Battle of Britain (New Facts?)

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

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Yes, it looks like a "sound mirror". IIRC through the 1930s the RAF experimented with a number of different lens shapes to focus soundwaves from approaching aircraft for detection - but radar came along and promised (and delivered) so much more. Remembering the first series of "Coast" there's a number of VERY large concrete "forms" around the coastline, and are likely to prove rather...longlasting LOL

    This is one of the smaller, "service" ones. The ROC used input from them and inland listening posts - they HAD to - once incoming raids had passed the outward-facing Chain Home/Chain Home Low line.

    Correcto Mondo. It was featured on the first episode of 'Coast'. They tested it out and could hear a light aircraft heading towards the coast from about 50 miles away if memory serves me well.

    There is also this just around the corner from Hawkinge Airfield.
    [​IMG]
    This is in the centre of the Prop
    [​IMG]

    He looks out over the English Channel from the cliffs
     
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  2. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Craig,
    Here is a link for you. Bayerische Flugzeug Werke Bf 162 V2 Jaguar

    Regards

    Tom

    Thanks Tom. Never seen or heard of the 162, learn a new thing everyday. The nose is very Heinkel 111.
    So that's why they called the 110 as a Jaguar in some RAF combat reports. It was said that calling the 110 as a Jaguar might have been for a fighter/bomber version but obviously not.

    Craig,

    Another link for you. Heinkel He 112 - fighter

    Regards

    Tom

    Ta again.
     
  3. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    So that's why they called the 110 as a Jaguar in some RAF combat reports. It was said that calling the 110 as a Jaguar might have been for a fighter/bomber version but obviously not.


    Stephen Bungay in his book is also quoted as calling the Me110 bomb carrier as a Jaguar. Strange one, maybe bit of both.
     
  4. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Nine CH and twenty-two CHL stations were built during the Battle of Britain itself.
     

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  5. Ferahgo

    Ferahgo Senior Member

    When Southampton Supermairne works was bombed during the Battle of Britian the factory spread out to minimize the damage and ease production. A series of factories were set up here in Salisbury. There is an extensive railway sidings area where the parts cane in, the engines were fabricated in an old garage on Brown Street behind the White Hart Hotel and other parts were made at the current Janspeed works on Castle Road. The parts were then driven to the Highpost where they were put to gether with parts from other towns nearby, then the finished planes would take off from the Highpost airstrip.
     
  6. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

     
  7. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Graig,

    There were many misidentifications in the heat of battle and due to the propoganda photo issued by the German Air ministry it actually appeared that the He 112 was in Production when in fact it was not and the Messerschmitt 109 took preference to all other fighters at the time. Just one photograph of several Pre Production He 112's , numbered with squadron markings, lined up on an airfield was enought to fool most people for a while.
    Hence several reports in the Battle of Britain that these machines were engaged, when in fact they weren't.
    By all accounts the plane was as good if not better than the Messerschmitt 109, bur Willy had the ear of the Party and therefore obtained contracts to build his planes.

    Several plane builders fell foul of the party over the course of the war.

    Glad you enjoyed the links.

    Regards

    Tom
     
  8. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Graig,

    There were many misidentifications in the heat of battle and due to the propoganda photo issued by the German Air ministry it actually appeared that the He 112 was in Production when in fact it was not and the Messerschmitt 109 took preference to all other fighters at the time. Just one photograph of several Pre Production He 112's , numbered with squadron markings, lined up on an airfield was enought to fool most people for a while.
    Hence several reports in the Battle of Britain that these machines were engaged, when in fact they weren't.
    By all accounts the plane was as good if not better than the Messerschmitt 109, bur Willy had the ear of the Party and therefore obtained contracts to build his planes.

    Several plane builders fell foul of the party over the course of the war.

    Glad you enjoyed the links.

    Regards

    Tom

    Didn't Milch fall out with Junkers?
    Thanks Tom.
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Nine CH and twenty-two CHL stations were built during the Battle of Britain itself.

    I think this is a picture of one I took at Dover ??:rolleyes:??
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Craig,

    You are right about Junkers and Milch. Junkers was a really good aeroplane engineer and designer and had a really dedicated staff working for him.
    Junkers did not, I believe, engage in Politics and refused to join the Party.
    If you were not a party member then you could forget getting the cream contracts, no matter how good your products were.
    Politics is always a dirty game in peacetime or wartime!

    Regards

    Tom
     
  11. Ferahgo

    Ferahgo Senior Member

    Nice Dover pic Drew, nice juxtapositioning of new(ish) and old
     
  12. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Pilots usually tipped their parachute packers 10/- when they repacked their chutes after use.
    If not used the the parachute was repacked once a month but during the Battle not many pilots lasted the month!
     
  13. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Those 'Radar Dish' looking Listening Devices?


    They tested it out and could hear a light aircraft heading towards the coast from about 50 miles away if memory serves me well.



    Am I about right in figuring then that they set the thing up and then ..... had some bloke sit beneath it, listening for the sound of engines bouncing off it? :huh:

    Makes me wonder why no one thought to train Dogs to bark at the sound of incoming aircraft. Put such a Dog in front of one of those and ye'd Really be talking!

    Funnily enough, I was waiting for a taxi to arrive only today. Found myself watching my donkey. As soon as his ears 'tuned in' to the right direction, I put my jacket on. Picked up my bits and pieces and walked outside. Just in time to see the motor come round the corner of the track, 130 yards away.
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here you go Steve....A bit more info for you.

    I'm sure you'll agree. They used to try anything :D
    Acoustic Radar.
     
  15. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    " Shown at the 1960 Brussels Inventor's Fair, and, one suspects, nowhere else ever again. "

    I nearly sprayed tea everywhere when I read that! :lol: What a brilliant little site. I love the guys manner ~ he obviously finds some of those things every bit as surreal as anyone else would.

    And as for the Japanese kit? Something out of a Monty Python animation, surely to god?! o_O

    Cheers for that one. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
     
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I thought you may :lol:

    I happened to be fortunate enough to have my tea on a coaster at the time I found it :D
     
  17. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Drew,
    I'm sure that you still managed to spill a drop or two!

    As Steve already said, Great Monty Python material!

    Tom
     
  18. urqh

    urqh Senior Member

    I've got my own little interesting story Battle of Britain related.

    When serving at RAF Rudloe Manor in late 70's, massive underground complex...
    Still there in various shapes and formats.

    We used to go for walks on nightshift down the old Tunnels, used for ammunition depots, was still full of stuff, not ammo, small gauge track off to Box tunnel entrance and machinery and nooks and crannies galore. WW2 artwork on walls etc, blundered into one lift shaft area that led us to one room....Turned out to be the old plot room for 10gp RAF Box. the balcony still intact, and rooms adjacent still fit to enter.
    The primary active area was still in usee for RAF communications site and tunnels everywhere for numerous things including Commander Defence communicatons network for whole 3 services, as well as being Maggies proposed bolt hole at the time.

    Have seen pics of various closed off areas recently. But am aware that most of the areas are still in the state they were in when I last saw them.

    Its unfortunate that this area in particular was never opened to public or at least some one allowed entry to do an article of some sort.
     
  19. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Urgh, now ye've set me off! A late friend of mine once told me something. In fact, he told me it twice. The first time, maybe what ever bottle we were destroying loosened his lips. The next time he actually paused and murmured something about the place being gone now ~ or something to that effect. But obviously that he no longer felt he were divulging anything he shouldn't.

    Same story, both times. Unfortunately, this being some couple of decades or more ago, I can't remember a single, 'usable' detail. But here's the gist:

    He was seconded to an RAF base / airfield sort of place where he was on some sort of security detail. He may, or may not have been serving S.A.S at the time. I never asked.

    Anyway, some shed on the edge of the field was bugging him and so he asked a high ranking officer what it was with the shed where no shed had apparent reason to be. This officer rubbed his chin as he weighed my mate up. Then he said he supposed it would be alright for him to know.

    With that, they entered the shed and everything got a bit silly! Some button or lever was touched and down went the floor! It was (the shed) basically a lift shaft. Down below was what could, apparently, best be described as a huge sort of 'underground car park'.

    Only there were no cars. Just planes. Rows upon rows of them. All 'mothballed', as my mate explained it. He mentioned what type but I know nothing of planes and, as he never said Spitfires or Lancasters, I wouldn't have known or remembered. But I have the impression they were fighters.

    The officer turned to my mate and explained; " See? We had no shortage of planes ~ in WW2. We just didn't have the Pilots to fly them! ".

    And there ye go. Make what ye will of that. My mate actually mentioned the name of the place, at least the second time he related that one. No way on this earth I could ever dredge it up from the old memory banks now though. Would've been about twenty odd years back. And something had since taken place that there would be no harm in my knowing what had once been.

    That's the only clue I can come up with. That and my mate had served in Oman. Perhaps this was about the sixties? Fifties, sixties? Not That long after WW2 then? What ever .....
     
  20. 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.:)

    A pdf file on the PAC among others. Interesting.
     

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