Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
I've seen a rocket-propelled Me-163 in a museum and that is as close as I ever wanna get.
Which theater of War Would you choose for flying?
- Thread starter horseUSA
- Start date
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Maestro
Master Sergeant
I would fly in the European theater... I would like to pilot a good old Spitfire Mk. IX during Operation Overlord.
Ahhh... Dive-bombing U-boats at "Le Havre", straffing Normandy airstrips, escorting B-25s to their targets and back before D-Day, supporting the landing troops during D-Day... Damm ! It would be great !
Did you know that the first WW II flight sim I played was "Operation Overlord" by Rowan Software ?
Anyway...
Ahhh... Dive-bombing U-boats at "Le Havre", straffing Normandy airstrips, escorting B-25s to their targets and back before D-Day, supporting the landing troops during D-Day... Damm ! It would be great !
Did you know that the first WW II flight sim I played was "Operation Overlord" by Rowan Software ?
Anyway...
Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
First WWII flight sim I played was Aces of the Pacific (and it some ways I still think it was one of the best). I've always been more interested in the Pacific and would love to have flown a P-38 escorting B-25s to Rabaul to chew up some shipping or an airfield.
Erich
the old Sage
Maestro there were no B-25 Mitchells over the D-day landings they were stationed in the Med. Do you mean the B-26 ? One of my customers in fact flew 2 missions in B-26's as a pilot on 6-6-44, blasiting bridges. He felw with the 397th bg and a total of 50 missions..........
Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
Didn't the RAF use the Mitchell in the ETO? I know that the B-26 was the exclusive AAF medium in Europe.
Erich
the old Sage
it was early if at all ! in Afrika and the Med where it excelled and of course we know all about the route with Doolittle over Japan from China.
Erich
the old Sage
geez it must be my old eyes...............hmmmmmm the RAf you say. Possibly. It was also lend lease to the Soviets and it was the fastest twin engine they had on hand, very hard to catch at night as sworn by German night fighter pilots
Maestro
Master Sergeant
Erich said:
No... In the game Oeration Overlord, the RAF use Mitchells to bomb big targets (costal cannons, airfields...). The game starts April 1st and ends June 6th 1944. But may be the game designers made mistakes...
Erich
the old Sage
sounds like we need to do some serious research on this eh ?
MP-Willow
Staff Sergeant
The RAF used Mitchells and they were in the ETO, but I am not saying the D-Day landings had B-25s overhead. A lot of the AAC planes were in the med, pacific and China. Yes we should look into it. 
Ev0, nice to have you on. now why would you like the aircraft?
Why not ETO and go for the Shuttle bombing missions. I would do it, to fly a Yak-7 escourting a box of B-24s
Ev0, nice to have you on. now why would you like the aircraft?
Why not ETO and go for the Shuttle bombing missions. I would do it, to fly a Yak-7 escourting a box of B-24s
Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
The old game, Aces over Europe had the RAF flying Mitchells.
The RAF did use the Mitchell. About 750 all told iin Mitchell I, II, and III vairants (B-25B,D, J respectively). Apparently they were being used right up until the end of the war.
http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/b025-22.html
The RAF did use the Mitchell. About 750 all told iin Mitchell I, II, and III vairants (B-25B,D, J respectively). Apparently they were being used right up until the end of the war.
http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/b025-22.html
MP-Willow
Staff Sergeant
thanks.
Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
No problem.
unkated
Airman
I'd rather have flown in the European Theatre. Many many more places to land if you are in trouble:
- Average distance between airfields was probably under 20 miles between Spain and Moscow.
- LOTS of cleared fields between the airfields.
- LOTS of people concentrated in a comparatively small area. A town cannot be that far away. (Granted, you may not be picked up by the side of your choice...)
- LOTS of people listening to radios (or with telephones) available to fetch help.
In Afrika, in was not that hard to land away from a city (and airbase) - and be faced with an unpleasant or impossible walk to aid.
In the vast Paciifc, finding land, much less an airfield, could be a major challenge. Survival at sea, was not at all certain. Even in areas that were being combed for survivors, many people were just... missed, and never came home. Small, jungly islands were not necessarily a bargain either.
Then, we can discuss the out-of-plane amenities. Pearl Harbor was beautiful; Guadalcanal (or New Guinea or Saipan or Tinian or any of a score of Pacific airbases) were hot, dirty, disease-ridden with no towns, no entertainment except what was brought in (and there was never enough to go around). Or the "splendor" of sharing a cramped officer billet in the bowles of an aircraft carrier...
North Afrika was only a little better in the way of amenities.
But to be based in England... to return from a mission, shower, and flit out to a pub; to go to the Theatre or the British Museum in London... that surely makes Europe the best choice.
(None of this, of course, takes into account mission types, aircraft types, combat types, flying weather, etc.
Unkated
- Average distance between airfields was probably under 20 miles between Spain and Moscow.
- LOTS of cleared fields between the airfields.
- LOTS of people concentrated in a comparatively small area. A town cannot be that far away. (Granted, you may not be picked up by the side of your choice...)
- LOTS of people listening to radios (or with telephones) available to fetch help.
In Afrika, in was not that hard to land away from a city (and airbase) - and be faced with an unpleasant or impossible walk to aid.
In the vast Paciifc, finding land, much less an airfield, could be a major challenge. Survival at sea, was not at all certain. Even in areas that were being combed for survivors, many people were just... missed, and never came home. Small, jungly islands were not necessarily a bargain either.
Then, we can discuss the out-of-plane amenities. Pearl Harbor was beautiful; Guadalcanal (or New Guinea or Saipan or Tinian or any of a score of Pacific airbases) were hot, dirty, disease-ridden with no towns, no entertainment except what was brought in (and there was never enough to go around). Or the "splendor" of sharing a cramped officer billet in the bowles of an aircraft carrier...
North Afrika was only a little better in the way of amenities.
But to be based in England... to return from a mission, shower, and flit out to a pub; to go to the Theatre or the British Museum in London... that surely makes Europe the best choice.
(None of this, of course, takes into account mission types, aircraft types, combat types, flying weather, etc.
Unkated
unkated
Airman
Erich -
Johnny Johnston's RAF night attack Group (sorry; I don't recall the number) included 2 Dutch Squadrons flying Mitchells (B-25s) during the period leading up to D-Day.
Indeed, a quick gander at The RAF Operations in Support of Dday
http://www.raf.mod.uk/dday/rafu.html
Shows 137 and 139 Wings of No. 2 Group putting up 4 squards on Jun 6 itself.
unkated.
Johnny Johnston's RAF night attack Group (sorry; I don't recall the number) included 2 Dutch Squadrons flying Mitchells (B-25s) during the period leading up to D-Day.
Indeed, a quick gander at The RAF Operations in Support of Dday
http://www.raf.mod.uk/dday/rafu.html
Shows 137 and 139 Wings of No. 2 Group putting up 4 squards on Jun 6 itself.
unkated.
Erich
the old Sage
thank you for the information. I was thinking after my posting-first- on the B-25 of only US led a/c, but I see I was not at all clear as RAF a/c units were quite involved before and during D-day.....
cheers
E ~
cheers
E ~
Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
Unkated, there were disadvantages to flying over all that land in Europe as well. You were constantly over enemy territory meaning more flak, more fighters, and lesser chance of escape if shot down. But as you said, none of the things you listed include aircraft, missions, weather, etc. I think the firsts two play a key part in deciding where you would have wanted to be . . . not that you had much of a choice back then.
MP-Willow
Staff Sergeant
Choice!! You go where you are told. I think the ETO was good but all that frills of a London pub in my mind make the war seam less real. You are almost out of the war ater the mission. Now the PTO you were always in the war, and had time to raly after a mission and fly home in safe air.
Unkated-Nice to hear from you! But the PTO would have been one hell of a ride! On e place we have not said much of is China and the AVG!
Unkated-Nice to hear from you! But the PTO would have been one hell of a ride! On e place we have not said much of is China and the AVG!
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
did you know that Adjutant of J.G.3 "Udet" Franz Von Werra was the only german officer to escape from Britian and return to germany during WWII. He was shot down in kent on september 5th 1940 whilst flying a Bf. 109E-4......................
