dangerous mission - Page 3 - Aircraft of World War II

Marcel · 08-20-2008, 01:27 PM

One to consider:
May 10th 1940, 11 Douglas 8A 3N take off to fight off attacking german airplanes. The a/c is totally unfit for this job as it is mainly a groud attack plane, but lack of enough fighters forces the dutch airforce to use them otherwise. Take off at 4.00h, last Douglas was shot down at 4.30, falling into an oiltank near Rotterdam. No douglas plane survives the first 30 minutes of the war...

Thorlifter · 08-20-2008, 01:34 PM

Yeah, that's a good one Marcel. By scale, it doesn't compare to some of the deep bomber raids, but 100% loss in a mission where they probably knew they would be completely overwhelmed, that certainly could qualify for the most dangerous mission.

Marshall_Stack · 08-20-2008, 02:00 PM

Nobody mentioned the Dambusters. Flying a Lanc low into all that flak....

Thorlifter · 08-20-2008, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToughOmbre

Operation "Tidal Wave".

The Dambusters

The Regensburg/Schweinfurt mission.TO

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshall_Stack

Nobody mentioned the Dambusters. Flying a Lanc low into all that flak....

Yep. 3rd post.

Njaco · 08-20-2008, 05:58 PM

I think the RAF Gladiator fighters sent to Norway in April 1940 had it tough. Frozen lakes as airfields, biplanes against Bf 109s and Bf 110s, no ground facilities or supplies and cold. Pretty tough for the few days and weeks they were there.

Best is when they evacuated, these land pilots had to fly them out and land on a carrier - for the first time!

pbfoot · 08-20-2008, 06:16 PM

I think we should get a few more suggestios as this is Poll worthy
Sedan Bridges
Ploesti
Dambusters
Devasatators at Midway
Faith Hope and Charity
Marcels Juhas Njaco all have good suggestions that would make for good debates

davparlr · 08-20-2008, 07:20 PM

So many heroes. Some.

All LW pilots in late 44 to wars end. Into the fire.

Doolittle raid. Launched early, knew their range was insufficient, knew their chances were small.

B-17/24 crews, from on-set of deep penetration raids until late 44. Survive, go to bed, get up, go again.

Naval strikes against Japanese fleet off Truk. Not enough fuel. How would you like to ditch in the middle of the Pacific and hope to be rescued. Sharks?

So many others in all the services. I will not pick one. Naming one group disrespects the others. I cannot even grasp the courage it takes to make the decisions they did. Heroes, all.

Njaco · 08-21-2008, 10:20 AM

Its not so much as picking one better than the other as just recognizing some missions were tougher than others and some had more than courage to attempt them.

Erich · 08-21-2008, 11:33 AM

so with all these battle-info-suicidal missions what is going to become of them on this thread ? wonder is this some sort of project that will be worked on for the future of the site ??

drgondog · 08-22-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erich

ah but which Ploesti mission as there are many ?

Schweinfurt is one of several days of 60 plus lost by the US just for information purposes. look into January 11, 1944 most likely worse overall for both sides that the August or October 43 battles

August 1,1943 - Ploesti, after the first Halpro mission which was a small high level attack by only a few B-24s.

The Tidal Wave mission gets my vote. Large force, complex route structure requiring critical timing, lead crew lost in bound, wrong turns made, Germans well prepared, low flying -slow B-24s in broud daylight, extremely well defended by light and heavy flak plus fighters -

Can't think of another mission as bold, as dangerous or least suited to the airfame or doctrine of any Air Force.

Juha · 08-22-2008, 10:03 AM

Still disagreing
Now for ex. Soviet bomber attacks against German panzer spearheads might have been according to doctrine but SB being almost totally devoit of armour protection and with unprotected fuel tanks and meager defensive firepower was not very well suited to attack panzer units with good AA protection and Bf 109s buzzling around. And after first few days both Soviet planners and aircrews knew for sure how dangerous those missions were.

I'm not belittling the courage of USAAF aircrews, they simply were lucky not to face such desperate situations.

Juha

Thorlifter · 08-22-2008, 11:03 AM

Yeah, that's a good point too Juha.

Also, what about the Ethopians attacking the Panzer's on horseback?

namvet68 · 08-22-2008, 11:38 AM

I belive the most dangerous mission was for the American Army ploits who had to fly there P-38's to hunt down and kill Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto.

Thorlifter · 08-22-2008, 12:02 PM

ok...............
Why?

To me, that was just a standard ambush mission and it wasn't only 3 lightnings. It was 18 lightnings that met up and met only 6 zero's.

Juha · 08-22-2008, 12:22 PM

A couple more less well known very dangerous operations. Firstly showing how dangerous those torpedo attacks against USN were, on 30 Jun 43 19 out of 26 G4Ms (Bettys) were lost while attacking US invasion fleet in Blanche Channel.
And on 17 April 42 7 out of 12 Lancasters were lost during a low-level day-time attack on the MAN diesel engine factory in Augsburg.

Juha

08-20-2008, 01:27 PM	#31
Marcel Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dordrecht Posts: 4,051	One to consider: May 10th 1940, 11 Douglas 8A 3N take off to fight off attacking german airplanes. The a/c is totally unfit for this job as it is mainly a groud attack plane, but lack of enough fighters forces the dutch airforce to use them otherwise. Take off at 4.00h, last Douglas was shot down at 4.30, falling into an oiltank near Rotterdam. No douglas plane survives the first 30 minutes of the war... __________________ "To attack 36 aircraft on your own was rather much" - Jan Linzel, D.XXI pilot. Last edited by Marcel; 08-20-2008 at 01:31 PM.

08-20-2008, 01:34 PM	#32
Thorlifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 4,733	Yeah, that's a good one Marcel. By scale, it doesn't compare to some of the deep bomber raids, but 100% loss in a mission where they probably knew they would be completely overwhelmed, that certainly could qualify for the most dangerous mission. __________________

08-20-2008, 05:58 PM	#35
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 11,833	I think the RAF Gladiator fighters sent to Norway in April 1940 had it tough. Frozen lakes as airfields, biplanes against Bf 109s and Bf 110s, no ground facilities or supplies and cold. Pretty tough for the few days and weeks they were there. Best is when they evacuated, these land pilots had to fly them out and land on a carrier - for the first time! __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

08-20-2008, 07:20 PM	#37
davparlr Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,563	So many heroes. Some. All LW pilots in late 44 to wars end. Into the fire. Doolittle raid. Launched early, knew their range was insufficient, knew their chances were small. B-17/24 crews, from on-set of deep penetration raids until late 44. Survive, go to bed, get up, go again. Naval strikes against Japanese fleet off Truk. Not enough fuel. How would you like to ditch in the middle of the Pacific and hope to be rescued. Sharks? So many others in all the services. I will not pick one. Naming one group disrespects the others. I cannot even grasp the courage it takes to make the decisions they did. Heroes, all. Last edited by davparlr; 08-20-2008 at 07:25 PM.

08-21-2008, 10:20 AM	#38
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 11,833	Its not so much as picking one better than the other as just recognizing some missions were tougher than others and some had more than courage to attempt them. __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

08-20-2008, 02:00 PM	#33
Marshall_Stack Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 387	Nobody mentioned the Dambusters. Flying a Lanc low into all that flak....

08-20-2008, 06:16 PM	#36
pbfoot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: niagara falls Posts: 5,964	I think we should get a few more suggestios as this is Poll worthy Sedan Bridges Ploesti Dambusters Devasatators at Midway Faith Hope and Charity Marcels Juhas Njaco all have good suggestions that would make for good debates

08-21-2008, 11:33 AM	#39
Erich the old Sage Join Date: May 2004 Location: Platonic Sphere Posts: 11,113	so with all these battle-info-suicidal missions what is going to become of them on this thread ? wonder is this some sort of project that will be worked on for the future of the site ??

08-22-2008, 10:03 AM	#41
Juha Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Helsinki Posts: 1,561	Still disagreing Now for ex. Soviet bomber attacks against German panzer spearheads might have been according to doctrine but SB being almost totally devoit of armour protection and with unprotected fuel tanks and meager defensive firepower was not very well suited to attack panzer units with good AA protection and Bf 109s buzzling around. And after first few days both Soviet planners and aircrews knew for sure how dangerous those missions were. I'm not belittling the courage of USAAF aircrews, they simply were lucky not to face such desperate situations. Juha

08-22-2008, 11:03 AM	#42
Thorlifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 4,733	Yeah, that's a good point too Juha. Also, what about the Ethopians attacking the Panzer's on horseback? __________________

08-22-2008, 11:38 AM	#43
namvet68 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Joliet Ill Posts: 11	Dangerous Mission I belive the most dangerous mission was for the American Army ploits who had to fly there P-38's to hunt down and kill Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto.

08-22-2008, 12:02 PM	#44
Thorlifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 4,733	ok............... Why? To me, that was just a standard ambush mission and it wasn't only 3 lightnings. It was 18 lightnings that met up and met only 6 zero's. __________________ Last edited by Thorlifter; 08-22-2008 at 12:04 PM.

08-22-2008, 12:22 PM	#45
Juha Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Helsinki Posts: 1,561	A couple more less well known very dangerous operations. Firstly showing how dangerous those torpedo attacks against USN were, on 30 Jun 43 19 out of 26 G4Ms (Bettys) were lost while attacking US invasion fleet in Blanche Channel. And on 17 April 42 7 out of 12 Lancasters were lost during a low-level day-time attack on the MAN diesel engine factory in Augsburg. Juha

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