I have read about the operational differences between constant speed and fixed pitch propellers.

Being a World War II buff, I was reminded of reading once about both principles being used in period fighter planes, with the Germans preferring one and the British preferring the other, but that's about all that I can recall. (That might have been a solid 20 years since...)

So, my question is:

How would the above-mentioned "operational differences" apply to WWII-period warbirds specifically, and does anyone have links or pointers to relevant reading material?

I think a period warbird has a quite different set of requirements on its performance and handling characteristics, which is why I think this separate question is warranted.

I'm not so much interested in the fine technical details (I don't want to build / maintain / model one of those planes based on this information), but rather striving for a better understanding of the relative performance characteristics of those (IMHO) most beautiful planes of all time.