Compiègne may 1940

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hello Pilot2,

Robert pointed out that: "Heavy Flak was met near Compiègne and Noyon"...
How heavy was that? Did it ranged close and influenced the marking of targets?
Did the wind changed and off-set the "desired" target?
Were they bombing visually "onto the Bomber Leader", like the Americans later did? or...individually, each Bomb Aimer aiming independently?

Surely WIND (an increase) and the already mentioned "Heavy Flak" may have influenced the desired effect of bombing (on the ground)...

In the point of view (presumed) of an aircrew...I would have liked to "drop my eggs" and "get the hell out of there" very quickly...(IF I WERE THERE)....

With a "running front and tactical situation changing every minute" it may have been difficult for the average front line airman to know if their objective was indeed a "military objective" down there...some 10,000-20,000 feet below...They were just given a target (and job to do) to bomb...

Unless weather and eyes permitted a visual contact with the "military objective" (a bridge for instance or airfield or column of tanks, etc.)...guess one just bombed the "concentration"...but this is just a guess...I do have no positive knowledge about the visual bombing visors used by the Luftwaffe at that time...(no idea of what they could look from 10-20,000 feet down below) from the cockpit...

Most humbly yours..
A.

[pilot2]

Hello Adriano

No Flak unit at Compiègne or very close in our listing. All witnesses said the same thing : surprise complete. There was some wind.

Sincerly