Shooting pilots in their parachutes

[chuckschmitz]

Perhaps the question that needs to be asked at this time is what did the Geneva Conventions(of that time period) say, if anything, about shooting "distressed airmen?" I beleive the current conventions say that you can not shoot an airmen bailing out of an aircraft. Paratroopers are fair game.


Chuck

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by chuckschmitz

Perhaps the question that needs to be asked at this time is what did the Geneva Conventions(of that time period) say, if anything, about shooting "distressed airmen?" I beleive the current conventions say that you can not shoot an airmen bailing out of an aircraft. Paratroopers are fair game.


Chuck

So, what is the distinction? neither are capable of defending themselves.

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by chuckschmitz

Perhaps the question that needs to be asked at this time is what did the Geneva Conventions(of that time period) say, if anything, about shooting "distressed airmen?" I beleive the current conventions say that you can not shoot an airmen bailing out of an aircraft. Paratroopers are fair game.


Chuck

There was nothing in the conventions on this question at the time. You are right regarding the 1949 Convention. But as I said before, I can not see that as a logical step.

All the best

Andreas

[kb]

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...-24april44.jpg

Henry Brown's claim paperwork 24 April 1944

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...-29april44.jpg

Henry Brown's claim 29 April 1944

Obviously he didn't feel he should hide that he was trying to shoot pilots.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by kb

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...-24april44.jpg

Henry Brown's claim paperwork 24 April 1944

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...-29april44.jpg

Henry Brown's claim 29 April 1944

Obviously he didn't feel he should hide that he was trying to shoot pilots.

My father had a 'dutch uncle' conversation with Henry discussing the fine line between 'rightous killing' and 'not so rightous killing'. The distinction in his mind was leaving the airplane..Henry developed an art form of sliding off to one side at close range and blasting the cockpit trying to kill the pilot... sometimes the film showed he was still shooting as the pilot separated.

My father did point out that there were a lot more 8th AF crews bailing out over Germany than German fighter pilots.

[Andy Fletcher]

I don't normally get involved with these sort of discussions as they usually descend into heated argument but from a purely military point of view I would of thought it made perfect sense to try and kill enemy aircrew who had baled out of their aircraft over their own territory. No one gives a second thought about a tank crew being fired on as they try and bale out of a brewed tank. Aircrew are a war resource just as much as the aircraft they fly, I'm surprised the practice wasn't more wide spread.

Andy Fletcher

[AndreasB]

I can see why some people cling to the notion of chivalry, even in a war most brutally fought. I am with those who fail to see the distinction between machine-gunning a pilot in his parachute, or a tank crew bailing out of a burning tank. Yet somehow the former is seen by some as revolting, while the latter is just fine.

As for the question of this happening in the desert, Michele Palermo has an entry from a book of a Commonwealth fighter pilot who stated (from my memory) that he would machine-gun Axis pilots descending over their own territory, since otherwise the guys would just get back to the airfield, get into a new plane, and continue to fight. I see this as a very logical approach.

All the best

Andreas

[RT]

Excellent Rémi! I somehow knew we could count on you to re-nationalize this discussion, which is exactly what the moderator cautioned against. Thank you for collectively painting my entire nation of 310,000,000 people as a bunch of uncivilized barbarians. Were you in the military, Rémi? I was. Were you alive during World War II, Rémi? I was. Did the French drive the Germans out of France, Rémi, or did the Brits, Americans and Canadians do it? You had better be damn glad they came ashore and over the coast with hatred in their eyes instead of carrying a bouquet of flowers and kissing the Boche on both cheeks.

What for an answer! Sorry I am not french I am italian, that is why I never speak against the french I live there, concerning the americans the better for the whole XX. Century was to not interfere in the european affairs, did we in the american civil war ?? when the 3 rd Napoleon put his nose in Mejico that was a mistake. To end the concert one important thing is to say that the first, in importance, cause of the II.WW is the 1929 crisis, I hv to add that the present situation has the very bad smell of the 1929/1930ies years

Prepare the landing-crafts for the next one

Rémi

[Nick Beale]

And in the words of Monty Python's Graham Chapman: "this is getting silly."

Can't we all just stop now?

[dp_burke]

someones going attacking the martians when the arrive, thats just not right.

(Sorry guys) Chill