Leading the raid was Joachim Helbig, at this time Kommandeur I/LG 1 (Ju 88), who already held the Ritterkreuz with Eichenlaub, and who, a little more than one month earlier, had led attacks on the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean which had all but sunk her, putting her out of the war for eighteen months. Malta was at this time defended by anti-aircraft guns and a handful of RAF Hurricanes, and was not yet the hornet’s nest it later became. A holder of the Ritterkreuz, he was now Kommandeur III/KG 30, and was destined to go on to still greater things. A Junkers Ju 88 pilot, he had flown the He 111 against Poland and Norway with KG 4, then the Ju 88 against France and England. This was the first sortie by Hans-Joachim (Hajo) Herrmann against Malta in February 1941. I could see my target clearly … I pressed the bomb release. The alarm klaxon blared out: that meant that I was 800 metres above the ground. Our turn now! I held my aim down to the smallest ring of light in my sight. Almost as if they were rocket-propelled, the staff aircraft, pulling out of their dive, swept out from the target, so that in a flash I could see the imperial crosses on the upper surfaces of their wings. Press on! …Īt last! Ahead and below me there was movement in the formation. The Staff Flight aircraft were racing down ahead of me but seemed to be poised, motionless, over the target area, their wings like narrow lines, as if on an aerial photograph. I was right behind Helbig in the vic of the Staff Flight. Out of the comer of my eye I watched my wing men. No waverers! A second later I lowered my dive brakes, put the nose down, and throttled right back. The light blue underbellies of all the aircraft showed simultaneously. We were not going to make it! Then Helbig’s aircraft tilted down, and the entire Staff Flight went with him. Through the glass of the cockpit I could see the airfield at Luqa steep below me.
Flashes appeared from all over the island. There were hundreds of guns firing at us, as if they’d been brought here from the entire Empire to guard the artery of world power. He outlines the Luftwaffe's revolutionary tactics, first tested during the Spanish Civil War, and highlights individual techniques and methods used against specific types of target.Biographical sketches of the leading bombers many of whom were awarded the Knight's Cross allow an insight into the diverse career and backgrounds of Luftwaffe personnel and outline just what it took to be a successful bomber pilot.First-hand accounts add gripping drama to the narrative, and give an unsurpassed appreciation of just what it was like to dive-bomb, come under attack by fighters or brave a barrage of anti-aircraft guns. Whether flying in support of panzer columns during the invasion of Poland and the destruction of France, deployed against British airfields and cities, sent against Soviet tanks, or thrown into the defence of the Reich, Germany's bomber and dive-bomber pilots wrought havoc across the face of Europe during the Second World War.Mike Spike, author of a number of acclaimed books on fighter pilots, now turns his attention to outstanding ground-attack pilots. Not sure which size to get? Use our "Find my Fit" widget for instant size recommendations.The Luftwaffe excelled at ground attack and in doing so helped revolutionised modern warfare. Made for those who honor heritage, this men's brown leather flight jacket is an iconic piece to own for years to come.
BOMBER CREW ACES PATCH
Proudly Made in The USA our 'Aces and Eights' Heavy-Duty mahogany brown Leather Flying Jacket is created from mahogany brown horsehide leather featuring a front chest patch and a screen printed Aces & Eights nose art design on its back. Their sacrifice and legacy will not be forgotten and we do so by honoring it’s heroes through our latest addition. Sadly the “Aces & Eights” was lost along with its crew during a training flight in England on May 1944. It’s crew flew over 30 combat missions with the 527th BS and contributing to the 379th Bomb Group’s record as the most successful bomb group in the Eighth Air Force by wars end. Commemorating their bravery and sacrifice during WWII, the “Aces & Eights” was assigned to the 379th Bomb Group, 527th Bomb Squadron, and 8th Air Force stationed at the Royal Air Force Kimbolton Air Field in Cambridgeshire, England.
The Cockpit USA Aces & Eights A-2 Flight Jacket is a tribute to the crew of the Boeing B-17G aka “Aces & Eights”.
0 kommentar(er)
