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Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. |
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#1
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Re: Fighter pilots' guts
but this unit A.S. mentioned went to England without its aircraft
I do not recall saying this , show me where. Alex Smart remarked that « the ONLY French Air Unit to evacuate to the UK from Europe (so once more we see the UK is not in Europe !) was one of the Polish manned units within the French AF ». How naive can you be ? I do not wish to bring present day polotics into this item. BUT I DO REPEAT THAT THE ONLY FRENCH AIR UNIT TO ESCAPE EUROPE TO FIGHT ON FROM THE UK WAS A POLISH UNIT WITHIN THE FRENCH AF. I did not say that they DID NOT fly to the UK, I meant that they DID FLY to the UK. The only French UNIT to do so. "UNIT " by this I mean flight or squadron or group, whatever the word used to describe four aircraft . These four aircraft were AFAIK all from the same "Unit". And ALL of the crews were Polish. Just for interest, How long did it take you to type all of the mail in this article hawk-Eye ???? It has taken me almost an hour to just do this small bit. AND before you tell me off for useing large case letters in this mail , I do it to emphasize not to SHOUT as you might think. Might I remind you and others that it was yourself that started the last closed thread re "Chickens" and brought into dispute those who cannot now answer for themselves. Nor should we try to disect and destroy either their views or our memory of them. For in truth wether they were or were not , to many people alive today, they would not have the freedom they have to day if it were not for those that some seem bent on trying to denounce. Naive Well I may be amusing and simple . But I certainly am not Bloody RUDE Alex |
#2
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Re: Fighter pilots' guts
Alex, may I step in and try to mediate.
Please try to look at it like this: You write: Quote:
Before you judge the French who obeyed orders and refrained from flying to the UK in late June 1940, ask yourself what those Frenchmen thought of their colleagues in the RAF who didn't fly over to France two weeks earlier, while there still was time to save the situation - in the eyes of the Frenchmen in June 1940. Seriously, how many Frenchmen - how many people in any country - do you think gave England a chance in late June 1940? You can't compare with what the Polish pilots did. What alternative did they have? They still were at war with Germany, so they had to go where there was friendly territory. Even if they didn't either think that England had a chance. What else could they possibly have done? |
#3
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Polish pilots in England
This is very true Christer.
What's more, all Poles were so enraged at the Germans and so hated them that all Polish pilots certainly were prepared to die in action immediately, provided they had a chance to harm the hated Germans. I'm sure Franek is in a position to confirm this. I guess they didn't care a lot about the risks and their loss rate, all they wanted was to FIGHT and kill all Germans. Well, this they did, and they did it well (the other RAF pilots too). In this respect the film "The Battle of Britain" is interesting and amusing. Am I right? Or wrong? |
#4
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Re: Fighter pilots' guts
when i read about BOB in christer B. posts
i wonder, why people still believe, hitlers next serious target was great britain. repeat , i said "serious target". see what the allied forces have needed in the invasion in the normandy. useless to talk about the short range of the 109, not very good defend fire from the bombers. also with an poor leadership. IMO ,a attack without serious planing. just a big bluff with huge losses for both sides. and further , how to land in england ? a weak german navy against the best navy in europa. honest, i think its more a myth than reality . remember, the brits produced twice the number of fighters than the germans in these days of BOB. but i am open for different opinions. ( i think , my post is a little bit off topic , sorry ) |
#5
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Re: Fighter pilots' guts
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Remember that they had just seen Hitler's forces roll right across several countries using tactics that the Allies were largely unprepared for. Everyone was worrying about the next trick he might pull, Germany's weaknesses were no uppermost British minds at the time. |
#6
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Re: Fighter pilots' guts
Huh, I cannot resist to make some comments.
Quote:
Quote:
Finally, is there any fighter pilot with worser reputation rather than Italian one? |
#7
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Re: Battle of France - Battle of Britain (was Fighter pilots' guts)
These posts were split in an attempt to separate two interesting discussions in their own right. One (soft)deleted post was reestablished in order to warrant continuity.
__________________
Ruy Horta 12 O'Clock High! And now I see with eye serene The very pulse of the machine; A being breathing thoughtful breath, A traveller between life and death; |
#8
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Re: Fighter pilots' guts
Quote:
Last edited by Hawk-Eye; 1st April 2005 at 18:31. Reason: Rats! Italics again! This is treason! |
#9
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Re: Battle of France - Battle of Britain (was Fighter pilots' guts)
""""""" I heard that Rommel himself said his best soldiers were the Italians"""""""""
where ? please tell us where you have heard or read about ? sound interesting. but very easy to write something without prove. i have read some books about the war in northafrica, for example volkmar kühns book " mit rommel in der wüste" , or in adrians gilberts book "blitzkrieg" . but to being honest, i never have read that rommel said, the italians were his best soldiers. the best in was ? look back to the early days of the north african campaigne. the italians heavily outnumbered the brits, but the brit have beat them without problems but i am open for a discussion . |
#10
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Re: Battle of France - Battle of Britain (was Fighter pilots' guts)
Erwin Rommel:
"The reason to the defeat of the Italian units at El Alamein in early July had nothing to do with the Italian soldiers as such. The Italian soldier was eager, unselfish and a good comrade, and performed a work which, under circumstances, was far above the average. The accomplishments of all Italian units, particularly the motorised units, surpassed everything which the Italian Army has performed during the last 100 years. We adimred several Italian officers and generals as men and soldiers. The reasons to Italy's defeat may be found in the flaws in the country's military and civilian system as a whole, the inadequate Italian equipment, and the lack of interest in the war which was showed by many Italian commanders and statesmen." (From "The Rommel Papers" in Desmond Young's Rommel biography. My translation from the Swedish edition, "Rommel", Stockholm, 1950, p. 294.) |
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