WWII FW190's, how good were they in dogfights?

Of the many German fighter pilots I spoke to in the Hofbrau Haus in Munich
shortly after the war the majority opted for the ME 109. The Emil or "E "
model seemed the number one choice. Many were saddened because the Emils were
replaced by what they considered models that were not quite as good. These
discussions were in the summer of 1945.


Arthur Kramer

So what was it like, to be having a beer with people, with whom you both were
fighting against each other just weeks or months earlier?


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)
Silver City Tanker Base

Subject: WWII FW190's, how good were they in dogfights?
From: 362436 (Ron)
Date: 5/21/04 10:46 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:


Of the many German fighter pilots I spoke to in the Hofbrau Haus in Munich
shortly after the war the majority opted for the ME 109. The Emil or "E "
model seemed the number one choice. Many were saddened because the Emils
were
replaced by what they considered models that were not quite as good. These
discussions were in the summer of 1945.


Arthur Kramer

So what was it like, to be having a beer with people, with whom you both were
fighting against each other just weeks or months earlier?


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)
Silver City Tanker Base



Very strange. We were rather stand-offish at first. Damned Nazis. But as time
went on we saw they were just a bunch of guys just like us. Same age, Same
experience. After a while we became rather friendly with a select few of
them..I had a lot of talks with a German bombardier. It turned out we had a
lot in common. But I had to be careful because the anti-fraternization laws
were still in effect. But I did smuggle some food out of the mess hall for his
wife and kid. He lived in Schleissheim right outside our airfield and I got him
a job in the group photolab which helped a lot. Strange days never to be
forgotten.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer