Flak silver leaflets

[Collater]

Working through the ORB for 3 Sqn SAAF April 1945 there are several references to'flak silver leaflets'. Anyone have any idea what that refers to?

[dook]

It might refer to chaff.

[Collater]

Not chaff. The references come in that part of each mission report that has to refer to AAA or small arms fire. Also chaff/window wasn't in use on the days in question

[dook]

Chaff was first used in 1943. Bomber command used it during the 1000 bomber raids over Germany.

[Null Orifice]

"This caused concern inRAF Fighter Command and Anti-Aircraft Command, who managed to suppress the use of Window until July 1943.[8] It was felt that the new generation of centimetric radars available to Fighter Command would cope with Luftwaffe retaliation."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaff_(countermeasure)

[dook]

"…...for dumping packets of aluminium strips from aircraft to generate a cloud of false echoes. An early idea was to use sheets the size of a notebook page; these would be printed so they would also serve as propaganda leaflets."

[Collater]

When I said that window was not in use on the days in question I should of course have been more specific. Chaff/window was not being used in the specific area in Italy on 9 and 10 April 1945

[Groundloop]

Originally Posted by dook

Chaff was first used in 1943. Bomber command used it during the 1000 bomber raids over Germany.

Chaff was first used in the raid on Hamburg on 24 July 1943. The "Thousand Bomber Raids" took place in May and June 1942 - so no chaff used on those.

[Load Toad]

Could it be a reference to airborne leaflet propaganda?

(the USAF apparently had a specific bomb for the purpose: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbor...a#World_War_II