Picture of the day.

[fubar57]

I think it's from the Battle of Britain movie.

Geo

EDIT: comment no longer valid

 

[GrauGeist]

I think it's from the Battle of Britain movie.

Geo

Yep, it is.

 

[N4521U]

Sure is.

 

[Lucky13]

It is!?

 

[Wildcat]

A flight of 34sqnRAAF C-47's

 

[Lucky13]

Cool pic!

I've changed the one that I posted earlier....

 

[Njaco]

Bristol Beaufighters from Nos. 144 and 254 Squadrons RAF, No. 455 Squadron RAAF and No. 489 Squadron RNZAF attacking German 'M' class minesweepers escorting a convoy off the Dutch coast, north-west of Borkum, with rocket projectiles. Thirteen aircraft can be seen in the photograph, which was taken over the tail of a Beaufighter of No. 455 Squadron after delivering its attack.

.

 

[fubar57]

Good lord, plenty of collision potential there. How accurate were rockets? I know they used the machine guns as a sighting tool and judging by the explosions, he nailed 'em(the MG splashes that is).

Geo

EDIT: just looking back at the photo, was it normal to swarm the targets like that, ensuring not too many enemy guns on one target.

 

[planb]

Is that a lone bomb in lower left?[/I]

 

[GrauGeist]

Is that a lone bomb in lower left?

Looks like two bombs tumbling, one on either side of the wing in the forground...the one is just about out of the picture, extreme left

 

[fubar57]

At first I thought they were anti-aircraft or barrage type balloons but I don't know if the Kriegsmarine used them.

Geo

 

[GrauGeist]

They may be barrage balloons, but the closer one looks like it has a serious nose-up attitude...

Perhaps a cable was struck/cut, making it go wild?

 

[Glider]

Beaus didn't use bombs on shipping strikes so the barrage balloon is almost certainly correct. If the towing ship was changing direction the cable wold go slack and then tight which would give a nose up attitude

 

[Airframes]

They're AA balloons, and quite often went 'nose up', especially if the vessel was moving at some speed. They're clearer in a larger version of the photo I've seen. The Beaus didn't normally use bombs on anti-shipping ops - the 25lbAP rocket was preferred, sometimes with alternate aircraft carrying these, and other the 60lb SApHE, both very effective, and fairly accurate, against a large target like a ship.

 

[Njaco]

...which looks like the ship in the middle just missed judging by the vapor trails.

 

[vikingBerserker]

What an awesome pic!

 

[Crimea_River]

I agree. Lots going on there.

 

[fastmongrel]

Hurri up.

 

[Njaco]

ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) 'glamour girls' distribute cigarettes and beer to the troops in North Africa, 26 July 1942.

.

 

[Lucky13]