[Milsurplus] Milsurplus Digest, Vol 171, Issue 44

[Mark K3MSB]

Good Morning Hue

I think Gladwell mentioned in his video that the bombsights had a small
explosive charge (thermite if I recall) in them so they’d get destroyed if
the bomber crashed.     My immediate thought was what triggered those
charges?   G-Forces?    That could have some nasty consequences for the
Bombardier and Navigator in the nose section that survived a rough crash
landing.

Don’t know about the IFF question. I assume you’re asking if the crew was
told to attempt to destroy the classified radios.    As mentioned in
another thread, I’ll be going to a WW II lecture tonight where the guest
speaker is a B-24 radio operator.   If the opportunity arises I’ll ask him.

Regarding captured B-17s used by the Germans;  This was addressed in Edward
Jablonski’s book “Flying Fortress”.    These Forts were used to shadow
Allied bomber formations.    They typically attempted to join the trailing
box of bombers and portrayed themselves as stragglers that had become
separated from their own formation.  However, they always kept their
distance and never closed in tight.     This was allowed early in the war.
 As the war progressed the allies realized what was happening.
 Afterwards,  Jablonski reports those planes were not permitted to join the
formation.   I don’t recall if Jablonski details what “not permitted”
meant,  but one can guess. If a lone B-17 refused radio contact and always
kept it’s distance – perhaps that was a good tell-tale sign to the
formation crews.   There must have been some procedure for lost lone Allied
aircraft with radio failure to join a formation.

73 Mark K3MSB







On Thu, Aug 2, 2018, 2:43 AM Hubert Miller <Kargo_cult at msn.com> wrote:

> I also read that when incendiaries, firebombs were used, there was NO
> repairing. All the factory machine tools were gone.
> Now a question. Seeing as the bombsight was a rated classified device,
> like IFF, how was, or indeed was at all, capture of intact unit prevented ?
> I know Germany captured and repaired and flew a number of B-17 aircraft.
> -Hue
>
> >I just watched Malcolms Norden Bombsight talk. I believe he said of the
> 10% that fell within the 700+acre site, 16 % FAILED to explode, the rest
> blew up!
> Damage was repaired in two weeks.
> 73
> Jeff Kruth
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