Most overated bomber

Juha · 07-29-2008, 11:17 AM

Quote: "Portal probably should've replaced him and brought in somebody that was more of a team player or a more adaptive personality."

Timshatz. I agree with that. maybe 5th Group CO, Cochrane?, would have been a good successor.

Juha

timshatz · 07-29-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juha

Timshatz. I agree with that. maybe 5th Group CO, Cochrane?, would have been a good successor.

Juha

Man, that's a very good question. Problem with arm chair generaling is you are limited in what you know about the personalities and situations existing. What little I know is of the little that is written about the subordinate commanders of BC. Harris has plenty written about him, the others have considerable less.

Probably comes down to Bennett vs Cochrane. Neither were nice people (Bomber Command seemed to have more than it's fair share of abrasive personalities). Just from results, I guess I would go with Cochrane. He did a tremendous job with 5 Group. He was a good 15 years older than Bennet and seemed closer to a Leigh-Mallory type in terms of his character.

pbfoot · 07-29-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timshatz

Man, that's a very good question. Problem with arm chair generaling is you are limited in what you know about the personalities and situations existing. What little I know is of the little that is written about the subordinate commanders of BC. Harris has plenty written about him, the others have considerable less.

Probably comes down to Bennett vs Cochrane. Neither were nice people (Bomber Command seemed to have more than it's fair share of abrasive personalities). Just from results, I guess I would go with Cochrane. He did a tremendous job with 5 Group. He was a good 15 years older than Bennet and seemed closer to a Leigh-Mallory type in terms of his character.

It would have never been Bennett he was Austrailian and that would not fly in that period. Bennett being a colonial and all . I'm trying to recall the Name of the first colonial RCAF,RAAF,RNZAF that was given command of something larger then a squadron and it didn't occur until mid 42

timshatz · 07-29-2008, 04:25 PM

Yeah, Bennett was the only one of the Bomber Group Commanders that didn't get Knighted after the war.

Speaks volumes.

syscom3 · 07-29-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

A big advantage of the B-17 to contemporaries was the service ceiling. (Making it less vulnerable to flak and more difficult to intercept)

The higher you go, the less accurate you are.

There were more than a few times when 8th and 15th AF bombers had to do repeat visits to a target simply because they kept missing it.

pbfoot · 07-29-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timshatz

Yeah, Bennett was the only one of the Bomber Group Commanders that didn't get Knighted after the war.

Speaks volumes.

I don't believe anyone from 6 group did either but I'm not sure if or if not Canadians could recieve honours or titles at that period of time . I know they can't now

timshatz · 07-30-2008, 09:00 AM

Not suprised if the put to the Canadians. That's the problem with being a colonial. Always of the wrong side of the blood line.

Quick question about Canada during the war. It is my understanding that Canadian citizens didn't have to leave the country during the war if they didn't want to. All the guys overseas were volunteers. While you could be drafted, you couldn't be shipped overseas without your permission.

Is that accurate?

Apologies in advance for the major thread drift.

pbfoot · 07-30-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timshatz

Not suprised if the put to the Canadians. That's the problem with being a colonial. Always of the wrong side of the blood line.

Quick question about Canada during the war. It is my understanding that Canadian citizens didn't have to leave the country during the war if they didn't want to. All the guys overseas were volunteers. While you could be drafted, you couldn't be shipped overseas without your permission.

Is that accurate?

Apologies in advance for the major thread drift.

yes thats correct but I believe in late 44 45 they stated the process to use the draftees as replacements only 2500 went overseas and 80 kia

Hop · 07-30-2008, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Yeah, Bennett was the only one of the Bomber Group Commanders that didn't get Knighted after the war.

Speaks volumes.

There's a page on Bomber Command Group commanders at RAF History - Bomber Command 60th Anniversary

It looks like 13 got knighthoods, 30 didn't. All of those who got knighthoods had higher level jobs than commanders of BC groups.

Quote:

It would have never been Bennett he was Austrailian and that would not fly in that period. Bennett being a colonial and all . I'm trying to recall the Name of the first colonial RCAF,RAAF,RNZAF that was given command of something larger then a squadron and it didn't occur until mid 42

Bennett was in the RAF, not one of the dominion forces. Keith Park was in a similar situation, he was an Air Vice Marshall by early 1940.

I think the barrier to dominion force officers achieving high rank early in the war was both the smaller size of the dominion forces pre war, and the semi independence from the RAF.

solo · 07-30-2008, 10:14 PM

I would votes for B-17 but.......I prefer PBY.

Thorlifter · 07-30-2008, 10:38 PM

Joining in this discussion late, but voting for the B-17.

ONE_HELLCAT · 07-31-2008, 12:39 AM

I love the B-17, and it certainly is a wonderful plane, but I think you see more people talking about it than most other bombers.

Negative Creep · 08-01-2008, 06:05 PM

Ju-87. Slow, outmoded and vulnerable and shown up as soon as air superiority wasn't certain. Best impact was a psychological one but in terms of light bombing I'd rather have a squadron of 109's any day

kool kitty89 · 08-01-2008, 06:29 PM

But is the Ju 87 really the most overrate in current popular oppinion?

Oreo · 08-02-2008, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

But is the Ju 87 really the most overrate in current popular oppinion?

Good question! I think in popular opinion nowadays the Ju 87 is actually under-rated. In D and G forms it soldiered on late into the war, socking it to the Russians, in a dogged, determined way. And then there's Rudel to consider-- perhaps the best, or most accomplished combat pilot of all time, and a 7-victory fighter ace while flying Stukas! Yet everyone today seems to think the Stuka was just death-trap. Not my choice to fly into combat with, but Mr. Rudel thought otherwise! (Or was it Rugel? Y'all know who I mean! 11,000 lifetime comabt sorties? Ringing a bell, anyone?)