The Soviet executioner of Luftwaffe

Although the Yak- 9 was a fine Soviet fighter it was not up to the standards of the later Allied fighters such as the P-51 Mustang which could fly 70 MPH faster than the fastest Yak-9 and could travel much further and reach much higher altitudes as well. At the end of the war, on 22 March 1945, L.I. Sivko from 812.IAP achieved a solo Soviet air victory against a ME262 jet fighter, but he was killed soon afterward by another ME262. It was woefully short of the ME262, which flew 180 MPH faster than the Yak-9.
Yes the ME262 had to have its engines changed regularly and could only spend a limited time in aerial combat. However the ME262 racked up a 4:1 kill ratio over the allied planes it fought against. The Me262 signaled the end of piston driven aircraft in aerial combat. The British had a jet the Gloster Meteor near war’s end as well, however it never saw combat.
 
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The Soviet executioner of the Luftwaffe

I have read that he Soviet Air Force of WWII was primarily a close air support organization and equipped to fight at low altitude. That's why their aircraft were designed first and foremost for maneuverability.
I wonder if they had oxygen equipment and what kind? At the beginning of the war, combat at high altitude was still a new, and largely unexplored field. Germany had the most advanced oxygen system and many of it's features were copied by the British and Americans.
High altitude flying was critical for the British and Americans so that their bombers could fly above weather, take advantage of high altitude winds and be relatively safe from anti-aircraft fire. For the same reason German fighters had to be able to operate in the thin, cold air above 20,000 feet.
However, Soviet aircraft weren't engaged in long range, strategic bombing, so would not have the same need, although their fighters would have been useless against German bombers without oxygen breathing equipment.
British and American Lend Lease aircraft were equipped with both oxygen apparatus and radios, something novel for the Soviets.
British and American oxygen equipment was different and not compatible.
I wonder what type of oxygen equipment, if any was used by the Soviet Air Force?
 
However when facing a ME262 that could shoot and simply fly away fast enough that the Yak-9 couldn't have time to respond thus negating the planes maneuverability? Although they never fought my guess is the same would be true if it faced the P51, of which later models were also maneuverable.
 
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Did the Me-262 ever meet the Yak-9 ? I thought the Me-262 was made for defense against U.S. daylight bombing attacks.
The Me-262 would have been operating at high altitude against B-17s and B-24s.
Again, My question is: Were the Soviets capable of fighting at high altitude? They would have needed supercharged engines and oxygen equipment. I would like to know how many Soviet aircraft of WWII had those things. If they were not so equipped I think it's unlikely that an ME-262 would have encountered a Yak-9, except while the German aircraft was taking off or landing.
 
Remington 1858 said:
Did the Me-262 ever meet the Yak-9 ? I thought the Me-262 was made for defense against U.S. daylight bombing attacks.
The Me-262 would have been operating at high altitude against B-17s and B-24s.
Again, My question is: Were the Soviets capable of fighting at high altitude? They would have needed supercharged engines and oxygen equipment. I would like to know how many Soviet aircraft of WWII had those things. If they were not so equipped I think it's unlikely that an ME-262 would have encountered a Yak-9, except while the German aircraft was taking off or landing.
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I don't know all the detail but the Yak-9 could reach 30,000 feet. I guess they encountered the ME262 on a few occasions which ended poorly for Yak-9 with a solo exception.
 
I've done some further research and it appears that at the beginning of the war the Soviet Air Force used a rather primitive constant flow oxygen system. That's one where the pilot holds a tube between his teeth, the oxygen flows constantly and there is a lot of waste of gas.
Later, captured German systems were studied as well as the lend lease American A8B which formed the basis for late war Soviet oxygen apparatus.
It's plain that Russian systems were not available until late in the war because when you see photos of Red Air Force pilots you never see an oxygen mask hanging off the flight helmet, something common with photos of British, German and American air crew.
This would have meant that the Germans nearly always had the tactical advantage of altitude and that their bombers could operate with little to fear from Soviet fighters.
Without proper equipment for high altitude combat, you have essentially, a WWI type air force, restricted to operations below 15 - 20,000 feet.
 
I believe the main advantage the Red Air force (or contingent of the Red Army) had was that from 43 on most of the German fighters were pulled to defend the Reich. So the Soviets had a vast numerical superiority over the Germans in fighters and light bombers.

I don't know if either country really pursued the development of heavy bombers the way the allies did.
 
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