Gemhorse
Senior Airman
Another disconcerting fact about the B-29 was on July 29th 1944, one of these aircraft was hit by Jap flak attacking Anshan, Manchuria, which started a chain of events that ultimately lead to the 'cocky stance' of Russia with the start of the Cold War, and cost to the N.American taxpayers of billions of dollars....
This aircraft, followed by two others at later dates, were to be forced-down on entering Soviet Airspace, and became destined to provide Russia with ALL that fantastic, sophisticated technology that embodied the B-29, to be copied into the Tupelov Tu-4, followed by the Tu-20, which was the only Soviet bomber capable of performing strikes across the Polar regions....
This sole factor was to cost Billion$ in creating immense chains of radar installations and interceptor bases, intended to shield the North American continent from potential manned air attack......it afforded the Soviet Union a major economic victory - a few hundred aircraft demanding a totally disproportionate counter-effort, on the part of the USA and Canada.....
We all love America, but sometimes it just can't seem to 'see the wood from the trees....'
From before the start of WWII, Russia being run by a meglamanic dictator, not unlike Hitler [but unfortunately worse], had an ambivelant attitude to Hitler's expansionist program in Europe, and the Allies [proper] should've realised when Russia and Germany made their non-aggression pact, that Russia wasn't chummy with the Allies....When Hitler reneged and attacked Russia, why oh why did we all rush in to help ?? - Anyone with a focus on history could see Hitler opening another front, like Napoleon, and without our help, Russia should've been left to lie in the bed they'd made with Germany.....All the Allied [proper] lives lost trying to supply Russia were wasted, we should have left them to their Isolationist attitude to duke it out with Germany, it would have saved millions of Allied lives....
The B-29 wasn't to blame as such, nor the unfortunately misplaced trust of their crews in an alleged Ally, but all the crews that perished getting this aircraft successfully operational paid with their blood, and although it finished-off Japan, there can't be any other aircraft that can be this controversial in what it took and what it gave......
This aircraft, followed by two others at later dates, were to be forced-down on entering Soviet Airspace, and became destined to provide Russia with ALL that fantastic, sophisticated technology that embodied the B-29, to be copied into the Tupelov Tu-4, followed by the Tu-20, which was the only Soviet bomber capable of performing strikes across the Polar regions....
This sole factor was to cost Billion$ in creating immense chains of radar installations and interceptor bases, intended to shield the North American continent from potential manned air attack......it afforded the Soviet Union a major economic victory - a few hundred aircraft demanding a totally disproportionate counter-effort, on the part of the USA and Canada.....
We all love America, but sometimes it just can't seem to 'see the wood from the trees....'
From before the start of WWII, Russia being run by a meglamanic dictator, not unlike Hitler [but unfortunately worse], had an ambivelant attitude to Hitler's expansionist program in Europe, and the Allies [proper] should've realised when Russia and Germany made their non-aggression pact, that Russia wasn't chummy with the Allies....When Hitler reneged and attacked Russia, why oh why did we all rush in to help ?? - Anyone with a focus on history could see Hitler opening another front, like Napoleon, and without our help, Russia should've been left to lie in the bed they'd made with Germany.....All the Allied [proper] lives lost trying to supply Russia were wasted, we should have left them to their Isolationist attitude to duke it out with Germany, it would have saved millions of Allied lives....
The B-29 wasn't to blame as such, nor the unfortunately misplaced trust of their crews in an alleged Ally, but all the crews that perished getting this aircraft successfully operational paid with their blood, and although it finished-off Japan, there can't be any other aircraft that can be this controversial in what it took and what it gave......
