 | How Spitfires kept getting better. [YouTube].
Khazanov, D., Medved, A., Young, E. M., & Holmes, T. (2019). Air Combat: Dogfights of World War II. Bloomsbury Publishing.