I have known several WW2 fighter pilots. One P-38 pilot in NA, one P-47 pilot with the 347th Fighter group...9 victorys...and another P-47D pilot with the 404th Fighter Group ETO. I hightly respect those guys and all that was in WW2
I get the impression comparing this to P-51 footage that nose-mounted guns we're way better for strafing than wing-mounted. The convergence points for wing-mounted seem to make it inevitable that most of your rounds missed.
Wing mounted had to be sighted in to converge at a specific distance, so yeah nose mounted had to make it easier to inflict maximum damage, especially with the combo of .50 & 20mm the P-38 had.
I was just thinking the same thing like basically wing mounts just hit everything in a rectangle shaped box, the nose mounts seem to basically start on target and stay there
Whenever I see footage like this, I wonder if there were civilians in that train. Chuck Yeager himself said in his book that at some point during the advance on Germany his fighter group was specifically ordered to attack anything that moved, including civilians. War sucks.
@Michael G. It's called total war, and it was started by the axis powers. How do you know of the enthusiasm of pilots, were you there, or did you conduct interviews with veterans?
Can you imagine being crammed up in one of these cattle cars packed in with a bunch of other sick, vomiting hungry and thirsty other people bound for a concentration camp, to have the train and locomotive shot up by a P-38 or P-47, and then probably halt. Wonder if there is any record of this happening and the people locked in cattle cars then proceeding to somehow escape into the countryside. Particularly towards the end of the war.
@cobrachoppergirl Actually, there are instances of very similar things happening. The Allies were leery of attacking prison camps though, although they did attack the railroads routinely. I did read one camp was bombed, it killed about 250 prisoners, I think it was "Melk" but I'm not sure. The Nazi's would have shot anyone trying to escape to the countryside, rather then let them escape.
@cobrachoppergirl - Yeah, how about what Japanese soldiers were doing to American POW's & the citizens of the countries Imperial Japan invaded. "Google" that. That being said, Japan & her people are very different now. I myself lived on Honshu for a year & it's one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been too, the people are awesome as well.
I think it'd be more like you'd have to have the canopy open to make room for your rock hard adrenaline stiffie... Fun? Not really. A rush like no other? Hell yeah.
I've heard of POW ships being torpedoed, however I don't know how many. I think I read the oldest survivor of Auschwitz died yesterday. He was like 108.
![P-47 THUNDERBOLTS GUN CAMERA STRAFING AND LOW PASSES GERMANY 1945 IN HD COLOR [ WWII DOCUMENTARY ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/G-mvRD1HWyA/mqdefault.jpg)
I have known several WW2 fighter pilots. One P-38 pilot in NA, one P-47 pilot with the 347th Fighter group...9 victorys...and another P-47D pilot with the 404th Fighter Group ETO. I hightly respect those guys and all that was in WW2
Four 50 cals and one 20mm equals a bad day for the enemy.
I get the impression comparing this to P-51 footage that nose-mounted guns we're way better for strafing than wing-mounted. The convergence points for wing-mounted seem to make it inevitable that most of your rounds missed.
Wing mounted had to be sighted in to converge at a specific distance, so yeah nose mounted had to make it easier to inflict maximum damage, especially with the combo of .50 & 20mm the P-38 had.
They were more concentrated, you didn't have to worry about the converging distance of wing mounted guns. Plus the P-38 had a 20mm cannon.
I was just thinking the same thing like basically wing mounts just hit everything in a rectangle shaped box, the nose mounts seem to basically start on target and stay there
@taterfamine I have immeasurable respect for your grandfather and the people that fought over there. God Bless him, and I'm sorry about his passing.
Whenever I see footage like this, I wonder if there were civilians in that train. Chuck Yeager himself said in his book that at some point during the advance on Germany his fighter group was specifically ordered to attack anything that moved, including civilians. War sucks.
@Michael G. It's called total war, and it was started by the axis powers. How do you know of the enthusiasm of pilots, were you there, or did you conduct interviews with veterans?
Can you imagine being crammed up in one of these cattle cars packed in with a bunch of other sick, vomiting hungry and thirsty other people bound for a concentration camp, to have the train and locomotive shot up by a P-38 or P-47, and then probably halt. Wonder if there is any record of this happening and the people locked in cattle cars then proceeding to somehow escape into the countryside. Particularly towards the end of the war.
I always wondered why trains were strafed from the side rather than parallel overhead.
Damage might be greater from the side (wheels) rather than parallel overhead (roof)
@@SoloTravelBlog Ahh! Thank you for the informative explanation. My logic was a better use of bullets.
I feel sick to myself, for feeling "everyday issues"... I can't imagine.
Well, it probably seem fun in retrospect.
The Twinned Tailed Devil certainly lived up to its name, the American version of the Mosquito.
The point I was making was that they were both remarkable aircraft of their type,would'nt you agree?
@cobrachoppergirl Actually, there are instances of very similar things happening. The Allies were leery of attacking prison camps though, although they did attack the railroads routinely. I did read one camp was bombed, it killed about 250 prisoners, I think it was "Melk" but I'm not sure. The Nazi's would have shot anyone trying to escape to the countryside, rather then let them escape.
That looks like so much fun...
I would not want to see that plane bearing down on me while on that train sipping my coffee!.
Are you talking about east Germany?
@cobrachoppergirl - Yeah, how about what Japanese soldiers were doing to American POW's & the citizens of the countries Imperial Japan invaded. "Google" that. That being said, Japan & her people are very different now. I myself lived on Honshu for a year & it's one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been too, the people are awesome as well.
A10 and P38 FTW.
I think it'd be more like you'd have to have the canopy open to make room for your rock hard adrenaline stiffie... Fun? Not really. A rush like no other? Hell yeah.
The P-38 came first.
I've heard of POW ships being torpedoed, however I don't know how many. I think I read the oldest survivor of Auschwitz died yesterday. He was like 108.
Also quite a few Japanese POW hell ships being torpedoed by American subs.
A turkey shoot
@cobrachoppergirl Yeah, but the Americans by far where not the first civilization to do this contrary to popular Anti-American belief.