kev35RE: Warhawks in North Africa
PII
First of all, my apologies over the remark about the Hurricane, I had misread the article not realising that the Hurricane replaced the Buffalo.
Again, I repeat I believe these claims to be staggering, however I do accept your word and that of the articles author about their verification. Claims, for instance, during the Battle of Britain were often wildly exaggerated. This being no reflection on the pilots, but in a three dimensional pitched battle where a sky literally filled with a twisting melee of aircraft could suddenly clear, such was the speed at which these engagements were fought, it is easy to understand why such disparity between claims and losses actually arose. The fact that these P-40 claims were verified merely adds to the praise the P-40 (and its pilots) were due.
I labour under no preconceptions about any aircraft or its exploits. I am here to learn, but I will not blindly accept an argument if I feel the need to question it. I am willing to listen and to learn but do not really appreciate having a topic rammed into my head with a sledgehammer. Your final comment ‘Now, do you want that e-mail’ is made in a way that implies I am personally criticising or disbelieving you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have enjoyed and LEARNED from this thread and for that I am grateful. This is my sixth contribution to this thread so you can’t say that I haven’t shown any interest.
Time to throw my toys back into the pram.
One final comment is that I have the utmost respect for those who flew and fought these engagements we enjoy talking about. It is their sense of duty, their courage and their sacrifice which has enabled us to have the freedom of speech necessary to engage in discussions like this.
Regards,
kev35
P.S Do you know anything more about the P-40’s engaged at Pearl Harbor?
kev35RE: Any military modeller outthere?
Does anyone else out there use water colours?
I’ve found they can be quite useful for weathering effects and also in use on dioramas. Another useful item in creating dioramas can be soil and sand, giving both texture and colour. An example of this is the use of builders sand to recreate the red dust and clay of Vietnam. I saw it used very effectively on a diorama depicting the perimeter of Khe Sanh during the siege of ‘Tet’ 1968.
Regards
kev35
kev35RE: Warhawks in North Africa
PII
Interesting stories. One question about the first two stories and the astonishing successes claimed by the P-40 group. On those two occasions the P-40 group (325th) claimed 41 109’s out of a total of 76 engaged for the loss of only 2 P-40’s. Were these claims verified at the time? If they were correct can you explain why P-40’s did not achieve such success in other engagements? I would imagine that there was a certain amount of overclaiming. In the heat of a dogfight it was not uncommon for several pilots to claim the same victim as a kill, and for aircraft believed to have been destroyed to have managed to return to their bases with varying degrees of battle damage.
I’m not trying to denigrate anything these pilots have done, it just seems there must be some reason for the successes claimed on that day when the P-40 was in the process of being replaced by aircraft such as the Hurricane, P-47 and P-51.
The Palm Sunday massacre was a combat where P-40 was engaged mainly against unarmed transports with an escort which was largely engaged, I believe, against the Spitfire V’s of 92 Squadron.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: F1 Grand Prix
Mike,
I see the point about tv directors focussing on the lead battle (such as it is)but I don’t see anything being likely to change in the near future. It may be me viewing the past through rose tinted spectacles but I really do feel the races were far more exciting to watch in the 80’s and 90’s. I miss the likes of Mansell, Prost, Senna, Berger, Piquet and Alesi.
It would be nice to see a new world champion but I fear Schumacher M is the best driver on the circuit. His ability to make many of his race wins appear simple could make some people dislike him, but you can’t take his record away from him.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: F1 Grand Prix
I enjoy formula 1 but I do think many of the races become very processional. This year I think it’s going to be a battle between Ferrari and Williams with the drivers title being contested mainly by the Schumacher brothers with Michael coming out on top. I saw Michael racing Mercedes sportscars before getting in to F1 and I thought he was a bit special then. I think McLaren will fall further away, but I think Kimi Raikkonen is a future world champion. I think Touring Cars are the most exciting form of motorsport at the moment, possibly matched by Rallying. Watching Tommi Makkinen et al sideways through a 90 degree corner on wet gravel with a drop one side of the road and a ditch and line of trees on the other is just a tad exciting. (Especially when you’re standing the other side of the ditch!) One other point is that the drivers and teams in touring cars and rallying are more approachable. You need to mortgage your house and sell your soul to get into an F1 race!
Glenn, Do they still have the 1000k race at Bathurst? I remember seeing one event that was televised by the BBC here in the UK and it was the most exciting race I’ve ever seen. Those Holden Commodores were really something else.
Regards
kev35
kev35RE: War againt poverty, not against terrorism
What’s an IQ test?
Seriously, as in all confrontations like the Israeli/Palestinian or the one in Northern Ireland, both sides have what they believe to be legitimate claims. The problem is that with the constant tit-for-tat cycle of attack and retaliation, one side is going to have to stop and make a serious commitment to a solution. A line needs to be drawn under everything that has gone before, and needs to be adhered to whatever the provocation. If Israel stopped retaliating for one month and the Palestinians continued their attacks they would receive overwhelming world wide support. Similarly, if the Palestinians stopped their attacks for the same period of time, ignoring whatever they see as provocation from Israel, they too would receive extra support. The trick lies in getting both sides to to agree to such a process at the same time.
Unravelling this situation has occupied politicians, armies, peacemakers and impassioned peoples for over 50 years, it is difficult to imagine who would take the boldest step of committing to a sustainable peace.
regards
kev35
kev35RE: Tech Education 2 – Elevons.
Keep going, I’m still with you!
Kev
kev35RE: GENERAL DISCUSSION FORUM SPECIAL!!
I’m one of the few who can honestly say I do NOTHING!
Unfortunately I am unable to work due to ill health. In the past I have been a warehouseman, driver, qualified nurse (worked mainly in care of the elderly and surgery) and my last few years were spent working in the community as a team leader on various projects providing befriending, care and support services to children with disabilities and their families. I also qualified and lectured in further education colleges on the subject of children and young adults with special needs.
These forums help fill the days and for that I’m grateful.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: Queen Mother Dies
The death of the Queen Mother is indeed a tragedy for the nation, but it may also be seen as a blessed release for her. To cope with such ill health at such an advanced age is almost impossible.
For any of us with an interest in WWII, King George the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth played a pivotal role. When France capitulated in 1940, it was the King who said thank God we are on our own. At the time Britain was very much on her own with only limited help from America and a steadily growing input from the Commonwealth and Dominions. After the bombing of Buckingham Palace it was Queen Elizabeth who stated that at last she could look the people of the East end of London in the eye. The East end suffered terribly in the Blitz of 1940. I believe the King and Queen also refused advice to send their daughters to safety in Canada.
With her passing, I think we in Britain have reached the end of an era. Following the death of Princess Diana and now the Queen Mother, I doubt any other member of the Royal Family will ever receive such a high level of respect, admiration and affection.
Finally, I totally agree with the sentiments expressed by Keltic, may she rest in peace.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: RAF Lossiemouth in WW2
Thanks Neilly,
really appreciate the info and I’ll definitely keep an eye open for those books. Hope you have a good afternoon’s flying.
Regards,
kev
kev35RE: Any military modeller outthere?
Glenn’s right, gon’t overdo the detail. When I first started (too many years ago) I found it best not to worry too much about the result, just relax and take pleasure in the actual building of a kit. It won’t be long before you start to get really good results. After 30 years, I’m still only a dabbler, I don’t think I’m up to competition standard.
Advice?
1. Enjoy the research, you can learn a hell of a lot about the type you’re building and it always comes in useful.
2. Become a magpie. Keep all you spare bits and any household items you think may be handy, you’ll be surprised what you can do with rhem.
3. Look after your tools and particularly your paints, I’m still using paints bought 20 years ago.
4. Accept and don’t get disappointed if you screw anything up, it’s a learning curve that stretches to infinity.
5. Simply enjoy your hobby.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: War againt poverty, not against terrorism
“A 16 year old girl, well that only proves that the
terrorists aren’t bearded Arabs who walk with a cane, but
normal people, desperate civilians. What kind of normal
16-year old girl would join a terrorist group?”
Morpheus, you appear to be contradicting yourself in the above statement. You suggest a 16 year old female suicide bomber proves Palestinian terrorists/freedom fighters (take your pick) are normal, but then you ask what kind of normal 16 year old would join a terrorist group. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to ruin your argument.
South Africa has had it’s own problems with terrorism and poverty. In the 1970’s, South Africa’s war on poverty appeared to be directly aimed at ensuring that black South Africans were never allowed to integrate into the utopian society the majority of people would aspire to. Apartheid ensured that the white policeman with a rifle would always be that much more ‘equal’ than a poor black youth from soweto armed only with a rock.
Today’s news suggests that the U.S were prepared to support a motion roundly condemning both the Palestinians and the Israeli’s. This time it was not the U.S. who were holding back, it was the Syrian delegation who had left the session and were unable to be found.
Your earlier statement about proving Arafat is a terrorist by showing evidence also comes a few years too late. In the 1960’s and 70’s wasn’t Arafat an influential figure in Black September or The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine?
My worry for the future is that your perfectly normal Palestinian freedom fighter will manage to get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction. If this happens I can only imagine that Israel would retaliate massively. One should remember that while the U.S. is a staunch ally of Israel, the Palestinians have the support of nations like Iraq and Libya, neither of whom have the most tolerant of governments.
Unfortunately, I can only see the situation spiralling further and further out of control.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: RAF Lossiemouth in WW2
Neilly,
can you tell us more about the Gestapo hunters wing please? Presumably these were the units that raided the Gestapo headquarters in Denmark? Johnnie Johnson in Wing Leader mentions how a school was hit during the attack and shortly after war’s end a flying display was held to raise money for the victims. I think those details are correct but I’ve lent the book out so can’t check.
Regards,
kev35
kev35RE: Happy Easter
Rabie and Ashley,
Thanks for the info, I’ve made a note of all of those. Top of my list is Capel-le Ferne, I would imagine it’s a very moving place to visit and I’m very much looking forward to it.
Thanks again
kev
kev35RE: Warhawks in North Africa
I don’t know the whole story but there was a superb painting (Nick Trudgian?)of P-40’s attacking a lighthouse/flak tower somewhere on the North African coast. It really brought the whole scene to life.
Regards,
kev35
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