Recent content by Hairog

There were the Taran units in the USSR. While not exactly suicide units their tactics almost away ended in their deaths. However there was one pilot who had four successful, what could only be called, collisions. These units willingly flew their planes into other planes or taran. Near the end...

You know someone is not too confident of their own answers and questions when they start asking for references. I'm tire of playing Wack a Mole for tonight. I got better things to do. If you want to look up all my facts and figures you just go right ahead. I'm not presenting a doctoral thesis. I...

The quote at the bottom of the chart I posted is from the conclusion of the oft mentioned Murray. He states the the Luftwaffe was defeated as an effective fighting force during the period of September 43 through March 44.

Yet the myth continues on.

"Why didnt they shoot down the LW aces who were claiming bombers destroyed throughout the period, were rookies bouncing P-38s?" Oh my... Do you know how the leading ace of WW2 got his kills? "Hartmann's instinct was to select an easy target or withdraw and seek a more favorable situation.[18]...

"The Oil Plan didn't (officially) start until after D-Day." Officially, that's a big qualifier.

Pbehn, As I stated earlier. On long range escort missions, the P-38 were always wedded to the bombers and were not allowed to take the fight to the enemy. This meant in addition to not getting all the kills that the other fighters got during the same period, they were constantly getting bounced...

Wuzak, Are you suggesting that the vast majority of the AAF, RAF, Luftwaffe high command were idiots for using the Loss Percentage number in all their major decisions?

Your right Pbehn. The Spits and Jugs did the shorter part of the missions and the Lightning ran the rest. Before the Lightning was let loose the Luffees would just wait at the edge of the P-47 and Spits range and form up ahead of the bomber stream. They would hit when the bombers were...

Long Range Bombing Missions. Please think before you post.

The chart and percentage of loss means a great deal. The difference of 7 vs 3% loss rate saved the daylight bombing campaign. Do the math, you had virtually no chance of flying 25 missions and surviving with 7% losses. Moral was in the toilet because the bomber crews could do the math.

Sorry, I thought the chart and the quote below it were pretty easy to comprehend. I'll dumb it down from now on. Another apology is in order. I should have specified the Petroleum industry. If you don't have fuel you can't train new pilots. I suggest that you read my post again but slowly...

In the ETO the P-38 was the starting pitcher in long range escort missions. The Mustang was the relief pitcher and came in after the Luftwaffe was on it's last legs because the escorted bombers had devastated their factories etc. The Lightning fought the best of the best while outnumber while...

Aces High by Billy Yenne Entertaining but I can't vouch for it's accuracy.

My college roommate's father worked at the factory that made the first batches of super glue. This was in 1970. Nobody knew about super glue but a handful of people. We ran rampant in our dormitory. Gluing people's fingers together , fastening things to walls and doors. We covered the...