They were not invented for the benefit of the press, but to facilitate reporting of enemy aircraft (with their real designations unknown), to save crews and intelligence officers the need for lengthy descriptions like “the twin engined bomber with single fin and rudder that looks a bit like the DC-3, but not quite” or “that new jet with delta wings and a single engine, with a cone at the front and a nozzle protruding beyond the tail”.

Absolutely correct. In this case the term “reporting name” refers to the nickname. A nickname is used for unclassified exchange of descriptions – of course this does not mean that it is designed with the press in mind!

Hi 25,

The ‘myth’ is in the thread title. 😉 We are welcome to wander, but adding a little to the pile of knowledge was the objective I was after.

Hmmm. I’d suggest it’s a nickname only if you are being imprecise. They’re actually better referred to as ‘code names’.

http://en.wiktionary.org

A code name, unlike a nickname has a specific purpose; in the above case for precise identification for a culture not used to the original language. The secret nature not being so critical, in this context, but still important. The derogatory element was a ‘bonus’, but not the point. IMHO, nicknames are for / from informal use, and aren’t used for consistent identification of the subject, but for its praise / degradation as appropriate.

And Moggy, stop being a bad boy, or it’s the sack, with all the other cats for you. 😀

There are specific military definitions of what constitutes code names and what are nicknames. Under these the Allied WW2 and subsequent ASCC reporting designators are clearly defined , and referred to, as nicknames.
In layman’s terms, if the reporting name is used openly and is unclassified ,it is a nick name if it is not the proper “indigenous” title. “Code name” implies classification.
Hence the nicknames “Flanker”, “Backfire” etc. only appeared when the existence of the aircraft came into the Public Domain,whilst at the time the manufacturer’s true designations were not openly known. Before this time the aircraft would most probably have been known by Code names. Flanker, for example, being referred to in the open press now as having had the previous code name RAM-K ( from Ramenskoye one would presume) before it’s existence was revealed to a wider audience.
Incidentally, both “Code name” and “Nickname” are defined in accordance with the military understanding of the terms in the New Oxford Dictionary of English.

I read some years ago a very similar poem indeed written by a Cranwell Cadet ( later recce pilot) in I think, 1938, which was published in a copy of the College magazine now held in the Medmenham Museum at Chicksands.
Like most non-technical history, whatever was “fact” is now wrapped up in “myth” without any intentions of deliberate deceit.
Perhaps its best to just leave matters rest in cases like this – it was one of the few poems I learned as a kid, from the front of the Harleyford “Spitfire” book in the early 60’s; so it even penetrated my thick skin.
Its a poignant little story that does no harm -let it be.

I sometimes wonder if the German attack on Russia in June 1941 was linked at least in part to an estimation by them of Japan most probably striking out to the West for resources in the late ’41 economic sanctions deadline, instead of South as actually happened.
Thus it would have been a badly prepared Russia in late ’41 that would have been fighting on two fronts ( Stalin’s big nightmare) and she would probably have succumbed in ’42/43 -with Germany having achieved getting its eastern territories and the U.K.(and eventually U.S.) still yet unable for a long time to offer an invasion threat into Western Europe.
It was perhaps only Stalin being eventually totally persuaded ( by such as agent Sorge) that Japan would not indeed attack that gave him the confidence to swing his eastern armies ( including Ski toops and large numbers of Tanks such as T-34’s) westwards; thus eventually reversing the German advance.
This conjecture perhaps could explain Germany’s so called High Command folly as being rather a critical misjudgement after what had been up to then a series of very successful high risk strategies.

The British Way of doing things

It seems a little delve into ‘Combat Codes’, by Vic Flintham and Andy Thomas, has the YH code being used by both 11(MedME) and 21(UK) Squadrons on Blenheims at the same time, though perhaps not in the same theatre of operations. James Halley in ‘Squadrons of the RAF’ however has 21 Squadron Blenheims operating out of Malta with the YH code.

Mark

Not really a discrepancy. 21 Sqn was apparently on Blenheims in the U.K.,through most of 1941 using the YH code for at least some of that time.
They didn’t get to Malta until Jan 42 and only then until March 42 before being reformed back in the U.K.

To go back a wee bit further, I think the WW1 Fokkers had all moving along with the Wright brothers 😀

That precise thought had crossed my mind,with a continuum of types right through to the present day- albeit for slightly differing reasons. 🙂