Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
The ultimate Stuka book: "Stuka Pilot" by Hans Ulrich Rudel, only recipient of the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds to live through the War. He did 1500 operational missions, got 500 tanks and a battleship. I loved the part where they went fox-hunting with the 37s on the Stukas.
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Wow that sounds like a good story, although my favorite pilot has to be my grandfather who did 39 missions over europe in a Halifax. My favorite famous one is Erich hartmann, greatest ace if all time.
He claimed 352 aerial victories (of which 345 were won against the Soviet Air Force, and 260 of which were fighters) in 1,404 combat missions. He engaged in aerial combat 825 times while serving with the Luftwaffe. During the course of his career, Hartmann was forced to crash-land his damaged fighter 14 times. This was due to damage received from parts of enemy aircraft he had just shot down or mechanical failure. Hartmann was never shot down or forced to land due to fire from enemy aircraft.
Another famous pilot is Adolf Galland, only commander of a german jet fighter squadron during the war. Booted by Hitler then brought back and made head of german fighter command. I have a picture of him on my grandfather together when they met at a verterans dinner in the 70's. My grandad told me that when he met him they shook hands and he said to Adolf " its a good thing we didnt meet back during the war, im afraid you wouldnt have stood a chance" he always laughs when he says that.
Cheers, McLean
He claimed 352 aerial victories (of which 345 were won against the Soviet Air Force, and 260 of which were fighters) in 1,404 combat missions. He engaged in aerial combat 825 times while serving with the Luftwaffe. During the course of his career, Hartmann was forced to crash-land his damaged fighter 14 times. This was due to damage received from parts of enemy aircraft he had just shot down or mechanical failure. Hartmann was never shot down or forced to land due to fire from enemy aircraft.
Another famous pilot is Adolf Galland, only commander of a german jet fighter squadron during the war. Booted by Hitler then brought back and made head of german fighter command. I have a picture of him on my grandfather together when they met at a verterans dinner in the 70's. My grandad told me that when he met him they shook hands and he said to Adolf " its a good thing we didnt meet back during the war, im afraid you wouldnt have stood a chance" he always laughs when he says that.
Cheers, McLean
Hartmann survived because of his technique: a single high speed dive from altitude and out of the sun onto his target. If he didn't shoot down the target on that single pass he would zoom off and try again some other time. No dog fighting in other words. He was a sort of aerial sniper.
When Adolf Galland attended a Commonwealth aircrew reunion in Winnipeg back about 1970, they wouldn't let him speak. It took 5 whole minutes for the welcoming ovation to die down..... THEN he was allowed to speak. The guys who were actually THERE all respected each other, then and now: a point to remember when some idiot trots out petty hatreds regarding something he knows nothing about.
Just before I moved out East (after university) my wife was working in a bar. We went for a coffee one night, along with a Czech fellow who was a regular customer. Joe was #####ing about this stupid LITTLE airplane he had been flying that afternoon, a little Cessna. "Better than nothing," was Joe's evaluation. I asked him (STUPID me!) if he had ever flown a fast airplane. He reached into a pocket and brought out his Czech Air Force pilots licence and handed it to me. Joe was approved for combat duty in THREE types:
1. JU-87d
2. Bf-109g
3. Supermarine Spitfire V
and he had flown all three types in COMBAT during the Second World War.
Believe me, I got an EDUCATION that night!
I have a Stuka story but, perhaps, this is not the time.
MOST interesting thread!
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Just before I moved out East (after university) my wife was working in a bar. We went for a coffee one night, along with a Czech fellow who was a regular customer. Joe was #####ing about this stupid LITTLE airplane he had been flying that afternoon, a little Cessna. "Better than nothing," was Joe's evaluation. I asked him (STUPID me!) if he had ever flown a fast airplane. He reached into a pocket and brought out his Czech Air Force pilots licence and handed it to me. Joe was approved for combat duty in THREE types:
1. JU-87d
2. Bf-109g
3. Supermarine Spitfire V
and he had flown all three types in COMBAT during the Second World War.
Believe me, I got an EDUCATION that night!
I have a Stuka story but, perhaps, this is not the time.
MOST interesting thread!
.
Cool, a sherman with anti mines rollersGood morning fellow Gunnutz New day New picture
Cheers
Joe
Joce
I found this about the sweeper - For blowing up mines. T1E3/M1 Roller, nicknamed the Aunt Jemima after Aunt Jemima pancake mix. About 200 were built and they were used on hard surfaces as they tended to bog down on soft ground.
Cheers
Joe
Cheers
Joe
Good morning fellow Gunnutz New day New picture
Cheers
Joe
Do you know when and where this photo was taken? How effective was this in clearing mines? (Battle reports?)
Thx
PS. really like this thread too.
The Sherman crab was a better design. The rotor was equiped with 43 flails( heavy chain) with a rotating speed of 142 rpm powered by the tank engine via a power take off. A big disavantage was the cloud of dust during operation and the slow speed needed for the job(2 km/h). But when not in use, the tank could move and serve like a normal tank.
Joce p.s sorry to hijack
Joce p.s sorry to hijack
Good morning fellow Gunnutz New day New picture
Cheers
Joe
Those were special purpose tanks with rollers designed to take out "Teller" mines, intended for tank destruction or at the very least to knock of a track.
They were very heavy on purpose to set off the mines, intended for tanks only.
I don't remember but I think the Teller mines were set with triggers that would only detonate when loaded trucks or armored vehicles drove on them. The weight of a man or light vehicle, wouldn't set it off.
There was one big disadvantage to this system and that was wieght, It was also cumbersome and impeded the movements of the tank in critical circumstances.
The next disadvantage came from the fact that there were only two rollers in place that wold take care of a vehicle with the same wheel base width as the tank. Other tanks could follow the beat path. The center of the track, wasn't checked.
I agree, the flail system was much better all around.
The chains on the flail would rip a$$ out of a foxhole too
The Sherman crab was a better design. The rotor was equiped with 43 flails( heavy chain) with a rotating speed of 142 rpm powered by the tank engine via a power take off. A big disavantage was the cloud of dust during operation and the slow speed needed for the job(2 km/h). But when not in use, the tank could move and serve like a normal tank.
Joce p.s sorry to hijack
Thanks Joce for the information
p.s No need to apologize
The thread was started to learn new things for myself (i am pretty new to this)and any other who wants to learn By all means if you have a picture to share then please post it Cheers
Joe
