[VMF115]

Guys don’t get in a tizzy,,,,here have a beer

[Martin Baker]

Originally Posted by VMF115

This is going to kill me,,,,,,But I have to say the P-61,,yes it was the first fighter designed with a state of the art radar system, had excellent performance ,,,but it entered the war a tad late to make a difference …it's still one of my favorites however.

Your right about the Black widow & it was slower than the latest mark of Mosquito

[VMF115]

Originally Posted by Martin Baker

Your right about the Black widow & it was slower than the latest mark of Mosquito

Which MK Mosquito was that????
And what year did it enter service?

[FormerViperDriver]

Originally Posted by Old Crow

By the way, I do not agree it is absolutely clear that the British undertook a night bombing campaign specificall as a crew safety issue. From what I have read, particularly comments by Bomber Harris, the real reason was a belief they could not effectively perform precision bombing even if they flew during the day. Harris made the famous, or infamous, comment that for want of a rapier a bludgeon was used.

So, Old Crow, if dailight and night bombing are roughly as accurate (according to you), why would Bomber Harris and the RAF delibeartely decide to fly in more dangerous conditions (night flying is more difficult in itself, even if there is no threat)?

The fact that Harris and the RAF went to night bombing was clearly a reaction to unacceptable daytime losses during dailight mass raids, both by RAF and USAAF. This is well doumented. Harris rationalized the decision by saying he didn't believe the accuracy would be worse at night anyway, but the reason for the switch was unarguably the better survivability at nigh (everyone keeps forgetting FlaK in this discussion, I'm not sure why...). True, the Luftwaffe had to react and eventually beefed up its night fighter force (both in numbers and quality), which later made night bombing pretty deadly too. But the initial decision was based on survivability/attrition ratios, period. No argument possible there, it's in all the history books.

FVD

[Martin Baker]

Originally Posted by VMF115

Which MK Mosquito was that????
And what year did it enter service?

Mosquito Mk XXX & was used in 1944
I

[VMF115]

Originally Posted by Martin Baker

Mosquito Mk XXX & was used in 1944
I

Ok...what was it's climb rate?

[Aircrafty]

Originally Posted by FormerViperDriver

Let me ask you: if the RAF was so accurate at night, why Dresden?

FVD

Ahhh the old Dresden question, as if that is the proof for all his arguements. The simple but less known answer to this is that both the RAF and USAAF bombed Dresden but only the RAF could find it in the dark: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing...n_World_War_II

[Aircrafty]

Originally Posted by VMF115

My great uncle flew b-17 missions and then was assigned as a lesion officer to the RAF bomber command, he flew with them in a Lancaster several times and said he would rather fly a B-17 in to a formation of Me-109’s the fly a night mission in a Lancaster…funny thing he said the several mission he flew the pilot and co-pilot where stinking drunk by the time they returned to base …the reason if they got hit they knew the would be getting out. He did say it was not normal but a few did practice it…
He him self said it has a death trap......

As for accuracy they had none his first bombing mission with the RAF was a failure, they missed their target by 15 miles but they sure did kill a lot of sheep.

Btw My great uncle retired from the Air-force in 1975

He had a long and active military career, flew b-17 mission of Europe and in Vietnam he commanded and flew B-52’s..make the Rank of Brigadier General and was busted down when He told the brass to shove it. Did not like how the air wars was being fought.

I reckon he would have done us all a favour by retiring earlier, have another beer dude

[VMF115]

About the lack of Flack discussion.
My great uncles said that the Lancaster’s liquid cooled engines where venerable to flack damage. And was one of many reason they suffered heavy losses.

[VMF115]

Originally Posted by Aircrafty

I reckon he would have done us all a favour by retiring earlier, have another beer dude

Warrior his input help formulate Line backer 1 and 2...He fought for the aircrews, he disliked what the seen and was part of many who tried to change the thinking of how the air war was fought over the skies of Vietnam…he did his country a great service…so why did you say he should have retired earlier.????/
I think I will have a sip of that beer now.