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Dave Eadsforth wrote in message ...
In article , WaltBJ writes Slightly off track - the Germans did not seem to place the same level of importance on recce that the Brits and USAF did. Me109s could (some did) carry a camera in the aft fuselage like the recce P51s (F6?). A lightened waxed Me109F or G would have a very good chance of completing a recce pass on an in-and-out basis flown at max speed on a curving descent or in-and-out at naught feet (prop tips above the wave tips). It appears to me that the 86R was declared a 'clay pigeon' when the LW found out Spits and Mosquitoes, appropriately modifed, could get up that high. Why the LW didn't use 'hot-rodded' photofighters is beyond me. Maybe they swallowed the 'XX' turned spies' reports as gospel. Walt BJ Yes, the success of agents like 'Garbo' in feeding duff stuff to the German High Command was remarkable. Without wanting to go wildly off-topic, there was a programme on UK TV a few nights ago ('Spitfire Ace') that had some very useful stuff on the mentality of the RAF versus the that of Luftwaffe in 1940. The RAF (through the vision and efforts of Dowding) had created a parless air defence system, while the Luftwaffe had concentrated overmuch on the lionisation of its individual pilots. Honestly this sounds like Brits patting themselves on the back while not looking at the strategic and tactical issues the Germans faced. (sadly this is a sort of anasthetic as the UK goes down a sewer) I think that by 1944 the Allies had developed a war machine that was thorough enough to filter out most flakey thinking and to concentrate on the real issues. If the Luftwaffe in 1944 was still relying on the whims of 'gifted individuals' (Hitler, Goering), who would have prided their own (uncriticised) judgement then a lot of bad ideas would have good through and a lot of good ideas would have been turned away. German thinking was predicated on the need to fight a short and sharp war as a nation sourunded by hostile countries. Avoiding a war of attrition was essential and avoiding a war on German territory was also essential. The nation was physically to small and to devoid of materials to handle a war in any other way and not loose thus substantial offensive capability was emphasised but it was all up front: resources were not devoted to reinforcements. This was the thinking even before the Nazis came to power. Much of the German work on Microwaves and Proximity fuses (which inspired British research) was suspended because the anything that could not be ready in 2 years would be a waste. It seems that at this point that many of the German might have beens got caned. Examination of this period is perhaps where it might be said that Germany's technical may be said to lie. It migh also just lay in the fact that Germany lacked the resources to develop them. The Tiazard commision handed the proximity fuse and magnetron on a platter for the USA to develop. The Germans just culled. The excelent Freya and Wurzburg Radars were not integrated into a defensive system because the bomber naviagation aids were considered more important. Cheers, Dave |
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