Women flew missions in WW2!!

[gumbyk]

Infertility, advancing age, lack of beauty all reduce SMV (Sexual Market Value). They all reduce with age.

I'll just leave this here....

 

[XBe02Drvr]

I might just retreat from commenting in this section.

You do that.

Voila la porte, Mon Ami. Ne laissez pas la porte vous frappez en derriere.

 

[nuuumannn]

Don't mind a bit of frappe-ing a derriere...

 

[XBe02Drvr]

I'd put forward the Union Army Balloon Corps at the first air arm then. 1861 to 1863.

Balloon Corps | United States history

How about the Aerostatic Corps of the French revolutionary government, who went into combat at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794, dropping notes to the French artillery and commanders about the dispositions and activities of the Austrian units behind the line of battle?
I vote the Aerostatic Corps of France as the world's first air force.
Cheers,
Wes

 

[buffnut453]

How about the Aerostatic Corps of the French revolutionary government, who went into combat at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794, dropping notes to the French artillery and commanders about the dispositions and activities of the Austrian units behind the line of battle?
I vote the Aerostatic Corps of France as the world's first air force.
Cheers,
Wes

Nah...it's probably China. Stories of man-carrying kites used for military and other purposes date from the 7th century. The technology seems to have been exported to Japan by the end of the 7th century. From Wikipedia "In 1282, the European explorer Marco Polo described the Chinese techniques then current and commented on the hazards and cruelty involved. To foretell whether a ship should sail, a man would be strapped to a kite having a rectangular grid framework and the subsequent flight pattern used to divine the outlook."

 

[pbehn]

People are a resource that is limited. There may be reasons why a nation didn't use women in combat roles but that doesn't mean they couldn't. Men may be stronger on average than women but that of course doesn't mean all men are stronger than all women. There are many attributes a pilot needs from eye sight to education strength is only one, if indeed strength (and size) is important. Putting a rifle in womens hands is one thing, putting women in the pilot seat is another, a mainly political decision. The number of pilots flying is a very small percentage of an air force, when you consider all the people involved in keeping a squadron of 12 aircraft flying, running the airfield, maintaining the aircraft, building new planes parts and engines and getting all the "stuff" there to keep things going the pilots are the very thin edge of a huge wedge.

 

[swampyankee]

Women were used in combat (and as draft animals) by Paraguay in the War of the Triple Alliance. Paraguay's leader was probably one of the few modern heads of state who made Stalin seem like a nice guy. Estimated Paraguayan losses were 90% (that is not a typo!)

See https://sites.psu.edu/jshean/2015/09/25/the-war-of-the-triple-alliance/ and War of the Triple Alliance [Lopez War] 1864-1870

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Mods, can we please close this thread? This conversation is a waste of time and a number of posts from multiple members are bordering on bigotry.

Agreed