 | German suicide pilots| Aviation Discuss German suicide pilots in the World War II - Aviation forums; A short time ago, a thread was started pertaining to the German pilots who
intentionally rammed allied bombers over Germany. ... |
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08-06-2007, 01:34 PM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Posts: 3,746
Country:  | German suicide pilots
A short time ago, a thread was started pertaining to the German pilots who
intentionally rammed allied bombers over Germany. These were not intended
to be suicide missions, the pilot was suppose to bail out before the hit, or
hit a bomber with his wing, and (hopefully) bail out after the collision.
But, Germany did start a program of suicide pilots, flying the V-1 designed
with a cockpit. This was the V-1e program. Fortunately it never got passed
the testing phase. Hanna Reitsch, a test pilot, made several flights in the
V-1e, but some German pilots were killed trying to test it.
It was a suicide mission, the V-1e was not intended to be recovered.
It would have been launched, then guided to its target by a pilot on a
suicide mission. Similar to the Japanese kamikaze concept, the V-1e
group was code-named Project Reichenberg.
The V-1e was about 27 feet long and employed a cockpit and pilot
instrumentation. The V-1e was test flown several times by German
test pilot Hanna Reitsch, and other pilots.
Reitsch confirmed that the basic V-1 airframe was prone to severe
vibration resulting from engine noise. She believed the deployment
of the V-1e as introduced would result in significant pilot losses,
even if the pilot had agreed to perform a suicide mission. The Germans
could not sustain design changes late in the war, so the V-1e was never
deployed in combat.
Makes you wonder .......
Charles
__________________  Democrats think the glass is half full... Republicans think the glass is their's ! | 
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08-06-2007, 01:42 PM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dordrecht
Posts: 1,523
Country:  | Some pics....
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-Jan Linzel, Dutch fighter pilot | |
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08-06-2007, 01:53 PM
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#3 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 28,129
Country:  | Yeap this was discussed in that thread as well.
There were never any suicide missions that were undertaken and I seriously doubt that any German pilots would have gone "Kamikaze". It is not in the German nature.
__________________  US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | 
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08-06-2007, 04:08 PM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States
Posts: 4,625
Country: | I'm away from my resources but I think it was called the "Baka". I could be wrong (may be the name of the Japanese version)
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08-06-2007, 04:11 PM
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#5 | | Minister of Whoopass
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 12,369
Country: | It is the Japanese version Jaco...
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08-06-2007, 04:33 PM
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#6 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 1,381
Country: | It looks like a Macchi. Quote: |
It is not in the German nature.
| Adler, just wondering, are you US citizen that served in the US Army now living in Germany, or is Germany your real home country?
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"His motor's conked out!"
"What's the differance, they're all Nazis!"
"Luke, shut up!"
"Fear the hook!"
"Oh.....I wanna fly."
"You mean the kind that go under water and fly up the stairs?"
"What you doing? Oh Nooooo!"
Last edited by Soundbreaker Welch? : 08-06-2007 at 04:36 PM.
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08-06-2007, 04:47 PM
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#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 1,940
Country: | Looking at the photos, I don't think bailing out with the engine still running was an option.
Sure would be fun to be launched off a catapult though | |
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08-06-2007, 05:58 PM
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#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,139
Country:  | Quote:
Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet  It is not in the German nature. | From 'German Jet Genesis'..
.."The concept was soon rejected, though, as such was the revulsion against the inevitably suicidal nature of such weapons." Quote:
Originally Posted by comiso90 Looking at the photos, I don't think bailing out with the engine still running was an option.
Sure would be fun to be launched off a catapult though | Very slim indeed Comiso90.
Were they to be catapult launched or air dropped?  | |
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08-07-2007, 12:07 AM
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#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 3,241
Country: | i thought they used 2 of them to take out a bridge to stop the soviets right at the end of the war?
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08-07-2007, 01:04 AM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas
Posts: 959
Country: | What was the ramming unit called... Sonnderkommando(sp?) I think? Must have scared the hell out of the bomber crews.
__________________ "I had ten rockets on board, and as I wasn't particularly fond of head-on attacks, I salvoed the whole lot at him. The rockets didn't hit him but but they must have scared the bejesus out of him, for he did a steep turn to starboard... I let him have the full blast, all eight fifty-calibers. I had never seen an aircraft completely disintegrate in the air the way this Me-110 did..."
Bill Dunn, 406th Fighter Group 
Matt | |
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08-07-2007, 01:08 AM
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#11 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 28,129
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by Soundbreaker Welch?
Adler, just wondering, are you US citizen that served in the US Army now living in Germany, or is Germany your real home country?
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I was born a dual citizen in Germany. Mother is German, Father is American. I split time living in Germany and the United States and have family in both countries.
I later joined the US Army from a recruiting station at a US militay post in Germany and was stationed in Germany and now got out of the army living in Germany until my wife is finished with her university studies and then we will move to Alaska.
__________________ US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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08-07-2007, 09:23 AM
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#12 | | Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 31
Country: | Alsaka pretty cold out there | |
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08-07-2007, 12:28 PM
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#13 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 28,129
Country: | In the south it is not that bad. Alaska is large eneogh to have several different climate zones in one state.
__________________ US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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08-07-2007, 02:24 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 1,381
Country: | Thanks Adler. I think having two countries you can feel connection to is a good thing. My parents are also of two nationalities.
I hope you won't miss Germany too much up in Alaska. I think people like Alaska for flying, because of the wide open spaces. Just watch out for Kodiak Bears!
__________________
"His motor's conked out!"
"What's the differance, they're all Nazis!"
"Luke, shut up!"
"Fear the hook!"
"Oh.....I wanna fly."
"You mean the kind that go under water and fly up the stairs?"
"What you doing? Oh Nooooo!" | |
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08-07-2007, 03:16 PM
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#15 | | Banned
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 126
Country: | The ramming unit was called "Sonderkommando Elbe".
Perhaps there was only one real suicide (or Kamikaze) attack in WWII.
Kommando Bienenstock
It's said that 40 pilots with there with bombs loaded fighters should crash ito the bridges over the "Oder" at the end of WWII.
14 bridges should have been destroyed.
And rebuild over night.
I saw an interview with one (the only one?) survivor.
He was over one of the bridges, when he recogniced that it woul be nice to survive.
Perhaps the whole story is true, perhaps not. | |
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