Upkeep trials and Reculver

[BigWeeker]

Hello Forumites.
Was it “ more by luck than judgement “ that there was no Luftwaffe activity over Reculver/Manston during the late winter and spring of 1943 when there was testing of the weapon??
Tia
Andy BW

[RSwank]

This does not answer your question re:Luftwaffe, but it does go into some detail about the testing at Reculver/Manston. Included are some interesting film clips on the tests.

https://www.manstonhistory.org.uk/da...r-and-manston/

[BigWeeker]

Hi, RSwank
Good overview. Whilst going through the logbook of one of the Vickers test pilots involved in the Upkeep trials (“Shorty” Longbottom), I came across an interesting entry. On the 13th May, ie a few days before the Dam’s raid, Shorty carried out the first live drop of the weapon. However, there was no entry of that flight on that date in his logbook. However, it was recorded at the end of the month of May, with the date of the drop being stated as the 13th. Security reason I presume…..
Atb
Andy