Which Did the Luftwaffe Fear Most? The Mustang or the Spitfire?

The Luftwaffe was the largest and strongest air force in Europe in 1939. However, two Allied aircraft held their own against the Luftwaffe – the P-51 Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. But which of these two planes did the Luftwaffe fear more?

The Supermarine Spitfire

First appearing in 1935, this plane wouldn’t go head-to-head against the Luftwaffe until October 16th, 1939. It is said that at the first sight of this iconic plane, the Germans turned in an attempt to escape.

The RAF produced over 20,000 Spitfires over the next ten years. The Spitfire wasn’t costly and could outperform almost any WWII-era fighter. It was a single-seat fighter equipped with a V-12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, later upgraded to a V12 Rolls-Royce Griffon.

Its small size gave it better maneuverability which is essential in dogfights. Later, they could reach a ceiling of 40,000 ft. and could reach an incredible top speed of 440 mph. It proved its dominance in the war, and many believed that it was the Spitfire that “won” the Battle of Britain.

P-51 Mustang

At least 14,000 Mustangs were made during the war, 8,000 of which were the P-51D model. The RAF equipped the P-51D with a V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which is the same engine as the Spitfire. This plane can reach up to 42,000 ft. and in the right conditions, can reach speeds up to 440 mph.

The main purpose of the Mustang was to escort bombers, traveling an impressive distance of 1,000 miles with a single load of fuel. Despite its large size, the Mustang was maneuverable and could perform well in dogfights. It earned a reputation among Luftwaffe pilots as a far superior aircraft to its Luftwaffe counterparts.

Conclusion

Both the Spitfire and the Mustang were great rivals to their enemy aircraft and each had its own purpose in the war. However, which Allied plane did the Germans fear the most? This is best concluded by the Commander-in-chief Herman Goering who had a lot of respect for the British fighter aircraft.

In an interview, Goering mentioned that the “Me 410 was superior to the Spitfire in an attack and not so suitable for purely defensive as the Spitfire. Which, although a little slower, was more maneuverable.”

However, his attitude was different when speaking about the Mustang. In an interview, Goering said, “When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up.

Thus, we’d say that they feared the Mustang more than the Spitfire but the true answer is up for debate. Which of these two planes do you think the Luftwaffe feared the most?