Vultee Vengeance.
Chugalug,
Thank you so much - your Youtube video clip is absolutely marvellous ! I'd no idea that footage like this even existed. Over the years all I've managed to gather were a couple of very short shots from one of the BBC war documentaries. These showed one Vengeance being taxied in a downpour, and another, close-up, being pushed back by a few lads. And that's all.
I've watched your clip about three times (and I'll watch it many, many more - for it takes me straight back to the days of my youth!) Where has this footage been all these years ? So far I think:
It was probably taken at the Vengeance OTU at Peshawar; this was set up much later in the war than the time I am writing about. I do not think any of the shots are operational - certainly not those with the full RAF roundels. None of them seem to show 250lb bombs on the wing stations, although many have the racks fitted (one of the shots shows a practice rack (for 4x11 1/2lb smoke bombs - or a bike under a Swordfish !). But it's on the right wing, whereas we always had them on the left ! Matter of taste, I suppose.
I don't know Peshawar; the airfield shot is foreign to me, but it does look like N.W.Frontier country; could be Pesh.
The flying shots are wonderful. I think that they are all Indian Air Force crews. The box-of-six was our standard tactical formation. The shots of the massive dive brakes are a perfect illustration to the description I shall later give of them. FE numbers (on some aircraft) must have been very late - we never got past FD series, and 8 Squadron had a FB989 in July '44 when the game was about up for all Vengeance ops. I could go on for hours !
All who have the slightest interest in my tale must watch this clip - again and again !
You may well be right about the origin of the Stuka design. The pre-war RAF was intended solely for the defence of the UK, a dive bomber is an offensive weapon, we didn't need them. Nor did the US Army, only the US navy did. So that would really be the only place for Hitler to look for ideas, I suppose (I don't know what the Russians had).
Chugalug, you've made an old man very happy !
Much more to come soon,
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 10th May 2012 at 18:34.
Reason: Add Title.