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Old 17th Jan 2013, 15:23
  #132 (permalink)  
SASless
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,308
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I believe you have had one Pint too many in the past. I know the B-52 is old....but its early development must have been a very well kept secret.


In 1945 a B52 crew had unlimited hours practising bombing so that they could deliver a certain bomb within a defined area.
Now despite being an Army helicopter pilot....I do in fact know a touch about aerial bombing....having actually done some with a helicopter. Some was intentional as well.

We had no bombsight at all unless you consider the Pedal Adjustment pegs on a Chinook a device that could be called a bomb sight. Granted the weapon and techniques were not Army approved unless it was Drums of Tear Gas or Napalm we were dropping but we did attack the enemy with 'bombs". So your accusation I know naught is not exactly accurate.

As to the fine art of true Aerial Bombardment....no I know very little beyond what I have seen in the Dam Busters and 633 Squadron or perhaps Doctor Strangelove.....I never did understand how Slim Pickens ever thought he could steer that Nuke by riding on it like he was on horseback.

So....you defend the Vulcan attack by citing old kit....but suggest a B-29 using a mechanical bombsight....with no wind data beyond what could be constructed using Drift Meters in the Bomb sight and by the Nav....was a failure despite it obliterating the city of Hiroshima. When it comes to Nukes....I would think an 800 meter error could be considered acceptable.

You recall what the Wind problems were for the B-29's were that caused LeMay to go to low level Fire Bombing attacks?


Of course you politely skip over the RAF Bomber Command's accuracy during the same War where whole cities were missed. But that is another topic altogether.

I'll take you up on the Pint....
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