The Armory - Guns, Knives, and Axes

[Ph64]

If there's one thing the Germans were good at in WWII it was innovation (V1, V2, jet engines, etc). Of course it was mostly "too little, too late" because of all the politics, but German engineering has always been their forte. There is a reason everyone scrambled to get a hold of their scientists/engineers after the war.

[Speaker to Animals]

I suspect jet engines were overrated at the time.

A jet is going to fly considerably faster than most prop planes running the reciprocating engines of the day. The only way that is going to be effective against those prop planes is with really good missiles and targeting systems. But they did not really have that as far as I know. From my understanding, jets on all sides (we had some too) would just zip past everybody and not contribute all that much to the fight.

At the time, the real goal likely was just to get jet bombers loaded so you could strike deep into enemy territory without being intercepted.

[heydaralon]

I suspect jet engines were overrated at the time.

A jet is going to fly considerably faster than most prop planes running the reciprocating engines of the day. The only way that is going to be effective against those prop planes is with really good missiles and targeting systems. But they did not really have that as far as I know. From my understanding, jets on all sides (we had some too) would just zip past everybody and not contribute all that much to the fight.

At the time, the real goal likely was just to get jet bombers loaded so you could strike deep into enemy territory without being intercepted.

Huh, I didn't know Jet Engines were used at all during WW2. Some of the stuff that nazi scientists were trying out is pretty wild man.

[C-Mag]

Here's some battle accounts highlighting the performance of the T34, 'the best tank of the war'...…… it had sloped armor, so it was really, really good.

18 April 1945 blocking position on the road from Protzel to Bollersdorf opposite Ernsthof. A Soviet armor assault emanating from Gruhow is repelled, 64 Soviet tanks are knocked out for the loss of one Tiger 2.

19 April 1945 3 Tigers engage over 100 T-34/85’s and a company of JS 2’s.
The first and last JS 2 are knocked out thus blocking traverse from the Soviet tank turrets. The three Königstigers wipe out the Soviets(120 tanks)...............In the late afternoon the 3 Tigers are attacked by 30 T-34’s and destroy them.


https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2015/08/0 ... ld-war-ii/

More dispelling of Myths and burying the T34 as the best tank of the war
https://thearmoredpatrol.com/2016/02/28 ... sian-t-34/

I believe what is meant by that "best tank" comment was that it was the best tank at the *start* of the war. By 1945 Germany had made a ton of changes to their own tank designs and easily bested the t-34.

That may be what he intended, but I'll dispel that myth a little later. I learned a lot reading and researching this subject. I was surprised to learn that you were 2X as likely to die in T-34 than if you were in a Comet, Crusader or Sherman. T-34s didn't have a radio. The T34 also had the worst suspension and stability of any of the tanks typically seen on the battlefield. No shock absorbers. Armor spalled easily. Slow engagement of targets. Krauts found they could get off 3 rounds before the T34 could acquire at return fire.

http://chris-intel-corner.blogspot.com/ ... f-war.html

I think the way the myth was built was that the German Blitzkreig got such an unstoppable reputation early in the war, and when they petered out in the expanse of the Russian steppe, the T34 Myth started to be built.

[C-Mag]

If there's one thing the Germans were good at in WWII it was innovation (V1, V2, jet engines, etc). Of course it was mostly "too little, too late" because of all the politics, but German engineering has always been their forte. There is a reason everyone scrambled to get a hold of their scientists/engineers after the war.

At some point, it was to their detriment. They could stick to a design. The Americans, for all the faults of the Sherman, said this is our tank. We'll use it as Infantry support and avoid Tank to tank battles, we'll use combined arms to take out the enemies armor. This proved to be a winning strategy in armored warfare.

[Speaker to Animals]

I suspect jet engines were overrated at the time.

A jet is going to fly considerably faster than most prop planes running the reciprocating engines of the day. The only way that is going to be effective against those prop planes is with really good missiles and targeting systems. But they did not really have that as far as I know. From my understanding, jets on all sides (we had some too) would just zip past everybody and not contribute all that much to the fight.

At the time, the real goal likely was just to get jet bombers loaded so you could strike deep into enemy territory without being intercepted.

Huh, I didn't know Jet Engines were used at all during WW2. Some of the stuff that nazi scientists were trying out is pretty wild man.

Everybody had them, dude. Americans. British. Germans.

First flight, 1944:




Frist flight, 1943:

[Speaker to Animals]

The Gloster Meteor was used to shoot down V1 rockets. Pretty fucking cool.

[Speaker to Animals]

Basically, the problem with jet aircraft in WW2 was that they were too fast to counter slower aircraft. Your closing speed was such that you probably only had maybe four seconds at best to shoot, probably less. Guns couldn't be as accurate and you didn't have enough time to really get rounds on the target before you had to break away.

None of the traditional fighters could really take you out in the sky either, so you weren't risking as much, but neither were you gaining much. To get it right, a jet fighter in that war had to use missiles, but missiles were just unguided rockets at that point.

Jet fighters without guided missiles are not ideal against high-performance prop planes with reciprocating engines. You could definitely be effective like that, but not nearly as effective against them as another prop plane could be.

Add guided missiles and you dominate, though.

Against other jet aircraft.. that would be interesting. I wonder if any of these aircraft faced each other in combat..

[Speaker to Animals]

That was the dream right there. A jet bomber. No way to counter that in the war.

It came too late for them, though.

[C-Mag]

I have never heard of jets facing each other in WWII. I know US Pilots in Mustangs were getting pretty good at shooting down Me 262s toward the end.

The Me 163 Komet, rocket plane was the fastest during the war, I think.