The FReeper Foxhole Profiles General Ira Clarence Eaker - Jan. 12th, 2004

Handbook of Texas ^

[snippy_about_it]

Insert Twilight Zone Theme

Insert JAWS theme...

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Matt. We don't hear much about the Polish Air Force at the beginning of the War here in the States.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Matt for the ELK info. Pretty plane.

[SAMWolf]

LOL!

[Iris7]

With eyeball aircraft tracking, those people were correct. The high altitude bomber could not be intercepted effeciently enough to make a difference - except by using RADAR and ground controlled intercept calculations, requiring good radio communication. Even in 1936 high altitude bombers could not be intercepted well enough to make a difference.

[snippy_about_it]

That's true. Radar played a big role. I could do a weeks worth of threads on radar development alone. I'm doing three days on night flying and had to leave out quite a bit about radar or it would have taken a week to read!

[CholeraJoe]

The pups are fine, just figuratively in the doghouse. Last week with temperatures in the minus 30's, I had to leave them indoors while I went to work. They didn't like it, so they tore up a pillow and a down comforter. It's warmed up now to the single digits so they can tolerate it outdoors during the day.

[SAMWolf]

Hi Iris7.

Guilio Douhet's Theory of Air Power

Guilio Douhet was an Italian. He believed that the airplane had completely changed warfare and that airplanes would win wars quickly and decisively. The first priority was to gain command of the air. With command of the air, an air force would be free to operate whenever and wherever it desired. There was, as yet, no effective defence against air attacks. Having achieved command of the air, pilots would then destroy the enemy's will to resist by conducting aerial bombing on his cities, industrial centres and civilian population. It was thought that civilians were not prepared for the effects of war and the bombing of population centres would create panic among the people. People would then pressurize the government to negotiate for peace. Douhet believed the bomber could fight its way to and from the target, hence the origin of the phrase 'the bomber will always get through.'

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/AVbombertheory.htm.

[snippy_about_it]

Well if I remember correctly, pups are pups til about 18 months and will chew what they can when we leave them alone.

It's nice to hear you kept them inside from the cold.

[snippy_about_it]

I never heard of them but that's to be expected. I'll leave it to the rest of the Foxhole and Sam of course to know about it. I'll bet someone does.

Sam knows everything :-)

[Jen]

Aiming High bump backatcha.

[Soaring Feather]

It was Otto von Bismark who said, "Laws are like
sausages, it is better not to see them being made."

[snippy_about_it]

Laws are like sausages..

LOL!

[SAMWolf]

I've heard about the vatious anti-tank rifles being used but not about this ammunition. If you find anything out about it let me know. it's be interesting to see what's out there.

[SAMWolf]

But most most sausages taste good, laws usually leave a bad taste. :-)

[SAMWolf]

7.92 mm Rifle Anti-Tank Mascerzek

During the Polish invasion, the Germans captured large numbers of these Polish designed anti-tank rifles. These were used extensively in the earlier part of World War 2. It is similar in design to a Mauser Rifle firing a normal cartridge, but is longer and heavier and a muzzle brake has been attached. It led to the development of the German rifles known as the Pz B38 and Pz B39.

The polish Maroszek WZ 35 had been conceived and developed by Lt.Col. T. Felsztyn and the engineer Jósef Maroszek in the early 1930ies. First trials in late 1935 proved unsuccessful, because the extremely stressed barrel endured only about 20 shots. After intensive research and testing an almost perfect relation between ammunition characteristics and barrel construction was reached. The new weapon had a life expectancy of 300 shots. It was integrated into the army in November 1935, simulated battles showed a more than satisfying performance as an anti-tank rifle.

However, the rifle was considered so important that a strict veil of secrecy was put over the whole project, and the delivery crates - containig one Maroszek WZ 35, three replacement barrels and three full ammo magazines - were sealed with the strict order that the seal was only to be broken under direct orders of the defense minister. Until July 1938 only a very restricted and select group of people (again under strict nondisclosure - orders) - mostly military commanders of different command levels - was shown the weapon. The result was that in many cases the soldiers that were to use it didn't even see the weapon before WW II started with the german invasion of poland! Due to all this, this reasonably performing weapon saw only very limited use in the polish war against the attacking germans; many polish soldiers ended the short german invasion of Poland still ignorant of the weapon! The germans captured considerable numbers of these weapons still unissued in the armories and storages; it received the german designation Panzerbüchse 35(p) ("Tank Rifle", the suffix "p" for "polnisch") - abbreviated as PzB 35(p) - but was also called Panzerbüchse 770(p) and was issued to german troops. Some of the weapons were also given to and employed by italian troops. At least 630 of these polish tank rifles were incorporated into the Wehrmacht and used in the war against the French in 1940

The work on high-speed rifle ammunition began in Poland in late 20's - early 30's. After the completion, work began on a suitable rifle. The winning design, kb ppanc wz. 1935 (rifle, anti-tank model 1935) was designed by Jozef Maroszek in early 1930's. There are no exact data on when the work began or how it progressed since from the beginning the rifle and ammunition were classified. The kb wz. 1935 was adopted in November 1935 and 7610 rifles were ordered in Fabryka Karabinow (Rifle Factory) in Warsaw. The exact number made before the outbreak of W.W.II is unknown but the highest receiver serial numbers of surviving specimens are in 6500 range.

In the beginning, the rifles were stored at central storage facilities. The delivery to the army units started in April 1939; the last rifles were delivered to units as late as in August 1939. The orders specified that the crate containing the rifle must not be opened before the start of hostilities. The weapon itself was demonstrated only to a handful of soldiers under oath. Sounds like a problem of keeping a "secret Weapon" too secret.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Okay. Now that is Schrage musik!

[SAMWolf]

It's always amazing what man can develop when there's enough need for it. They found the British weak spot and exploited it. A lot of the bombers never knew what hit them