Originally Posted by
Hydro Junkie
I don't think Galland ever really flew one in combat. Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire would probably have said differently since they had 40 and 38 kills respectively. Even today, their kill totals still lead all US fighter pilots though, truth be told, that doesn't tell the whole story. All of their kills were over the Pacific and many came after the elite Japanese prewar pilots were pretty much gone, most being killed over the Solomon Islands by Navy and Marine pilots flying Wildcats and later, Corsairs.
Hydro Junkie; there is even more to the story. By the time the P-38's were in combat, the U.S. pilots had learned to adapt their tactics to exploit the strengths of their aircraft, speed, firepower and armor, and minimize the strengths, mainly low speed maneuverability, of the Japanese fighters. The Zero could maneuver very well; but above 200 MPH, and especially above 250, not so much. The new tactics of the American pilots were pretty simple: Keep your speed up; don't get into a turning fight; dive down and if you miss, simply repeat the maneuver. IOW, boom and zoom. Maneuvering is essentially a defensive tactic. Don't play the game. Dive, shoot, zoom and repeat as necessary. Once the Americans learned that, the game was pretty much over. Thanks; Ernie P.