Text 28593, 80 rader
Skriven 2006-05-03 00:08:10 av Paul Quinn (3:640/384.1)
  Kommentar till text 28582 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: WWII revisited
======================
Hi! Ward,

On 02 May 06 13:15, you wrote to me:

 WD>        http://www.uboataces.com/uboat-type-xxi.shtml

:)  You shouldn't have... needn't have.  Thanks, anyway.

 WD> There is another excellent link which I consider the ultimate
 WD> authority on uboat stuff:
 WD>        http://www.uboat.net

Groovy.  I'm not sure if I'll get there, though.

You see I have a penchant for combined-arms tactical-level operations in your
backyard(?), during 1944/45.  Though, my first 'love' in my early reading years
was with a bent towards fighter pilot biographies, during air operations over
Europe between 1940-45.

Not a lot of time left, besides, for research of a naval flavour.

 >> latter months of the war, to Japan.  =:)
 WD> Boy, do you trail behind the rest of us. That particular shipment

[ ...trim... ]

 WD> Bonner who in his later life would become a sysop and editor of
 WD> Fidonews. ;-)

Way cool.

 WD> I visited him in his house in Orange California, just east of LA, and

[ ...trim... ]

 WD> and technology to allow Japan to build a nuclear weapon. Warren
 WD> eventually wrote a book about his service and the survivors of the
 WD> crew that captured that U-boat still meet every year.

Mmm... U-234, wasn't it?  (Rather aptly named, I thought.)

 WD> ... German uranium dropped on Japan.

:)

 >> Not just the subs.  In practically every aspect of military science and
 WD> Well, having read some more ... the US 8th Air Force needs being
 WD> credited with the bombardments which kept the dozens of finished type
 WD> XXI's sufficiently damaged and in port for the last 6-8 months of the
 WD> war for preventing them to actively take part in the fighting.

I recall reading that the Dambusters (617 Squadron RAF) made quite a few raids
on the sub pens, as well... can't recall where (I've since lost the unit
history)... using 'tallboys'(?).  Made a mess of everything.  ;-)

 WD> As for the Me-262 ... it was there in time, and in sufficient numbers.

Nope.  One squadron (JG-sized anyhow), I'm sure: JV-44.  It's the unit that can
lay claim to hosting the first ever 'jet ace', Walter Novotny.

According to Pierre Clostermann (French, flying RAF Hawker Typhoons at the
time), it was a black day in aviation when Novotny (literally) hit the dirt,
after being ambushed by a mixed formation of between 10-20 P-51 & P-47 'rat
catchers'.

There should be a good mention of JV44 in Adolph Galland's book, The First and
The Last.  (I've long ago lost my copy.)  I think he ended-up as its last CO.

BTW, I absolutely adore Chuck Yeager's slip of what the yank flyers' nickname
for the '262 was: "blow jobs".  =:)

 WD> These Germans still make excellent cars though ... ;-)

They do?  I'm kinda partial to the Mitsubishis, myself.  :)

Cheers,
Paul.

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 * Origin: Quinn's outPost - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384.1)