In message , Keith Willshaw
writes

"M. J. Powell" wrote in message
...

I am reading a new book on Hess. The author makes a few startling
claims.

1. "The fuselage of the Deputy-Fuehrer's Me-110 was half a metre longer
than that of a normal production machine, and along its top a thin
copper tube ran from the cockpit to an added -on half-metre section
midway to the tail. Within this tube ran a steel cable connected to a
handle near the pilot's seat........pulling this handle would release an
inflatable rubber dinghy complete with survival facilities..."

Does anyone believe this? The Me-110 was a 3 seater, and would have had
a crew dinghy as standard?


The Me-110 was a two seater but we do know that the aircraft Hess used was
a modified ME-110 E-1 fighter bomber aircraft, rather than the Me-110C
series
familiar from the BOB. My references state it was a development of the Bf
110D-3
convoy escort with special overwater provision and extra fuel. So yep it
seems
believable

So it wasn't specially modified for Hess. Except for the extensions to
the tuning controls for the Lorenz receiver which were added for Hess.
And it had drop tanks.

2. Two Hurricanes were scrambled from Aldergrove (Northern Ireland) to
intercept and found him as he reached the Firth of Clyde. (Hess
overshot). Time, a few minutes after 10:45pm. Hess flew at low level.
Low enough to create 'a nerve-wracking roar

Is it likely that the two Hurricanes would have found a low level
intruder in the dark at 10:45pm 10th May '41 at 55 deg North?


Sunset in Glasgow on May 10 is around 9.15PM BST however I believe
during the war they were on double summertime so 10.45 wouldnt be
long after sunset.


I have heard this story it before and its usually attributed to Czech
writer
Jiri Rajlich who stateed 2 pilots of 245 Czech squadron told him the
story after the war.

The book states that the pilots were Vaclav 'Felix' Bauman and Leopold
Strom, who returned home after the war.

I'd say its of doubtful provenance but not impossible.

3. Germany was criss-crossed by Knickerbein beams which were used for
navigation purposes.

Knickerbein used a souped-up Lorenz receiver. To criss-cross the country
would confuse the normal use of the Lorenz blind-landing system. Is this
likely?


It happened, Knickebein was indeed based on the Lorenz system and
was used for navigation

Yes, but for general navigation over Germany?

http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/28...ckebein/knicke
bein.html

4. 'Hess easily out-ran the three Spitfires which had been sent up over
the east coast to intercept him' [my paraphrase]

Me-110 out-running a Spitfire?

Its possible if he had been cruising at high altitude and pushed the nose
down and
crossed the coast in a shallow dive.

He was hanging around over the North Sea 'at fifty to one hundred feet,
waiting for dusk' He hung around from 20:52 until 21:52 before he
started in over the coast. I wonder why he didn't time his departure
from Augsberg better.

He was doing about 360 mph according to timings made by ROC posts, but
they didn't see him, only hear him, so not very accurate.

Mike
--
M.J.Powell