My grandfather recalled these planes bombing his aerodrome. The RFC crews would run to the RE8s they were equipped with - he was a gunner - but by the time their "crates" got to Gotha elevation, he said, their crews were almost certainly back home hoisting beers in celebration of a successful raid.
The Gothas were able to bomb London with impunity, as it took the fighters of the era a long time to reach their altitude. The fighters weren’t much faster than they were and, without radar, by the time the defense squadrons knew they were coming they’d dropped their bombs and were heading home. They weren’t easy to shoot down either. I read one account of a fighter pilot who emptied his entire magazine into a Gotha, with the only effect being the aircraft lowered its nose to try and gain more speed. On the face of it flying these things looks like a suicide mission, but very few were lost to enemy action.
Yes, and the petrol to fuel those heavy bombers too... You know, by early 1918 the Germans were so short on fuel they literally siphoned off whatever fuel they could find in crashed allied aircraft. Fact is there was such a shortage of strategic metals that pipes were dug up in places in Germany. Oh, and on the home front there were food riots. That's what happens when you go into a log war of attrition but have limited natural resources, a precariously bad geographical position and finance a costly war with expensive loans from your own banks. But naturally... nothing drives innovation like difficult situations. So we saw those amazing late war aircraft much thanks to the reality Imperial Germany was facing.
I wouldn't want to be the rear Gunner. Perfectly aligned with the props. If the props are hit there would be deadly shrapnel flying all around you. Even if the props are made of wood. At those RPM'S any material is deadly.
Always enjoyed flying this thing in RoF. Well. Lets be real, sailing. She flies like a boat. Had a hell of a hoot trying to teach one of my friends to fly it. Watching them struggle with the takeoff was special.
My wisecrack was this. "Looks like there's no one really there to be operating those machine guns. Even though it's a 3d animated simulation. I was thinking about Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's about how one guy got cut up with a propeller blade while fighting against Indiana Jones. I also fantasized about Craig Ferguson sobbing like the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes male cartoon barnyard hunting dog named Jack over this.
I always wondered why the designers of the Gotha chose a pusher configuration. There was no single engine problem of mounting a gun that had to fire through the prop arc, and I don't think it would have made any difference to the nose and waist gunners. The 0/400 and the Vimy both used tractor props, so what were Gotha thinking? Maybe it was just that at that time the pusher was seen to be just as good as the tractor, so toss a coin and bolt the engines on!
Some of the early Mercedes in-line engines had weak crankshafts so Gotha may have initially gone for a pusher configuration as that puts the crankshaft in compression (a tractor prop is basically trying to 'stretch' the crankshaft). Sticking with the pusher configuration for later aircraft (after Mercedes had addressed the issue by switching from an in-line eight to and in-line six, thereby shortening the crankshaft) would have been easier than redeveloping the whole plane to accept tractor props. However, this is pure speculation on my part as I don't have a definitive answer!
I found this video very interesting. What were those gothas bombing? A military installation by London? What I found surprising, was that those Gothas had no fighter escort. And they shot down what, 2, 3 British planes? And what were those planes, Neuports? Thank you very much for a great video.
Isn't it interresting how both sides of Great war refused its own tactics and technology and succesfully adopted the one of opposite side? Allies were the first one to use proper tank force, but it was Germans, who developed and used it with proper tactics. And vice versa with strategic bombing...
Great point! I think a lot of the factors involved in WW2 axis decisions included lack of petroleum, and resources, quality versus quantity, crew availability and war of attrition.
@@FroggyFrog9000 It seems to me, that 2nd ww Germany lacked strategic thinking of Kaiser's Germany. Even if it faild, it was there. Reich had only one real strategic force - submarines, but never put enough resources in it. They were to stucked with better tanks and guns.
I would have thought the RFC put up more than 4 fighters plus I was surprised that any of the gunners didn't get killed cos they would be your first target
Good question, but I doubt it because its a fairly common name and usually naming convention of aircraftr companies was the surname of the fouder, ie Douglas, Messerschmitt, Fokker, Sopwith etc. But you never know! lol.
Celé zle lozenge kamufláž bola požívaná len na vrchných a bočných plochách lietadiel. spodné doli buď vo farbe plátna, alebo bledo modré. pozdravujem odborníkov
My grandfather recalled these planes bombing his aerodrome. The RFC crews would run to the RE8s they were equipped with - he was a gunner - but by the time their "crates" got to Gotha elevation, he said, their crews were almost certainly back home hoisting beers in celebration of a successful raid.
IDK why I want to laugh at this but I have a question when did your grandfather tell you this all ww1 vets are dead be land sea or air they are dead
@@Trent733 About 55 years ago. I was ~10.
Oh that makes sense darn your 65
If it took the crews of the Heinkels and Junkers bombers a long time to get to London in 1940, can you imagine how long it took these guys?
yeh man, in a headwind these planes would be stuck doing like 60kmh groundspeed.
Agreed. I wonder how long did it take those Gotha bombers TO GET TO LONDON?
The Gothas were able to bomb London with impunity, as it took the fighters of the era a long time to reach their altitude. The fighters weren’t much faster than they were and, without radar, by the time the defense squadrons knew they were coming they’d dropped their bombs and were heading home. They weren’t easy to shoot down either. I read one account of a fighter pilot who emptied his entire magazine into a Gotha, with the only effect being the aircraft lowered its nose to try and gain more speed. On the face of it flying these things looks like a suicide mission, but very few were lost to enemy action.
Gotha has always been my dream - I did find Zeppelins more appealing, though.
Gotha is a miniture version of a zeppelin
In a plane structure tho
That front gunner is a real cool dude. Couldn't give a flying f*ck about anything. Just chillin' listening to his iPod.
5 started, 5 returned! They shot down 3 biplanes. A good ratio.
Now if only they had the 4 and 6 engined zeppelin-staaken R-plane bombers,or the siemens-schuckert R-VIII
Yes, and the petrol to fuel those heavy bombers too...
You know, by early 1918 the Germans were so short on fuel they literally siphoned off whatever fuel they could find in crashed allied aircraft. Fact is there was such a shortage of strategic metals that pipes were dug up in places in Germany. Oh, and on the home front there were food riots. That's what happens when you go into a log war of attrition but have limited natural resources, a precariously bad geographical position and finance a costly war with expensive loans from your own banks.
But naturally... nothing drives innovation like difficult situations. So we saw those amazing late war aircraft much thanks to the reality Imperial Germany was facing.
Excellent yesss
I wouldn't want to be the rear Gunner. Perfectly aligned with the props. If the props are hit there would be deadly shrapnel flying all around you. Even if the props are made of wood. At those RPM'S any material is deadly.
yeh tough position to be in
Always enjoyed flying this thing in RoF. Well. Lets be real, sailing. She flies like a boat. Had a hell of a hoot trying to teach one of my friends to fly it. Watching them struggle with the takeoff was special.
a WW1 heavy Bomber !!!
My wisecrack was this. "Looks like there's no one really there to be operating those machine guns. Even though it's a 3d animated simulation. I was thinking about Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's about how one guy got cut up with a propeller blade while fighting against Indiana Jones. I also fantasized about Craig Ferguson sobbing like the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes male cartoon barnyard hunting dog named Jack over this.
@@georgeshelton6281 vivid
I always wondered why the designers of the Gotha chose a pusher configuration. There was no single engine problem of mounting a gun that had to fire through the prop arc, and I don't think it would have made any difference to the nose and waist gunners. The 0/400 and the Vimy both used tractor props, so what were Gotha thinking? Maybe it was just that at that time the pusher was seen to be just as good as the tractor, so toss a coin and bolt the engines on!
Some of the early Mercedes in-line engines had weak crankshafts so Gotha may have initially gone for a pusher configuration as that puts the crankshaft in compression (a tractor prop is basically trying to 'stretch' the crankshaft). Sticking with the pusher configuration for later aircraft (after Mercedes had addressed the issue by switching from an in-line eight to and in-line six, thereby shortening the crankshaft) would have been easier than redeveloping the whole plane to accept tractor props. However, this is pure speculation on my part as I don't have a definitive answer!
@@rockymac3565 That makes good sense!
It wasn't. It was a push pull. On both engines. Maybe more efficient
@@shuramasmusic Are you thinking of the Zeppelin-R aircraft? Those were Push-Pull and a nose prop. The Gotha V.s in the video are pure Pusher.
My school is next to the company that had build those planes 😁
I found this video very interesting. What were those gothas bombing?
A military installation by London?
What I found surprising, was that
those Gothas had no fighter escort.
And they shot down what, 2, 3 British
planes? And what were those planes, Neuports?
Thank you very much for a great video.
cheers man. gothas had more range than fighters, same as zeppelins didnt have escort
@@FroggyFrog9000 Cheers to you as well. I had forgotten about that.
Thank you very much for reminding me.
Isn't it interresting how both sides of Great war refused its own tactics and technology and succesfully adopted the one of opposite side? Allies were the first one to use proper tank force, but it was Germans, who developed and used it with proper tactics. And vice versa with strategic bombing...
Great point! I think a lot of the factors involved in WW2 axis decisions included lack of petroleum, and resources, quality versus quantity, crew availability and war of attrition.
@@FroggyFrog9000 It seems to me, that 2nd ww Germany lacked strategic thinking of Kaiser's Germany. Even if it faild, it was there. Reich had only one real strategic force - submarines, but never put enough resources in it. They were to stucked with better tanks and guns.
I would have thought the RFC put up more than 4 fighters plus I was surprised that any of the gunners didn't get killed cos they would be your first target
The Sopwith Pup shown here as incterception fighter was just 15 miles faster than the Gotha G.IV
yeh slow plane
Not the Il2 new version Froggy ? Oh seems you killed all The Locals ! (Squirrels + Rabbits) hahhaa
Un Farman f-50 Goliath ou le Bréguet-Michelin Br-5 B2! pourquoi pas...
Wud it be the same as Gotha sachs Coburg?
Good question, but I doubt it because its a fairly common name and usually naming convention of aircraftr companies was the surname of the fouder, ie Douglas, Messerschmitt, Fokker, Sopwith etc. But you never know! lol.
looks like a great engagement. The camera work could be better
Celé zle lozenge kamufláž bola požívaná len na vrchných a bočných plochách lietadiel. spodné doli buď vo farbe plátna, alebo bledo modré. pozdravujem odborníkov
First and loves yours vids.
Plz give me a heart
Done :) And thanks for watching.
try to fly on ilya muromets)
Could do. Its a huge plane - Biggest plane in the game.
Frog in a German Gotha ? Hmm .....! (English slang related Joke, I apologise ) : )
The wingspan on those birds, good grief!! :)
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