Which WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

RE: Which WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Every single one of Bomber Command.To take off in the dark knowing you
faced anything up to ten hours in a freezing cold metal tube,never
knowing when or if you would see England again or if you would suffer
horrific injuries.Well,they were far braver men than i can imagine.
And to think they never got a medal.What a disgrace.

RE: Which WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

It has to be…Bee.

Roland Beamont. Battle of France, Battle of Britain, Battle of Normandy, Battle over Germany. V1 killer, Typhoon and Tempest test pilot. Then, Lightning, Canberra, and TSR2 test pilot, and involvement in programs including the Tornado (and Eurofighter too, I believe). An ace, a leader, an inspiration, and born flyer.

RE: Which WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

For me as a Russianist researcher it has to be any of the truly unknown Soviet aces – not the ones little known in the West, but those who have been air-brushed out of Soviet accounts and are truly unknown. There are a number who were awarded the HSU but stripped of their medals after the war for political or presonal reasons. There were others who should have received the HSU during the war, but never did, again because of personal or political problems. Symbolizing them all might be Vladimir Bobrov, who first flew over Spain, and then throughout WWII, flying 577 sorties, and scoring 43 individual and 24 shared victories, which should have earned him two HSUs. He got none, and at the beginning of 1944 was stripped of his command of the 129 Guards regiment. No other unit would accept him, even as a line pilot. Only in May 1944 when Aleksandr Pokryshkin was given command of the 9 Guards Fighter Division was there a commander with sufficient “yaitsa” to offer Bobrov command of one of his regiments. He was known by his pilots as a good mann and commander, and obviously was a successful fighter. Bobrov died in 1971 and was awarded the HSU only on March 20, 1991, one of the very last to receive that medal. Shortly afterward, the HSU was replaced by the Hero of the Russian Federation.

Georgii

If you want information send a spy. If you want good information send a modeler.

Favourite aviator

Got to be Johnson
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RE: Claire Lee Chennault

Jay, I think I might have misled you. As far as I know Galland WAS NOT involved in the plot against Hitler. I was suggesting that if he had thrown his weight behind the plot it may have been carried out differently (eg air attack)and the war may have ended sooner, providing of course it was successful.

Regards

kev35

Sorry for the mix up

Claire Lee Chennault

What about Claire Lee Chennault and his Flying Tigers in China/Burma/India.? They were really up against it in P-40’s that were arguably not as good as the Jap Zero at a time when the Japs were supreme in Asia.

May not have “turned the tide” but sure proved that when the P-40 fought to its strengths, it could give a hard time to the Zero.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-04-02 AT 01:31 AM (GMT)]>Glenn,
>
>Didn’t Galland have considerable influence anyway? I thought
>he was made General Der Jagdwaffe or some such title. In the
>later stages of the war, Hitler became totally impossible
>to deal with and ever more of a tyrant. If I remember right,
>Galland was either stripped of or relinquished his most
>influential role, (when he realised he wasn’t getting any
>where) to fly the Me262 in combat.

He did, but like you said, as the official voice of the fighter force from Dec.41-Dec.44 he didn’t get what he wanted and what the Luftwaffe needed. Political greed, pathetic bureaucracy, and power gains by those higher up, in particular Goering, and delusional strategies by the highest; Hitler, were to see fit that the Luftwaffe was to die a starved force, and would never realise its true potential. Galland was only allowed to realise his dreams regarding the Me 262 by 1945 with an elite fighter unit; JV 44, way too late by then to make any difference anyway.

Had he been taken seriously and the Me 262 been given development/production priority back in 1943, and proven to Hitler that it was better deployed as an air superiority fighter, then things would have been harder for the Allies.

This is what he said about the Me 262.

———————————————————————

Adolph Galland’s report regarding the Me 262

Berlin, 25 May 1943

Most esteemed Herr Generalfeldmarschall!

On Saturday, the 22nd of the month, I tested the ME 262 at Augsburg in the presence of Oberst Petersen and other persons from the Technical Office. I would have preferred to report personally to the Generalfeldmarschall and also elaborate on other matters, however I was so occupied after my visit to Sicily that there was simply no time. The Reichmarschall has ordered me to report today.

Concerning the Me 262, I beg to state the following:

1.) The aircraft represents an enormous leap forward, it would give us an unimaginable lead over the enemy if he adheres to the piston engine.

2.) In-flight handling of the airframe is impressive.

3.) The power plants are fully convincing, except during take-off and landing.

4.) The aircraft offers entirely new tactical prospects.

I beg to submit the following proposal: The Fw 190D is under development, its performance should match the Me 209’s in all respects. The performance of the two types, however, will not be superior to the enemy’s models, particularly at altitude. The only progress seems to be in armament and higher speeds.

Conclusion:

a) Me 209 be discontinued

b) Total fighter production to switch from the Fw 190 with BMW 801 to the Fw 190 with DB 603 and Jumo 213 respectively.

c) The construction and industrial capacities thus released to be concentrated on the Me 262, with immediate effect.

I shall report immediately on my return.

Heil Hitler! Herr Generalfeldmarschall your most obedient servant.

Regards, Glenn.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Didn’t know galland supported the plot against hitler. thats most impressive. Dolfo Galland cool guy. great leader, if a bit stuffy for my liking. shame he wasn’t on our side…

IMHO-another shame he was on the wrong side-Werner Molders.

Possibly that great disrespector of authority-Ernst Udet-Never a nazi aparantly, he hated working for them in WWII, and disliked the military from day 1 after the end of the first world war. Fascinating man.

Sorry they were all germans, but you can’t chose which side of an imaginary line you were born on. Its a shame, as i said, they weren’t on our side…

on the civilian side-Amy Johnson(sp). Overcame much adversity (including, methinks, not being a natural pilot) to achieve much. her needless and easily avoidable death over the thames a tragic waste of a great life.

Just personal opinions. both my grandfathers wer in the RAF, one now passed on, as a tomahawk/hurricane/typhoon/tempest fighter-bomber pilot, and one, still alive and well at the age of eighty-one, as a mechanic. Both came from working class backgrounds, and i am very proud of my grandfather for becoming a pilot in the days the RAF was composed principally (or so the stereotype goes) of public schoolboys.

Love Jay

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

For me, I think it’d have to be Chuck Yeager. A guy who started the war as a mechanic before progressing to flying P-39’s and then P-51’s. He got shot down, and made it back to the UK to fly in combat again. He ended the war with 11.5 kills.

Maybe it’s what he did in later life which interests me about his wartime career.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Glenn,

Didn’t Galland have considerable influence anyway? I thought he was made General Der Jagdwaffe or some such title. In the later stages of the war, Hitler became totally impossible to deal with and ever more of a tyrant. If I remember right, Galland was either stripped of or relinquished his most influential role, (when he realised he wasn’t getting any where) to fly the Me262 in combat.

While an awesome fighter leader and an honourable man, perhaps the most influential thing he could have done was to throw his weight in support of the 1944 assassination plot against Hitler. By this time he knew there could be only one outcome to the war, the total and irredeemable defeat of Nazi Germany.

Regards,

kev35

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

>If Galland had run the Luftwaffe, not Goerring, would things
>have been a lot harder for us?

Probably not. Hitler got what he wanted, and that was that pretty much that, although I believe Galland would have increased (some how) the fighter development that was done on the Me 262 by a huge margin.

Regards, Glenn.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

With regard to the original question, I’d have to say “All of them”. They all served their part in shaping history as we know it.

But if I had to pick just one, I’d say John Cunningham.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-04-02 AT 08:29 AM (GMT)]Sir Wilfird Freeman? Yes, he was a pilot in WW1, but the work he did for the RAF in modernising it & getting it ready for war was, in my opinion, one of the major factors that saved this country in 1940. There were so many things Freeman put into place (Beaverbrook seems to have taken most of the credit, I think he was the original user of ‘spin doctors’!). There’s a very good by Anthony Furse, Wilrid Freeman, you should have a look at, heavy going but lots of information.
Here’s one example: Had it not been for Freeman, giving the OK to Rolls Royce, when they were developing the Merlin (at the time the Merlin couldn’t pass the 100hours max engine power, the engine kept blowing up!). Freeman saw the potential of this powerplant & knew R-R would solve the problems, therefore, he gave it his backing. If this hadn’t happened, I wonder what Mitchell & Camm would’ve put in the front of their respective aeroplanes? This is just one instance of his far sightedness.
Freeman also became Vice Chief of Air Staff in late 1940. Marshall of the RAF, Lord Portal said this of him “Freeman virtually took charge of the internal policy governing the enormous expansion of the RAF” & continued ” …the epitome of wisdom, candour & loyalty… brilliantly successful in foreseeing the needs of the service… a geniusfor distinguishing what is right… for finding the truth & exposing the superficial… [displaying] steadfast courage in making & defending many crucial & difficult decisions.”
And from Lord Hives, “It was the expansion [of the RAF] which was carried out under Freeman’s direction in 1939/40 which enabled the Battle of Britain to be won. Without his farsightedness & imagination, no efforts in 1940 would have yeilded any results.”
If ever there was a man for the moment, Wilfrid Freeman was that person!

C U later,
Neilly

ps Kev, stuff in post.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Yeah but was he (Sir Wilfred) a pilot?

If Galland had run the Luftwaffe, not Goerring, would things have been a lot harder for us?

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Neilly,

thank you, I can now die a happy man! You’re right, I had never heard of him, so any ideas as to where I might find out more?

Don’t woory about the P40 stuff, I’ll expect it when it arrives.

Thanks again

kev

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Hi Kev,
I’ll put you out your misery! The name is Sir Wilfrid Freeman. This country owes him a hugh debt of gratitude, for the work he did getting the RAF into a fit state to take on the German Forces.

Cheers,
Neilly

ps. The copier at work was knackered, last night, so I’ll try again tonight. I’ll send to you P-40 stuff ASAP.

NH

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

>
>Adolf Galland – what a guy! What other pilot could get away
>with telling Goering to sod off?

Agree! Once he had seen the Me 262 in trial flights he suggested all German fighter production be switched to the FW 190 and the 262. Never happened, but he knew what was needed.

Regards, Glenn.

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Yes Kev but I doubt many RAF pilots told Goering to sod off, face to face (well, in German)

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 08-04-02 AT 06:19 PM (GMT)]Moggy,

Screwball Beurling was indeed an enigmatic man who had problems coping with the discipline of fighter sweeps over Europe but was eminently suited to the kind of fighting he found over Malta. I believe his successes over Malta were achieved over a very short space of time.

As for his untimely end, wasn’t he killed in Rome when an aircraft (Norseman?) he was delivering to Israel exploded?

Neilly,

What can I say? I still haven’t got a clue!!! If you’re going to keep me in suspense much longer I’m not going to play any more!

Sadsack,

I think you’ll find that the pilots of Fighter Command told Goering to ‘sod off’ quite eloquently during the summer of 1940!
Regards,

kev35

RE: WWII aviator/aviatrix interests you most?

Adolf Galland – what a guy! What other pilot could get away with telling Goering to sod off?