Anno Domini 1912: In the middle, the then 21-year-old Lieutenant Erwin Rommel in a, well, rather unorthodox outfit...
Who needs what-if when you have Reality? https://planehistoria.com/hillson-fh-40-hurricane/?utm_content=cmp-true
USS Alaska, CB 1. Lead ship of the Alaska class of large cruisers. Six were ordered by the USN, but only two were delivered (USS Alaska and the USS Guam). The class was originally developed to counter the Deutschland class pocket battleships coming into service in the Kreigsmarine. Read all about it! Alaska-class cruiser - Wikipedia
Not WW2, but the discussion on portees on another recent thread reminded me of the Grantapult: ...... more at: The British Falkland Islands & British Military I recall another 1RS portee improvisation involving a MOBAT being fired in a mortar configuration, in another area of operations. Shall have to see if there's a photo.
"We must not allow a Mine Shaft Gap!" Great looking ships but the USN needed them about as much as an extra A hole. Complete waste of money. The North Carolinas, South Dakotas and Iowas were already on the building ways when they ordered them and could squash the pocket battleships like a bug.
And the Montana Class was another uber-expensive folly as well. The last of the planned class was to be the USS Louisiana (the namesake of the Great state I live in!), and AKA BB-71. Read all about it! Montana-class battleship - Wikipedia
I did a lot of trips around the Med in a Herky Bird. Delivering LOX and LN2 where needed. Flew out of Sigonella, Sicily. I was the one unmarried man in the teams, so I got the flights. We almost tried a landing on JFK once. Canx'd, but would have been fun, I'm sure.
I would not have liked to be anywhere near a Mobat being used as a mortar. Half (maybe more) of the firing point would be blown into the air by the backblast. Chris
Czech Air Force temporarily repainted Aero L-159 Alca 6053 in the markings of Spitfire V AD572, flown by František Peřina of 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, the nation’s first ace of World War Two.
British, Americans, Canadians, Germans and one New Zealander. 4 Avro Ansons, 3 Bristol Blenheims, 2 Wellingtons, a Flying Fortress, a Tiger Moth, an American Mustang, a Miles Magister, a Hawker Typhoon, an Airspeed Oxford, a Junkers 88 and a Heinkel.
