Battle of Britain II

[saantana]

One of the documentaries I watched stated that initially a lot of the instrumentation panel for the spitfire was actually american, and a lot of the tools used to manufacture parts in britain were also US made and being imported after the war broke out.
I'm not going to look for the sources as I really do not feel its necessary to back this up. To me it really doesn't make a difference. I'm glad the Brits and Poles, and the Czech's and many others kicked German arse. Otherwise I would be speaking their horrid language.
We don't want that, do we? 

[Masherbrum]

One of the documentaries I watched stated that initially a lot of the instrumentation panel for the spitfire was actually american, and a lot of the tools used to manufacture parts in britain were also US made and being imported after the war broke out.
I'm not going to look for the sources as I really do not feel its necessary to back this up. To me it really doesn't make a difference. I'm glad the Brits and Poles, and the Czech's and many others kicked German arse. Otherwise I would be speaking their horrid language.
We don't want that, do we? 

The Poles smuggled the Enigma machine out in pieces.   Shhhh, let's not forget about the Poles being ignored in another BoB thread.   I count about 7 times in 6 years.   

[CAP1]

The Poles smuggled the Enigma machine out in pieces.   Shhhh, let's not forget about the Poles being ignored in another BoB thread.   I count about 7 times in 6 years.   

nonono...look back a few pages..they were mentioned i think. they got honors for being hard to understand on the radio

[Masherbrum]

The popcorn quote was for another one.
As for the BoB and the Hurricane, well it was performancevise inferior to both the Spit and the 109. But it was more numerous, quite rugged, and a good gun platform, and the RAF used it as such.
If possible, the Spitfires were to deal with the escorts, - the more deadly deal.
The Spitfire did indeed get the "flash", but it served well, and was to become the absolute backbone of fighter command.

Take the Kosciuszko Squadron.   In the 6 weeks of the BoB, they racked up 127 victories, the most of ANY RAF squadron in the BoB.   They lost 17 Hurricanes.  

The Hurricane was all they needed.  


spokojny, pewny przywódca.

[Kazan_HB]

Take the Kosciuszko Squadron.   In the 6 weeks of the BoB, they racked up 127 victories, the most of ANY RAF squadron in the BoB.   They lost 17 Hurricanes.   

The Hurricane was all they needed.   


spokojny, pewny przywódca.
(Image removed from quote.)

Impressive knowledge about the history of the Polish Air Force!

Who are you Karaya?

[Masherbrum]

Impressive knowledge about the history of the Polish Air Force!

Who are you Karaya?

Someone who is part Polish in ancestry and doesn't know much.   

[saantana]

In conclusion,
It's not so much a question of whether BoB would have been lost without American help, it's more of a question would they have one was it not for the foreign pilots who made up a vast part of their air force, who were fighting for your British freedom, and their own.
I think not.
I'm also of the school of thinking that given only hurricanes, the collective hatred of the enemy and determination of members of the RAF, the LW would have been beaten anyway. I do not think the will of the British people would have been broken, not until the germans would have been marching in their tens of thousands through the streets of London.

[Angus]

Call me silly, but I'd much rather have a combo of Spitfires and Hurricanes than just Hurricanes.
BTW what Polish squadron was this? 303? 127LW vs 17 Hurricanes is to say no less, quite embarassing for the LW 
BTW Gunther Rall was a BoB pilot, or pre-eagleday actually. His squadron was pulled out after only a week of fighting due to heavy losses. I wonder who the opponents were, the only thing I know is that they were Spitfires and they knew the ropes...

[Furball]

In conclusion,
It's not so much a question of whether BoB would have been lost without American help, it's more of a question would they have one was it not for the foreign pilots who made up a vast part of their air force, who were fighting for your British freedom, and their own.
I think not.
I'm also of the school of thinking that given only hurricanes, the collective hatred of the enemy and determination of members of the RAF, the LW would have been beaten anyway. I do not think the will of the British people would have been broken, not until the germans would have been marching in their tens of thousands through the streets of London.

Vast?  It was a greatly needed and welcome contribution, but the vast majority were British.  This is from the Battle of Britain Historical Society: -

This "Roll of Honour" contains the 2,936 names of all those aircrew that served with RAF Fighter Command between the dates of July 10th and October 31st 1940, the official period known as the Battle of Britain. Each one of those 2,936 British and Allied airmen were awarded the Battle of Britain clasp for having flown at least one authorised sortie with an accredited unit of RAF Fighter Command.

Great Britain - 2,340
Australia - 32
Barbados - 1
Belgium - 28
Canada - 112
Czechoslovakia - 89
France - 13
Ireland - 10
Jamaica - 1
Newfoundland - 1
New Zealand - 127
Poland - 145
Rhodesia - 3
South Africa - 25
United States - 9

The Polish brought with them experience which was really needed.  I think it is a shame that the Canadian and ANZAC contributions are so often overlooked.

[Obie303]

Someone who is part Polish in ancestry and doesn't know much.   

 

(BTW, the picture of the Polish Pilot is Witold Urbanowicz.  One of the few pilots to fly with 4 air forces in WWII.  The Polish, French, British, and American.  Urbanowicz also flew against the Japanese with the Flying Tigers.  He has two Japanese kills to his credit)

I don't know that much either. 

[Angus]

A 20 kill ace! Very impressive!

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

Witold Urbanowicz 

Talk about a man fighting for freedom, no matter what armed force he had to join.

[Angus]

Hehe, his first victim was a Russian, in 1939.
It was a pleasure to get to know about him. I knew that Skalsky had quite a go, but this one was unknown to me. Anything more on him?

[CAP1]

Hehe, his first victim was a Russian, in 1939.
It was a pleasure to get to know about him. I knew that Skalsky had quite a go, but this one was unknown to me. Anything more on him?

ya know what i just found? check this link out about douglas bader. i had forgotten, but i read his book when i was a kid......impressive man......http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/bader/bader.htm

[CAP1]

Hehe, his first victim was a Russian, in 1939.
It was a pleasure to get to know about him. I knew that Skalsky had quite a go, but this one was unknown to me. Anything more on him?

hey..now a question...pure curiouosity.......we all know germany's top ace was eric hartmann(352 kills i think?), and the usa's top ace was richard bong(40 kills)

who was great britain's top ace? or any of the other countries in ww2?

should i duck since this is sorta kinda a hijack?