[Milsurplus] Training Is Our Problem

[Gary Pewitt]

The radio problem aside they probably were wasting time trying to 
bomb a surface ship anyway.  If -any- heavy bomber dropping from high 
altitude formation (the standard procedure) EVER
got a hit on an enemy ship at sea in WWII I'd sure like to hear about 
it.  Medium bombers doing skip bombing were very effective 
however.  And please don't mention Pearl Harbor.  That was dive 
bombers and torpedo bombers.  Yes the Arizona was sunk by a level 
bomber but that was a single engine plane and the Arizona was at 
anchor.  British Lancaster bombers dropping 10,000 lb
Tallboy bombs finally did sink the Tirpitz in a Norwegian fiord after 
numerous failed attempts with carrier planes and heavy bombers.  But 
she was at anchor too.  OK all you military buffs let me know if I'm 
wrong.  I'll be very interested in any good "war stories".
73  Gary  N9ZSV





At 06:16 PM 7/12/2009, Hue Miller wrote:
>"Seven B-17s and eight B-24s, sent out to search
>for and attack an enemy carrier...
>The rendesvouz over ....Island went according to
>schedule. The flight group commander then waited
>for radio instructions - and waited - and waited -
>for 72 MINUTES!!
>Valuable time lost - and valuable gas expended.
>Why?
>Because his radio operator's set was 100 kcs
>off frequency and the latter couldn't establish
>communications with Bomber Command ground-
>to-air station. Note: Another operator from
>another plane in the flight finally woke up and
>called him and told him he was 100 kcs off
>frequency - about 70 minutes later. P.S. -
>they never found the carrier.
>Remember, the communications equipment of
>the USAAF is the best in the world! Ask the
>man who knows.
>Our weaknesses like in the insufficient training,
>or lack of supervision of training, of communication
>personnel. "
>
>This episode submitted by Hue Miller. Source:
>"RADAR No. 2"  May 1944.
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Gary Pewitt  N9ZSV   garypewitt at centurytel.net  479 675 4376
1500 French Prairie Rd. Booneville, Arkansas  72927
Sturgeon's Law "Ninety percent of everything is crap."
Pewitt's Law: But it's that other 10% that makes life worth living."