B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs

On 4/2/2012 3:05 PM, Gordon wrote:
On Apr 2, 9:54 am, "Jim wrote:
wrote in message

...

...
"The big bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with
delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. A direct hit on AOBA explodes
two Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes stored aboard and sets the ship
afire while the B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafe her decks." I'll
admit, I did not know the B-17s were used for skip bombing. ...

General Kenney mentioned a B-17 that flew so low to fire into the
embrasure of a beach bunker that its tail scraped the sand when it
pulled out.

They were pretty free to do anything that got results out there, and
those who complained about broken regulations were sent home with
"combat fatigue".

One of my favorite stories of the air war over Europe features a
returning Lancaster dropping out of the sky to strafe retreating
German columns after a late war daylight Main Force raid. The visual
impression of a heavy bomber so completely disregarding its own safety
as well as the enemy light and medium AA fire to rain down a barrage
of MG fire and sow bombs on their cornered targets is quite striking

The only way to end such a mission is to do a barrel roll on climb
out after the strafing run followed by a similar roll at home station.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Il 02/04/2012 22:56, Dan ha scritto:

One of my favorite stories of the air war over Europe features a
returning Lancaster dropping out of the sky to strafe retreating
German columns after a late war daylight Main Force raid. The visual
impression of a heavy bomber so completely disregarding its own safety
as well as the enemy light and medium AA fire to rain down a barrage
of MG fire and sow bombs on their cornered targets is quite striking

The only way to end such a mission is to do a barrel roll on climb out
after the strafing run followed by a similar roll at home station.

mhm... IMVHO perhaps was more safe an heavy four-engine TB, at least the
ventral and tail guns can suppress the AA fire from the ship's unengaged
side...

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.