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Jane's. Military attaches. Advertisements. Press releases, both manufacturer and government.Hi chaps, one thing that has always made me wonder is how did opposing sides know what the other side's vehicles and aircraft were called? It can't surely have been done all by spies and interrogations can it? I don't think there is a data plate inside a P-38 that says Lightning or inside a Lancaster saying that (Idon't even know if the Lanc had a factory designation - it must have). Also they would warn aircrews about a new version of say, the Fw-190 been seen, I mean, how on earth did they know it was a new version? In combat all you get is a fleeting veiw as (hopefully) the enemy flashes past, hardly enough time so see bulges the D model didn't have or different shape fins etcetera. It just seems to me each side knew exactly what the other was doing?? Same with tanks and other AFV's, a new one appears, "Oh yes, thats the 'whatever' MkV with the slightly different shaped exhaust - easy to spot! Put me right someone!
I myself have been wanting to ask that.Hi chaps, one thing that has always made me wonder is how did opposing sides know what the other side's vehicles and aircraft were called? It can't surely have been done all by spies and interrogations can it? I don't think there is a data plate inside a P-38 that says Lightning or inside a Lancaster saying that (Idon't even know if the Lanc had a factory designation - it must have). Also they would warn aircrews about a new version of say, the Fw-190 been seen, I mean, how on earth did they know it was a new version? In combat all you get is a fleeting veiw as (hopefully) the enemy flashes past, hardly enough time so see bulges the D model didn't have or different shape fins etcetera. It just seems to me each side knew exactly what the other was doing?? Same with tanks and other AFV's, a new one appears, "Oh yes, thats the 'whatever' MkV with the slightly different shaped exhaust - easy to spot! Put me right someone!
The British, all their N/A aircraft were officially Mustangs, for the USA they were P-51s with the nickname Mustang being frequently adopted.So which side of the pond came up with Mustang?
The British gave the name to the Mustang since it was built outright for them and not the USAAC.So which side of the pond came up with Mustang?
Hi chaps, one thing that has always made me wonder is how did opposing sides know what the other side's vehicles and aircraft were called? It can't surely have been done all by spies and interrogations can it? I don't think there is a data plate inside a P-38 that says Lightning or inside a Lancaster saying that (Idon't even know if the Lanc had a factory designation - it must have). Also they would warn aircrews about a new version of say, the Fw-190 been seen, I mean, how on earth did they know it was a new version? In combat all you get is a fleeting veiw as (hopefully) the enemy flashes past, hardly enough time so see bulges the D model didn't have or different shape fins etcetera. It just seems to me each side knew exactly what the other was doing?? Same with tanks and other AFV's, a new one appears, "Oh yes, thats the 'whatever' MkV with the slightly different shaped exhaust - easy to spot! Put me right someone!
I liked the climb statistic for the Zero. "Fast".In many cases they did not know. The attached US intelligence report shows how little they knew at the time. Look at the A6M (Zero) and compare the information supplied with the real aircraft - shape 100% wrong for starters and at the time this publication was produced the US had been fighting against the A6M for four months. They even call it an ARMY aircraft. Also look at the Karigane which they call a fighter, and got the shape a little wrong when they should have known the exact shape at least from Mitsubishi Ki-15 Karigane Archives - This Day in Aviation
Better than Goerings opinion of pilots who reported seeing single engine fighters deep into Germany... "No you didn't" he said with complete authority.I liked the climb statistic for the Zero. "Fast".
At some point, he was going to have to give in and be called "Meyer".Better than Goerings opinion of pilots who reported seeing single engine fighters deep into Germany... "No you didn't" he said with complete authority.
In some cases it is a question of "how much does it matter". I don't know if you could easily tell the difference between a Lancaster and a Halifax at night from behind, but it didn't matter, they were both certainly enemy bombers. For a rear gunner in a Lancaster or Halifax a twin engine aircraft may be a Ju 88 A Bf 110 or a Mosquito and it did matter.
There were several that were assigned an Allied code name that either didn't exist or were not in military service.Japanese aircraft seemed to be more troubling to the allies, recognition wise, compared to European aircraft? Sometimes pure fiction.
Try this one...
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