Corkscrew
KAPUTAR
My war ended in June 1943 and I did not hear of "Corkscrew" or
"Upward firing cannons" (Schrage Musik) until later pilots brought the news into Prison Camp. I did try corkscrew when flying Welingtons in 1946 but I do not think I could have kept it up for very long. The only tactics I was taught was 'weaving' - minor alterations of course, but I also included alterations of height. An Artillery Major in Ack Ack said his predictors "overbalanced" if tracking an aircraft which lost or gained height for more than 400 feet!
On my last briefing we were told to make the final approach, before the straight and level bombing run, just oscillating up and down; no heights were given.
An excellent book giving the German point of view was written by a 51 Squadron Navigator who worked in Germany after the war.
He spoke fluent German and made friends with many Luftwaffe Officers, some of very high rank. He regularly attended 51 Squadron re-unions.
"The Other Battle" by Peter Hinchcliffe, OBE.
Airlife Publishing Ltd. 101 Longden Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 9EB
ISBN 1 85310 547 3
It is well researched and and gives an impartial view of the night war above Germany. Incidentally, Goering implored the German aviation industry to make him aircraft "like the Mosquito." fredjhh
Sadly, Peter died last year.