Re: Heaven. 1944.
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:26 am
Mark and Chris are both right.
The 3 inch rocket with 60lb head was not an accurate weapon and was largely innefective against armoured targets.
In a post Falaise survey the RAF Operational Research branch came to that conclusion, plus that the 20mm Cannon was more effective against practically every target in one way or another.
Against soft skinned targets it was extremely effective as one would expect and caused innumerable blockages for all other transport, including tracked vehicles. Against armoured targets they were not effective at destroying the target but caused superficial damage to structure and crew by 'spalling'.ie bits of metal being knocked off the inside.
A variety of heads were used in the Hispano 20mm Cannon, Ball, HE, HE(Iinceniary), and Armour piercing for example,. As for the Rockets, survivors tended towards the demoralising effect of an aircraft launching the equivalent of a 6 inch Cruiser launching a broad side at them as a contributing factor for them to abandon their vehicles and walk rather than attracting attention and further attacks.
The whole debacle at Falaise for the Germans was down to a number of contributing factors that possibly could have been avoided.
First was Adolf's refusal to allow his commanders in the field to withdraw in an orderly fashion, if he had then the German army might well have been able to 'fight another day
Seond was the British and coomonwealth armies striking from the North with the American Armies coming up from the south.
Third, and decisive in the destruction was allied air superiority.
Fourth, and possibly the lesser, the reliability of the German tanks themselves. Prone to breakdown they woulkd inevitably have created their own traffic congestion. rather like the M25 at peack times from the M3 to the M40.
Possibly the most effective use of the Typhoon was a carry over by Air Vice Marshal Teddet from his Desert Days, the use of the 'Cab Rank' system whereby armed Typhoon Tempest and Spitfires would take off with rockets and bombs and fly in a particular area in a race-rack pattern. An RAF ground Controller with the leading sections of the Army that met resistance would call down the waiting aircraft to bomb and rocket the defenders.
The 3 inch rocket with 60lb head was not an accurate weapon and was largely innefective against armoured targets.
In a post Falaise survey the RAF Operational Research branch came to that conclusion, plus that the 20mm Cannon was more effective against practically every target in one way or another.
Against soft skinned targets it was extremely effective as one would expect and caused innumerable blockages for all other transport, including tracked vehicles. Against armoured targets they were not effective at destroying the target but caused superficial damage to structure and crew by 'spalling'.ie bits of metal being knocked off the inside.
A variety of heads were used in the Hispano 20mm Cannon, Ball, HE, HE(Iinceniary), and Armour piercing for example,. As for the Rockets, survivors tended towards the demoralising effect of an aircraft launching the equivalent of a 6 inch Cruiser launching a broad side at them as a contributing factor for them to abandon their vehicles and walk rather than attracting attention and further attacks.
The whole debacle at Falaise for the Germans was down to a number of contributing factors that possibly could have been avoided.
First was Adolf's refusal to allow his commanders in the field to withdraw in an orderly fashion, if he had then the German army might well have been able to 'fight another day
Seond was the British and coomonwealth armies striking from the North with the American Armies coming up from the south.
Third, and decisive in the destruction was allied air superiority.
Fourth, and possibly the lesser, the reliability of the German tanks themselves. Prone to breakdown they woulkd inevitably have created their own traffic congestion. rather like the M25 at peack times from the M3 to the M40.
Possibly the most effective use of the Typhoon was a carry over by Air Vice Marshal Teddet from his Desert Days, the use of the 'Cab Rank' system whereby armed Typhoon Tempest and Spitfires would take off with rockets and bombs and fly in a particular area in a race-rack pattern. An RAF ground Controller with the leading sections of the Army that met resistance would call down the waiting aircraft to bomb and rocket the defenders.
