Ground crews....

[Emac44]

I have to admit Pb i perfer heat to cold. but we have those midgee flies to mate fit through mesh screens like they don't exsist and the bastards bite too. Then on top of that you get ****ing sand flies. They don't bite but **** a chemical cocktail onto you out of their arses. but as for RAAF pilots and ground crews trying to find cover from the heat. funniest photo I have seen was at RAAF Butterworth many years ago Pb of a RAAF Pilot with a Chinese Parsol over his head whilst sitting in a Mirage Fighter on Tarmac awaiting his time to go. It was so ****ing hot Pb even the RAAFdogs found it hard to wag the tail on security duties

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by Emac44

Hey Adler I am not taking anything away from Ground crews in Europe or Russia. I can understand you worked in 40 plus degree heat for 14 months but remember I do that every year day in day out during our summers. So do understand ok. But take nothing away from ground crews in the Pacific and Asian regions and no Plan I didn't forget the RAF boys by any means or our Canadian mates or any other Commonwealth Ground Crews. it was hardships all round for ground crews Adler no matter where they served so I do understand. I might not have been to Russia but believe me mate I do know the heat and what it can do to some one. At the moment we are having droughts in certain parts of Australia. But in the tropic north they are having monsoons tropic cyclones and ****ing floods. And by the way Adler if you look at Wilds photos these men in those photos had difficulties as well which looks like an old Beaufort coming into land in a sea of mud. But bare in mind Adler those in the Pacific and Asian Theatre didn't see snow but rain constant rain that comes down like sheets and never lets up for days on end turning the airstrips into mud baths bad enough walking in that let alone taxing an aircraft as the same in Russia. We might not have snow Adler but we do have Typhoons and Cyclones that can wreck an airfield in a matter of minutes and turn aircraft to match wood or so much scrap metal. and as Plan so aptly said flying the Hump as it was called to bring in all supplies for the Air Forces because the enemy had cut the Burma Road wouldn't have been an ideal place to be in. Or being on an isolated island and the Jap Navy came by once per night and shelled your aerodrome not so idylisitc as one might think Adler. I am not taking anything away from the Europeans Campaigns and all ground crews had it tough but just because the sun shines in the Pacific or Asian regions doesn't make it all rosey and comfortable for Allied Ground Crews who had to work in those hell holes Adler. and Adler the reason I go for the PTO is because I live in the Pacific region and been brought up in it all my life. Father on the other hand served in North Africa and Middle East and also in Pacific before joining Bomber Command and going to England. So Adler I think I do have a handle on the situations described by you. and don't forget Adler a lot of these Aerodromes didn't come about in the jungles of the Pacific or Asian region because of pre war planning they had to be cut out of the scrub Yes with mechanical aid but also by hand. Most in particular the Burma Campaign and the other part where Chinese Civilians not only built a bloody other road but also turned around and built airfields by hand Adler. if by chance german or Axis Ground crews were caught by the enemy they may have had little chance of survival but remeber with the Japs you had **** all chance

Whoah calm down emac. Dont take it so personal. You dont have to agree with me and I dont have to agree with you. It is just a discussion.

I think the East front was more difficult because you had everything you had in the PTO except for maybe a Typhoon plus you had to deal with it in the cold and the heat. It was extremes all year long.

As for the survival if captured. Not on the East Front. So many Russians were killed by Germans rather than put them in POW camps and the same was vise versa. The Russians slaughtered the Germans as well for revenge.

[Emac44]

Hey Adler I am not taking it personally sorry if you thought I was mate. Its a discussion and that is all it is. this is off topic Adler a bit. I saw a Documentary up coming on Von Paullus 6th Army captured around Stalingrad. 95000 Germans went into captivity only 6000 came home eventually after the war had been finished by 10 years or more. Documentary airs on History Channel next month. 95,000 Germans went into captivity only less than 6,000 came home. That is a death rate of over 98% and that in itself is an Atrocity on the rights of POWs Adler. Which the Russians should have been charged with and were not

[Bullockracing]

I voted for the Reds... The Americans, German and British ground crews were by far and away better trained and equipped, comparatively. The Russians had little or no food, sub-par training, poor tools. And they maintained a bigger fleet, too... And pulled infantry duty...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by Emac44

Hey Adler I am not taking it personally sorry if you thought I was mate. Its a discussion and that is all it is. this is off topic Adler a bit. I saw a Documentary up coming on Von Paullus 6th Army captured around Stalingrad. 95000 Germans went into captivity only 6000 came home eventually after the war had been finished by 10 years or more. Documentary airs on History Channel next month. 95,000 Germans went into captivity only less than 6,000 came home. That is a death rate of over 98% and that in itself is an Atrocity on the rights of POWs Adler. Which the Russians should have been charged with and were not

My Grandfather was a Major in the Wehrmacht on the East Front and took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. He was wounded and captured at Stalingrad. He was fortunate and returned shortly after the war. I believe only because he was a doctor.

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

My Grandfather was a Major in the Wehrmacht on the East Front and took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. He was wounded and captured at Stalingrad. He was fortunate and returned shortly after the war. I believe only because he was a doctor.

I am pleased your Grand Father made it home Adler. What I was trying to say and looked like I failed neither the Germans or the Russians had the right to abuse kill and murder POWs from either side. Justice Yes War Crimes against each other no Adler. 2 wrongs do not make it right my friend. It was truly a dirty war in WW2. If asked yes I would have proscuted Russians for War Crimes just as much as I would have done with Germans Adler. But I suppose that comes from being civilized and even in the conduct of war one must abided by some sort of conventions in dealing with other human beings regardless of whom they are, enemy or not. hope you understand what I am saying Adler

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by Emac44

I am pleased your Grand Father made it home Adler. What I was trying to say and looked like I failed neither the Germans or the Russians had the right to abuse kill and murder POWs from either side. Justice Yes War Crimes against each other no Adler. 2 wrongs do not make it right my friend. It was truly a dirty war in WW2. If asked yes I would have proscuted Russians for War Crimes just as much as I would have done with Germans Adler. But I suppose that comes from being civilized and even in the conduct of war one must abided by some sort of conventions in dealing with other human beings regardless of whom they are, enemy or not. hope you understand what I am saying Adler

I undestood what you were saying and I agree. I was just adding that in that my grandfather was lucky to return fairly early and alive.

[lesofprimus]

I've been all over the globe and done some crazy sh!t, and working in sub-zero temps is HANDS DOWN the worst possible scenario.... What the Germans, and the Russians to a degree, were able to perform is downright amazing...

Gun Oil would freeze.... I mean common...

[bigZ]

Originally Posted by lesofprimus

I've been all over the globe and done some crazy sh!t, and working in sub-zero temps is HANDS DOWN the worst possible scenario.... What the Germans, and the Russians to a degree, were able to perform is downright amazing...

Gun Oil would freeze.... I mean common...

Just one of the reasons I went for the Finns. But God knows how they kept those Buffalos, Hurricanes, Blenheims flying whilst fighting the Russians?

I agree with previous comments regarding the treatment of POW's on the Eastern front. If the Germans behaved the Ukranians might have became an allied.

[fire-ball]

remember the raf had really bad taxi's which would get the planes stuck in the mud alot while some German naval air basses use ground lifts and double taxi systems which made it easier and faster to launch planes, ohh almost forgot in some situations the RAF air basses never had a taxi or paved runway so my vote is to the luftwaffe,but if not them the japenese because they used prisoners of war to make em which may caused problems but was extreamly cheep

[fire-ball]

Hey u forgot britans most important import of aircrews the RCAF(ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE)

[saltlakespitfire]

I have voted for the luftwaffe as the term on the poll states inguenity . Sure, all the ground crews in the war worked terribly hard. The fact is self evident from all accounts of the air war in various theatres. However I once read of aluftwaffe ground crew who serviced an Me-262 jet engine from spare parts of a Mecedes Benz. Furthermore, during the last months of the war in Europe,hose ground crew guys had to go through hell. What with the ground attacks by thye Thphoons and Thunderbolts practically forced them into jungles. And they still kept those aircraft flying.
I'am not taking credit away from thr RAAF and the USAF ground crews who worked in the Pacific theatre. In fact I think they did an outstanding job, but for ingenuity, I have to give it to the Luftwaffe.

[drgondog]

This is very tough and will remain subjective.

Kudos to the Luftwaffe and USSR for Russia wnters

Kudos to USAAF Aleutian Ground crews for extreme wind/rain and cold maintaining 'everything'

Kudos to ANZAC, RAF, USAAF and Luftwaffe for maintaining their ships in the desert

Kudos to the USAAF ground crews for solving amd making field changes to all aircraft that the designers hadn't quite 'fixed' before shipping

Kudos to RAF and USAAF crews working round the clock night after night to get their beasts up for another Maximum Effort in that bloody English goo and foul weather November through March (my Texas born father, when asked about English weather exagerated somewhat - "It has two seasons, Winter and the 4th of July)

Kudos to Luftwaffe crews for surviving strafing attacks, moving from one location to another and setting up again - only to move again.

Kudos to the Pacific crews of all nations and services for the 1941-1943 conditions and primitive facilities like Guadalcanal.

Someone is going to have to lay out some serious boundary conditions to select one.

Having said this -Just for dealing with a complete range of conditions, from Artic to Desert to Jungles to Sea to Hurricanes, Blizzards, Ice and Sandstorms - and bringing Southern Engineering with them - I'll be a 'homer' and go US.

Regards,

Bill

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

As I believe I stated in my other posts I dont really think I can vote for anyone. They all did great jobs keeping there aircraft in the air.