Buff bombing at 50 feet!

[SD67]

Just watching a piece on the history channel where B24 liberators flew a 3 hour long raid to bomb at an altitude of 50 feet!
The much vaunted Ploesti raid. The losses were brutal the defences were badly underestimated and they had major navigation problems due to the loss of the mission navigator.

[DrDea]

 That was 1 flight in how many?In AH its more like the at alt bombing is the fluke

[Krusty]

From what I recall (previous threads) they flew in at 50 feet then climbed up to 100+ feet at the last second to drop their payloads (to clear buildings, smokestacks, whatnot)

[Rino]

     The part I loved about the Tidal Wave attack was when one bomb group made a nav
error then turned back to get to the refineries.  The German CO on the ground watched the
waves of bombers seemingly coming in from all directions and marvelled at the precision
attacks by the Americans.  In truth it was a mongolian charlie foxtrot with everybody
trying to hit their targets while dodging ack and friendlies.

     Perspective is an amazing thing. 

[whiteman]

     The part I loved about the Tidal Wave attack was when one bomb group made a nav
error then turned back to get to the refineries.  The German CO on the ground watched the
waves of bombers seemingly coming in from all directions and marvelled at the precision
attacks by the Americans.  In truth it was a mongolian charlie foxtrot with everybody
trying to hit their targets while dodging ack and friendlies.

     Perspective is an amazing thing. 

LOL, my grandpa always got a laugh out of that story.

[Pyro]

The German CO on the ground watched the
waves of bombers seemingly coming in from all directions and marvelled at the precision
attacks by the Americans. 

No, I'm pretty sure he out there yelling "They can't do that, it's not historical!" and then left in a huff.

[BaldEagl]

Just watching a piece on the history channel where B24 liberators flew a 3 hour long raid to bomb at an altitude of 50 feet!
The much vaunted Ploesti raid. The losses were brutal the defences were badly underestimated and they had major navigation problems due to the loss of the mission navigator.

50'?  Some of those planes came back with sod stuck to them.

[Urthona]

That was 1 flight in how many?In AH its more like the at alt bombing is the fluke

A lot of things are done in AH that were not typical in actual combat.  Low altitude bombing is just one example.  The rules are different when you don't have to worry about actual death or attrition and when the distance to target is short.  I wonder what percentage of WWII fighter sorties turned into on the deck furballs?  

[SWrokit]

Go here http://www.456thbombgroup.org/missions.html   for more info and pics.

<S>

[hubsonfire]

I have it on good authority that the Ploesti bombers were actually between 4,000 and 14,000 feet. The claims of flying at 50 feet are patently absurd.

[JB73]

My best friend’s grandfather was on the Polesti raid. Arthur Peterleus <spelling?? I can’t remember I have all the information saved at home.>

Before he passed I got to talk to him a lot. It really choked him up so I didn't pry at all. About 75% of the entire mission was lost on that raid. he watched best friends in planes nest to him burst into flames and burn to death, or slam into the ground from 300 feet at 200 MPH. He said the fireballs from the explosions would go up higher than the planes, and they had to weave or fly between them.

On the way home the pilot put the nose down from about 1000 feet to tree top level and full power to try and get away. I don't remember where but I thought he said Crete or Cyprus or something they had to land at because they were out of fuel and couldn't make it all the way to the base in Africa. On the ground they took turns passing along and filling the tanks with 5 gallon gas cans until they had enough to get home.

He flew in over 30 missions that he could recall, and most of them were about 12,000 to 15,000 feet he said, all in 2 different B24’s the main one being “Blondes Away”. There were a few B24’s named that and I did find his one time, but can’t anymore. I have the picture of the crew at home, and when I found it printed it out and laminated it he teared up a bit seeing it.

I also got to help preserve all his paperwork, his flight training card, his plane identification report card, a USO news paper with his picture in it, a whole bunch of stuff.

He said that mission was the dumbest they ever did.

[Krusty]

50'?  Some of those planes came back with sod stuck to them.

*cough*bs*cough*

I asked for 1 photo of grass streaks, and apparently none exist. And sod is not grass, there's a difference. Sod includes dirt and the material the grass grows in.

[hubsonfire]

Dirt is the material the grass grows in.

[Krusty]

in a simple world, yes. Okay, call it all "dirt" -- still not part of the "tall tales" where grass blades apparently stuck to antenna on the B-24Ds, not "sod" (not counting the fact there WERE no antennas under the B-24D nose to catch grass upon...)

[blkmgc]

No, I'm pretty sure he out there yelling "They can't do that, it's not historical!" and then left in a huff.

Heh heh. I was wondering if they ran to the forums and started a fuss after.