The Jugs didn't always get the best of the Germans...

Discussion in 'General' started by jimbotosome, Mar 16, 2006.

  1. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    Funny story.

    Col. James McCarthy (373FG) was leading a squadron of 16 Jugs on an armed reconnaisance flight, each carrying 3 500 pound bombs and a full load of 50 calibers. They had been cruising for 2 hours over France without seeing anything. Finally someone spotted a lone German on a motorcycle. In desperation, with an "Oh what the hell" attitude, McCarthy sent one flight down to drop one 500 pounder on the motorcycle. It missed. Then each man went back to drop one 500 pounder on the motorcycle. Then each man went back and dropped his remaining 2 bombs. They all missed! The motorcycle was still speeding though the French countryside.
    Then each man came back and made a straffing run at the motorcycle. They all missed again. Just count them up. 1500 pounds of bombs each, 8 50 caliber machine guns. 16 aircraft making a total of 48 passes, 24,000 pounds of bombs, and 128 machine guns......and they all missed. And all they were shooting at was one lousy German on one lousy motorcycle.
    What a story he had to tell back at the barracks!
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Pity the poor B**t**d on the bike!
    When i see gun Camera film of strafing in ww2 it always seems absolutely astonishing to me how they hit anything at all, so little time to lay the guns and still they popped things!
     
  3. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    Pity the poor B**t**d on the bike!
    When i see gun Camera film of strafing in ww2 it always seems absolutely astonishing to me how they hit anything at all, so little time to lay the guns and still they popped things!
    Yeah, I would guess that the speed of a motorcycle must have fooled them since they were used to shooting at moving vehicles that didn't move near as fast as a motorcycle. You could probably get those things up to 80 or 90 mph.

    You gotta believe that dude soiled himself. But boy what an adventure to tell your grandchildren. Hope he didn't die during the war.
     
  4. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    Considering what direction his bits went during the attack, do you think he managed to have children?
    :huh:
     
  5. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    And this from the man who tells us that air power destroyed everything prior to D-Day.

    One motorbike moving in the open at speed. Not that much of a target to waste 48 x 500lb bombs and thousands of rounds of .50 cal. If it ws me I would have kept very quiet about it rather than shout about bad skills and a waste of munitions..
     
  6. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Maybe if the guy had be British they would have hit him.
    Ouch! Did I just put that?:mellow:
    Must learn to think first!
     
  7. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    Maybe if the guy had be British they would have hit him.
    Ouch! Did I just put that?:mellow:
    Must learn to think first!

    Now that wasn't fair. They've bombed Canadians too, but only after being told not to a couple of times.
     
  8. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    pilot, your constant little snipes at me inundated with misquotes and misrepresentations are sophomoric. Don’t you have any self-confidence at all? No maturity whatsoever? Very disappointing.
     
  9. Exxley

    Exxley Senior Member

    pilot, your constant little snipes at me inundated with misquotes and misrepresentations are sophomoric. Don’t you have any self-confidence at all? No maturity whatsoever? Very disappointing.

    At least he seems to have some minimal knowledge of WW2, contrary to our local loony.
     
  10. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    I'm sorry. What part of my post was inaccurate, misrepresented or misquoted?

    In another thread you have forwarded air support as the under used saviour of the second world war and stated that it could destroy whole units en masse without the intervention of ground forces.
    Then you start this thread pointing out that 16 aircraft could release all it's bombs and expend all it's .50 cal in an attempt to destroy a single motorbike travelling at speed in the open. The two hardly paint the same picture do they? So which one is innacurate?

    Someone then made the point that if the motorcyclist had been British they probably would have got him. To that I pointed out that it wasn't just the British that have been attacked and killed in the past by american air strikes. Hardly inaccurate if you consider the reasonably recent case of Maj. Harry Schmidt, who dropped the bomb that killed four Canadian soldiers and injured eight others in April 2002 in Afghanistan after asking for permission to attack and being refused twice.

    If you don't like the reputation that the US armed forces have gained in recent years, it's hardly my fault is it?

    If you had some military experience your willingness to state your highly opinionated ideas would be, if not accepted, tollerated. They seem to be armchair experiences however and you still insist that you are always right. The only way to change that is to get out of the books, get in green and get shot at.
     
  11. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    PP, calm down dude. Please take into account the total cock-up Jimbo pointed out was made by an American patrol. They couldn't hit the inside of a barn with the doors shut half the time. Kitty
    ;)
     
  12. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    PP, calm down dude. Please take into account the total cock-up Jimbo pointed out was made by an American patrol. They couldn't hit the inside of a barn with the doors shut half the time. Kitty
    ;)

    But they are the same patrols that he believes could sweep in and destroy whole dug in, cammed up Armoured Divisions and probably have ammunition to spare.

    It's either or, it can't be both.
     
  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I would guess that the speed of a motorcycle must have fooled them since they were used to shooting at moving vehicles that didn't move near as fast as a motorcycle. You could probably get those things up to 80 or 90 mph.


    and i can't see a Zundapp or R75 reaching much past 40 or 50 mph In France at that period (on or off road) so Plant Pilot's comment seems fair in the context of Jimboto's usually Infallible belief in airpower. Could it be that this patrol just ran up against the Statistical proof that Airpower is as flawed or succesful as any other weapon, maybe the motorcyclist got away and was eventually dealt with by the other forces that Jimbo usually seems to feel are unnecessary?
    ;)
     
  14. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    If you don't like the reputation that the US armed forces have gained in recent years, it's hardly my fault is it?

    What kind of statement is this? :angry::angry::angry:
     
  15. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    and i can't see a Zundapp or R75 reaching much past 40 or 50 mph In France at that period (on or off road) so Plant Pilot's comment seems fair in the context of Jimboto's usually Infallible belief in airpower. Could it be that this patrol just ran up against the Statistical proof that Airpower is as flawed or succesful as any other weapon, maybe the motorcyclist got away and was eventually dealt with by the other forces that Jimbo usually seems to feel are unnecessary?
    ;)
    It was a funny story. That's all. They were laughing. Ok, so you don't have a sense of humor. It wasn't posted for people like yourself, just those that like humorous anecdotes. Why do you have to turn this into a personal attack on me?

    The stats I posted in the last post was those of the US Air Force's engraving on a statue. Why do you have to make specious arguments that I said it was infallible or that other forces are unnecessary. Who or what are you trying to score points with by making infantile statements like that?

    This forum is about discussing things. Neither of us know the speed of that motorcycle as we both just made a guess. Discussions are about discussing points of view. Everything we post has some element of personal opinion. There are no absolute facts on WWII that I am aware of. Everything you know about it right or wrong is hearsay and just as subject to be in error as anyone else’s. Do me a favor and lay off.
     
  16. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    PP, calm down dude. Please take into account the total cock-up Jimbo pointed out was made by an American patrol. They couldn't hit the inside of a barn with the doors shut half the time. Kitty
    ;)
    I don't get you mosquito. I don't get you at all.
     
  17. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Sorry mate, Loved the story, didn't really feel like i was making a personal attack on you, Just a winking reference to the air power debate that seems to blow through here on a regular basis.
    ;)
     
  18. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    Sorry mate, Loved the story, didn't really feel like i was making a personal attack on you, Just a winking reference to the air power debate that seems to blow through here on a regular basis.
    ;)
    But what does a group of fighters missing a motorcycle have to do with the fact the air forces destroyed most of the German Army and their equipment? Not every bullet in WWII found it's mark. Surely you realize that. Also it was laden with irony which was the basis of its humor. If it their missing was not atypical then it would not have been funny, but rather a dull description of just another day at the office. Part of irony is contrast is it not?
     
  19. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    But what does a group of fighters missing a motorcycle have to do with the fact the air forces destroyed most of the German Army and their equipment?
    :huh: My goodness! So you really do believe that? I had assumed there was a hint of Irony in these outlandish claims.. You're not just winding people up?. So when you referred to the Eastern Front as "a relatively meaningless tie up of German troops." (Sweden thread) then that's truly what you think?
     
  20. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mosquito617
    PP, calm down dude. Please take into account the total cock-up Jimbo pointed out was made by an American patrol. They couldn't hit the inside of a barn with the doors shut half the time. Kitty
    ;)

    I don't get you mosquito. I don't get you at all.

    Neither does my own mother, so you're not alone here.
    And i was being prejudiced about the barn comment, we all know the Yanks couldn't even find the barn...
    ;)
     

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