Today in US Military History: Chuck Yeager shoots down Me-262 jet over Germany

Unto the Breach ^ | Nov. 6, 2018 | Chris Carter

[fugazi]

Today's post is in honor of Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown, who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Sperwan Gar, Afghanistan on this date in 2006. Brown, 30, of Fort Worth, Texas, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group.

1941: While searching for blockade runners in the Caribbean, the cruiser USS Omaha and destroyer USS Somers spot a cargo ship flying U.S. colors but behaving oddly and whose sailors looked "uniquely un-American." When Omaha attempts to make contact, the ship's crew attempt to sabotage the vessel and a boarding crew is sent over. The captured ship turns out to be the German Odenwald, transporting rubber and other supplies from Japan. The sailors from the boarding party are each awarded $3,000 as bounty from the seized cargo and everyone else involved receives two month's pay - the last time U.S. sailors will be awarded prize money.

1942: The 2d Raider Battalion sets out on a month-long patrol to cut off Japanese forces attempting to escape encirclement at Guadalcanal's Koli Point. Over the next four weeks, Lt. Col. Evans Carlson's Raiders march 150 miles through dense jungles, using their trademark guerilla tactics to kill 500 enemy troops in several engagements. Only 16 Marines died during the operation, but virtually the entire battalion suffered from tropical diseases that were said to be worse than combat.

1944: Capt. Charles Yeager becomes one of the first U.S. pilots to shoot down a Messerschmidt Me-262 jet fighter, scoring his victory as the warplane attempts to land on a German airfield.

During a three-day battle at Kommerscheidt, Germany, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Turney W. Leonard "repeatedly braved overwhelming enemy fire in advance of his platoon to direct the fire of his tank destroyer from

[Georgia Girl 2]

Gimme a stick of Beemans. 😄

[PLMerite]

“So the only way we were able to down an Me-262 is hit is on the landing strip moving slowly? “

I’m not going to say the “only way,” but lurking around known jet (Me-262, Ar-234) bases hoping to catch one coming or going was a favorite Allied tactic.

The engines were temperamental and didn’t respond well to rapid throttle changes, but once they got altitude and speed, they were very hard to best.

[raybbr]

Bfl

[elcid1970]

Did some math on Me-262 specs; its duration was just over one hour, so only limited time for combat; gliding to land once out of fuel must have been a standard procedure.

Early turbojets were huge fuel guzzlers.

[snoringbear]

“Really? That’s fascinating on Yeager. I thought he was too young to have been in WW II. I knew he’d been a test pilot for a bunch of the early flights that would eventually lead to space. This country has produced some of the most amazing people.”

I believe Chuck is credited with being the first to break the sound barrier in level flight. Chuck wanted to be in the astronaut program but was refused because he lacked a college degree and was thereby perceived to be lacking the academic chops for the program. Always was a big disappointment for Chuck.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Yes, Yeager is the first man to go faster than sound in level flight in the Bell X-1:

Wiki: The Bell X-1 is a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics–U.S. Army Air Forces–U.S. Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived during 1944 and designed and built in 1945, it achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 mph in 1948.

A derivative of this same design, the Bell X-1A, having greater fuel capacity and hence longer rocket burning time, exceeded 1,600 miles per hour in 1954.

The X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, was the first manned airplane to exceed the speed of sound in level flight and was the first of the X-planes, a series of American experimental rocket planes (and non-rocket planes) designated for testing of new technologies and often kept secret.

My dad was in aerospace in the 50s and we followed the "X" program closely. The X-15 was an amazing program. My son and I visited the "Balls 8" B-52 at Edwards AFB a couple years ago - it was the B-52 that dropped all the X-15 rocket planes.

[MGunny]

The 262 was quite an aircraft for its day. The turbo jet engines were rated for 100 hrs of service time.

[ro_dreaming]

I watched a doc on that kill and Yeager said it was “highly unsportsman like..but what the hell.”

I made the same observation, are you really shooting it down, if he’s landing? You’re just kind of hurrying him along, right?

[mass55th]

Thank you!!

[Tallguy]

“Unsportsmanlike”... huh! Was it sportsmanlike for those Me-262’s when they attacked that formation of B-17’s flying straight & level at 180 knots? More like clubbing baby seals. (Not being critical of you CRZ, just noting the irony)

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

“So the only way we were able to down an Me-262 is hit is on the landing strip moving slowly? “ - ProtectOurFreedom

I’m not going to say the “only way,” but lurking around known jet (Me-262, Ar-234) bases hoping to catch one coming or going was a favorite Allied tactic.

The engines were temperamental and didn’t respond well to rapid throttle changes, but once they got altitude and speed, they were very hard to best.

Don Evans told it that he was a P-51 pilot at the end of WWII, and in Germany he had occasion to get in a discussion with an early US jet jockey. Of course the P-51 was agile, and fast for a prop plane, and he challenged the guy to an aerial hassle. The jet jockey was happy to oblige, and demonstrated that he was in control of the engagement at all times. His altitude capability meant that if he didn’t want to engage, he didn’t have to - he could wait for a favorable situation and then pounce with much higher speed. Just not much of a contest.

The MIG-15 was in a similar situation vs the Sabre - except that the Sabre had hydraulic assisted control surfaces and the Mig didn’t. The result was that the lighter Mig could stay up top and not engage, the heavier Sabre had to stay at lower altitude and keep its speed up. If the Mig tried to engage at high speed in dense air, the pilot couldn't move the control surfaces - the Mig became unmaneuverable despite its light wing loading.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks. Wow...I didn’t know the early MIG-15 had manual control surfaces! That must have been hugely taxing on the pilot.

[crz]

All I can say is that was what he said.

[crz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTgUILzhRdw

at 44:10 in the video.

In his OWN words.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Yes, Don said that when he encountered the first Mig-17 it was a surprise when it engaged at medium altitude. He described the engagement and said that the pilot was good. And that after a couple of passes, “We both got the same idea at the same time - 'This is too close to being a fair fight!’"

[mosesdapoet]

Gimme a stick of Beemans.
It’s Really Good To Chew and Helps Digestion Too

[crz]

When I was kid and one of my brothers was taking his flying lessons, one of his instructors was a guy who flew P47s in Italy during WW2. That man was CRAZY. He pulled so much crap with planes that they jerked his pilots license.

He was measuring up a overpass on a highway up there and intended on flying a plane under it.

All I knew is that he was called Chief Oshkosh since he was an Indian from up there..never knew WTH his real name was.

[matt1234]

I was once overflown by a ME-262 ... in Washington State !!

I was baffled at the sight, so I checked the internet. Sure enough, a local company had constructed a functional replica.

[ro_dreaming]

I did some COMSEC intercept/training of Navy pilots back in 80’s/90’s at NAS Fallon, and those pilots at least are required to have at least 10% crazy on board at all times.

[crz]

LOL!