Only P-38s?? Wasn't the whole point of the invasion stripes on the wings of allied fighters and bombers for easy identification by ground and naval forces?
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It's my understanding that on D-Day 2 German planes flew over the beaches. Also the Fleet/beaches had a fighter cover consisting of P-38s only to provide Identifiable cover to the very nervous defense teams on the ships.
NOTE: this is over the beaches/ships, inland it was another story with a lot of tacticle flying including B-17/B-24 raids on German defensive positions inland!
That's what I would think. You'd put everything up possible to protect the slow ships, landing craft, and troops on the beaches.The Allies had everything up in the air over Normandy: P-38s, Spitfires, P-47s, P-51s, Hurricanes and a huge list of bombers.
About 11,000 aircraft (including transports & gliders) total if memory serves right.
One of the main reasons the Luftwaffe didn't have a strong showing on D-Day (or the following days) is because Luftflotte 3 had been drained of resources in the preceeding months.
They did indeed make a showing, but they only had roughly 300 aircraft to work with where the Allies had well over three times that many.
Between 6 June and 12 June, the Geschwaders under LF3 command made over 2,000 sorties which included anti-shipping, ground attack, bombing and recon. So the Luftwaffe wasn't completely out of the picture.
No...and while they had the weapons on hand, Hitler (who had first hand experience with gas attacks) knew that would open Pandora's box, so it was not an option.Did the Germans consider a poison gas attack on the invasion forces? Seems a Nazi-like last ditch swing.
A former Eagle SQ/4th pilot I knew flew a P-51 at least six sorties over the beachs that day. His memory of those days were ships,ships and more ships. He didn't mention seeing Priller and wingman. Off topic , Priller opened a brewery after the war and held annual reunions with his jagdfleiger brothers and Jimmy ended becoming good friends with all the guys he fought with during WW2.The Allies had everything up in the air over Normandy: P-38s, Spitfires, P-47s, P-51s, Hurricanes and a huge list of bombers.
About 11,000 aircraft (including transports & gliders) total if memory serves right.
Did the Germans consider a poison gas attack on the invasion forces? Seems a Nazi-like last ditch swing.
Poison gas (of various types) were present in Europe, both in Allied and Axis stockpiles. There was even an instance where mustard gas was inadvertently deployed when the Luftwaffe attacked the port of Bari, Italy on 2 December 1943. The SS John Harvey, among 27 other ships, was hit and it's cargo detonated, broadcasting mustard gas accross the port.Regarding Germany not employing nerve agents against the Allies, one potential factor is that the first nerve gas had been developed by accident in the German pesticide industry. The United States was very active in pesticide research and development, so one might suspect that they had made a similar discovery(ies). With air superiority and a huge force of strategic bombers, the U.S. and U.K. could have deluged targets all over Germany with chemical munitions. That would've been devastating even with conventional agents. The Germans were also highly dependent on horse-drawn transport, which would be highly susceptible to poison gases. Considerations like those are far more likely reasons than a morally pathological regime hesitating due to humanitarian concerns as sometimes suggested.
Can't mistake the shape of a P-38
Even the moderate winds in Europe ensured the use of gas made its own retaliation, you invariably start gassing your own troops.It's an interesting opinion about horses and all, but the fact remains that Hitler did not want poison weapons deployed. He experienced and was injured by gas during WWI and knew that using it would bring retaliation.
Simple as that.
My uncle was on a USA gun ship on D-Day and after, specifically to identify friend or foe for US gunners (via the gunnery controller). AA gunners didn't mis identify aircraft, they just opened fire on anything and everything that moved near the ship, it took some getting out of the young guys systems, because the obvious fact was most planes they saw were friends.. but they didn't want to be sunk by the 1 in 1000 that wasn't....and yet AA gunners managed to do so.
It's an interesting opinion about horses and all ...
I bet that a reconnaissance pilot with the balls for it could get away with flying a Fw 189Can't mistake the shape of a P-38
Flying straight at you does it look different to a Bf 110?Can't mistake the shape of a P-38
Agree with you guys. I'm learning to be suspicious of one obscure reference stuff.
They may be accurate but on the other hand...... maybe not.