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Interesting point Adler. I always thought the Allies destroyed the German weapons after the war as the Germans weren't running their own country until the late fourties and early 50s. By then the weapons were already destroyed.
Then again. Perhaps a few wrecks and parts did remain in German dumps and scrap yards. Those would have been destroyed because the German government wanted to. Even today, German government is reluctant to keep anything which reminds the outside world of the nazi days. If you're a Luftwaffe enthousiast in Germany, you're easily considered to be a neo-nazi. Tsss...
Kris
But given how much stuff there was, it's surprising how much is lost. Just look at tanks: you'll find more German tanks in Russia than in Germany. I think much of the weapons in Germany today are results of finds in the last decades and of people hiding away stuff and donating or selling it afterwards. If you go to the Ardennes you'll see a whole bunch of German equipment and tanks which have been placed on display shortly after the war. Such a thing was unthinkable in Germany. Only after some years was it acceptable for the Germans to show these things. Until then they treated it as if it never existed.
Civettone said:And I didn't say you would have a problem with being a Luftwaffe enthusiast. You're not a German.
Civettone said:And I'm not saying these people are being harrassed. There is just a lack of sympathy for them. And there's one thing which makes this clear: you'll find more Luftwaffe enthusiasts outside Germany than inside. Most people in Germany don't like the subject and don't want to talk about it. They will if you ask them but there's always a sense of shame. I lived in Düsseldorf for some weeks and after a few days I stopped my enquiries towards people I met. That was quite a disappointment for me.
But perhaps you have different experiences with them. Can you start a conversation with Germans about the war as easily as you can in the US?
Kris
Sorry Adler, didn't know that. Do you feel more German than American?
Civettone said:In that case I fully agree that it's the way you handle it. Germans obviously saw me as a foreigner and probably felt they have to defend themselves.
Civettone said:Another argument which I forget about is that it very much depends on what you talk about. It's especially anything nazi or SS which is more difficult to talk about than the pure military affairs.
Civettone said:But I still notice you have more Luftwaffe enthusiasts outside of Germany than inside.
Kris
Welcome to the forums, lots of good people and always something interesting going on.This is my first post. I'm damned glad I Googled "remaining stukas" and found this forum.
There were many reasons they scrapped the excess/obsolete/wrecked aircraft, but the value in metals was probably at the forefront.Well, I'm late to the dance on this thread, but have found reading the posts very interesting. I fortunately have gone flying in a WWII P-51D, which hooked me for life.
After WWII, all countries were scrapping their planes. The aluminum and other metals were more valuable than the planes, particularly since a the new generation fighter jets were beginning to dominate.
Actually, there's 6 Zeros, but only one that's 100% original, and that's the Zero at the Chino (California) Museum.I understand there is only one Japenese zero that can fly left. Too bad there were no wealthy plane collectors after WWII, as I understand the planes were selling for the cost of their metal