Best Bomber of WW2 (continued)

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 05-26-2005, 01:43 PM

Yes but it was guided by azmithuth only.

The Fritz X was the first operational "guided" bomb.

Quote:

The Fritz-X was a 1400 kg (3,300 lb) armor-piercing bomb with control fins and a radio data link usually launched from Do 217 and He 177 bombers. This weapon was the first operational guided bomb and proved quite effective. Released from an altitude of 16,000 to 20,000ft (4875 - 6095 m) the bomb reached a terminal velocity approaching sound. Half of the pre-production Fritz X bombs hit within a 197 in ( 5m square. ) III/KG 100, formed from Lehr und Erprobungskommano 21, was the first unit to use the Fritz-X. Equipped with Do 217K-2s each plane could carry two of the guided bombs on ETC 2000/XII racks. On September 9, 1943 two hits scored on the Italian battleship Roma sent her to the bottom. The Italia, also part of this fleet sailing out to surrender to the Allies, was hit and severely damaged. A British battleship, the Warspite was knocked out of the war for a year when a single Fritz-X penetrated all six decks and blew a hole through the bottom. The new weapon also sank the cruiser Spartan and damaged the cruisers Savannah and Uganda. Aggressive fighter patrols and electronic jamming disrupted the control signals from the launch aircraft to the bomb. A total of 1,386 Fritz-X bombs were manufactured, 602 of these being expended in tests.
http://www.ww2guide.com/missiles.shtml#fritzx

DaveB.inVa · 05-26-2005, 04:31 PM

PB4Y-2 Privateers (the Naval Liberator with the single big tail) dropped a glide bomb called the Bat. This thing was one of the most technological innovations of the war as it was a radar guided homing glide bomb. Set it and forget it.... it did not have to be guided at all by an operator like the Azon and Fritz X.

On the open ocean it was deadly as when dropped the radar only had one real target to home in on, the ship. If dropped near land however the radar was easily confused and would glide toward the object with the largest return, like mountains and land. These were used with pretty good success from January 1945 onward.

wmaxt · 05-26-2005, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveB.inVa

PB4Y-2 Privateers (the Naval Liberator with the single big tail) dropped a glide bomb called the Bat. This thing was one of the most technological innovations of the war as it was a radar guided homing glide bomb. Set it and forget it.... it did not have to be guided at all by an operator like the Azon and Fritz X.

On the open ocean it was deadly as when dropped the radar only had one real target to home in on, the ship. If dropped near land however the radar was easily confused and would glide toward the object with the largest return, like mountains and land. These were used with pretty good success from January 1945 onward.

There was a group of B-25s that flew into the Yellow sea andthe sea of Japan at night with the Bats. They were quite successful but I've only seen the details once several years ago. The missions were 12-14 hours long.

wmaxt

mosquitoman · 05-26-2005, 08:16 PM

Coastal Command Liberators and Avengers off the escort carriers had the Mk.24 mine. It wasn't a mine at all but a homing torpedo used as a U-Boat was diving because it was a sitting duck at that point

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 05-27-2005, 06:35 AM

That has got to be one of the most frightening experieces to be attacked from the air while on a sub.

mosquitoman · 05-27-2005, 07:11 AM

You would be absolutely helpless in a crash-dive waiting for the hull to be ripped apart

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 05-27-2005, 07:26 AM

Yeap the only thing worse I believe is beign depth charged.

MP-Willow · 05-27-2005, 02:38 PM

Dear Alder, and how much different from depth charges is it?

Thanks for the help with the East Coast diffence, I did noe know the CAP was formed for U-boat work. I still have a lot of reading to do. It seems hard to beleave that the US coast could be so open like that

PGH · 05-29-2005, 02:37 PM

You're a bomber crewmen, Mission for today is Berlin or Merseburg...A thousand Flak batteries and a thousand German fighters await you..You can fly in a squadron B-17s, B-24s or Lancs...You'd really like to see your family again...Which do you choose??????If range, fuel economy and payload are to be the primary considerations, perhaps we should send in a fleet of zepplins...They have greater payloads then Lancs or B-29s even and use very little fuel to get there..Their range is unlimitted.....If you can't fight thru the defences to the target, it hardly matters how many bombs you can carry.....5000# of bombs delivered on target is better then 20000# in smouldering wreakage in a Bavarian cornfield....

mosquitoman · 05-29-2005, 04:35 PM

Zeppelins are very slow and would be VERY vulnerable to flak and enemy fighters, they would work on short channel-hops but that's about it

FLYBOYJ · 05-29-2005, 05:49 PM

One incendiary, a giant cigar!

mosquitoman · 05-29-2005, 05:56 PM

the lancaster kicks ass · 05-30-2005, 01:40 PM

Quote:

a fleet of zepplins...They have greater payloads then Lancs

my God! you actually believe that!! there's no way a zepplin could carry a grand slam.......

MP-Willow · 05-31-2005, 02:58 PM

I will take B-24s with P-47's as my escort! Just as long as we do not fly to Polesti I will go anywhere

FLYBOYJ · 05-31-2005, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ass

Quote:

a fleet of zepplins...They have greater payloads then Lancs

my God! you actually believe that!! there's no way a zepplin could carry a grand slam.......

I think THAT would look very funny! A Zepplin trying to carry a grand slam!

If it did get off the ground, I'd like to see what happens when the Zepplin releases it! 40,000 feet in 3.2 seconds!

Talk about ballast!