Favourite WW2 story

[bleachit]

Battle of Midway!

Midway, Doolittle raids, the cool stories of the German aircraft that could have been.. they had some wicked technology..not that I condone anything they did.

[bleachit]

My favorite part was knowing how close the Japanese were to having a kick butt jet plane that would have moped the skies. In fact if it wasn't for the Germans surrendering, they would have gotten it, it was on a german sub just past Africa (I think) when the surrender was official and all subs were ordered to give up.

2nd fav... the tuskagee airman story.

The Germans had a "kick butt" jet too, but it really didnt help them out much. On the other end, the P-80 shooting star was nearing production at the end of the war...there were a lot of things that could have happened to change the war dramatically.. fortunately a lot of them fell into the favor of the Allied forces.

[Big'n slo]

Kelly's Heroes!



"It's a mother beautiful bridge ... and it's gonna be there."

[rkjunior303]

The Germans had a "kick butt" jet too, but it really didnt help them out much. On the other end, the P-80 shooting star was nearing production at the end of the war...there were a lot of things that could have happened to change the war dramatically.. fortunately a lot of them fell into the favor of the Allied forces.

If the german luftwaffe was able to get the ME-262 operational earlier in the war, the tide of air superiority over the European front could have changed drastically... It was a great plane, nothing in the sky could catch it -- it was introduced into the war far to late. (fortunately).

I've always been a fan of the P-38 Lightning, along with the P-51. Alot of the fighters we had back then were totally kick-butt.

[Steelrat]

My favorite part was knowing how close the Japanese were to having a kick butt jet plane that would have moped the skies. In fact if it wasn't for the Germans surrendering, they would have gotten it, it was on a german sub just past Africa (I think) when the surrender was official and all subs were ordered to give up.

2nd fav... the tuskagee airman story.

As far as I know, the only German plane that was on its way was a version of the Me262 or the Me163. Those didn't do much to help Germany, so I don't think they would have done much to help Japan, which was getting rocked by the mighty B-29s. A few P-51s even scored air-to-air victories against the Me262s, albeit usually while they were in the vulnerable position of landing.

Well before Pearl Harbor, there were a small number of Japanese that witnessed the US air raid one of Italy's prime military ports. The US blew up all of the navy that was in port. The observers left, for safety or they though the attack was done. But the US fighters came right back, second wave or rearmed, and finished off the port, destroying all the fuel and supplies and just FUBARed the whole port..

I think that was the British raid on Taranto. US wasnt attacking anyone before Pearl Harbor. The British used old Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers, but still managed to nail a few major surface combatants of the Italian fleet.

[Steelrat]

If the german luftwaffe was able to get the ME-262 operational earlier in the way, the tide of air superiority over the European front could have changed drastically... It was a great plane, nothing in the sky could catch it -- it was introduced into the war far to early. (fortunately).

I've always been a fan of the P-38 Lightning, along with the P-51. Alot of the fighters we had back then were totally kick-butt.

Me262 production was delayed because Hitler insisted it be capable of dropping bombs. Even if there had been more, it wouldnt have mattered much, as there were far too many allied aircraft to stop. Plus, the Gloster Meteor was entering service, so the Allies could have countered the German jets with Jets of their own.

I always loved the "fork-tailed devil" P-38. The top-scoring US Ace, Richard Bong, used the 38 as his mount. Its also the plane that was used to ambush Yamamoto and kill him. Personally, my favorite plane is the Republic P-47 "Jug."

[bleachit]

Me262 production was delayed because Hitler insisted it be capable of dropping bombs. Even if there had been more, it wouldnt have mattered much, as there were far too many allied aircraft to stop. Plus, the Gloster Meteor was entering service, so the Allies could have countered the German jets with Jets of their own.

I always loved the "fork-tailed devil" P-38. The top-scoring US Ace, Richard Bong, used the 38 as his mount. Its also the plane that was used to ambush Yamamoto and kill him. Personally, my favorite plane is the Republic P-47 "Jug."

yeah, Hitler wasnt a genius when it came to military aircraft... he delayed and stopped production of a lot of airplanes that could have changed the war... not too mention German politics won out over superior designs on more than one occasion.

In the end, the Germans would not have had enough of anything to manufacture their jets.. Allied bombing was waaaay too intense.


and how could you not love the old thunderbolt.. just something about 8 .50 machine guns....

[SlartyBartFast]

In the end, the Germans would not have had enough of anything to manufacture their jets.. Allied bombing was waaaay too intense.

The surprising fact remains that German production was greatest in the last months of the war.

[Steelrat]

The surprising fact remains that German production was greatest in the last months of the war.

I've heard that old bit before. Unfortunately, German industry was massively dispersed due to the air raids, and that, with the destruction of the transportation networks, made getting the supplies anywhere incredibly difficult. Plus, the disruption and destruction of the fuel network had a negative impact on German combat operations.


Speer was a pretty smart guy though.

[SlartyBartFast]

Plus, the disruption and destruction of the fuel network had a negative impact on German combat operations.

In the end, that was what crippled the Japenese and the Germans. Fuel shortages.

Each had armour, air power, and production of both in the end, but no fuel to use them...

[Eagle]

they also build subs to be aircraft carriers....just to attack the panama canal...but the war ended just days before they were ging to blow her

yes, the Sentoku class subs would lauch collapsable seaplanes to drop Kiaten torpedos. The Kiaten were kamikazi weapons based on the Long Lance torpedo.

[SlartyBartFast]

Well before Pearl Harbor, there were a small number of Japanese that witnessed the US air raid one of Italy's prime military ports. The US blew up all of the navy that was in port. The observers left, for safety or they though the attack was done. But the US fighters came right back, second wave or rearmed, and finished off the port, destroying all the fuel and supplies and just FUBARed the whole port..

This was the inspiration for the Jananese plan for Pearl Harbor. Its been mentioned, if the Japanese had come right back after rearming and torched the port fully like the US did Italy, we would have been set back many many months more in the Pacific.

As was said before, the US wasn't attacking Italy before Pearl Harbour.

Secondly, sounds like a pure old-wive's tale/urban legend.

The Japanese had another wave of attack but the admiral of the fleet decided to not go ahead with it as they had now lost the advantage of surprise.

The fuel depots were on the Japanese list of secondary targets.

[Steelrat]

Additionally, they could have sunk the whole damn fleet at Pearl and it wouldnt have made any difference. The battleships there were old veterans of WWI, and pretty much useless until refitted later on in the war. The only really valuable ships, the carriers, wherent there that day, which was one of those strokes of luck that influence the course of wars.

Not trying to minimize the tragedy of the loss of life at Pearl, but the ships lost there didn't make one bit of difference. In fact, the way the attack galvanized the American public was worth far more than the material lost at Pearl.

IN the grand scheme of things, the way the Dauntless dive bombers ripped the heart out of the Japanese navy at Midway was a MUCH MUCH MUCH more important victory than the Japanese stike at Pearl.

[Jakedubbleya]

My great grandpa & grandma barely got out of yugoslava alive too. He was part of the austrian resistance, but after it completely fell apart (later to rise again and break through german defences with the russian army) he headed for a boat to america with a bullet hole in his neck.

The rest of his family was captured and put in concentration camps for being catholic (brothers, sisters, parents, most extended family as well). They all died in the camps.

Sad times, sad times...

[Creative Mayhem]

Battle of Midway!

From a SCUBA diver's perspective....

Operation Hailstone: Bombing and subsequent sinking of 70+ ships in a single 12hr bombardment in TruK Lagoon(now Chuuk, Micronesia)

FANTASTIC DIVING, now if only I could afford to go there....