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Old 3rd May 2011, 21:41
MW Giles MW Giles is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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Re: Unresponsive VVS.

Please could we stop using modern hindsight as a factor that planners apparently should have taken into account in their decision making processes

In mid 1942, which is about the time a commitment would have to be taken to produce the British Stuka or Il-2 in time for full squadron service in mid 1944, would anyone really have placed those orders?

The Ju87 had been shot out the sky and withdrawn from the action in the BoB. The Il-2 may have been wonderful, but they had been shot down in droves in the German advance into USSR which was still rolling eastwards (650+ Il-2, R-3, V-11 and ZKP-57s depending on what they called them claimed by Jagdwaffe by 30/6/42).

The home grown Fairey Battle had been a death trap.

Who is going to bet on the USAAF shooting the Luftwaffe out of the sky so that the RAF can waft about in safety. Not even the USAAF would have placed money on that outcome, they were firmly wedded to the bomber always getting through.

Martin