Luftwaffe rescue buoys

[Franek Grabowski]

Peter

Originally Posted by Peter Spoden

"There were also chivalrous actions from aviators on both sides - English bombers whose target was obscured while on the bombing run did not always salvo their cargoes over an already blazing city indisciminately but sought out alternative targets, putting their own lives in heightened danger.

The one may find such entries in documents but the reasoning had nothing to chivalry. If the target was ablaze it was a good reason to set fire elsewhere. Otherwise in the early period there were several problems with accuracy of attacks, crews being unable to find proper targets without navigation aids, or not willing to attack heavily defended cities. This resulted with confirming photographs being introduced. Then, if the target was obscured, photos would not show it and the mission will not be credited to the crew.

Or German nightfighters who aimed for the wings of the bomber when opening fire, giving the RAF crews time to prepare to bale out."

Explosion of fumes would not give much time to evacuate. Most of crews taking part in the Warsaw Airlift and shot down by fighters of NJG6 and NJG 101 did not survive.

Chris

There is also the amazing Georg-Peter Eder whose personal chivalry is illustrated here:

Eder was a hero of several such stories, but as far as I know, neither of them could have been confirmed. I recall reading that the story of Johnson's flight was a fake, just the same as the story of a ghost P-40.

Very best wishes to both of you