"what if"

[seaniam81]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Also just as important the Russians didn't have a fighter that could escort them. At this time we had the Mustang to escort our bombers. So with out escort what are they going to do? Fly at night? They didn't have anything like the Oboe system and Pathfinders like the British had so it would be blind luck to hit anything.

I belive they didn't have anything that could escort that far into Germany, maybe the YAK-9 if it had drop tanks. It had roughly the same range as a Jug. But as for tactics they could have been tough to the Russians.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by seaniam81

I belive they didn't have anything that could escort that far into Germany, maybe the YAK-9 if it had drop tanks. It had roughly the same range as a Jug. But as for tactics they could have been tough to the Russians.

According to Wikipedia a Yak-9D's combat range (without tanks) is 845 miles. The Yak-9 could escort them in to Germany but they are going to stay there afterward!

Actually I don't think that any allied fighter could fly from Moscow to Berlin and back. The distances between the German homeland and the Russian front line in 1943 were too great for any fighter aircraft to be effective.

The Aircraft Carrier HMS Great Britain certainly proved its worth as it was only about 600 miles from Berlin. Putting it in range of both fighters and bombers.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

The Aircraft Carrier HMS Great Britain certainly proved its worth as it was only about 600 miles from Berlin. Putting it in range of both fighters and bombers.

From both sides!

[Raptor1]

The Soviets had no real reason to put resources into developing a long range escort fighter during the war, but they did make one after it (The Lavochkin La-11). They could theoretically have gotten one into production by 1943 or 1944, if it was of any use to them.

[Schwieger]

They could have also developed more on the MiG-3 airframe.