"Strike Hard Strike Sure" - RAF Bomber Command

[ZuZu]

Like the U-Boat sailors these poor creatures had an incrdible casualty rate. I read 44-51% DEAD. Criminal really.

 

[Micawber]

Those that know will understand....

 

[ZuZu]

Those that know will understand....

View attachment 95475

What gives?

 

[Micawber]

What gives?

A cartoon by Giles a well known cartoonist illustrating an RAF Mosquito flying very low over what appears to be a continental landscape. It's humour comes from the fact that what is presumably a parent warning the kids about getting run over, it also alludes to a number of the very low level attacks carried out by Mozzies during WW2 - Operation Jericho, Operation Carthage* etc

Examples

*Coincidentally launched from less than half a mile from my place.

 

[ZuZu]

A cartoon by Giles a well known cartoonist illustrating an RAF Mosquito flying very low over what appears to be a continental landscape. It's humour comes from the fact that what is presumably a parent warning the kids about getting run over, it also alludes to a number of the very low level attacks carried out by Mozzies during WW2 - Operation Jericho, Operation Carthage* etc

Examples

*Coincidentally launched from less than half a mile from my place.

Got it! I didn't recognize the plane in the cartoon. The Gestapo headquarters story is one of my favorites from WW2.

 

[ZuZu]

Got it! I didn't recognize the plane in the cartoon. The Gestapo headquarters story is one of my favorites from WW2.

Not the killing 86 children part. True collateral damage.

 

[Micawber]

Not the killing 86 children part. True collateral damage.

That was a tragedy, so late in the conflict too. I think of them often, and of the crews that failed to return when I am over the airfield here. Same place that the USAAF Operation Aphrodite etc development and missions were launched from somewhat earlier.

 

[ZuZu]

Yes. An actual politician/ rich guy's son was sacrificed. That doesn't happen much anymore.

 

[ZuZu]

That was a tragedy, so late in the conflict too. I think of them often, and of the crews that failed to return when I am over the airfield here. Same place that the USAAF Operation Aphrodite etc development and missions were launched from somewhat earlier.

I envy you your English countryside existence- although California's got its charms. Cool to be so close to history- we in America don't have much of that. You can find it but not like in Europe.

 

[Micawber]

I envy you your English countryside existence- although California's got its charms. Cool to be so close to history- we in America don't have much of that. You can find it but not like in Europe.

Aye. I have always enjoyed my visits over there but, for me at least, there's no place like home.

 

[Smithy]

If anyone is interested in low-flying Mossies, I highly recommend "Through to the End" which is the sqn history of 487(NZ) Sqn. 487 were famous within Bomber Command as perhaps the lowest flying unit as they'd developed it as a speciality. It's why they were tasked with Operation Oyster, Operation Jericho (the Amiens beat-up), Operation Carthage (the Gestapo HQ raid in Copenhagen), the attack on the Gestapo HQ in Aarhus, etc, etc.

Terrific book...

 

[Enigma1938]

Well I'm not sure if we should "celebrate" the bomber command at all. Sure they helped to defeat nazi Germany but who were the victims of the bombardments? Not the Nazi bosses, not the troops, it were civilians - old men women and children, and not just a few but 600000 alone in germany. And I'm not saying this just about Royal Air Force or USAAF or Russian Air Force, every ww2 party has it's own fault, Germany included.
It's one thing to go in a war to kill some enemy troops but it's another thing to kill masses of unarmed civilians.
That's just my opinion...

 

[Micawber]

Well I'm not sure if we should "celebrate" the bomber command at all. Sure they helped to defeat nazi Germany but who were the victims of the bombardments? Not the Nazi bosses, not the troops, it were civilians - old men women and children, and not just a few but 600000 alone in germany. And I'm not saying this just about Royal Air Force or USAAF or Russian Air Force, every ww2 party has it's own fault, Germany included.
It's one thing to go in a war to kill some enemy troops but it's another thing to kill masses of unarmed civilians.
That's just my opinion...

Not engaging.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Not engaging.

Me either Steve except to say without Enola Gay, how many more thousands of deaths from a country that swore by Bushido and would never have surrendered, amen

 

[Micawber]

 

[ZuZu]

Well I'm not sure if we should "celebrate" the bomber command at all. Sure they helped to defeat nazi Germany but who were the victims of the bombardments? Not the Nazi bosses, not the troops, it were civilians - old men women and children, and not just a few but 600000 alone in germany. And I'm not saying this just about Royal Air Force or USAAF or Russian Air Force, every ww2 party has it's own fault, Germany included.
It's one thing to go in a war to kill some enemy troops but it's another thing to kill masses of unarmed civilians.
That's just my opinion...

You aren't allowed to talk about this on this forum. I was kicked off a few years ago for just this conversation, Stick to the Dominant Paradigm or too many people get upset. Just stick to jackets and happy talk. Or else people squeal.

 

[ZuZu]

Not engaging.

I agree. This forum isn' the place for the Big Talks- too many people with wildly disparate ideas. People get upset. I get upset. We've got Quora for the other stuff- I personally (except for a little detour into current events) am sticking to jackets and why Eastman sucks!

 

[Enigma1938]

You aren't allowed to talk about this on this forum. I was kicked off a few years ago for just this conversation, Stick to the Dominant Paradigm or too many people get upset. Just stick to jackets and happy talk. Or else people squeal.

Maybe you're right. The truth isn't pleasant all the time.
Just to make things clear, I have no problem to talk about all that bombing stuff and discussing about bombers, crews equipment and stuff... but celebrating it feels not right for me, it's a moral thing. I just wanted to point on a different view about that topic.
But ok I'll shut my mouth for peace sake and it's not my intention to make anyone upset.

 

[ZuZu]

Maybe you're right. The truth isn't pleasant all the time.
Just to make things clear, I have no problem to talk about all that bombing stuff and discussing about bombers, crews equipment and stuff... but celebrating it feels not right for me, it's a moral thing. I just want to point on a different view about that topic.
But ok I'll shut my mouth for peace sake and it's not my intention to make anyone upset.

Actually I think you are far more diplomatic than I. It's probably fine, Sorry to be a wet blanket.

 

[Micawber]