How Luftwaffe Lost 13 Junkers Ju-87 in Less than a Minute

[wuzak]

 

[GrauGeist]

Yeah, huge difference between a reported cloud base of 2,500 feet and actual cloud base of 300.

What has me baffled, though, is why no one was paying attention to their altimeter.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, huge difference between a reported cloud base of 2,500 feet and actual cloud base of 300.

What has me baffled, though, is why no one was paying attention to their altimeter.

What baffles me is why they had no comm set up to relay weather info on what was, after all, a cloudy day with low cover.

 

[GrauGeist]

What baffles me is why they had no comm set up to relay weather info on what was, after all, a cloudy day with low cover.

They assumed that the meteorological report was accurate, with cloud cover at 6,000 feet and a base of 2,500 feet.

One of them did frantically call out to abort the dive after it was realized that the base was too low, but it was too late for the first several groups committed to the dive, the others who were about to follow in, heard the abort and commenced to circle above.

And another puzzling thing, is two of the Generals on the ground, were WWI aces and should have immediately recognized the extremely low base and stopped the demo.

 

[Greg Boeser]

Doesn't the altimeter record pressure altitude? So if there was a change in the weather they would give a faulty reading?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

They assumed that the meteorological report was accurate, with cloud cover at 6,000 feet and a base of 2,500 feet.

One of them did frantically call out to abort the dive after it was realized that the base was too low, but it was too late for the first several groups committed to the dive, the others who were about to follow in, heard the abort and commenced to circle above.

And another puzzling thing, is two of the Generals on the ground, were WWI aces and should have immediately recognized the extremely low base and stopped the demo.

Definitely agreed on your last point. I just don't understand why they didn't provide any update via radio.

 

[Gnomey]

Good one!