View Single Post
  #5  
Old 14th February 2009, 22:17
NickM NickM is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 616
NickM is on a distinguished road
Re: The Flying Tank: Ilyushin Il-2

Quote:
Originally Posted by kolya1 View Post
Overclaiming was not limited to air-to-air combat. The same kind of remarks were formulated about Typhoon claims on tanks in Normandy. So I'd say it's not surprising...

A tank is a small, mobile, camouflaged and armored target. Besides, a damaged tank can very often be repaired because, unlike a plane or a ship, it doesn't crash or sink, so, if one is not forced to pull back immediately, it is perfectly possible to work on it. And, as Franek just said, overestimating results is common... All this taken together leaves plenty of room for erroneous claims.
Kolya: Indeed, for a tank can sparkle & smoke from hits & it's 'external stowage'(often the crew's camp out gear & personal sundries) could catch fire so it's easy to understand how somebody could think he 'killed' it--and given the fact that loitering over an armored column would probably make one VERY vulnerable to German AAA it's no wonder so many pilots were so 'optomistic' about their successes;

nm
Reply With Quote