fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
Trevor Howard at his gruff finest as the Captain and Dickie Attenborough playing his usual role of cheerful chirpy cockney..
The truth is stranger than fiction: WW2 facts that you would call BS if seen on a movie...
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Trevor Howard at his gruff finest as the Captain and Dickie Attenborough playing his usual role of cheerful chirpy cockney..
yulzari
Staff Sergeant
Trivial but this was done by the British. What it does show is how important coastal shipping was even through the English Channel with the rail networks being overloaded. Coastal convoys of both sides continued to run through the Channel despite the risks of mines, coastal artillery, air strikes and torpedo and gun boat attacks.
Admiral Beez
Major
That Britain's Malaya Command with 140,000 troops, over a thousand artillery and antitank guns and nearly 300 aircraft could so quickly fall to a Japanese army half its size, with 130,000 men, or 92% of the British garrison surrendering to the Japanese exactly 70 days later.
Had the British and Imperial troops known what the IJA had planned for them perhaps they'd have fought on. It's hard to imagine a Japanese army of 140,000 men abandoning their ground with 92% of their number surrendering into British or American hands. Did that ever happen before the Emperor's stand down order? When the US retook the Philippines the IJA had 349,000 troops, of which less than 13,000, or 3.5% were captured.
Had the British and Imperial troops known what the IJA had planned for them perhaps they'd have fought on. It's hard to imagine a Japanese army of 140,000 men abandoning their ground with 92% of their number surrendering into British or American hands. Did that ever happen before the Emperor's stand down order? When the US retook the Philippines the IJA had 349,000 troops, of which less than 13,000, or 3.5% were captured.
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swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 4,020
- Jun 25, 2013
Virginia Hall, the socialite with an artificial leg who joined the SOE and spent the next several years pissing off nazis in occupied France.
Actually, all of the women who served as SOE or OSS agents in occupied Europe.
Actually, all of the women who served as SOE or OSS agents in occupied Europe.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
I've seen it on a YouTube site. Simple History IIRC. The Polish cavalry attacked a German position and suffered heavy casualties. After the battle, German reinforcements arrived and the scene was staged with Armor in the background.
The original photo evidence of Peenumunde and the development of the V2 was laughed at by the British chief scientist - we haven't developed anything like that so how could they ? Peenemunde was said to be a sewerage site even though it wasn't near any large population area.
Fortunately it was decided that the photo recce unit needed a better set of equipment for viewing to prove things one way or another.
A new 3D photo put together thingy was available from Switzerland. One was sent to Sweden for the RAF to pick up.
Reasonable cloak and dagger movie so far.
Now lets add the 'oh that's a bit far fetched' part to the script.
A Mosquito goes to Sweden and the machine is put in bits into the bomb bay and tied securely etc. The Mossie has two crew in the cockpit but a scientific technical type gent has come along to make the thing work and needs to go with them.
He is also placed in the bomb bay on a sort of hammock facing down on his stomach.
Off they go in the dark of night and very near to Scotland get bounced by a German Night Fighter.
The pilot does the usual thing to wipe speed off quickly and get out of the night fighters line - he opens the bomb bay doors. The Mossie slows quickly and they evade. Soon they land and everything is ok.
Ok for the crew but not so much for the poor sod in the bomb bay which was still open as the pilot had (forgotten / not bothered) not closed it again being so close to landing anyway.
So there you are - a boffin type non combatant lying face down in the dark - then a rush of air probably with some loud noises followed by an eventual darkened view of a runway a few feet below your face as you land at 120 mph or so.
Yes - it happened and no I don't know if the bloke went back to Switzerland by plane or rowing boat and his feet. Either way he was important. All this lead to operation Crossbow.
Fortunately it was decided that the photo recce unit needed a better set of equipment for viewing to prove things one way or another.
A new 3D photo put together thingy was available from Switzerland. One was sent to Sweden for the RAF to pick up.
Reasonable cloak and dagger movie so far.
Now lets add the 'oh that's a bit far fetched' part to the script.
A Mosquito goes to Sweden and the machine is put in bits into the bomb bay and tied securely etc. The Mossie has two crew in the cockpit but a scientific technical type gent has come along to make the thing work and needs to go with them.
He is also placed in the bomb bay on a sort of hammock facing down on his stomach.
Off they go in the dark of night and very near to Scotland get bounced by a German Night Fighter.
The pilot does the usual thing to wipe speed off quickly and get out of the night fighters line - he opens the bomb bay doors. The Mossie slows quickly and they evade. Soon they land and everything is ok.
Ok for the crew but not so much for the poor sod in the bomb bay which was still open as the pilot had (forgotten / not bothered) not closed it again being so close to landing anyway.
So there you are - a boffin type non combatant lying face down in the dark - then a rush of air probably with some loud noises followed by an eventual darkened view of a runway a few feet below your face as you land at 120 mph or so.
Yes - it happened and no I don't know if the bloke went back to Switzerland by plane or rowing boat and his feet. Either way he was important. All this lead to operation Crossbow.
buffnut453
Captain
How about a Nigerian-born jazz drummer who could speak 6 languages and fought in the Warsaw Ghetto during WW2:
August Agbola O'Browne - Wikipedia
I think it would make a great movie.
August Agbola O'Browne - Wikipedia
I think it would make a great movie.
Here's another connected to the "BOAC Express" between the UK and Sweden.
Niels Bohr the Physicist escaped from Denmark to Sweden in September 1943.
When the news of Bohr's escape reached Britain, Lord Cherwell sent a telegram to Bohr asking him to come to Britain. Bohr arrived in Scotland on 6 October in a de Havilland Mosquito operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).The Mosquitos were unarmed high-speed bomber aircraft that had been converted to carry small, valuable cargoes or important passengers. By flying at high speed and high altitude, they could cross German-occupied Norway, and yet avoid German fighters. Bohr, equipped with parachute, flying suit and oxygen mask, spent the three-hour flight lying on a mattress in the aircraft's bomb bay. During the flight, Bohr did not wear his flying helmet as it was too small, and consequently did not hear the pilot's intercom instruction to turn on his oxygen supply when the aircraft climbed to high altitude to overfly Norway. He passed out from oxygen starvation and only revived when the aircraft descended to lower altitude over the North Sea. Bohr's son Aage followed his father to Britain on another flight a week later, and became his personal assistant
buffnut453
Captain
Here's another great story about the defection of a Ju88 night fighter to Britain in 1943:
https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/a...$ja=tsid:71284&dm_i=2DJZ,1M44M,2AQ5CG,5H3KL,1
https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/a...$ja=tsid:71284&dm_i=2DJZ,1M44M,2AQ5CG,5H3KL,1
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
That was a great read my friend. Thanks.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
I had the pleasure, and privilege, of being granted access to walk around this Ju88 at Cosford, a couple of years back.
It's far better that this aircraft, and some others from Hendon, are now at Cosford, as viewing and lighting conditions are much better.
It's far better that this aircraft, and some others from Hendon, are now at Cosford, as viewing and lighting conditions are much better.
MiTasol
1st Lieutenant
BOAC = Better On A Camel
Glider
Captain
Flight Sergeant Dobney
In August 1940 Tom Dobney applied to join the RAF, He lied about his age but blagged his way through the initial selection process and medical and was accepted for training at the age of 14 and three months.
On 12 May 1941 he had his first training flight in Tiger Moth at the age of 15 and four days and soloed three weeks after his fifteenth birthday.
Tom was awarded his wings when 15 four months and three days and with that his promotion to flight sergeant. Selected for bomber aircraft he flew three missions as the pilot in Whitley bombers including one combat against German fighters when his father tracked him down and he was grounded aged 15. Finally discharged from the RAF in January 1942 while still aged 15 he was told in writing that when he was the right age he could apply for the RAF and would be qualified to wear his wings from the first day, which he did
In August 1940 Tom Dobney applied to join the RAF, He lied about his age but blagged his way through the initial selection process and medical and was accepted for training at the age of 14 and three months.
On 12 May 1941 he had his first training flight in Tiger Moth at the age of 15 and four days and soloed three weeks after his fifteenth birthday.
Tom was awarded his wings when 15 four months and three days and with that his promotion to flight sergeant. Selected for bomber aircraft he flew three missions as the pilot in Whitley bombers including one combat against German fighters when his father tracked him down and he was grounded aged 15. Finally discharged from the RAF in January 1942 while still aged 15 he was told in writing that when he was the right age he could apply for the RAF and would be qualified to wear his wings from the first day, which he did
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
And a kid that age, these day, probably wouldn't be able to get his head away from his is "I Phone" long enough to realise there are such things as aeroplanes !
Wonderful !!
Wonderful !!
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
I use my iPhone to read about aero planes.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 42,927
- Mar 26, 2007
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
It was done in most theaters and by both Allied and Axis alike.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 42,927
- Mar 26, 2007
That is why the boys needed droptanks in the first place.
