“The only way to train for combat was combat. Some had a natural flair for deflection and most had to learn it.” Good point!
So how many of the best German fighter pilots fought in the Spanish Civil War?
What better practice for a 109 pilot than a pesky I-16.
Japanese pilots had similar post Pearl Harbor proving ground in China.
Maybe not with a certain group of P-40’s
This combat experience had to put them at a deadly advantage.