Picture of the day.

• Jun 4, 2016

• #2,741

Wurger

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• Jun 4, 2016

• #2,742

Shinpachi

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• Jun 4, 2016

• #2,743

Airframes

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Never noticed that harness in other, similar pics before.
Health and Safety, 1940s style !

 

• Jun 6, 2016

• #2,744

yulzari

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British Secret Weapon in the Western Desert

 

• Jun 6, 2016

• #2,745

Wurger

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• Jun 26, 2016

• #2,746

fubar57

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The Jungles of Canada

Caption says "...Beaufighter from 10 Communication Unit....ready for a leaflet drop, Morotai, Aug.'45. The insrciption under the wing says "The war is over....."."

 

• Jun 26, 2016

• #2,747

Wurger

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I would say it's a Bristol Beaufort.

 

• Jun 26, 2016

• #2,748

fubar57

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The Jungles of Canada

Was wondering about that

 

• Jun 26, 2016

• #2,749

Wurger

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According to the net :

A9-712 Ex A9-310.
Served with No 10 Communication Unit 15/03/45.
Crashed 21/11/45, on landing at Lakunai Airstrip Rabaul.
Converted to components 12/45

 

• Jun 26, 2016

• #2,750

GrauGeist

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Interesring footnote of the war, the Imperial Japanese Army bacame interested in the Tiger tank and had Ambassador Hiroshi Oshima and a delegation inspect Tigers at the Henschel plant and evaluate them at the Kummersdorf's testing grounds. One of the main reasons for the interest in a heavy tank, was for homeland defense as the war situation was deteriorating in the Pacific.

Ambassador Oshima even went to the Eastern front in June 1943 to see the Schwere-Panzerabteilung 502 in action. The delegation purchased a complete Tiger, plans, ammunition and upgraded optics and planned to have it disassembled and shipped via submarine.

So the Japanese Tiger was shipped to Bordeaux in February 1944 to be disassembled for shipping. However, before any of that could happen, the Normandy landings intervened and the Japanese Tiger was commandeered by Schwere-Panzerabteilung 101 and eventually disappeared into the fog of war. It's most likely that it was lost at the Falaise Pocket.

Here's a photo of the delegation inspecting a Tiger at Henchel's testing facility.

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,751

Shinpachi

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Thanks for sharing, Dave !
Very educational

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,752

GrauGeist

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Shinpachi said:

Thanks for sharing, Dave !
Very educational

Click to expand...

You're very welcome, Shinpachi-san!

Just imagine if the IJA had Tiger Tanks!

I should also add, that many years ago, I read that Ambassador Oshima had taken an interest in the Soviet T-34 that he saw while at the Eastern Front.

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,753

Shinpachi

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If Tiger tanks had been deployed in Manchuria, the war phase would have been changed certainly.
What Japanese needed for the homeland decisive battle was rather many rifles and grenades for the guerrilla warfare.
My mother once told me that they were going to fight with the bamboo spears

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,754

GrauGeist

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The main tank that the USMC and US Army were using throughout the island campaign was the M4 Sherman...just suppose the Ambassador had managed to secure captured T-34s and had them on hand and properly deployed at Okinawa.

It would have been a terrible surprise for the Allies

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,755

G

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I have to say that the T34 was a more practical option. Much easier to build and operate with excellent mobility over poor ground

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,756

Wildcat

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fubar57 said:

Caption says "...Beaufighter from 10 Communication Unit....ready for a leaflet drop, Morotai, Aug.'45. The insrciption under the wing says "The war is over....."."

View attachment 347109

Click to expand...

This is actually a DAP "beaufreighter" which is a modified transport version of the Beaufort. 46 such conversions were made.

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,757

Wurger

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• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,758

Airframes

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That's neat - hadn't seen one of those before.

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,759

Aaron Brooks Wolters

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Cool stuff guys! Keep'em coming!

 

• Jun 27, 2016

• #2,760

Shinpachi

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GrauGeist said:

The main tank that the USMC and US Army were using throughout the island campaign was the M4 Sherman...just suppose the Ambassador had managed to secure captured T-34s and had them on hand and properly deployed at Okinawa.

It would have been a terrible surprise for the Allies

Click to expand...

Cool idea, Dave !
I think Japan needed able advisers like you