[Milsurplus] Norden Bomb Sight

[Joe Connor]

 It's crucial to understand the context.
The Norden bombsight was hyped as being able to drop a pickle into a barrel from 20,000 feet, but those tests were done under optimal conditions in the States. It was a little different in the field, where these planes were being attacked by fighters and dodging flak. To get accuracy, the bombers had to flight for several minutes in a straight line at a steady speed and altitude before dropping their bombs. Very tough to do under combat conditions. The Eighth Air Force took horrific casualties, especially before the U.S. developed long-range fighter escort. 
The Air Corps probably oversold the Noden bombsight. They were at war with the rest of the Army in the battle that Billy Mitchell started. The airmen pushed hard on the concept that strategic bombing could win the war all by itself. Historians still debate how effective that bombing was (at least before Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
Fascinating discussion.
                                    Joe Connor    On Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 3:13:55 PM EDT, Mark K3MSB <mark.k3msb at gmail.com> wrote:  
 
 >>Just trying to understand 

Here's a good way.    Climb up into the upper turret of a B-17 and get comfortable.   Think about those powerful twin 50's you have at your disposal.    Now, imagine you have a pair of FW-190s bearing down on you.    You have NO place to run.    You have NO place to hide.  And the pilot has very very limited evasive options.      If your knees don't get weak and you don't start to perspire a bit,  you're not human.     Those young flight crews had balls.
73 Mark K3MSB


On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 3:06 PM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:


You know, mechanical computers on battleships were pretty good at delivering a 14-inch-diameter shell miles on-target, under way and in seas.   When considering the low on-target rate for bombing using the Norden Sight, one wonders how much could be attributed to design limitations and how much to 18-20-year-old, lightly-trained flight crews, scared out of their wits (as any sane person would be), who just wanted to unload the bombs and get the heck out of there.  Not bad-talking the flight crews- I have no right to “cast shade” on these men.  Just trying to understand.

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