Spitfire vs. Bf 109 – What German Aces Think About The Spitfire

From an Enemy’s Perspective

Have you ever wondered what German aces thought of the Spitfire? Military Aviation History on YouTube found data from a German technical evaluation in the German military archives. For performance, the German test says that the Bf-109 E is superior in terms of speed and climb. 

Germans who flew the English fighter emphasized its maneuverability but negatively reacted to its low longitudinal stability. Regardless, the Spitfire demonstrated the best performance due to its speed, firepower, and flight characteristics.

Moreover, at the start of the war, some of the kill claims that German pilots handed in required them to rate enemy aircraft in terms of speed, maneuverability, and firepower.

In six cases from the Jagdgeschwader 53, the Supermarine Spitfire was rated the following:

• Speed: When compared to the BF 109, 5 out of 6 pilots found them to be equal.
• Maneuverability:  While their speed is almost equal, 4 out of 6 pilots determined that the Spitfire had a good or even better maneuverability than the German fighter.

Interestingly, out of the 13 cases of the Hurricanes, 6 pilots saw the planes to be of inferior speed. However, its maneuverability was rated as superior in 7 cases.