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: ...The Junkers Ju 87B Stuka was still in use. It : had service from 1939 (over Poland) to the : late'43, but, yes, by then they needed : Messerschmitt 109 escorts to go anywhere. The : Stuka was more of a gimmick/ scare tactic that : could pull out of a steep dive with a siren : attached to its landing gear, and that's about : it. The Messerschmitt 109 and the Focke-Wulf 190 : (one of my favs, with it's low-pitched growling : three-prop engine) both held most of the air : fighting duties. But yes, your basic point is : correct: The P-51 and the Stuka never went head : to head on a *large scale* basis, it was way too : much of a mismatch. : : : And, weren't the original spec'd engines : : supercharged Allison's, which they are now : using : : on those tractor pull rigs? : : (Although I seem to recall they retrofitted the : : Merlins or something like that.....) : : I dunno about the Stuka's being dead by 43- : 44.... : : My grandfather was an aircraft mechanic in the : : 8th AirForce, and was in France during the : Bulge : : ordeal and such..... : : I remember him telling me that they used to try : : and keep warm in their tents, using these small : : stoves....which made the snow melt off of the : : tents...which in turn made them stick out like : : boils on supermodel ass....... : : He told me jumping in trenches filled with icy : : water was no fun at all, and that divebombers : : make a rather nasty, unforgettable sound..... : : He told me they were Stukas.....He was there, I : : wasn't....I dunno. : : Then again, the Nazi's were using anything they : : had, so......it's not impossible the two : : engaged....just unlikely. : : Then again, he told me this stuff years ago, : it's : : possible I'm not correctly remembering what he : : told me..... : : I gotta call him tomorrow, I'll ask him and see : : what he says. : : If I am as alert and mentally agile as he when : I : : get to be his age I will be amazed. : : V : : "You gotta understand my love of the P-51 : : : Mustang. With a Merlin 12 cylinder 1,590hp : : : engine, and six .50 Cal machine guns, no : : radar, : : : no muffler, it basically ripped the wings : off : : : Stukas". : : : Patrick, P-51's never engaged Stukas-they : were : : : phased out after the battle of Britain and : the : : P- : : : 51D didn't come out until 1943-44-by then the : : : Stukas dead as the Do-do. : : : And for our Sniper Pro, the Scene in Saving : : : Private Ryan when the sniper got whacked by : the : : : shot through the scope was Ripped off by an : : : Incident that Happened by USMC Sgt. Carlos : : : Hathcock where he went 1 on 1 with a VC : Sniper : : : and dropped him like a bad habit with the : same : : : shot. He took his SKS as a souvenir but his : CO : : : snaked it from him. I believed he died about : 2 : : : years ago. He does hold the record for the : : : longest kill (About 2,500 yards) by putting : his : : : scope on a .50 Cal Machine gun and dropped a : VC : : : soldier running supplies on hi Bicycle. : : : Always do yer homework, : : : R.A. MacLean