WW2 Discussion thread

[F.W 5,734]

Ok, trying again .....

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This is a Sabre, A Meteor and an F18, the F18 pilot was interviewed after this flight, when asked how long the other 2 jets would last against the F18, the answer was "Seconds ......."

The war ended,thankfully,too soon for the British,to see much of the Meteor against the Me 262.Im not sure if the Meteor actually ever got into any dogfights with the Luftwaffe.Maybe during the last few weeks.Its funny to think of modern technology in terms of WW2 weaponry.Like the F-18 can carry about as much bomb load as a huge B-17.But isnt the Mg 42 still a valid weapon today,with a rate of fire(about 1200 rpm),still more than a lot of modern weapons.

[Scot_Lover 1,878]

Yeah, it was a strange sounding thing too, more like a howl than a Jet, pretty distinctive. Have a few more I can add, there was a Fokker Triplane, a few Sopwith Camels and a Pup, but they are more WW1. The theme for this years show was the history of military aviation, from WW1 through to a B1 Lancer and F22 Raptor.

[steve25805 126,393]

Some World War 2 propaganda posters. This German one is aimed against the USA.....

A Soviet anti-Hitler poster.....

An American anti-Nazi poster.....

[wetmanjf 2,788]

Just bought this over the weekend. WWII I know it's genuine. Can anyone tell me much about it ?

[F.W 5,734]

Just bought this over the weekend. WWII I know it's genuine. Can anyone tell me much about it ?

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Could be early pattern Luftwaffe helmet..Apparently,up to about 1943,helmets had a kid of lip around the edge,that was missing from later types.Maybe the holes are for a visor of some kind,in A.A troops?

[steve25805 126,393]

I must admit that whilst I know a lot about WW2 in terms of dates, battles, military campaigns and strategies, politics, leaders, and generals, and a fair bit about some of the military hardware, I know very little about the details of such things as helmet types, uniform details, insignia, and stuff like that. So can't really help you much. I could tell immediately that it was German, but beyond that I know next to nothing.

[wetmanjf 2,788]

I've found through other sources it's a M-40 German Luftwaffe helmet appraised at between $425 to $700

[F.W 5,734]

What American general was killed in action on the in Western Europe . When the jeep he was riding in at the front. Was halted by an SS unit .

Name that general ?

General Rose,i think 3rd Armd division.Didnt he run into a few Tigers,from a nearby Panzerschule,or something.I think as he was trying to surrender,one of the machine gunners in the Tiger,opened up.Obviously a very green crewman.....A good book recommendation;Citizen Soldiers,by S.Ambrose.This is written in this book.Also wrote Band of Brothers,among others.

[F.W 5,734]

I've found through other sources it's a M-40 German Luftwaffe helmet appraised at between $425 to $700

But why the extra holes?Not bullet holes i think...

[wetmanjf 2,788]

Vents ?? I don't know. They are on every example I have seen of this helmet

[F.W 5,734]

Im wondering if a kind of visor or something.Obviously part of the design.I mean not just done with a sharp implement in the field,something airforce based,like Flak etc.

[F.W 5,734]

FW,

You are correct . Except the commanding SS officer of the road block. That general Rose came upon. Actually shot the general with his Luger pistol. Even though Rose and his driver had already had surrendered to the Germans.

This incident happened during the Battle of the Bulge .

It was actually at the end of March '45,near Paderborn Panzerschule.His driver managed to get away.

[steve25805 126,393]

Some very little-known battles of World War 2 which anyone with an interest in the war and in reading something new might like to google......

Battle of Keren (1941) in East Africa between the British and Italians

Imphal/Kohima (1944) on the border between Burma and India between the British and Japanese

Frulingserwachen/Spring Awakening (1945) - the last significant German offensive of the war against the Russians in Hungary

The Battle of Attu (1943) in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska between the Americans and Japanese

The Dodecanese Islands campaign (1943) in the eastern Mediterranean between the British and Germans

The Battle of the Bzura (1939) - the only large scale Polish counter-attack against the German invaders.

The British invasion of Iraq (1941) - to overthrow a new pro-German government and install one favourable to the allies

Battle of Mutanchiang (1945) - between the Soviets and Japanese in Manchuria

Invasion of Madagascar (1942) - with the British conquering the island from the Vichy French

The Australian campaign in Borneo - (1945) between Australian and Japanese forces

[steve25805 126,393]

I have known about the battle for Attu , in the Aleutian islands . As well as the battle of Imphal / Kohima , in Burma . between the British & the Japanese .

Along with the invasion of Madagascar . That of the Australian campaign in Borneo too . Which were very important events in that war . pretty interesting in what you have there , Steve .

I certainly expected you to know about Attu, because it was very much a battle the Americans were involved in.

You ever heard about the siege of Habbaniyah airfield? Or the Battle of Cape Matapan? Or the unsuccessful Soviet Sinyavino offensive? Or the Battle of Khalkin Gol? Or the siege of Amba Alagi? Or the Naples uprising?

I have often found reading about such events very interesting because not too many people have heard of them.

[F.W 5,734]

Also a very interesting,and not widely known raid was in May '44,in Yugoslavia,when the Germans wanted to capture Tito,the war leader of the Yugoslav resistance,near his hideaway near the town of Drvar."Operation Rosselsprung"..They dropped a few hundred men,of SS Fallschirmjager Batallion 500,and Glider troops,followed up by a ground offensive.Despite landing within a short distance of his hideaway,he managed to escape,and the Germans suffered high casualties,in battle with the quite poorly armed,yet determined Yugoslav resistance.It does seem that during WW2,Airborne operations generally only had a 50/50 chance of success..

[F.W 5,734]

Another fabulous publication i highly recommend,is "After the Battle" magazine.It comes out 4 times a year,and is highly detailed,and illustrated.Often in depth about campaigns that arent so well known.

[F.W 5,734]

That of the British operation on putting the largest docks on the French coast . out of operation . So that the German Battleships Bismarck & Tirpitz couldn't then use for repairs .

Can anyone name those dry docks ?

St Nazaire..

[steve25805 126,393]

Airborne drops were notably risky.

In May 1940, the Germans achieved a spectacular shock by landing a handful of glider-borne troops on top of the Belgian Fortress of Eben Emael, and effectively putting it out of action. But the results of their paradrops in the rest of Belgium and in Holland were more mixed, successes mingled with failures.

The big one was the German paratroop attack on Crete in May 1941, which was successful in the end but came within a hair's breadth of total failure, with the paratroops themselves suffering enormous casualties, a high proportion of them deaths. Of their four main landings, three were total failures, with the paratroops failing to gain their objectives, and reduced to fighting for their own survival. The fourth landing near Maleme airfield was itself only partially successful, with the Germans failing to gain control of it but also denying it to the Allies. All the Brits had to do was continue to deny this airfield to the Germans, and the Germans would have failed. But alas, defeat was clutched from the jaws of victory. Because forces were wasted guarding against an amphibious assault that the Navy should have been left to take care of, as it successfully did. And orders were given to retreat in the Maleme sector to better defensive positions, which allowed the Germans to take the airfield. Recognising their failure everywhere else, the Germans were soon flying planeload after planeload of reinforcements in here, and their numbers eventually turned the tide, forcing the British to abandon the island.

But such were the German losses that they never again attempted a major paratroop attack, and mostly thereafter used their paratroops as elite ground troops.

The British and Americans too had mixed results with their paratroop and glider landings. Off Sicily in July 1943, many gliders were released too early and a third of them came down in the sea, whilst the paradrops were hopelessly scattered. They thus failed to gain most of their objectives, but did through being scattered so widely sow a great deal of confusion in the enemy command. It was similar in Normandy in June 1944, with the Americans again dropping in widely scattered groups which nevertheless greatly confused the Germans. The British paradrops were closer to their objectives so they achieved most of them.

But the British of course suffered disaster in September 1944 at Arnhem. The two American paratroop divisions used achieved their objectives this time after some stiff fighting, but the British were dropped too far from their main objective of the Arnhem bridge, allowing the Germans to gather enough resistance to stop most of them. Only one battalion reached the bridge and could only take one end of it. They were forced to surrender there after four days of stiff fighting. The rest were fighting for their lives further west, with the survivors ultimately having to be evacuated to the Allied side of the Rhine. Large numbers were killed or captured.

On the subject of attempted kidnappings of senior figures, the British did send an SOE team into Crete in 1944 to kidnap the German General Kreipe, and actually succeeded in doing so.

[steve25805 126,393]

That of the British operation on putting the largest docks on the French coast . out of operation . So that the German Battleships Bismarck & Tirpitz couldn't then use for repairs .

Can anyone name those dry docks ?

I know this operation took place at St.Nazaire.

*Edited in* - Oops. I see Fannywatcher answered it first, lol.

[steve25805 126,393]

Here is one for you Kevin.

In March 1942 there was a British commando raid on Bruneval near the French coast. What were they after?

[steve25805 126,393]

I believe that the British were after / were going to try to destroy a radar complex near there . Which proved succesful in knocking out that radar site

am I correct ?

Yes, that's exactly right. They also took components of it back to Britain for study.

[steve25805 126,393]

I remember watching a documentry of it on P.B.S. station here in the U.S.A.. That it was interesting in what they had done. Though I do have another question . Which is ; Did the Germans ever rebuild that radar site ?

To be honest, Kevin, I don't know. I would have to resort to internet research to find out. And that would be cheating, lol.

[F.W 5,734]

I remember watching a documentry of it on P.B.S. station here in the U.S.A.. That it was interesting in what they had done. Though I do have another question . Which is ; Did the Germans ever rebuild that radar site ?

Not sure...I think it was called a "Wurzburg" system,which helped the Luftwaffe find targets in Britain,or helped in air defence system,something like that.The RAF developed a better system called "Oboe" i think,for night bombing...

[F.W 5,734]

It was an anti-aircraft radar system.

[F.W 5,734]

WW2 is fascinating of course,but i also am interested in Napoleonic era,American Civil War,WW1,and most military history in general.I guess WW2 most interesting as we still use a lot of the innovations nowadays,in modern weapons..like spaced armour on tanks,Automatic rifles,camouflage uniforms,(the Waffen-SS were the first to routinely issue this)nuclear weapons still haunt us dont they?