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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 9:20:37 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 9:25:39 GMT -7
B-17 gunner Leon Waldman recounts several of his fifty bombing missions over German-patrolled skies, including one so dangerous that his survival left him with the feeling of being reborn.
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 9:57:09 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 9:59:49 GMT -7
In this rare interview, Rall explains the reality of Germany and the Luftwaffe in the second world war. He describes his experiences during the war in the Messerschmitt Bf.109.
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 10:06:01 GMT -7
Allied military in Germany after World War II. German General Hans-Ulrich, ace German Air Force Ju-87, Stuka dive bomber pilot, meets American officers. He appears to have lost a leg and walks with crutches in a garden with his aide and American military officials. They sit on chairs and talk. Numerous medals and awards displayed on General Rudel's uniform. Location: Germany. Date: May 1945.Hans-Ulrich Rudel (2 July 1916 – 18 December 1982) was a German ground-attack pilot during World War II, in which he was the most decorated German serviceman as sole recipient of the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
Rudel was credited with the destruction of 519 tanks, one battleship, one cruiser, 70 landing craft and 150 artillery emplacements. He claimed 11 aerial victories and the destruction of more than 800 vehicles. He flew 2,530 ground-attack missions exclusively on the Eastern Front, usually flying the Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bomber.
Rudel surrendered to US forces in 1945 and emigrated to Argentina. An unrepentant Nazi, he helped fugitives escape to Latin America and the Middle East, and sheltered Josef Mengele, the former SS doctor at Auschwitz. He worked as an arms dealer to several right-wing regimes in South America, for which he was placed under observation by the US Central Intelligence Agency.
In the West German federal election of 1953, Rudel was the top candidate for the far-right German Reich Party but was not elected. Following the fall of Perón, Rudel moved to Paraguay, where he acted as a foreign representative for several German companies.
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 10:10:32 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 10:47:58 GMT -7
Messerschmitt Me 262 "Schwalbe" - First Flight Over Berlin after 61 Years at the ILA Berlin Airshow 2006. Flown by EADS Chief Test Pilot Wolfgang Schirdewahn.
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but problems with engines, metallurgy and top-level interference kept the aircraft from operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. The Me 262 was faster and more heavily armed than any Allied fighter, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor. One of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II, the Me 262's roles included light bomber, reconnaissance and experimental night fighter versions.
Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied aircraft shot down, although higher claims are sometimes made. The Allies countered its effectiveness in the air by attacking the aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Strategic materials shortages and design compromises on the Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flow turbojet engines led to reliability problems. Attacks by Allied forces on fuel supplies during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force. Armament production within Germany was focused on more easily manufactured aircraft. In the end, the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war as a result of its late introduction and the consequently small numbers put in operational service.
While German use of the aircraft ended with the close of World War II, a small number were operated by the Czechoslovak Air Force until 1951. It also heavily influenced several designs, such as Sukhoi Su-9 (1946) and Nakajima Kikka. Captured Me 262s were studied and flight tested by the major powers, and ultimately influenced the designs of post-war aircraft such as the North American F-86 Sabre, MiG-15 and Boeing B-47 Stratojet. Several aircraft survive on static display in museums, and there are several privately built flying reproductions that use modern General Electric J85 engines.
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 10:58:11 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 13:15:19 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 13:17:12 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 13:20:30 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 13:21:29 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 13:22:36 GMT -7
Polish Embassy in the UK
In the summer of 1940 Britain fought a battle for survival against the might of Hitler’s Luftwaffe. This Battle of Britain would see German air attacks on British airfields, cities, factories and docks. Brave RAF pilots intercepted these raids, but Britain was not alone. Among the RAF and Allied fighter pilots who flew that summer were 145 Poles, veteran pilots who were forced to escape their country as it was attacked by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1939. Produced by History Hit to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and featuring British historian and TV presenter Dan Snow, this documentary explores the vital Polish contribution during the Battle of Britain.
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Post by kaima on Oct 12, 2020 13:23:43 GMT -7
Allied military in Germany after World War II. German General Hans-Ulrich, ace German Air Force Ju-87, Stuka dive bomber pilot, meets American officers. He appears to have lost a leg and walks with crutches in a garden with his aide and American military officials. They sit on chairs and talk. Numerous medals and awards displayed on General Rudel's uniform. Location: Germany. Date: May 1945.Hans-Ulrich Rudel (2 July 1916 – 18 December 1982)
Rudel was credited with the destruction of 519 tanks, one battleship, one cruiser, 70 landing craft and 150 artillery emplacements. He claimed 11 aerial victories and the destruction of more than 800 vehicles. He flew 2,530 ground-attack missions exclusively on the Eastern Front, usually flying the Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bomber.
I will have to look up the stuka history for the specifics, but remember the story that the stuka was quikly obsolete after the invasion of Poland, so calling that his "usual" airplane when he flew until the end of the war seems unlikely. But then Iwasn;t there to se for myself.
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Post by pieter on Oct 12, 2020 13:28:52 GMT -7
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