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Posted on 07/09/2003 12:00:44 AM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.
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A superb tactician, top-ranking ace, and inspirational commander of 9,000 POWs, he was among our great combat leaders. Col. Hub Zemke was one of the pre-eminent World War II fighter commanders in the European theater. His 56th Fighter Group, the "Wolfpack," was credited with 665 air-to-air victories, leading all fighter groups in the European Theater of Operations. Zemke alone had 17.75 confirmed victories in 154 combat missions, putting him in the top 25 of all Army Air Forces World War II fighter pilots. He once said that if he had been a better shot, he would have had twice as many.  Col. Hubert "Hub" Zemke A general once described him as a typical lighter pilot.., chip on his shoulder, looks you right in the eye; not insolent, just confident.’ He was an extraordinary man answering the call of extraordinary times. He was outspoken and courageous, with unflagging personal integrity and conviction. Hubert Zemke was born March 14, 1914, in Missoula, Montana, the only child of German Immigrants, Anna and Benno Zemke. Growing up bilingual proved to be an asset later in life ... but was a liability in Missoula following World War I. Anti-German sentiment was still high when Zemke began grade school, and he was regularly terrorized by an II - year-old bully on his block. His childhood necessity for self-defense may have influenced his enthusiasm for amateur boxing, a skill that earned him two state middleweight wins and several regional titles during high school and college. His success in the ring prompted a sports writer to dub him “The Hub,” ... a name that stayed with him all his life.  Hub Zemke with his P-47C, circa 1943. Hub’s philosophy, forged in the boxing ring, and refined by the military, would help mold his successful fighter group ...Zemke’s Wolfpack. He advised his men to “use your wits, size up the opposition, keep hitting him where it hurts ... and always keep the initiative.” When depression-era employment proved elusive after college, Hub took the advice of two pals and explored the Army Air Corps’ fighter training program. Hub had never nursed s passion for airplanes, but he displayed a proficiency that found him assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron, at Langley Field, Virginia. Soon, he was logging 20-30 hours a mouth testing P-40s at Wright Field and flying in the Cleveland Air Races. April 1941 saw Hub transferred to England as a combat observer. By June he was serving as Assistant Military Attaché to the American Embassy in Moscow, where he trained Soviet pilots in British P-40s.The United States had entered the war by February 1942, and Lt. Zemke was anxious to join the fray for the U.S. With war raging in Europe he was forced to weave his way through Tehran and Cairo before finally reaching American soil.  A Wolfpack SaluteAmerica's top scoring fighter unit of all time, the 56th Fighter Group boasted some of the highest scoring aces in USAF history. Led by the Legendary "Hub" Zemke, the 56th soon earned the name "Zemke's Wolfpack". Depicted are the P-47's of Francis "Gabby" Gabreski, Walker "Bud" Mahurin and Jerry Johnson. Subsequent assignments included the 56th Fighter Group, an inspection tour of 120 Chinese pilots, squadron commander of the g9th fighter group, and by August 1942, reassignment to the 56th ... this time as commander. In early 1943 the 56th was installed at King’s Cliffe, England, where Hub began experimenting with new flight formations. He first initiated staggered squadrons and flights so the group formed a giant V It was the first of many innovations. Zemke was a professional fighter pilot before the US entered the war. His insistence on discipline in the air and on the ground earned him the respect of all his men but not always the love of some high-spirited pilots. A superb tactician, he originated The Zemke Fan and other tactical innovations. The Zemke Fan drastically changed Eighth Air Force policy that had required escorting fighters to stay with the bombers at all times. Colonel Zemke was convinced that if some fighters fanned out well ahead of the bombers, many enemy fighters could be shot down as they were forming up to attack the bomber stream. Lt. Gen. William E. Kepner, who headed VIII Fighter Command, bought the idea. Bomber losses declined significantly as fighter victories increased. The Zemke Fan was first tried on May 12, 1944. On that mission, Hub Zemke's element lost one of its four P-47s to an abort. The remaining three were attacked by seven Messerschmitt Bf-109s. Zemke immediately ordered them to form a Lufbery circle. The Luftwaffe leader cut across the circle and, in a dazzling display of deflection shooting, downed one P-47. A few moments later, he repeated his performance, leaving Zemke alone in an unfriendly sky. With no recourse, Zemke went into a barrel-rolling vertical dive at full throttle and escaped. (Years later, he learned that the German sharpshooter was Maj. Günther Rall, the Luftwaffe's third-ranking ace with 275 victories.)  A somewhat shaken Zemke headed for home, escaping another formation of Bf-109s en route. Near Koblenz, Germany, he saw many -109s forming up below. The aggressive spirit that had made him an outstanding college and semipro boxer took over. He contacted two members of the 56th FG who arrived as the number of -109s grew to 30. Zemke told his men to fly top cover while he went down alone to take on the enemy fighters. He shot down one before his fuel ran low and he had to break off for home. In August 1944, after commanding the 56th FG for two years, Zemke volunteered to take over the 479th Fighter Group, equipped with P-38 Lightnings but about to convert to P-51 Mustangs. The 479th's record had not been good. Zemke soon restored the group's morale while earning three more victories himself. As October drew to a close and his combat hours passed 450, Zemke knew his days as a group commander were about to end. He was ordered to 65th Fighter Wing headquarters as chief of staff. With his bags packed, he decided to fly one more mission before taking over a desk. On that mission he ran into the worst turbulence he had ever encountered. He ordered his formation to turn back, but before he could do so, his P-51 lost a wing. Parachuting from the wreckage, Zemke was soon taken prisoner and ended up in Stalag Luft I at Barth, Germany, on the Baltic Sea.  Newly arrived, Colonel Zemke found himself senior officer in command of 7,000 Allied prisoners, some of whom had been there for several years. Conditions were deplorable: insufficient food, inadequate clothing and medical attention, a lack of military discipline among some POWs, and indifferent or hostile German officials. Zemke quickly established his leadership of the POWs, who numbered about 9,000 by V-E Day. Gradually he developed working relations with the prison commandant and staff and achieved some improvements in living conditions. As it became apparent that their war was lost, the Germans became more cooperative, especially as Soviet armies approached from the east. Zemke and his staff negotiated an arrangement with the camp commandant for the Germans to depart quietly at night, bearing only small arms, and turn the camp over to the Allied POW wing. To avoid conflict between some POWs and the hated guards, Zemke's staff kept the arrangement secret until the morning after the German departure. Zemke then nurtured friendly relations with the arriving Soviets. (In 1941, he had spent several months in the USSR teaching Russian pilots to fly the P-40. He spoke some Russian and fluent German.) Ultimately, Zemke arranged for the POWs to be flown to Allied territory. His strong leadership saved the lives of many POWs.  Col. Hub Zemke retired from the Air Force in 1966, and died Aug. 30, 1994, at Oroville, Calif. He was an extraordinary man, outspoken, courageous, and of unflagging personal integrity and conviction. These qualities, which made him one of our greatest wartime leaders, did not endear him to some of his military superiors and probably denied him the rank and responsibilities he deserved. Nevertheless, he will remain a symbol of military excellence long after others are forgotten.
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Forever changing Police History
Snippy! 
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Air Power |
Brief History: The Fw 190 is widely regarded as Germany's best fighter aircraft of World War II. Its appearance in the skies over France in early 1941 was a rude shock to the Allies, as it was clearly superior to any other plane. For nearly a year, until the debut of the Spitfire IX, the Fw 190 was the unmatched champion of the air war.
As the war progressed, the Fw 190 was developed into many variants as a pure fighter, a ground-attack fighter/bomber, and as a close-support aircraft. No fewer than 40 different versions were produced, with different combinations of engines, armament, wings, systems, and roles.
First flown on 1 June 1939, the Fw 190 served for the duration of the war, largely replacing several other aircraft types in the process, including the Junker Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber. Allied bombers dreaded the sight of these potent aircraft, as did the fighters who provided cover for them. Arguably, the Fw 190's greatest impact on the Allied war effort was to spur ever-greater advances in technology and aircraft design to counter its threat.
Nicknames: Butcher Bird; Dora; Kangaroo (Fw 190 V18/U1 variant)
Specifications: (Fw 190D-9):
Engine: One 1,776-hp Junkers Jumo 213A-1 inverted V-12 piston engine
Weights: Empty 7,694 lbs., Max Takeoff 10,670 lbs.
Crew: One
Wing Span: 34ft. 5.5in.
Length: 33ft. 5.5in.
Height: 11ft. 0in.
Maximum Speed: 426 mph
Ceiling: 39,370 ft.
Range: 519 miles
Number Built: 20,051
Number Still Airworthy: None, but several are under active restoration to flight status.
Armament:
Two 13-mm (0.51-inch) MG 131 machine guns
Two 20-mm MG 151
One 1,102-pound SC500 bomb
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Air Power |
History: In the mid-1930s, the Luftwaffe began to modernize its fighter aircraft fleet. A competition for new designs was held, resulting in at least four competitors. Two designs were selected for further development, one being Willy Messerschmitt's Bf 109, a single-seat derivation of his previously-successful Bf 108 design. The first -109 prototype, powered by a 695-hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine, first flew on 28 May 1935. The second prototype was fitted with the engine for which it had been designed, the 610-hp Junkers Jumo 210A. Pre-production prototypes had various combinations of armament and engines.
The first production model, the Bf 109B-1, was delivered in early 1937 to the JG132 'Richtofen' squadron, Germany's top fighter unit. The new fighters quickly established a good combat reputation in the Spanish Civil War later that year. The next production variant, the Bf 109C-1, appeared in the fall of 1937, and utilized a more powerful 700-hp Jumo 210Ga engine. Demand for the airplane was so great that it was built under license by no fewer than four other companies, including Arado, Erla, Focke-Wolf and Feiseler.
By the time World War II began in 1939, the Luftwaffe had more than 1,000 Bf 109s in service, and it was to play a major role in all further fighter operations. Allied bombing gradually slowed German aircraft production, but -109s were also built by WNF in Austria, and in Hungary. During and after the war, Messerschmitt exported thousands of Bf-109s to Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, the USSR and Yugoslavia. In addition, Spain's Hispano company produced the Bf 109 under license beginning in 1945, calling it the HA-1109. Their HA-1110 and HA-1112 variants were two-seater and modified single seaters, respectively. Several engines were fitted, including the 1300-hp Hispano-Suiza HS-12Z-89 and the 1400-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45.
Yet another source of Bf 109 production was in Czechoslovakia, where the Avia company supplied S-99 and S-199 variants, many of which remained in service until 1957.
Total production is estimated at 35,000, making it one of the most numerous aircraft types of the war.
Nicknames: Augsburg Eagle; Buchon "Pounter Pigeon" (HA-1112); Mezec "Mule" (Avia S-199); Anton (A-Model); Bertha (B-Model); Clara (C-Model); Dora (D-Model); Emil (E-Model); Fritz (F-Model); Gustav (G-Model); Beule/Bump (Bf-109G-1 Trop); Toni (T-Model).
Specifications: (Bf-109G-6):
Engine: 1800-hp Daimler-Benz DB-605 inverted V-12 piston engine
Crew: One
Weights: Empty 5,893 lbs., Max Takeoff 6,945 lbs.
Wing Span: 32ft. 6.5in.
Length: 29ft. 7in.
Height: 11ft. 2in.
Maximum Speed at 23,000 ft: 385mph
Ceiling: 38,500 ft
Range: 450 miles
Number Built: ~35,000
Number Still Airworthy: ~9 (approximately two-thirds are HA-112s.)
Armament:
Two 13mm (0.51-inch) MG131 machine guns
Three 20mm MG151 cannon
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Air Power |
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt originated from the drawing board of Alexander Kartveli of the Seversky Aircraft Corporation (later renamed Republic Aviation). The Thunderbolt is consistently rated as one of the three outstanding USAAF fighters of World War II-- rated right up there along with the North American P-51 Mustang and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The P-47 was built in larger numbers than any other American fighter, 15,683 examples rolling off the assembly line before production finally ended.
This multi-role fighter, affectionately know as the JUG, was the largest, heaviest, most destructive, single engine aircraft used during World War II. The P-47 excelled in close ground support and aerial combat.
At one time during the heady days of 1944, there were no less than 31 front-line fighter groups flying Thunderbolts. Thunderbolts fought on all fronts in World War 2, including Alaska. Approximately two-thirds of all Thunderbolts built actually reached operational units overseas. In two and a half years of combat, from March 1943 to August 1945, these Thunderbolts flew over half a million combat missions, destroying over 12,000 enemy aircraft both in the air and on the ground, as against a total of 5222 Thunderbolts lost, only 824 of them in the heat of combat. This corresponded to 54 percent of the Thunderbolts which went overseas being eventually lost either to enemy action or to accidents, which was a fairly typical attrition rate for a wartime fighter. Losses of Thunderbolts on operational missions were 0.7 percent of those dispatched, an exceptionally low figure.
Throughout WW II, the P-47 served in nearly every active war theater as well as for the forces of numerous Allied nations.
By the end of the war, the Thunderbolt had established an overall ratio of air-to-air combat victories to losses of 4.6 to 1. Thunderbolts dropped 132,482 tons of bombs, fired 59,567 rockets, and expended 135 million belts of machine gun ammunition.
SPECIFICIATIONS:
Contractor: Republic Aviation Corp
Primary Function: Pursuit (fighter)
Crew: One
Unit Cost: $85,000 -- P-47D
Wing Span: 40 feet - 9 inches
Length: 36 feet - 2 inches
Gross Weight: Over 20,000 lbs
POWER PLANT: Pratt & Whitney R2800, Turbo-Supercharged, 18 cylinder air cooled radial engine rate at over 2,000 horsepower.
Performance
Speed: 433 mph (697 km/h)
Ceiling: 42,000 ft -- P-47D
Range: 1,725 miles (2,776 km)
ARMAMENT:
Eight Browning .50 caliber wing mounted machine guns
Over 2,000 lbs of other ordinance such as bombs, rockets and napalm.
DESIGNER: Alexander Kartveli
FIRST FLIGHT: May 6th, 1941
TOTAL BUILT: 15,683
WORLD WAR II COMBAT RECORD:
Enemy Vehicles Destroyed: 160,000
Enemy Aircraft Destroyed: 11,874
Enemy Trains Destroyed: 9,000
All photos Copyright of Warbird Alley and the Warbird Resource Group
Morning Sam~
Awesome work folks . . . forgive my drooling over the aerial pics.
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