Which theater of War Would you choose for flying?

[Lightning Guy]

I think your absolutely right. On the Western Front there was something of a mutual respect. On the Eastern Front it was outright hatred.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by Lightning Guy

I think your absolutely right. On the Western Front there was something of a mutual respect. On the Eastern Front it was outright hatred.

Concerning the Eastern Front, I absolutely agree with both Plan_D and LG. But the Western Front was more "rotten" than you think...

During my "History of the 20th century" course, we spoke with 3 WW II veteran. Two of them were captured : the first one was captured by both the Germans and the Japaneses while the other one was captured only by the Germans.

Both were saying that Germans well-treated only pilots and high-ranking officers. They were rotten with under-officers and forced privates to work for them in factories or mines.

When they wanted to awake the prisoners, they were sending SS soldiers in the barracks who were ordered to awake them by striking them with their rifles.

However, they said that German veterans from WW I were cool with prisoners. While the WW II rookies were acting as sons of bitches.

The one who was captured by Japaneses also said that he prefered being captured by Germans instead of being captured by Japaneses.

[Lightning Guy]

The Japanese were absolutely horrid with their prisoners. And I wasn't meaning to imply that life in a Luftstalag was like summer camp. But there are several examples of compassion and chivalery from the Western Front. Compassion on the Eastern Front was a quick death.

[plan_D]

On the Western Front there was a lot of respect between the two sides, but there was always going to be young arrogant ones who will abuse their power. I've read an interview with a Canadian Halifax pilot who was captured. He didn't have too bad of a time until a story got back to the camp that Canadians on the front had killed some Germans who had surrendered, so all the Canadians in the camp were treat like **** for the next few months. Tied up a lot of the day, and only released to eat, maybe walk around.

You still have the people you get caught by. If you're lucky you'll get caught by a decent officer (like Rommel), and you'll be treat well. Or if unlucky you'll get caught by some arrogant **** and be treat like ****, or even killed there and then. We all know it happened, it was just a bit better on the Western Front, than the East.

If Germany was full of Rommels and Guderians, it would have been a Gentlemens war. But instead it was dominated by Hitlers, Heydrichs and Goebbels.

Still there are countless acts of chivalry. I heard of a U-Boat coming to the surface to give a lifeboat food, blankets and water. And the lifeboat was from the ship it had just sunk.
Rommel cut his own troops water rations to give more to the British PoWs. So the Germans weren't all bad, some were just fighting for their country.

'We weren't fighting for Hitler, we were fighting for Prussia. We didn't care about the reason, we were convinced our country was in danger so we were the first to protect it' Heinz Guderian.

[Maestro]

May be there were countless act of chivalery in the Western Front, but there were also a lot of coward acts !

I remember of a veteran speaking of around 125 Canadian prisoners being murdered at Caen.

[Lightning Guy]

There's also the infamous massacre at Malmedy during the Battle of the Buldge.

But the relationship that developed between Badder and Galland is a good example of how things could be friendlier in the West. Galland later admitted that Badder had nearly talked him into flying a 109. Also, Marsielle twice flew through ground fire over a British field in Africa to drop a note conderning the fate of one of the British pilots.

[plan_D]

Before we get into the massacres the Germans did against the Allies. We must remember how we kindly returned the favour. Over Dresden 1945.

[Lightning Guy]

Dresden was terrible, but I do see a distinction. They people of Dresden had not surrendered. The soldiers at Malmedy had. That may be a fine line but it is a line that exists.

[Maestro]

... And the 125 Canadians murdered at Caen were not soldiers that surrendered during the Battle of Caen, they were soldiers captured during past Allied operations (like Dieppe or Monte Cassino (Italy)).

[dead parrot]

Of course, the idea used to be that civilians didn't HAVE to surrender--they weren't supposed to be combatents in the first place. Before the war began, both Churchill and FDR very emphatically condemned the deliberate bombing of civilians. They used to think it was a bad thing to do...

[plan_D]

Plus the fact we killed plenty of Germans who had surrendered on the field. A prisoner was a waste of resources, as long as you all recognise the Allies did it as well. It wasn't just the Germans who did it.

[NightHawk]

the african theater brought the best out of the pilot and plane.
i would like to try how was desert air engaments.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the african theater brought the best out of the pilot and plane

providing the engine wasn't full of sand...................

[plan_D]

And you didn't die from lack of water.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

or attack from the enemy...................