Battle of Britain (New Facts?)

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Gage, Feb 27, 2006.

  1. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    I'm very interested in the Battle of Britain. Are there any facts or myths that people think I might not know that would be of interest. Maybe we could all learn something along the way.
    For instance- At Kenley there was a parachute and cable system in place for low flying enemy aircraft, first used on 18th August 1940. This device comprised of a 480 foot length of steel cable carried 600 feet high by a rocket, at the top of the trajectory the cable was released, a parachute opened and suspended the cable hopefully in the path of an aircraft. If the latter struck the cable a second parachute opened at the bottom of the line and the unfortunate aircraft was left towing away the contraption. With the drag factor there was a good chance that the aircraft would crash out of control. The launchers were placed at 60 foot intervals, fired in salvoes of nine or more.
     
  2. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Another misconception concerns the wind-driven sirens fitted to the wings of the Ju87 (Stuka), intended to frighten those on the receiving end of an attack. In fact, by the Battle of Britain, most of the Stuka units had removed the sirens from their aircraft. 'They were slow enough without the extra drag', commented Major Helmut Bode of Dive Bomber Geschwader 77.:huh:
     
  3. mrya

    mrya Junior Member

    Another misconception concerns the wind-driven sirens fitted to the wings of the Ju87 (Stuka), intended to frighten those on the receiving end of an attack. In fact, by the Battle of Britain, most of the Stuka units had removed the sirens from their aircraft. 'They were slow enough without the extra drag', commented Major Helmut Bode of Dive Bomber Geschwader 77.:huh:

    Aside from the fact that soon after the Battle of Britain commenced, Stukas were not included in air raids. They were too slow and ineffective and Stuka lossed became too high.
     
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Got any pictures/websites relating to that rocket/parachute thingy Gage? Partial to a bit of 'Heath Robinson goes to war'.
     
  5. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    This is best I can do, Von Poop. It's not great as I had to scan it in and then resize. Hope it gives you some idea to how it worked.:)
     

    Attached Files:

  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Mentalism! And that was actually deployed? Let me guess. Success rate.. Nil.
     
  7. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Aside from the fact that soon after the Battle of Britain commenced, Stukas were not included in air raids. They were too slow and ineffective and Stuka lossed became too high.

    I wouldn't agree that they were ineffective as a pin point bomber. They were prone to being shot down by fighters because they were slow. They tried to bomb the RDF stations but the aerials were hard to bring down because of their construction, although the support buildings were not.
     
  8. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    Even though they attacked and destroyed the support buildings, most of the rdf stations were back up and running within days.
     
  9. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Even though they attacked and destroyed the support buildings, most of the rdf stations were back up and running within days.

    I think that Ventnor was only one that was seriously damaged and out of action for a period of time.
     
  10. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Mentalism! And that was actually deployed? Let me guess. Success rate.. Nil.

    Feldwebel Petersen's Dornier ran into one of the cables on the 18th August (the first time it was used in action), the parachutes worked as intended and the aircraft was literally plucked out of the sky. It smashed into a bungalow adjoining Kenley and killed five men in the crew.
    Another cable hit Wilhelm Raab's aircraft but because he was banking at the time it slid off the wing before the parachute could deploy (a lucky man indeed).
    It is amazing that they brought an aircraft down with this system.
     
  11. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    The Stuka was in it's element as a dive-bomber, but that was it's designation in the first place it wasn't designed to get into scrapes. It was used in the Spanish Civil War. This was the proving ground for a lot of the German designs. Perhaps alright when the enemy hasn't an airforce to fight back - the Stuka's undoing. Saying that it had a rebirth as a tank destroyer in Russia
     
  12. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    In most Stuka units, the aircraft made their diving attacks individually in line astern. In a dive the aircraft reached it's terminal velocity at just under 300mph. Shortly before the Stuka reached 4,500ft, an electrical horn sounded in the cockpit, four seconds to bomb release. At 2,275ft the horn ceased. The pilot would press the bomb release button on the control stick, at the same moment the automatic pull-out system came into operation and pulled the nose up until it was pointing at the horizon.
    The Stuka also had a window in the floor to aid in sighting targets.:cop:
     
  13. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Having read a bit on the Bob. Some pilots in their combat reports used to call the Me109s as snappers. And for some reason the Me110 was sometimes called a Jaguar (I think the fighter/bomber version) Can anyone else can shed some light on the reason? :)
     
  14. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Are there any of the old radar sites still there to visitor look at or have they become sites for more domestic residences.
     
  15. Herroberst

    Herroberst Senior Member

    Stukas were effective when their was no fighters to harass them. Poland, France, Greece, and Yugoslavia.

    The sirens would stir up the refugees, filling up the roads causing havoc.

    The device Gage sounds like an extension of the Barage balloon.
     
  16. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    The device Gage sounds like an extension of the Barage balloon.

    Yes, it pretty much works in the same fashion, mate.:)
     
  17. pisis

    pisis Junior Member

    Don't know about Snipers or Jaguars, but would say it was just a random nickname. Just like Jerry. For example, Czechoslovakian pilots called the Messerschmitt a "Mesoun" [mess-oh-n], Focke Wulf as "Fokouš" [fock-oush], etc...
     
  18. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Mentalism! And that was actually deployed? Let me guess. Success rate.. Nil.
    VP I think that the design actually bagged a plane if memory served me right. I think it would have a deterrent effect if the enemy knew what it was. It was tested and it was more than enough to bring a plane down!
     
  19. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Having read a bit on the Bob. Some pilots in their combat reports used to call the Me109s as snappers. And for some reason the Me110 was sometimes called a Jaguar (I think the fighter/bomber version) Can anyone else can shed some light on the reason? :)
    Messerschmitt built a fast bomber based on the 110 in 1937, called a Bf 162. It's top whack was near to 300mph, a logical stab would be the speed allied to it's fighter bomber role.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_162
     
  20. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist

    Lance,
    Bawdsey in Suffolk(?) is still there, as is Drone Hill in Berwickshire and Anstruther in Fife, to a lesser extent. The station up on the extreme NE corner of Scotland, near Burghead, whose name I can't bloody remember, is also there.
     

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