Butcher-bird!

This is coolbert:

From a comment to the blog by Dan:

 "A pilot friend of mine ( deceased at age 59, flew for the Führer in WWII, never wrote his story, alas ) off-handed said once to a group of us that the Focke Wulf 190D Long Nose could defeat ANY Allied fighter One on One or even Two on One. It came out too late and in too few numbers to make a difference but the plane could climb like a bat out of hell and was maneuverable as well."

Allied combat fighter pilots when first encountering the German Focke Wulf 190 finding themselves in an inferior status, dismayed and perhaps even incredulous.

Consternation even I might well assume!

1. "MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BLUNDERS"  Chapter 6 "Uncombined Operation - - Dieppe, 1942 by Colonel John Hughes-Wilson.

 "To add insult to injury, overhead the RAF had suffered a major defeat too. The new Focke Wulf 190 had come as a nasty shock to the RAF's fighter pilots. Over 105 British aircraft were shot down, no less than 88 of them fighters, and another hundred were damaged; the Luftwaffe lost only 46 aircraft."

That landing of allied forces at Dieppe, 1942 most disastrous, in the air as well as on land.

Experienced British combat airmen flying the Mark V improved version of the Spitfire having met their match most decidedly so.

2. From "Focke-Wulf 190s Over Dieppe" that forum and the comment by Chris.

"Nor was the legendary Spitfire Mk V vs Fw 190 battle over Dieppe the ONLY place where the two met en masse and the RAF came off worst!"

"The Fw 190 pilots' more aggressive mood manifested itself on 1st June 1942, when the RAF mounted operation Circus No. 178. Eight bomb-carrying Hurricanes attacked a target near Bruges in Belgium. Seven squadrons of Spitfire Mk Vs from the Hornchurch and Biggin Hill Wings provided close escort while four squadrons from the Debden Wing provided target support. Positioned by radar some 40 Fw 190s of I. and III./JG 26 attacked the raiding force from out of the sun during its withdrawal. The Debden Wing took the force of the attack and lost eight Spitfires in rapid succession, including that flown by its commander. Five Spitfires limped home with battle damage. No Focke-Wulf suffered serious damage during the encounter."

As noted most specifically so by Chris:

"...two and a half months BEFORE Dieppe!"

That adage forewarned is forearmed not properly heeded!

coolbert.