Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick Beale
Except of course for all the damage it inflicted on the Germans. When I've located it, I'll post a deciphered German message about the effects of Typhoon attacks on Panther tanks.
If you care to read the deciphered traffic you will find a rich strand of evidence from the German side about the disruption caused by these and other "good for nothing" Allied fighter bombers. I posted four pages of this material elsewhere on TOC a few months ago, for example.
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Nick.
I'll look forward to that with interest. I'm sure in the end we will agree.
My position derives from the conclusion of No.2 ORS Report No. 15, Enemy Casualties in Vehicles and Equipment During The Retreat From Normandy to the Seine;
"Effectiveness of weapons.
The principal weapons used for the direct destruction of enemy vehicles and equipment were cannon, machine guns, RP and bombs.
We have not been able to differentiate at all clearly between the relative effectiveness of the first two; both appear to have been very deadly to all except heavily armoured vehicles and the figures given in the preceding parts of the report speak for themselves. As indicated in 2(b) above, RP have not produced the results against armour which might have been hoped for, whilst against soft-skin vehicles they are clearly less suitable than cannon and machine gun fire. It is suggested that RP in its present form suffers the grave disadvantage of being virtually a 'one shot' weapon which even in the hands of the most skilful pilot has poor accuracy, whereas the protracted burst of fire from cannon or machine guns gives a far greater chance of scoring hits."
2 TAF commented:
"The circumstances of the examination did not make it possible to take account of the moral effects of RP. A lack of effectiveness in causing material damage cannot be accepted as a reason for abandoning RP as a weapon against armour until it can be replaced with something better."
The conclusion surely is that:
1. 2 TAF, like Bomber Command, was not interested in the material damage being caused but argued the effect on morale was sufficient justification for the enormous resources being devoted to Air.
2. Resources taken by Air resulted in fewer resources available to Ground.
3. There was something better, and 2 TAF knew it.
4. The Hurricane IIC was scrapped in North Africa because it required armour which had been ordered from the manufacturer. Armour was against RAF political correctness. RAF PC also killed the dive bomber.
5. Rudel had a famous postwar argument with 2 TAF pilots telling them he had tried RP and knew the gun was better. The 2 TAF pilots even then refused to believe him.
6. Surely this debate can now be put to rest. Of course Typhoons caused damage. But they caused less damage to the Wehrmacht than more suitable aircraft would have done. And they caused more losses to the wretched pilots KIA than more suitable aircraft would have done. That's all I think I am trying to say.
Tony