The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Project Aphrodite and the German V-2 Rocket - May 14th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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Project Aphrodite




In mid-1944, AAF moved to checkmate a potentially disastrous German threat to the UK and perhaps even to the US.



Operation Crossbow, the Allied bombing campaign against German V-weapon launching sites in northwest France, held top priority in early 1944. Despite hundreds of strikes against these sites, German attacks with V-1 buzz bombs against urban targets in the United Kingdom began in June 1944 and soon resulted in extensive loss of life and great property damage. It was known that the Germans were working on a supersonic guided missile, the V-2, which was believed by many to be technically infeasible at that time. But surprise. The first V-2 hit the London area in September of that year, with 800 to follow.



In the V-weapon launching area, a number of very different large sites were under construction--their walls 12- to 14-feet thick and with massive steel doors. Were they intended to launch V-2s, or perhaps a rumored V-3, a missile with the range to hit targets in the eastern US? The Germans were striving to develop nuclear weapons, though progress in that area was not known. At any rate, the possibility of an operational V-2, or perhaps a nuclear-armed V-3, was not a threat to be taken lightly. These mysterious, heavily defended sites were attacked at night by the Royal Air Force, using 12,000-pound Tall-boy bombs, and during the day, by Eighth Air Force. Damage was minimal. A solution had to be found.



It was concluded that the most vulnerable element of the structures was their steel doors, which were virtually immune to damage by high-altitude bombing. Tactical fighters coming in at low altitude did not have the punch to do the job. Gen. Carl A. "Tooey" Spaatz and his scientific, technical, and operational advisors came up with a novel idea. Why not use war-weary B-17s as guided missiles? That would call for more than a few innovations.



The plan, labeled Project Aphrodite, was tested inconclusively at Air Proving Command in Florida. Essentially, the idea was that a completely stripped-down and explosive-laden B-17 with a crew of two--a pilot and an autopilot technician--would take off from a base in the UK. Once safely in the air, control of the B-17 would be turned over to a mother ship cruising at 20,000 feet, whose crew would fly it by radio signals fed into the B-17's autopilot. The B-17 crew would bail out over England. The mother ship then would fly the bomber, at an altitude of 200 to 400 feet, to the target and dive it into the steel doors. This, of course, was not an "any day" operation. Ceiling--and-visibility--unlimited weather was essential so that the mother ship's crew could follow the progress of its charge.

Crews for the 10 modified B-17s were volunteers from bomb groups of the Eighth Air Force 3d Division. Each B-17 had been stripped of everything but a pilot's seat and loaded with 22,000 pounds of RDX, the most powerful explosive available. The war-weary bombers were given new engines and beefed-up landing gear, since they would be about 5,000 pounds over designed gross weight. The boxes were connected and fused so the load would detonate simultaneously.



On Aug. 4, the weather was good enough to launch the first two B-17 flying bombs. The first to go was piloted by Lt. Fain Pool with autopilot technician SSgt. Philip Enterline. They had to enter and leave the aircraft through the navigator's escape hatch, the only entrance not sealed. After making sure the controls operated properly on radio signals, Enterline bailed out at 1,200 feet. Pool followed at a much lower altitude after he had armed the load. When he landed, several British civilians came up to inquire what had happened. Since Aphrodite was highly classified, he told them his plane was on fire, forcing him to use his parachute. Almost immediately they heard a terrific explosion, caused not by Pool's aircraft but by the second B-17 flying bomb.



Its elevator control had malfunctioned, causing the plane to stall and crash before the pilot, Lt. John Fisher, could get out. Pool's plane made it to the target under radio control but on its second pass was shot down by ground fire. The crews of two other modified B-17s that were launched that day survived, but neither reached its target.

Never wanting to be far behind the Air Force, the Navy adopted the Aphrodite technique, using its version of the B-24, but with two pilots who also were to bail out over England, while their aircraft was to proceed under radio control to submarine pens at Heligoland, Germany. The first pilot was Navy Lt. Joseph Kennedy, Jr., older brother of John F. Kennedy, 35th US President. His copilot was Lt. Bud Willy. While still over England, the aircraft exploded, killing both men.



No aircraft subsequently launched under Project Aphrodite or its Navy counterpart hit its target. As the Germans retreated in the weeks after D-Day, the large sites in France no longer were within their reach, and the project was abandoned. Despite its lack of success, Aphrodite was a daring, imaginative undertaking that might be considered a first, short step toward the development of American guided missiles. The crews that volunteered for these missions were stepping into an unprecedented, but dangerous, venture. For each of them, it was an act of exceptional valor.

By John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor
Thanks to Herbert F. Mellor, president of the McChord Air Museum Foundation, and to Lt. Col. Fain Pool, USAF (Ret.).
Published August 1997. Copyright © Air Force Magazine

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

German V-2 Rocket



The V2 rocket was the world's first ballistic missile. It was originally designated the A-4, as it was the fourth in a line of rocket developments, however, Joseph Goebbel's propaganda ministry renamed it Vergeltungswaffe 2 (Retaliation Weapon 2). It was naturally shortened to V-2.

Engineer Werner von Braun was the driving force in the development of the German ballistic missile program . He became the director of the German Rocket Development Center in Peenemunde. As an engineering student he was a member of the Verein fur Raumschiffahrt (Society for Space Travel) and was always interested in furthering the cause of rockets as a means of space travel.

At the request of the Reichswehr Ordnance Department, he began work on rockets in 1932 upon graduation from the Berlin Institute of Technology. The fledgling Reichswehr's interest in rocketry was to legally get around the restrictions on the number and size of artillery pieces laid out in the Treaty of Versailles following WWI. Rockets were not included as artillery pieces.


In May 1945, near Oberjoch the VfR (the rocket team that designed the V-2) surrendered to the Americans. At the time von Braun had a broken arm. In March he got into a car accident while driving from Leuchtenberg to Berlin when the driver fell asleep at the wheel and the car went off the road, down an embankment and onto a railroad track. The first attempt to set his arm was a failure and a month later they rebroke and set his arm in Sothofen, 14 km. from Haus Ingerug at Oberjoch (the place they surrendered). They came to Fort Bliss, Texas in 1945 and then went to White Sands, New Mexico in 1946 where he would stay until 1950.

Unlike the V-1 developed by the Luftwaffe, which flew low, and slow enough to be intercepted by fast aircraft, the V-2 was a true, guided, ballistic missile, rising into the stratosphere before plunging down to the target. The only warning of an approaching V-2 was the double boom as it broke the sound barrier shortly before impact. There was no defense against the V-2, so the English went after the launching sites. They did this very effectively in the Pas de Calais so that only mobile V2s could be launched. None of these systems were ever successfully attacked.



The U.S. War Department was very interested in this new weapon. After the army occupied the Peenemunde base, all the remaining V-2s were shipped back to the United States, along with many of the German scientists and engineers. About 500 German rocket specialists were used in "Operation Paperclip" for this purpose, including Wernher von Braun. The V-2 became the army's Redstone missile and it was the beginning of the United states Space Program. Von Braun became it's director..


Many people were suspicious and found it hard to believe that the scientists had transferred their loyalties from the Nazis to the USA as quickly as it seemed to be. The population gradually gained respect for the German scientists, much to the credit of von Braun, the charismatic leader who worked tirelessly to create goodwill within the community.

Technical Details

The V2 was an unmanned, guided, ballistic missile. It was guided by an advanced gyroscopic system that sent signals to aerodynamic steering tabs on the fins. It was generally inaccurate due to errors in aligning the rocket with it's target, premature shut-off of the motor and inconsistencies in electric current in the guidance system. It was propelled by an alcohol (a mixture of 75% ethyl alcohol and water), and liquid oxygen fuel. The two liquids were delivered to the thrust chamber by two rotary pumps, driven by a steam turbine.


This is the rocket engine which powered the remarkable V-2 "Vengeance Weapon" developed by Germany during WW II and fired aganst London, Antwerp, Liege, Brussels, Paris, and Luxembourg. Using liquid oxygen and alcohol as propellants, it produced a thrust of 56,000 lbs., giving the V-2 a maximum range of 220 miles, a ceiling of 55 miles, and a velocity of 3,500 mph. Approximately 6,500 V-2s were manufactured during 1944-45.

The steam turbine operated at 5,000 rpm on two auxiliary fuels, namely hydroperoxide (100 %) and calcium permanganate. This system generated about 55,000 lbs (27,000 to 30,000 Newton) of thrust. The motor typically burned for 60 seconds, pushing the rocket to around 4,400 ft/second. It rose to an altitude of 52 miles and had a range of 200 - 225 miles. The V2 carried a high explosive warhead weighing 2,000 lbs (1 ton) that was capable of flattening a large building. It was first fired operationally on Sept 7, 1944 against London, primarily as a propaganda exercise.



It's real claim to fame was as the progenitor of the rocket race that developed during the Cold War, and ultimately put men on the moon and probes that have left our solar system. It is a great tragedy that a great many people were sacrificed to do so.

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:
www.afa.org/magazine/valor/0897valor.asp
www.constable.ca/v2.htm

[snippy_about_it]

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[snippy_about_it]

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[SAMWolf]

Interesting thread Snippy.

Gather 'round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,
A man whose allegiance
Is ruled by expedience.
Call him a Nazi, he won't even frown,
"Ha, Nazi, Schmazi," says Wernher von Braun.

Don't say that he's hypocritical,
Say rather that he's apolitical.
"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That's not my department," says Wernher von Braun.

Some have harsh words for this man of renown,
But some think our attitude
Should be one of gratitude,
Like the widows and cripples in old London town,
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun.

You too may be a big hero,
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero.
"In German oder English I know how to count down,
Und I'm learning Chinese!" says Wernher von Braun.

[snippy_about_it]

Und I'm learning Chinese!" says Wernher von Braun.

LOL. What was the fella's name that did this Sam. I know it was on one of the cd's you brought for our cross country trip. He was good.

[SAMWolf]

Professor Tom Lehrer. I love his "black humor"

[Light Speed]

Thanks for the ping Snippy.

A Family member who flew on Lancaster Bombers ,lost his life during a bombing mission on the V2 pens at Wizernes.

24th June 1944

This third bombing raid on Wizernes took it's toll many of the Lancasters and Mosquito's were hit by flak, but still managed to release a qty of bombs, hitting both the launching tunnel and the rail line. However one aircraft DV403 letter KC- G Type Lancaster 1 was lost.

DV403 took off from Woodhall spa at 4.30pm armed with a Tallboy, it was hit by flak and crashed at Leulinghem

JOHN ANDREW EDWARD DFC Flight Lieutenant 51120 617 Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died on Saturday, 24th June 1944. Age 29. Additional Information: Son of Harold Westbrook Edward, and Harriet Emily Edward, of Willand, Devon. Cemetery: LEULINGHEM CHURCHYARD, Pas de Calais, France Grave Reference/ Panel Number: Grave 1. See below for Cemetery details

***SAMUEL ISHERWOOD Flight Sergeant 634050 Air Gnr. 617 Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died on Saturday, 24th June 1944. Age 22. Additional Information: Son of Lucy Williams; husband of Mary Alice Isherwood, of New Springs, Lancashire. Cemetery: LEULINGHEM CHURCHYARD, Pas de Calais, France Grave Reference/ Panel Number: Grave 2. See below for Cemetery details

LESLIE WILLIAM JOHN KING DFC Flying Officer 149660 Flt Engr. 617 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on Saturday, 24th June 1944. Age 30. Additional Information: Son of William and Emily Maria King, of Enstone, Oxfordshire. Cemetery: LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France Grave Reference/ Panel Number: Plot 3. Row C. Grave 4. See below for Cemetery details

THOMAS WILLARD PERCY PRICE Pilot Officer J/87215 Air Gnr. 617 (R.A.F.) Sqdn, Royal Canadian Air Force who died on Saturday, 24th June 1944. Commemorative Information Cemetery: LEULINGHEM CHURCHYARD, Pas de Calais, France Grave Reference/ Panel Number: Grave 3. See below for Cemetery details

JAMES IAN JOHNSTONE DFC Flying Officer. 617 sqdn, Royal Canadian air force who died in St Omer hospital. Cemetery: LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France Grave Reference/ Not available

**Samuel flew as navigator with the Gold Coast squadron prior to joing the Dambusters.
On D-day..his bomber formation dropped **Window..[Tin foil chards] to confuse German radar.

[Aeronaut]

Good Morning Snippy.

[Iris7]

Speaking of A-10 and V-4 type technology,

Several years ago there was a Freerepublic post on the WWII German nuclear weapons program. Made a lot of sense to me, a totally different technology than the Los Alamos uranium enrichment system. Really different.

Can't find the post though. The thing freaked me out, super dangerous to put on the net, erased my favorites entry. Possibly the thread was pulled, one hopes.

Anyway, the Germans were very close to having a nuclear weapon. The after war investigation was wrong when they said otherwise. The physicists were looking for an American style technology, which the Germans were not pursuing. the German project would not yield a lot, but maybe as much as the Hiroshima bomb. Dirty, dirty, dirty though.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

Received half an inch of rain yesterday. Had to unplug the computer several times due to lightning. Storms have moved out. It's chilly this morning.

[The Mayor]

Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. —Hebrews 12:28-29

Hold tightly to what is eternal and loosely to what is temporal.

[Johnny Gage]

Whenever I see a V-2 rocket I think of an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" where the rocket starts to launch, then falls back down and explodes.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Light Speed.

Best British Bomber of the war

[SAMWolf]

Morning Aeronaut. Nice Harrier graphic.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning to the Foxhole crew!

Very cool thread this morning, Snippy! I hope today finds you well!

[Colonel_Flagg]

Best British Bomber of the war

Which, the Lancaster notably excepted, wasn't saying a whole heck of a lot :) I think the Short Stirling was one of the ten ugliest airplanes ever designed.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Iris7. I've read that the Japanese were also looking into developing a bomb. Imagine the world today if Germany or Japan had developed the bomb first.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C. Seems there was a lot of nasty weather around the Country the last few days.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Mayor.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Johnny

I've seen a lot of video of failed V2 launches. They make big booms when they fall over or come back down.

[Aeronaut]

Nice Harrier graphic.

Hi Sam. Someone on another thread (I know, I know...) made it for me. Cool, huh?

[SAMWolf]

Morning Colonel Flagg.

It took the Brits a "few tries" to come up with a decent bomber. The Lanc could carry an incredible bomb load and was adapted to carry specialized bomb like the TallBoy that sank the Tirpitz and the Barnes Wallis skip bomb for the Dam Buster mission. it didi suffer from the same problem all Brit bombers had though, under gunned in defensive armament.

[SAMWolf]

Someone on another thread (I know, I know...) made it for me. Cool, huh?

LOL! Yep, it is a cool signature graphic.

[Valin]

On This Day in History


Birthdates which occurred on May 14:
1316 Charles IV king of Bohemia (1346-78)/emperor (1355-78)
1686 Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit Germany, inventor (thermometer)
1727 Thomas Gainsborough England, baptized, artist (The Blue Boy)
1798 Frantisek Palacky Czechoslovakia, historian
1830 George Pierce Doles Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1864
1836 James Patrick Major Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1877
1867 Kurt Eisner German premier of revolutionary Bavaria (1918-19)
1881 Ed Walsh pitcher, whose lifetime ERA of 1.82 is the lowest ever
1885 Otto Klemperer Breslau Germany, conductor/composer (Das Ziel)
1895 Lew Lehr Philadelphia PA, comedian
1895 Renato Lunelli composer
1897 Sidney Bechet US, jazz clarinetist/saxophonist/band leader
1906 Hastings Kamuzu Banda President of Malawi (1964-94)
1907 Mohammed Ayub Khan general/premier/President (Pakistan)
1909 Vladimir Alatortsev USSR, International Chess Master (1950)
1915 Harry Joseph Chick Daugherty trombonist (Spike Jones & City Slickers)
1919 Heloise columnist (Heloise & her helpful hints)
1919 Maarten Vrolijk Dutch socialist-democrat party minister (CRM 1965-66)
1922 Richard Deacon actor (Mel Cooley-Dick Van Dyke Show)
1923 Diane Arbus [Nemerov] New York NY, photographer (Vogue/Harper's Bazaar, Nudists)
1929 Vladimir Antoshin USSR, International Chess Grandmaster (1964)
1936 Bobby Darin [Walden Waldo Cassotto] Bronx NY, singer (Mack the Knife)
1937 Dick Howser shortstop (Kansas City A's), manager (Kansas City Royals)
1937 Eric Herfst Dutch cabaret performer/actor (Floris)
1937 Peter Frederic Williams composer
1939 M N Fathulin cosmonaut
1940 Chay Blyth English sailor (Alone in Order to the World)
1941 Nasim-ul-Ghani cricketer (Pakistan left-handed all-rounder 1958-73)
1943 Elizabeth Ray Marshall NC, congressman Wilbur Mills' lover
1943 Jack Bruce Lanarkshire Scotland, bassist (Cream-White Room)
1944 George Lucas Modesto CA, director (Star Wars, Indiana Jones)
1946 Robert Jarvik surgeon/inventor (Jarvik 7 artificial heart)
1948 Robert Zemeckis director (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future)
1952 David Byrne Dunbartin Scotand, rock guitarist/singer (Talking Heads-Psycho Killer)
1952 Donald R McMonagle Flint MI, Major USAF/astronaut (STS 39, 54, 66)
1957 William G Gregory Lockport NY, Major USAF/Astronaut (STS 67)
1964 James M Kelly Burlington IA, Captain USAF/astronaut
1964 Nancy Sorel actress (Generations, Black Foix)
1970 Natasha Ryan Los Angeles CA, actress (Amy-Ladies' Man)
1976 Terrance Cauthen Trenton NJ, lightweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-96)
1977 Cesarina Mejia Miss Dominican Republic Universe (1997)

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Deaths which occurred on May 14:
0347 Pachomius Egyptian monastery founder/abbot (Coenobieten), dies
0649 Theodore Greek Pope (642-49) (excommunicated by Paul II), dies
0964 John XII [Octavianus] Pope (955-64), dies
1565 Nicolaus von Amsdorf German reform theologist, dies
1610 Henry IV 1st Bourbon-king of France, murdered at 56
1643 Louis XIII king of France (1610-43), dies at 41
1726 Moshe Darshan Rabbi/author (Torat Ahsam), dies
1761 Thomas Simpson English mathematician (rule of Simpson), dies at 50
1864 William N Green Jr Union Brigadier-General, dies
1912 Frederik VIII King of Denmark (1906-12), dies at 68
1936 Samuel Pl'h Naber spy/librarian, dies at 71
1940 Emma Goldman US anarchists/feminist/author (Living My Life), dies
1968 Husband Edward Kimmel Rear Admiral (Pearl Harbor)dies at 86
1970 Billie Burke comedienne (Glinda-Wizard of Oz), dies at 84
1978 William Powell Lear inventor of Lear Jet, dies in Reno NV
1980 Hugh Griffith actor (Passover Plot, Ben Hur, Tom Jones), dies at 67
1982 Hugh Beaumont actor (Ward-Leave it to Beaver), dies at 73
1983 Miguel Aleman Valdes attorney/President of México (1946-52), dies at 80
1987 Rita Hayworth actress (Gilda), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 68
1991 Jiang Qing widow of Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung, commits suicide
1992 Lyle Alzado NFL defense linesman (Raiders), dies of cancer at 43
1993 William Randolph Hearst US newspaper magnate (Pulitzer), dies at 85
1997 Harry Blackstone Jr magician, dies of cancer at 62

1998 Frank [Francis Albert] Sinatra singer/actor/leader of the pack, dies from heart & kidney disease, bladder cancer, senility at 82

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 KING DONALD L.---MUSKEGON MI.
1966 RALSTON FRANK D. III---DENVER CO.
1967 ROLLINS DAVID J.---OAKLAND CA.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1967 SOUTHWICK CHARLES E.---FAIRBANKS AK.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1968 COTA ERNEST K.---SAN DIEGO CA.
1968 KARGER BARRY E.---PRATHER CA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 01/94]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0649 Theodore I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1004 Henry II the Saint crowned as king of Italy
1027 Robert II, the Vrome, names son Henry I, king of France
1264 Baron's War fought in England
1264 Battle at Lewes: Simon van Leicester beats English king Henry III
1590 Battle at Ivry: French king Henri IV beats Catholic League
1607 1st permanent English settlement in New World, Jamestown VA
1702 England & Netherlands declares war on France & Spain
1702 Swedish troops under King Charles XII occupy Warsaw
1767 British government disbands Americans import duty on tea
1787 Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draw up US constitution
1796 1st smallpox inoculation administered, by Edward Jenner
1800 Friedrich von Schiller's "Macbeth" premieres in Weimar
1804 Lewis & Clark set out from St Louis for the Pacific Coast
1811 Paraguay gains independence from Spain (National Day)
1842 1st edition of London Illustrated News
1853 Gail Borden patents his process for condensed milk
1862 Adolphe Nicole of Switzerland patents the chronograph
1863 Battle of Jackson MS
1864 Battle of Reseca GA -Atlanta- (2nd day)
1878 Vaseline is 1st sold (registered trademark for petroleum jelly)
1884 Anti-Monopoly party forms in the US
1885 11th Kentucky Derby: Babe Henderson aboard Joe Cotton wins in 2:37¼
1886 12th Kentucky Derby: Paul Duffy aboard Ben Ali wins in 2:36½
1888 14th Kentucky Derby: George Covington aboard MacBeth II wins in 2:38¼
1890 16th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Riley wins in 2:45
1896 Lowest US temperature in May recorded (-10ºF - Climax CO)
1897 The first public performance of Stars And Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa)
1904 1st Olympics in the US are held (St Louis)
1906 Flagpole at the White Sox ballpark breaks during pennant-raising
1908 1st passenger flight in an airplane
1913 Washington Senator Walter Johnson ends record scorless streak at 56 innings
1918 Indians' Stan Coveleski sets club record for most innings pitched (19)
1918 Sunday baseball is made legal in Washington DC
1919 Pope Benedictus XV publishes encyclical In hac tanta
1920 Giants inform Yankees that the lease allowing them to play in the Polo Grounds will not be renewed at end of 1920 season
1920 Washington Senator Walter Johnson wins his 300th game vs Detroit
1921 Florence Allen is 1st woman judge to sentence a man to death
1921 Mussolini's fascists obtains 29 parliament seats
1927 "Ain't She Sweet?" hits #1 on the pop singles chart by Ben Bernie
1927 53rd Kentucky Derby: Linus McAtee aboard Whiskery wins in 2:06
1932 "We Want Beer!" parade in New York
1935 Los Angeles' Griffith Planetarium opens, 3rd in US
1935 Plebiscite in the Philippines ratifies independence agreement
1940 Boston's Jimmie Foxx homerun goes over Comiskey Park's left field roof
1940 German breakthrough at Sedan
1940 Lord Beaverbrook appointed British minister of aircraft production
1940 Nazi bombs Rotterdam (600-900 dead), Netherlands surrender to Germany
1941 3,600 Parisian Jews arrested
1942 US Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is founded
1945 Kamikaze-Zero strikes US aircraft carrier Enterprise
1945 US offensive on Okinawa, Sugar Loaf conquered
1948 Israeli Radio Station Kol Yisrael's 1st broadcast
1948 Jordan's Arab League captures Atarot, north of Jerusalem
1948 PM David Ben-Gurion establishes State of Israel
1948 US grants Israel de facto recognition
1949 Truman signs bill establishing a rocket test range at Cape Canaveral
1950 Pittsburgh Johnny Hopp goes 6 for 6 including 2 homeruns
1951 Ernie Kovacs Show, TV Variety debut on NBC
1955 Warsaw Pact is signed by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland & Romania
1960 USSR launch 1st (unmanned) space capsule
1961 Bus with 1st group of Freedom Riders bombed & burned in Alabama
1963 Kuwait is 111th member of the United Nations
1965 2nd Chinese atom bomb explodes
1966 1st reported monitoring of pirate radio station WBBH (New Jersey)
1967 Mickey Mantle's 500th homerun off Oriole's Stu Miller
1968 Beatles announce formation of Apple Corp
1968 Czechoslovakian Government announces liberalizing reforms under Alexander Dubcek
1968 RAF-leader Andreas Baader sentenced to 3 years in West Berlin
1969 Abortion & contraception legalized in Canada
1969 Last Chevrolet Corvair built
1970 Cops kill 2 students in racial disturbance (Jackson State University, Mississippi)
1970 Harry A Blackmun appointed to the Supreme Court
1970 RAF-leader Andreas Baader freed after serving 2 years in West Berlin
1972 In Willie Mays 1st game as a New York Met his homer beats the San Fransisco Giants, 5-4
1973 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, last airs on NBC-TV
1973 Skylab launched, the 1st Space Station
1973 US Supreme court approves equal rights to females in military
1974 Symbionese Liberation Army destroyed in shoot-out, 6 killed
1975 US forces raid Cambodian island of Koh Tang to free Mayaguez ship
1976 Lowell Thomas ends 46 years as radio network reporter
1976 Oil tanker Urqui Ola explodes off Spanish coast
1980 Bucky Dent hits an inside the park homerun, Royals walk 14 Yankees including 5 with bases loaded, Yankees win 16-3
1980 Department of Health & Human Services begins operation
1986 Institute for War documents publishes Anne Franks complete diary
1986 Reggie Jackson hit his 537th homerun passing Mickey Mantle into 6th place
1987 Colt revolver (Peacemaker) of 1873 sells for $242,000
1988 1st non-pitcher (Jose Oquendo) in 20 years to get a decision in a baseball game, he & St Louis Cardinals lose to the Atlanta Braves 7-5 in 19 innings
1989 "Moonlighting", TV Crime Drama, last airs on ABC
1989 1st time since 1948 a player hit 6 consecutive doubles (Kirby Puckett Mn. Twins)
1989 Demonstration for democratic reforms in Beijing's Tiananmen square
1989 Final TV episode of "Family Ties" airs
1991 Robert M Gates becomes head of CIA
1991 Winnie Mandela sentenced to 6 years for complicity in kidnapping & beating of four youths, one of whom died, She is freed pending appeal
1991 World's Largest Burrito created at 1,126 lbs
1995 Dalai Lama proclaims 6-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima 11th reincarnation of Panchen Lama, Tibet's 2nd most senior spiritual leader
1997 Baseball's Exec Council suspends New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner
1998 Last episode of Seinfeld on NBC (commercials are $2 million for 30 seconds)
2000 "Million" Mom March

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Guinea : Guinea Democratic Party Anniversary
Liberia : Unification Day/Integration Day
Malawi : Kamuzu Day
Paraguay : Independence Day (1811)
Philippines : Carabao Festival/Constitution Day/Feast of St Isidro
US : Native American/Indian Day (Saturday)
Salvation Army Week (Day 5)
National Hamburger Week (Day 6)

National Guy Pride Month! (so scratch here it itches!)

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Religious Observances
Christian : St Matthias, apostle
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Boniface, martyr

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Religious History
1607 In Virginia, on the first Sunday after the arrival of the Jamestown Expedition, Anglican priest Robert Hunt, 39, held the first Anglican service in the New World. Named chaplain of the expedition to Jamestown, Hunt was also the first Anglican priest to come to America.
1932 Death of John Hughes, 59, Welsh rail official and church worker. During his life, Hughes composed a number of hymns, including CWM RHONDDA, to which the Church today still sings "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah."
1948 After nineteen centuries of enforced exile, the Jewish people regained their homeland when the State of Israel was formally proclaimed in Tel Aviv. On this same date, the U.S. became the first world nation to recognize the newly-refounded state of Israel.
1950 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'To believe is to act as though a thing were so. Merely saying a thing is so is no proof of my believing it.'
1974 In the Anglican Church in England, the Rev. F. Donald Coggan, 64, was named the 101st Archbishop of Canterbury by Queen Elizabeth II, succeeding former Archbishop Michael Ramsey.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Men. On the one hand, we'll never experience childbirth. On the other hand, we can open all our own jars."

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Actual Newspaper Headlines...
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

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Why did the Chicken cross the Road...
Gilligan:
The traffic started getting rough; the chicken had to cross. If not for the plumage of its peerless tail the chicken would be lost, the chicken would be lost.

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Fun things to do when driving...
Two words: Chicken suit.

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What The Company Really Means...
"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL:"
We have no quality control.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Morning, Sam!

I knew you'd have the goods on the Stirling :)

IIRC, the Lanc could also carry the 20,000-pound Grand Slam bomb too and was the only Allied plane that could. As for armament, quad guns in the tail were a good thing, but quad .30s weren't as cool as quad .50s would have been. Can you imagine shooting something like that while moving backwards?

I know the Lanc was the direct descendant of the Avro Manchester, which shows airframe development at its finest.

[Darksheare]

Heard it said somewhere that Von Braun wasn't very popular with the Nazi Hierarchy, and he didn't like them much either.
But that he was foremost interested in making a rocket that would eventually reach space.

[stand watie]

hi, snippy!

free dixie,sw

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone!
TGIF!

[SAMWolf]

Actual Newspaper Headlines...
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

IMHO if they did this more we'd have less violent juvenile offenders, at best we'd have less older ones.

[SAMWolf]

The Manchester looked like a two engine version of the Lanc. The quad turret was cool but the guns weren't powerful enough.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Darksheare.

That's what I heard too, he didn't care about politics, he'd work for anyone who would fund his work.

[SAMWolf]

Morning stand watie.

Free Dixie.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Feather.

[stand watie]

GM, Sam!

FRee dixie,sw

[Valin]

As I recall the AAF mounted a 105 in the nose of a B-25 and when it was fired the plane stopped.

[Johnny Gage]

Just found this on another thread.. Piss on You Ted Rall.

Here's the real truth:

[SAMWolf]

Good one Johnny. Screw people like Ted Rall.

[Johnny Gage]

1989 1st time since 1948 a player hit 6 consecutive doubles (Kirby Puckett Mn. Twins)

(in my best "Bob Casey" voice)
At the plate.. Number 34.. Kiiirrrrrrrrrrrbyyy Puckett

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you Light Speed for sharing this with us about one of your relatives. It is always sad to see how young these men were when they gave their lives for the free world.

It's good to see you in the Foxhole. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut. Cool graphic.

[Johnny Gage]

Air Power
Short S.29 Stirling Mk III

Air Ministry Specification B.12/36 called for the design and development of a strategic four-engined heavy bomber that could quickly is placed into production, giving the RAF Bomber Command a high-speed aircraft capable of delivering a large bombload at long ranges. It was to be crewed by seven or eight men with defensive armament consisting of multi-gunned nose, ventral and tail turrets. The initial maximum take-off weight had to be between 48,000 lbs (21769 kg) and 53,000 lbs (24036 kg), but with the capability of that figure being increased to around 65,000 lbs (29478 kg). The weapons bays also had to be compatible with all standard RAF bomb ordnance in use at that time. The specification also demanded that the aircraft be capable of lifting off a 500 ft (152.4 m) runway and is able to clear 50 ft (15.2 m) trees at the end, with the wingspan not exceeding 100 ft (30.48 m).

Several companies submitted their designs to the Air Ministry, these being Armstrong Whitworth, Short Brothers and Supermarine. The Armstrong Whitworth design was rejected, and both Short Brothers and Supermarine were asked to construct prototypes. Supermarine's Type 317 prototype was still under construction when the factory was bombed by the Luftwaffe early in the war. The factory and prototype were virtually destroyed, causing Supermarine to withdraw from the competition leaving only the Short Brothers design.

Short initially proposed a design that would give good high-altitude performance provided by a wing spanning 112 ft 0 in (34.14 m) and was to be powered by four Rolls Royce Goshawk engines. Provision was also made for a remote control turret in the lower portion of the rear fuselage. Short would incorporate the same structural and aerodynamic concepts they had used on the Short S.25 Sunderland (maritime reconnaissance flying boat). The RAF rejected this proposal based on the wingspan, demanding it to be made shorter so that the aircraft would fit in RAF aircraft hangers that had standard door openings of 100 ft (30.48 m). This requirement would severely restrict the Stirlings operational altitude. The Short design team had therefore to revise its concept with a wing of reduced span and greater chord, the resulting decrease in aspect ratio inevitably reducing high-altitude capability. Even though this meant a reduction of capabilities of the Stirling, the need for an aircraft of this type was so urgent, the Air Ministry was forced to continue with the project and ordered two prototypes designated Short S.29 Stirling. Production orders for the aircraft followed even before the prototypes flew.

To test the aerodynamics and controllability of the new type, the S.31 was designed as the half-scale prototype with a powerplant of four 90 hp (67 kW) Pobjoy Niagara III radial engines. The Short S.31 made its first flight on 19 September 1938 and revealed good overall handling characteristics. Short had originally decided on an incidence of 3° giving the best possible cruise performance, but the RAF asked that the incidence be increased to 6.5°, being more concerned with improving take-off performance than the cruising speed. In order to accommodate the RAF request for increased wing incidence a major re-design of the central fuselage would have normally be undertaken, but because of time restraints, Short decided on a "quick fix" by lengthening the main landing gear legs to give a higher ground angle.

At the end of 1938, this change was incorporated on the Short S.31 prototype. Other changes included the installation of four 115 hp (86 kW) Pobjoy Niagara IV radial engines. In order to address longitudinal control problems horn-balanced elevators were installed but these were soon replaced by a larger tailplane with conventional elevators.

The construction of two Short S.29 prototypes started in 1939 and the first prototype (L7600) was flown for the first time on 14 May 1939 powered by four 1,375 hp (1025 kW) Bristol Hercules II engines. It would also be its last flight, as on landing one of the wheel brakes seized causing one of the landing gear legs to shear off slamming the aircraft into the ground. Damage was so extensive, the aircraft was written off. The failure was traced to the light alloy undercarriage back arch braces which were replaced on succeeding aircraft by stronger tubular steel units. The main landing gear units on the second prototype (K7605) were redesigned, with this aircraft first flying on 3 December 1939. During the spring of 1940, the prototype spent four months undergoing service tests at Boscombe Down. Main production had already started by this time, with the first Short S.29 Stirling Mk I flying on 7 May 1940 powered by four 1,595 hp (1189 kW) Hercules XI radial engines. The revised landing gear would later give the aircraft a tendency to swing violently unless handled carefully during take-off and landing.

Initial deliveries began in August 1940 to No. 7 Squadron based at Leeming, replacing their Handley Page Hampdens. The Stirling was used operationally for the first time on the night of 10/11 February 1941, when three aircraft from No.7 Squadron attacked oil storage tanks at Rotterdam. The Stirling was thus the RAF's first four-engined monoplane bomber into service, the first to be used operationally in World War II, and also the first to be withdrawn from the bomber role after a final operational sortie on 8 September 1944. This occurred when there were adequate supplies of the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax bombers for Bomber Command requirements, for the Stirling had an inadequate operational ceiling and could not carry the larger high-explosive bombs that had been introduced by that time. Total production of bomber versions then amounted to 1,759 aircraft, comprising of the Stirling Mk I (712) and Stirling Mk III (1,047) aircraft. The designation Stirling Mk II was allocated to a planned production version to be built in Canada with 1,600 hp (1193 kW) Wright R-2600-A5B Cyclone radial engines, but this was cancelled after only two prototypes were produced by converting two Mk I aircraft.

As 1942 progressed, No. 7 squadron (with its Stirling's) and other Bomber Command squadrons were transferred to form the nucleus of the newly formed No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group. By the end of the year, the new Mk.III Stirling's, equipped with 1,675 hp Bristol Hercules XVI engines and a new dorsal turret design, were entering service and slowly replacing the Mk I's.

By late 1943, German flak defenses were inflicting serious losses to the Stirlings, mostly due to its low ceiling caused by its restricted wing span. It was soon evident that such losses could not continue and Air Marshal Harris, was forced to withdraw the aircraft from operations. By early 1944, as supplies of the Avro Lancaster became available, most of the Stirling squadron's began to re-equipped with this type. Although, it would not be until September 8, 1944 that No. 149 squadron, flew last operation Stirling sorties against Le Havre.

The Stirling never lived up to it potential as a great bomber (in no small part to the RAF Bomber Commands requirement changes) but it a proved very popular aircraft with its crews, who dubbed it the "fighter bomber" due to its excellent maneuverability and rugged construction. On one occasion four German night fighters attacked a Stirling from No. 218 Squadron on a night raid in 1942. Maneuvering for its life, the Stirling managed to shoot down three of the attackers before returning to base safely, although a little battered. As a result of its high wing loading, the Stirling had a high roll rate and was maneuverable enough to out-turn the Junkers Ju 88 and Bf 110 night fighters.

From early 1944 the Stirling's primary role changed to that of glider tug and transport. For the former role two Stirling Mk IIIs were converted as prototypes, losing their nose and dorsal gun turrets, retaining the tail turret and gaining glider towing equipment to become designated Stirling Mk IV. They proved efficient in this new role, towing one General Aircraft Hamilcar or two Airspeed Horsas for assault and up to five General Aircraft Hotspurs on a ferry flight or for training. The Stirling Mk IV also saw service With No. 100 (Bomber Support) Group, carrying out Electronic Counter Measure (ECM) sorties. They also took part in the D-Day operations in Normandy, in the airborne operations at Arnhem and the March 1945 crossing of the Rhine. Production of the Stirling IV totaled 549.

The Stirling Mk V transport was the last version of the aircraft built for RAF Transport Command. This was configured to carry 40 troops, or 20 fully equipped paratroops, or 12 stretchers and 14 seated casualties. It could be used also for loads such as two jeeps with trailers, or a jeep with a field gun, trailer and ammunition. The Mk Vs were the last Stirlings in service, being gradually replaced by the Avro York, with the last of them withdrawn from use in 1946. Production on Belfast built Mk V totalled 160 aircraft. During 1947 Airtech Limited of Thame, Oxon, converted 12 Stirling Mk Vs for use by a Belgian civil operator under the name Silver Stirling.

Official service figures credit the Stirling with 18,440 sorties flown in which 27,821 tons (28268 tonnes) of bombs were dropped and 20,000 mines were laid, for the loss of 769 aircraft.

Specifications:
Contractor: Short Brothers
Primary function: Heavy bomber
Power plant: Four 14cylinder Bristol Hercules XVI radial engines with 1,650 HP each
Crew: 7-8
First flight: 5/14/1939 (Happy Birthday!)
Date deployed: May 1940
Number built: 2,375 (incl. Mk.V)

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 99.1 ft
Length: 87.3 ft
Height: 22.8 ft
Wingarea: 1,460 sq ft
Weight: Empty 46,900 lbs / Max. 70,000 lbs

Performance:
Speed: 270 mph 435 km/h
Initial climb rate: 800 ft/min 244 m/min
Ceiling: 17,000 ft 5,182 m
Range: 2,010 mi 3,235 km

Armaments:
Guns:
2 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning trainable forward-firing machine-guns in the power-operated Frazer-Nash F.N.5 nose turret.
2 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning trainable machine-guns in the power-operated Frazer-Nash F.N.50 (Boulton-Paul) dorsal turret.
4 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning trainable rearward-firing machine-guns in the power-operated Frazer-Nash F.N.20A tail turret.
Payload:
Disposable stores were carried in a lower fuselage weapons bay rated at 11,000 lbs (4989 kg) and in 6 wing cells each rated at 500 lbs (227 kg). Normal loadout usually consisted of 2,000 lbs (907 kg) armour-piercing bombs and/or 500 lbs (227 kg) general-purpose high explosive bombs. The main bomb-bay in the fuselage is formed of two main longitudinal girders with arched members to the main floor. The bay is 42 ft 7 in (13.0 m) long and fitted with six hinged doors. Internal stowage for bombs is also provided in the centre-section inboard of the inner engine nacelles. A bomb overload of up to 25,500 lbs (11567 kg) was possible but it reduced the range considerably.

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All information and photos Copyright of The Flightline and Military.CZ

[Colonel_Flagg]

LOL .. did it go into reverse on the second firing?

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Iris7.

That should make us worry what could be out there today in the hands of our fanatical enemies.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC. Lots of storms yesterday, except here. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor. Cloudy this moring. Looks like we may have light rain for the weekend.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. That was a funny series.

[Darksheare]

He grated about 'military oversight' on his projects during the war, the 'oversight comittee' had a habit of hindering his research.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Johnny.

[SAMWolf]

Darn those "oversight comittees"!!

[Darksheare]

Oversight comittees, the bane of the overseen.