Heinkel 111

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by peterhastie, Dec 15, 2009.

  1. spanollie

    spanollie New Member

    This Makers Nameplate was taken from the Heinkel 111H which is the subject of this topic. My Dad gave it to me many years ago, and long after he had completed his wartime service with the RAF. I am astonished at all the history associated with one little nameplate. It is humbling !! Thanks to TOM for helping me through the 'upload' process for photos ........ Cheers!!!
     

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  2. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Spanollie,

    Glad you managed to understand my unstructions and can now post photographs.

    You have a wonderful Piece of very well documented WW2 History.

    I just wonder what other bits and pieces survived from the Crash, as I am sure that there were many other Souvenir hunters.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  3. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

  4. GlennTwizz

    GlennTwizz New Member

    Hello,
    I am new to this forum and i am very interested in the downed Heinkel 111 in North walbottle (where i live) my dad told me about last month. My dad spoke to a lady in her nineties that seen the Heinkel the morning after it was gunned down, she mentioned her brother had kept a piece of the fuselage but he sadly passed away around a year ago and has no idea if he still had it (which is a shame). Anyway i stumbled across this forum and the info you know about the event of the Heinkel is astonishing! I would love to see a picture of it as your link to the image seems to take me elsewhere, is there any chance you could get the image so i could have a look it?
    Thanks very much!
     
    canuck and Dave55 like this.
  5. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Welcome Glenn.

    Hope you stick around.
     
  6. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Another interesting account of warfare and featuring the Defiant which had been relegated to an interim night fighter role after found wanting in a daylight role.

    The Defiant two seater fighter design was revolutionary in its time and entered service in the autumn of 1939...It had no forward gunnery but its offensive power was concentrated in the rear .....a 4 x.303 machine gun was mounted in the rear cockpit from a power operated turret,the first power operated turret in the RAF.

    The Defiants of No 264 Squadron was pitched against the Blitzkrieg from 12 May and by 31 May and accounted for some 65 Luftwaffe aircraft,mainly from bomber formations over Dunkirk.It was thought that the Defiant initially was mistaken by the Luftwaffe for the Hurricane.However it soon was to prove that Defiant was no match for the German single seater fighters,being unable to defend itself against head on attacks and attacks from below.A decision was then taken by the Air Ministry in August 1940,in the light of mounting losses,to restrict the aircraft to night operations.

    By chance the development of AI radar afforded the opportunity to fit the first sets to the Defiant and convert it to a night fighter....13 squadrons were eventually formed as night fighter squadrons in their own right.Its performance was such that the Defiant had the best ratio of "kills to interceptions" than any other night fighter in the winter of 1940-41.

    The success of AI radar gave rise to the propaganda myth that RAF night fighter pilots had exceptional night eyesight due to an enhanced carrot diet which enabled them to pick up their prey easily at night.

    Regarding the Heinkel manufacturer's plate....this would enable the intelligence analyst to glean estimates of aircraft production based on the serial number and date of manufacture and the production runs of the Marks of aircraft. Rostock was well known to the Air Ministry as Heinkel's manufacturing base and the Baltic town received due attention from RAF bomber operations.The route from British bases was usually over Denmark to arrive at Rostock and Berlin via the Baltic sea.As the Germans extended the Kammhuber Line further north, the RAF then went further north to skirt the Luftwaffe radar early warning system.....not entirely successful as the many RAF graves in Denmark testify.
     

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