Posted on 10/27/2011 4:44:47 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
The USAAF in WWII usually had specific targets, like a factory, complex, rail yard, etc.
A flight of bombers would typically have a 5 or 7 plane front, with the rest behind, forming box.
The lead plane would aim and call the bomb drop for all the planes in the flight, creating a pattern. The bomb pattern was designed to allow for slop, and getting about a third of the bombs on target was considered pretty good.
In Japan, the B-29s dropped from a couple of miles higher than in Europe, so a stiff cross wind could push the bombs a mile off target.
FWIW, In Europe, returning planes with bomb loads had a specific area in the English Channel to dump bombs before returning to base. It's speculated that Glenn Miller's plane strayed too close/into to that area and was hit by a bomb dump from a cancelled mission.
‘Not something you want people shaking and rocking in your back yard.’
Let me second that motion! If it was found near my house, the evacuaters wouldn’t have to worry; I’d be long gone by the time they got here.
20,000 people evacuated from a 1 mile circle? They must have been sitting in each other’s laps.
For bombers over Germany unable to find their target, their orders were to release over Germany under the belief that the bomb striking a forest or farmers field would in some manner, harm the German war effort.
“What I see are a ton of people out there sucking off the government tit and thinking they earned that.”
So true! I’m sure you know this, fred, but they think they ‘earned’ it when they don’t do anything for it at all. During my exile in MA I lived opposite a long-retired schoolteacher. She actually said to me, ‘I make more now than I ever did teaching’. I.e.: she received way more SS than she paid in, and considered simply receiving the check as earning, or ‘making’ it. Unfreakingbelievable.
Seems a shame just to drop the bombs in the Channel. I had read the theory that that is what killed Glenn Miller. I’m sure you know the story of his getting on the plane to begin w. He asked about parachutes, and according to the account, the pilot asked him what was wrong, did he want to live forever? [or words to that effect]. As cold as the Channel was in Dec., a parachute probably wouldn’t have helped. (Especially not if in fact it was bombs that sank him.)
It seems much better to drop the bombs wherever than just to dump them in the water. I read an account of a German farm that got blown up. It did undermine morale, which used to be part of winning a war.
The reason’s why so many bombs missed the target was due on a number of factors. For the USAAF(that was “The United States Army Air Force before it became a separate branch, The United States Air Force) it was the sometimes inaccuracy of the Norden Bombsight which wasn’t always that reliable, maneuvering,as you noted to due flak, German fighters, wind resistance and just the sheer concentration it took the pilots of those B-17’s and B-24’s to maintain formation. For the Brits, well, they flew at night, pretty much in loose formations and engaged in ‘’area bombing’’. Area bombing was just what it says. You pretty much got in the general area of the target and let the bombs fall where they may. By late 1943 and for the rest of the war the Brits pretty much gave up on trying to be precise and just fire-bombed the hell out of German cities.
In the case of Glenn Millers disappearance, one explanation has it that his light plane got in the way of an RAF bomb dump.
My memory is fuzzy on this matter but I read that at some point in the war, the issue arose with either the USAF or RAF as to what to do with bombs that could not be released over German targets. The decision was to release over Germany.
Interesting! Thank you. A couple of years ago I read a true story of a woman who survived the bombing of Desden. It was a complete eye-opener for me, since I had no idea more people died there than at Hiroshima. It was us, the Americans who bombed Dresden, iirc. Seems like the targeting worked pretty well in that instance.
Not only that, but many government retirement funds are invested in the markets. But when the markets fail, the guarantees in the contracts force the taxpayers to make up for the shortfall. F*** that.
My tiny retirement fund is also invested in the market. Haven’t seen anyone ever step up and say they would bail my ass out.
“But when the markets fail, the guarantees in the contracts force the taxpayers to make up for the shortfall. F*** that.”
There is so much wrong w the US financial picture, so much corruption and cronyism and just plain stupidity, it sometimes seems hopeless. I hope the coming election shakes things up big time. We really, really need a change—the opposite kind that Obama was talking about.
(Senior) Bush’s fault!
You’re welcome. I have to tell you that when it comes to the figures given of those killed in Dresden, some listed as anywhere from 140,000 to as high as 250,000, these were figures put out by Goebbels Propaganda Ministry at the time to portray the Allies as ‘’murdering air pirates’’. The real figure, after much research and revamping over the years has put the actual figure much lower, around 45 to 50,000. The raid itself began on the night of February 13,1945 with an initial attack of over 200 bombers of The Royal Air Force who dropped incendiaries and was followed some three hours later by bombers of the American 8th. Air Force. If you want to explore more of the history of strategic bombing in WW2, in particular ‘’fire-bombing’’( a truly horrific phenomenon) check out what the RAF did to the city of Hamburg on the night of July 24 1943. This was the beginning of the horror of this tactic, a British invention and the raids on Hamburg went from the 24th. of July to the 3rd. of August. In ten straight days of around the clock bombing by British and American bombers some 44,000 residents of the city of Hamburg were dead. The Germans simply called it “Der Katastrophe’’, the catastrophe, but such is war.
Interesting how the number of dead was so inflated. The smaller figures seem more likely. Even in the account I read, it sounded like a lot of people were fleeing the ruins: i.e.: that there were many survivors. I didn’t know about the Hamburg bombing at all. It sounds horrific, but then so is what the Germans did to England. Fight fire w fire. Even though I’m half German, it’s hard to feel sorry for them. They enthusiastically backed Hitler, for the most part, anyway. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.
I don’t know that much. But certain things make me suspicious.
Occupy takes to the streets. Suddenly, despite the doom and gloom predictions of the future of the EU and proposed American bailouts, the markets zoom.
From my broke dick perspective, Cabinetmaker, there is NO change in my economic forecast. The investment isn’t there. The WORK isn’t there. The money isn’t there. Scramble beg and please just to keep the lights on.
The Iraqi’s want American troops accused of a crime in Iraq to be tried in Iraqi courts. NO. AND hell no. So there is no SOFA, and we leave.
What are the chances that some governor gets a word into Obama. HEY? Can you give me back some of my National Guard? The ones babysitting muzzy raghead MF’s? Ya Know? Just in case. Just in case all the bullshit “Look everything is ok” back home shit doesn’t fly.
And before I turn this into a tried and true thread hijack, my point is that the numbers on display of being people evacuated for a “threat” that is in no actual threat is the same crap as all the rest.
Ima watching. Ima listening. Ima expert marksman. And one broke dick MF with nothing to lose but the future of my grandbabies. And Ima not giving an inch there.
This isn’t leftist. This isn’t DU. This just is. The last President who drew a line in the sand got his F***ing head blown off in Dallas 48 years ago.
We’ve been electing the same MF since, for the last 48 years.
All the members of Congress, the ones that actually can effect/affect change, haven’t done one thing for me. But I’m still on the hook for their BS.
Change?
BAZINGA! (or the sound a Nosler Ballistic Tip makes when it HITS...)
Good rant! If ninety-five percent of congress got tossed out and tea partiers replaced them, we’d have a better than even chance. At the rate things are going...not so much.
You forgetted the bells and whistles.
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