Comments on: The Dam Busters http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:12:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Don http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8911 Don Sun, 20 May 2007 04:58:38 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8911 Blogengeezer, In 1944, my Fourth Grade teacher in Atlanta Georgia, Mrs. Herring, brought her deceased husband's Purple Heart Medal for our class to see. I have never forgotten that, even as I learned from her of the British debtor settlers at Savannah's Yamacraw Bluffs, under James Oglethorpe, and of their good relations with indian Chief Tomochichi. My aunt, now in her 90's, with Alzheimers, gave up her teaching job to become an air-traffic controller in 1942. A brave McNeil lass from Scotland's Barra. We lived in Stratford Connecticut, as my father worked at General Electric at Bridgeport. They installed new radars on shot-up ships at the Brooklyn Naval Yard. We could see Long Island Sound from our dining room window, and pulled the drapes to prevent the patrolling German U-boats from getting a navagational fix. I was a boy, but I remember WWII. It was part of my life, and I cannot undo it. My God we admired the British and the punishment they took and their heroism and stoicism. But now is a different world, with more feckless people who have fogotten the '40s. They will pay dearly. We are glad that we are old. Thank goodness for Barnes Wallace and Guy Gibson. And many more. Blogengeezer,
In 1944, my Fourth Grade teacher in Atlanta Georgia, Mrs. Herring, brought her deceased husband’s Purple Heart Medal for our class to see. I have never forgotten that, even as I learned from her of the British debtor settlers at Savannah’s Yamacraw Bluffs, under James Oglethorpe, and of their good relations with indian Chief Tomochichi.
My aunt, now in her 90′s, with Alzheimers, gave up her teaching job to become an air-traffic controller in 1942. A brave McNeil lass from Scotland’s Barra.
We lived in Stratford Connecticut, as my father worked at General Electric at Bridgeport. They installed new radars on shot-up ships at the Brooklyn Naval Yard. We could see Long Island Sound from our dining room window, and pulled the drapes to prevent the patrolling German U-boats from getting a navagational fix.
I was a boy, but I remember WWII. It was part of my life, and I cannot undo it. My God we admired the British and the punishment they took and their heroism and stoicism.
But now is a different world, with more feckless people who have fogotten the ’40s.
They will pay dearly. We are glad that we are old.
Thank goodness for Barnes Wallace and Guy Gibson. And many more.

]]> By: Wolverine http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8910 Wolverine Sun, 20 May 2007 04:22:40 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8910 I have walked across the dam at the Eder See, one of the targets in Operation Chastise, several times while visiting Germany. War is hell. Let us remember the airmen who died that night, as well as the hundreds of Allied POWs that died in the flood unleashed by the breached dam. I have walked across the dam at the Eder See, one of the targets in Operation Chastise, several times while visiting Germany. War is hell. Let us remember the airmen who died that night, as well as the hundreds of Allied POWs that died in the flood unleashed by the breached dam.

]]> By: Blogengeezer http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8909 Blogengeezer Sat, 19 May 2007 03:32:21 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8909 Excellent story. I was thinking of my English teacher in HS. A pert pretty little lady, who's husband, a fighter pilot, was shot down and killed over Europe during WWII. She became a 'Bomber Ferry Pilot' so that they could see each other at times. Her son, my classmate, is buried at Arlington. The family tradition of 'the Greatest Generation'. http;//daflikkers.blogspot.com/ Excellent story. I was thinking of my English teacher in HS. A pert pretty little lady, who’s husband, a fighter pilot, was shot down and killed over Europe during WWII. She became a ‘Bomber Ferry Pilot’ so that they could see each other at times. Her son, my classmate, is buried at Arlington. The family tradition of ‘the Greatest Generation’. http;//daflikkers.blogspot.com/

]]> By: negentropy http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8908 negentropy Thu, 17 May 2007 13:20:50 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8908 "The Dam Busters" is the movie playing in the background through various scenes in "Pink Floyd The Wall". I'm wondering what Peter Jackson will change the dog's name to (or if he will at all, it would be nice if he wouldn't bow to PCness and presented the story historically correct.) - in the US it was changed to "Trigger". Nevertheless, a great story. “The Dam Busters” is the movie playing in the background through various scenes in “Pink Floyd The Wall”. I’m wondering what Peter Jackson will change the dog’s name to (or if he will at all, it would be nice if he wouldn’t bow to PCness and presented the story historically correct.) – in the US it was changed to “Trigger”.

Nevertheless, a great story.

]]> By: ajacksonian http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8907 ajacksonian Thu, 17 May 2007 12:09:41 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8907 Barnes Wallis was an extraordinary genius with explosives, bombs and aviation design. Not only the bouncing bomb for the Dams, but the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_boy" rel="nofollow">Tall Boy</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_bomb" rel="nofollow">Grand Slam</a> earthquake bombs which would go after targets impossible to get with the regular bombs of that pre-nuclear era. He would also be a strong proponent for jet aircraft designs, a thoroughly remarkable man. Let us never forget the few men with insight and vision to attempt to achieve the seemingly impossible. Many do fail, and we learn from those failures on how to move forward. And when success is found, we marvel at what it takes to do those things. May those who have died in such attempts rest in peace, as they have sought the better way to defend and protect the civilization we have now. Barnes Wallis was an extraordinary genius with explosives, bombs and aviation design. Not only the bouncing bomb for the Dams, but the Tall Boy and Grand Slam earthquake bombs which would go after targets impossible to get with the regular bombs of that pre-nuclear era. He would also be a strong proponent for jet aircraft designs, a thoroughly remarkable man.

Let us never forget the few men with insight and vision to attempt to achieve the seemingly impossible. Many do fail, and we learn from those failures on how to move forward. And when success is found, we marvel at what it takes to do those things.

May those who have died in such attempts rest in peace, as they have sought the better way to defend and protect the civilization we have now.

]]> By: Paul from Florida http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8906 Paul from Florida Thu, 17 May 2007 12:00:09 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8906 I remember reading that at the beginning of World War Two, many young men felt there were going to finish the last war, WWI, in which Imperial Germany only agreed to an Armistice. Wars are not finished until the cultural source, patterns and ingrained notions of the populations are destroyed. We haven't fought a war of victory and dominance since WWII, and we haven't won, or settled one since, although countless Americans have dutifully served and died for the limpness of now generations of soft, costal elite and smarmy political class. I remember reading that at the beginning of World War Two, many young men felt there were going to finish the last war, WWI, in which Imperial Germany only agreed to an Armistice.

Wars are not finished until the cultural source, patterns and ingrained notions of the populations are destroyed. We haven’t fought a war of victory and dominance since WWII, and we haven’t won, or settled one since, although countless Americans have dutifully served and died for the limpness of now generations of soft, costal elite and smarmy political class.

]]> By: austin http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8905 austin Thu, 17 May 2007 06:21:03 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8905 The Battle of the Bismarck sea on Mar 2, 1943 used skip bombing to destroy a Japanese resupply convoy and its crack destroyer division. This battle led to the loss of New Guinea for Japan. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bismarck_Sea" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bismarck_Sea</a> To get an idea of what this looked like check out the stunning photos at this link. <a href="http://www.grafixnpix.com/wwii/eshpdst.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://www.grafixnpix.com/wwii/eshpdst.jpg</a> <a href="http://www.grafixnpix.com/wwii/5thaafp2.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.grafixnpix.com/wwii/5thaafp2.htm</a> Some B25 pilots were credited with up to 12 ship kills in a year. Imagine flying at 250 knots just 200 feet off the surface with a dozen AA guns firing at you. As you fly over you drop a 1000 pound bomb which bounces along the ocean. When it hits the ship, it penetrates then detonates a few seconds later. Or you could be the strafer with up to 12 .50 cal machine guns in your nose and you do the same run to supress the AA defenses. There is ZERO room for error or recovery. The Battle of the Bismarck sea on Mar 2, 1943 used skip bombing to destroy a Japanese resupply convoy and its crack destroyer division. This battle led to the loss of New Guinea for Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bismarck_Sea

To get an idea of what this looked like check out the stunning photos at this link.

http://www.grafixnpix.com/wwii/eshpdst.jpg

http://www.grafixnpix.com/wwii/5thaafp2.htm

Some B25 pilots were credited with up to 12 ship kills in a year.

Imagine flying at 250 knots just 200 feet off the surface with a dozen AA guns firing at you. As you fly over you drop a 1000 pound bomb which bounces along the ocean. When it hits the ship, it penetrates then detonates a few seconds later. Or you could be the strafer with up to 12 .50 cal machine guns in your nose and you do the same run to supress the AA defenses.

There is ZERO room for error or recovery.

]]> By: tioedong http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8904 tioedong Thu, 17 May 2007 04:07:08 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8904 Gibson's story is Hollywood, but I always thought that Leonard Cheshire's story was more interesting<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cheshire" rel="nofollow">LINK</a> He also was present as an observer at NagasakiAnd after the war, he helped a friend with cancer, and ended up heading a charity for the terminally ill, among other things. Gibson’s story is Hollywood, but I always thought that Leonard Cheshire’s story was more interestingLINK
He also was present as an observer at NagasakiAnd after the war, he helped a friend with cancer, and ended up heading a charity for the terminally ill, among other things.

]]> By: william jonas http://pjmedia.com/blog/the_dam_busters/#comment-8903 william jonas Thu, 17 May 2007 03:58:21 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-dam-busters/#comment-8903 Thank you Mr. Fernandez for this wonderful story. I was only 8 years old at the time of the raid but I remember the film quite vividly. I thought the American pilot was a British- Pathe invention. How terrific to know Mc Carthy was a real hero. There are many stories from WWII that this generation should know about . The men who bought our freedom and abundance with their lives and dedication. Thank you Mr. Fernandez for this wonderful story. I was only 8 years old at the time of the raid but I remember the film quite vividly. I thought the American pilot was a British- Pathe invention. How terrific to know Mc Carthy was a real hero.
There are many stories from WWII that this generation should know about . The men who bought our freedom and abundance with their lives and dedication.

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