What have you learned about WW2 recently?

Discussion in 'General' started by dbf, Oct 22, 2010.

  1. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    It seems to have come from the "iron curtains" first used in the mid-1800's as a fire barrier in theatres. The term was used between the wars in relation to a possible solution over Danzig by creating an iron curtain between France and Germany. The Diary of an Ambassador: Dawes to ... - Viscount Edgar Vincent D'Abernon, Maurice Alfred Gerothwohl - Google Books

    Almost certainly Churchill would be aware of the term from that context I would have thought.

    Lee
     
  2. Susan Smethurst

    Susan Smethurst Senior but too talkative

    I knew that Desmond Llewelyn ("Q") in the James Bond films was a veteran but did not know he spent 5 years in Colditz. My ignorance but I think somewhere along line my father knew Airey Neave so Colditz was always of interest and I missed this one
     
  3. Combover

    Combover Guest

    The Cameronians would often remove the Tourie on their Tam O Shanters, dye them black then stitch them back on. :D
     
  4. acerus

    acerus Junior Member

    No matter what Book you read, you are always confronted with other Views of the same subject. You get used to it!
     
  5. ciderlion

    ciderlion Member

    That the ACE Star was only awarded for operations up to D-Day, there after Operational crew were awarded the France- Germany star.
     
  6. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    History is full of weird little coincidences.
    Just finished reading Short Sunderland in World War Two by Andrew Hendrie and came across the account of the sinking of U-461. By Sunderland U of 461 Squadron.
    So U-461 was sunk by U/461.
     
    Combover likes this.
  7. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    At it's peak of production Germany had no less than 1250 ME262 Jet Fighters available for service but due to Hitler's tactical ineptitude and short-sightedness, only 50 were authorised for service as fighters....The rest being designated as bombers. Imagine the mess they could have made of the Allied air forces had they all been utilised in their fighter role, as the majority of senior Luftwaffe pilots were asking at the time. A frightening thought.

    Have just seen this note of interest.From the autumn of 1944,the Luffewaffe suffered from lack of fuel so much so that training of pilots was seriously affected.By February 1945,the Wehrmacht tank units were also suffering due to the lack of fuel and there were a number such units at standstill due to fuel unavailability.

    The ME 262 was solely powered by brown coal derived "diesel oil" and the lack of this fuel restricted the operational deployment of the aircraft.As fuel supplies became critical,aircraft off the production track were not flight tested but flown direct to service units.

    Hitler entered the war with what might be regarded as insufficient oil stocks.His philosophy was that he would overrun other nation's oil sources and his oil refineries and synthetic oil plants in Germany,Austria and Czechoslovakia would be sufficient to wage war.

    He did not take into consideration the research and direction of the Ministry of Economic Warfare who by 1941 had listed 17 principal oil refinery targets which accounted for 48% (82500 tonnes /month) of German requirements.

    In May 1944,operations against oil refinery and synthetic oil plants started in earnest and 50000 tons of bombs were dropped by B.C by night and the USAAF by day.Priority of bombing of the oil economical targets continued to mis April 1945.

    One aspect of the bombing of oil plants was the adverse effect on the availability of special oil lubricants as used in aviation.So the Jumo engine,as all jet engines required special lubricating oil and this lubricating oil supply declined.The other aspect of this was that the huge compressors for the synthetic oil production cycle also used special lubricating oils.The Germans, being effective innovators, provided a solution with an oil /water emulsion to lubricate the compressors,this being possible as the rotary compressors would have low speed service and the bearing would not be subject to excessive temperatures....probably just a case of ensuring that the viscosity was adequate to handle the weight of the rotating part of the compressor but not too high to prevent the oil wedge being set up.

    There was no option for lubricating a jet engine bearing with any other lubricating oil than that specified.The much higher service speed and high temperature of the jet engine would soon lead to failure of the engine if lubricating requirements are not met.

    Not forgetting the requirement to change a Jumo engine after 15 hours operation because high temperature metals were not available to the manufacturer.
     
  8. ciderlion

    ciderlion Member

    That familys have information about family members who served that can be shared. Instead of put away lost and forgot about.
     
    Our bill likes this.
  9. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Have just seen this note of interest.From the autumn of 1944,the Luffewaffe suffered from lack of fuel so much so that training of pilots was seriously affected.By February 1945,the Wehrmacht tank units were also suffering due to the lack of fuel and there were a number such units at standstill due to fuel unavailability.

    The ME 262 was solely powered by brown coal derived "diesel oil" and the lack of this fuel restricted the operational deployment of the aircraft.As fuel supplies became critical,aircraft off the production track were not flight tested but flown direct to service units.

    Hitler entered the war with what might be regarded as insufficient oil stocks.His philosophy was that he would overrun other nation's oil sources and his oil refineries and synthetic oil plants in Germany,Austria and Czechoslovakia would be sufficient to wage war.

    He did not take into consideration the research and direction of the Ministry of Economic Warfare who by 1941 had listed 17 principal oil refinery targets which accounted for 48% (82500 tonnes /month) of German requirements.

    In May 1944,operations against oil refinery and synthetic oil plants started in earnest and 50000 tons of bombs were dropped by B.C by night and the USAAF by day.Priority of bombing of the oil economical targets continued to mis April 1945.

    One aspect of the bombing of oil plants was the adverse effect on the availalbility of special oil lubricants as used in aviation.So the Jumo engine,as all jet engines required special lubricating oil and this lubricating oil supply declined.The other aspect of this was that the huge compressors for the synthetic oil production cycle also used special lubricating oils.The Germans, being effective innovators, provided a solution with an oil /water emulsion to lubricate the compressors,this being possible as the rotary compressors would have low speed service and the bearing would not be subject to excessive temperatures....probably just a case of ensuring that the viscosity was adequate to handle the weight of the rotating part of the compressor but not too high to prevent the oil wedge being set up.

    There was no option for lubricating a jet engine bearing with any other lubricating oil than that specified.The much higher service speed and high temperature of the jet engine would soon lead to failure of the engine if lubricating requirements are not met.

    Not forgetting the requirement to change a Jumo engine after 15 hours operation because high temperature metals were not available to the manufacturer.


    Very good post. I had never considered the lubrication requirements of the jet. I've read about Hitler ordering the ME262 be used as a bomber but I've never read about it actually being used that way. Is there any information on that available?

    Thanks,

    Dave
     
  10. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    Very good post. I had never considered the lubrication requirements of the jet. I've read about Hitler ordering the ME262 be used as a bomber but I've never read about it actually being used that way. Is there any information on that available?

    Thanks,

    Dave

    KG and KG(J) Me 262 units. - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

    This thread lists some sources of information on Me 262 bomber info. The upcoming Osprey title might be the easiest (and cheapest) book to locate when it comes out.
     
  11. Kozak

    Kozak Junior Member

    What have I learned recently? Well, I have distant relatives who fought in the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) and that another relative (from my German side) was an SS man. His brothers also fought for Germany, but they didn't survive the war.
     
  12. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    Found this interesting tidbit out as I'm working my way through Classic Colours' Jagdwaffe series
    "During this period of the battle, Luftwaffe fighter pilots were issued with a new type of dinghy. The previous type, a two-man dinghy, was found to be too bulky and altogether unsatisfactory, particularly for use in the already small cockpit of the Bf 109. The new dinghy was more compact and was worn on the pilot's back over the inflatable life jacket. On 8 October Lt. Heinz Escherhaus of 1./JG 77, took off in his "Yellow 10" on a freie Jagd patrol and was flying at 25,000 feet when he was suddenly attacked in the rear by his own rubber dinghy. Contrary to instructions, Lt. Escherhaus' batman had connected the gas flask to the dinghy and it had accidentally inflated. The pilot was pushed forward onto the control column and, in an effort to get things right within the rapidly diminishing confines of his cockpit, he lost control and went into a very steep spiral dive. Now, owing to his uncomfortable position, Escherhaus was unable to alter the propeller setting and the aircraft over-revved. The boost blow-out valve went off and then, when the pilot was eventually able to regain control, he found that the engine would not respond to the throttle. Finally on pulling out, the engine stalled and he had to make a forced landing, coming down at Eastry in Kent. "
    Luftwaffe Colours Volume Two Section Three Jagdwaffe Battle of Britain Phase Three September-October 1940 p 262
     
  13. tulip

    tulip Junior Member

    I haven't been here for a while,as I forgot about what I was doing.Anyway,I found out yesterday that my grandfather was in India Command.I knew that's where he was during the war,but didn't realise that 's what it was called.I also discovered he was an LAC,which I didn't know.

    Angela
     
  14. Tab

    Tab Senior Member

    I did hear that the war is over and that the Allies won
     
  15. TijgerB

    TijgerB Member

    I do not know the name of the program. But the other day I saw one telling that Stalin moved at least 5500 American/British/French POW from German camps on liberation to Russian in Sibiria.
     
  16. Elefant

    Elefant Junior Member

    I may have mentioned this in an earlier response but I remembered the book when hearing they are creating a movie. To be honest, I am not an art guru, but I found this book fascinating. Its amazing the investigations they performed and sheer history of the Nazi art binge.
     
  17. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    I may have mentioned this in an earlier response but I remembered the book when hearing they are creating a movie. To be honest, I am not an art guru, but I found this book fascinating. Its amazing the investigations they performed and sheer history of the Nazi art binge.

    Thanks Elefant - that does look interesting. A couple of links in case it hasn't already been noted:

    The Monuments Men

    How the Louvre kept 'Mona Lisa,' other masterpieces safe during WWII
     
  18. 26delta

    26delta Senior Member

    I was under the impression that the gun battery at Castor Bay, New Zealand was unique in disguising the guns as holiday homes. Just last Friday, I discovered that Fort Scratchley, Australia pulled the same stunt. They lagged us by a couple years, so we may have been the first.

    If you think about it, it was a bold move on the part of the Kiwis. The whole scheme could have been exposed and large blocks of residential housing may have been subjected to carpet bombing.
     
  19. bibio

    bibio Junior Member

    You mention 25,000 special trains.This in addition to the ones supplying normal war needs and supplies for convoys,hospital trains for casualties,plus of course Joe Soap going to work..Considering the hundreds of miles of of track,signals and stations needing maintainance doesnt it say a lot for the controllers who had pencils telephones and sweaty brows no doubt?These guys and the operational staff are some of what are now known as forgotten heros.Without supplies you lose they delivered wherever and were targets as well.

    Lest we forget

    Bibio
     
  20. Barneyrubble

    Barneyrubble Frank

    Reading about the B.E.F in France, just reinforces that nothing really changes, they were badly equipped then, and so were our forces in Iraq, and it is not much better in Afghanistan, but I bet the wine cellar in the Palace of Westminster is well stocked with the very best ?. :cheers:
     

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