World War II: In Praise of the RAF

[Gerald]

It's Not the Size of the Dog in the Fight ...

The pilots of an RAF (Royal Air Force) fighter squadron that destroyed 73 enemy planes and damaged 38 others during the Battle of Britain crowd around a Hawker Hurricane with their canine mascot. Of England's debt to the outnumbered pilots who defeated the Nazi Luftwaffe, Winston Churchill famously said: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Ever since, the pilots who defended Britain during those crucial months in 1940 -- Britons, Poles, Czechs, Yanks, Canadians, Aussies, and other volunteers from around the world -- have been known, simply and affectionately, as The Few.

http://www.life.com/image/3136484/in-gallery/36332/world-war-ii-in-praise-of-the-raf

[Schöneboom]

Excellent photos -- thank you Vendor!

I wonder if that Belgian pilot knew he had the "V for Victory" turned round -- giving it a quite different meaning! :)

Love that pic of the dogfight training on bicycles -- looks like a Monty Python-esque way to re-enact the Battle of Britain!

[Dowly]

I wonder if that Belgian pilot knew he had the "V for Victory" turned round -- giving it a quite different meaning! :)


:O:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g204/inkataika/left5/WinstonChurchill.jpg

[Schöneboom]

Eventually Winnie did get it right:

http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/scissors_beat_paper.jpg

[Dowly]

:har::har:

Too bad Luftwaffe pilots don't get the same publicity as RAF and other Allied pilots.

Sure they were the bad guys, but one helluva pilots.

Like Adolf Galland coming up with an Tiger Moth trainer over england, flying alongside it, wiggling his 109's wings and leaving. Many would have shot the TM down knowing it was a trainer plane for future RAF pilots.

Nevertheless, no matter the country, pilots have always place in my heart, if only one day I could fly up there.

But no, thank you "god". :shifty:

[Gerald]

Dowly! It is never too late for this, :cool:

[Oberon]

Quite a few instances of pilots holding short of the final death blow, or escorting a injured plane out of the territory in the BOB. IIRC a Spitfire followed a smoking 109 back out over the channel, gave the pilot a wave and then turned back for home.
It's easy to forget that there is a human in that shape of metal, kudos to those who remembered and had the strength to hold back.

[Oberon]

Dowly! It is never too late for this, :cool:

I think Dowly is referring less to time but more to the mortal shell. Like my dream to become a train driver. :damn:

[Oberon]

:har::har:

Too bad Luftwaffe pilots don't get the same publicity as RAF and other Allied pilots.

I'm sure they did in the Wehrmachtbericht and the Deutsche Wochenschau, but of course, Germany lost and so they became the 'bad guys' and it's only now that their pilots are beginning to get equal recognition. Although it's certainly not to the extent that people like Manfred Von Richthofen have achieved since the First World War, after all, few common people know of Barkorn, Hartmann, Marsielle and Priller but everyone has heard of 'The Red Baron'. :yep:

[Gerald]

Why not fulfill your innermost dreams, :yep:

[Oberon]

Why not fulfill your innermost dreams, :yep:

Because I'm red-green colour blind and so they won't let me :03: (something about missing signals and crashing into the backs of other trains...although technically that's stupid because AWS means you'd have to be deaf as well as colour blind in order to SPAD enough to ram another train in the next block section) I could possibly get laser surgery...but I'd have to win the lottery first. :damn:

[Gerald]

Yes things are not free, but there may be alternative ways to proceed, :hmmm:

[Oberon]

Yes things are not free, but there may be alternative ways to proceed, :hmmm:

Health and Safety blocks the way in most respects. However, who knows what the future might well bring. There's still a fair bit of it ahead, unless yubba and the mayans are right of course.

[GoldenRivet]

In Photo number 3

Either the guy on the left is a Chess Master, or the guy on the right is terrible.

:D:O:

[Dowly]

LW they did their duty, RAF did their.

IMHO, Hitler & Goering lost the war on BoB. I dont wish germany to had won BoB but it was close. Bombing of german citities and thus german bombeirs targeted to londof was the end.

EFIT: And I', drunkt

[Gerald]

In Photo number 3

Either the guy on the left is a Chess Master, or the guy on the right is terrible.

:D:O: :roll:

[Oberon]

Indeed to both, no disrespect intended to either side but I'm rather glad the Luftwaffe lost. Not that any potential Sea Lion wouldn't have run into a whole herd of difficulties which would have buggered up any plans for Barbarossa.
But yes, Hitler and Goring, and heck, most of the Nazi high command were key factors in the loss of not only the Battle of Britain but the entire war.
It was close in late August, before the Blitz began, not so much in terms of pilots and aircraft, the factories were churning out Spits and Hurris nine to the dozen, and pilots, admittedly inexperienced ones, were coming online at a growing rate (particularly when the Poles and other nationalities were allowed to join in), however it was the availability of airfields that lead Park to want to move the aircraft north of London, and if he had done that, it would have given less time to scramble and intercept and put more reliance on standing patrols.
Perhaps another thing which influenced the German decision that Operation Sea Lion was not worth it was the possible incursion at Shingle Street in August 1940 which was beaten back by shore based infantry and the flaming sea technique. However, whether this incursion actually happened is another thing entirely, there are eyewitness reports that say it did but the government says that it didn't and the information about it is classified until 2021. :damn:

http://www.shford.fslife.co.uk/ShingleSt/index.html?detail=overview

TLDR? (or perhaps that should be TDDR [Too Drunk Didn't Read]?)

Yes and yes to your statement. :yep:

[Gerald]

Interesting site and article that you reference to,but 2021 maybe going to shake out more information before its, :ping:

[Oberon]

Something might get dropped before then, but I doubt it.

However, looking at the date of the supposed raid, 31st August 1940, and colleralating it with reports from the Battle of Britain indicate that the RAF had suffered its greatest losses during that day, several recon flights were made over Suffolk by the Luftwaffe, and the 11 Group airfields got severely pounded in several raids, with RAF losses getting to the point that 12 Group had to come to assist. This was about the nadir of the RAFs strength, and the perfect time to test the strengths or weaknesses of the British coastal fortifications, particularly in the supposedly weakly defended East Anglian coast.
Shingle street was a perfect location, windswept, desolate, miles from any major towns, however right next door to the birthplace of the Chain Home RADAR system at Bawdsey and the weapons testing facilities at Orford Ness. Even if a full seaborne invasion could not take place then some good chances at sabotage could take place, particularly since some reports indicate that some of the bodies found were in British uniforms, so either British casualties or Germans dressed as Brits.
The failure of the raid and the heavy casualties suffered, added to the turning of the tide with a week when the Luftwaffe started heavy bombing raids on London, culminating on 15th September raid which saw heavy Luftwaffe losses could well be what caused the postponement of Sea Lion.

But, like I said, we won't know anything for sure until 2021 and only then if it doesn't get pushed back again. :damn:

[Gerald]

The authorities keep things hidden for a while or forever, is no secret, in this particular case purely spontaneous, I think that is a bit strange to sit with the facts until 2021, WWII was not over yesterday, so of course there is a underlying cause of this...

[Schroeder]

Nevertheless, no matter the country, pilots have always place in my heart, if only one day I could fly up there.

But no, thank you "god". :shifty:
Why don't you try out gliders. It's comparably cheap and lets you be a pilot. I had always dreamt of flying motorplanes, but since I've started flying gliders I don't miss the noise at all any more. Actually I've come to dislike flying in loud prop jobs and enjoy the quiet beauty of just gliding through the air (and desperately searching for some thermal that could give you some altitude:O:).

[DarkFish]

Why don't you try out gliders.This is why:EFIT: And I', drunkt


http://www.halloween-cartoons.com/images/halloween_witch.jpg

:DL
:O:

[Jimbuna]

Eventually Winnie did get it right:



yes he most certainly did :DL

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JGyMlGQKTSM/SdpVQg8RNzI/AAAAAAAAAUI/cOlRcBF46Tg/s320/winnie.jpg

[Catfish]

Some other less-known story:
http://www.waltsrchanger.com/html/b-17_f__ye_olde_pub_.html

And let me say i would not be here, if not a RAF pilot had spared my father in 1940, in his shot-up 52/3m.

Also a nice short film in german - don't read the comments until you saw it, it somehow spoils the effect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvXQJEY6-vk&feature=related
English subtitles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WKK1RQoewM

Making of "Der letzte Flug/The last flight":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP-AhOaKohI&feature=related


And kudos to the RAF :shucks:

Greetings,
Catfish

[Buddahaid]

Sealion was doomed from the start by too little to late.
More troops would have drowned than made shore in those river barges crossing the channel.

[Gorduz]

A very nice film indeed!