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Dunkirk

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jamiemartin721 Flag Reading 01 Aug 17 10.07am

Originally posted by steeleye20

I have been rescued !!!!!!!!!

It has been pointed out to me (as though I am an idiot how absurd) that there is a reason for the RAF and luftwaffe seemingly being absent.

In fact there was a pitch battle going on inland with the RAF attacking airfields and the luftwaffe in the air and that this was to prevent them finishing off our men at Dunkirk.

Sounds much more feasible to me and apparently from the records of the men who flew at the time must have been many personnel lost.

And seemingly the men on the beach did resent the RAF not being there but had no idea why. Bad feeling that was restored by the forthcoming battle of Britain?

France well within range of our aircraft - closer than Birmingham.


Well they'd probably see them go flying over, on their way to attack airfields, and those on the ground probably assumed they should be fighting in the air over Dunkirk and supporting the evacuation.

Meanwhile the British pilots were probably providing more air cover than they could if they'd just stayed over the beaches.

 


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jamiemartin721 Flag Reading 01 Aug 17 10.09am

Originally posted by Ray in Houston

If the Battle of Britain was their finest hour, Dunkirk was seen as a failure by the RAF (that usually gets glossed over in the telling of the Dunkirk story). However, for reasons you cite, they were doing their best with what they had.

A bit of movie trivia: Nolan used real Spits and "Yellow-Nosed b******s" making the movie. No CGI involved; he had the real aircraft flying around and chased them with a camera plane.

I don't know how many Spitfires would have been at Dunkirk. Most of the RAF's backbone at the time, even during the Battle of Britain was the Hurricane.

 


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View Lakeview's Profile Lakeview Flag Lincoln 01 Aug 17 10.16am Send a Private Message to Lakeview Add Lakeview as a friend

In reply to Elgrande, my father was in the Royal Artillery (Field) & served for 8 years in total. Sorry if I should have posted this in a different section.
On a similar subject, what do you think of the Remembrance for the 100th anniversary of Passchendaele? Personally, I don't like the "Black Adder"-style of history: war is futile-angle. I think both World Wars were disasters, but stopped power-crazed evil from spreading.

 

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View Ray in Houston's Profile Ray in Houston Flag Houston 01 Aug 17 5.14pm Send a Private Message to Ray in Houston Add Ray in Houston as a friend

Originally posted by jamiemartin721

I don't know how many Spitfires would have been at Dunkirk. Most of the RAF's backbone at the time, even during the Battle of Britain was the Hurricane.


Good point. And I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't know if he had any 'Canes in there too. Spitfires are just far more evocative despite being much less numerous and, ironically, much more susceptible to their opponents canons due to their monocoque construction.

Of course, there were a number of Fokkes...some of whom were in Messerschmidts.

 


We don't do possession; we do defense and attack. Everything else is just wa**ing with a football.

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View becky's Profile becky Flag over the moon 01 Aug 17 5.34pm Send a Private Message to becky Holmesdale Online Elite Member Add becky as a friend

Originally posted by Ray in Houston


Stukas were very effective in Holland / Belgium / France etc. as they had little airborne opposition. Once they came up against Hurricanes and Spitfires, however, they were sitting ducks. You're right that, shortly after the start of the Battle of Britain, Stukas were taken out of the theatre because their losses were horrendous.

I believe that it was the Stukas that the Spitfires would fly up underneath, and then tip their wings up with their own as they turned away, sending the Stukas in a downward spiral that they didn't have time to pull out of. Saved the Spitfires and awful lot of ammo too!

 


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View Ray in Houston's Profile Ray in Houston Flag Houston 01 Aug 17 6.06pm Send a Private Message to Ray in Houston Add Ray in Houston as a friend

Originally posted by becky

I believe that it was the Stukas that the Spitfires would fly up underneath, and then tip their wings up with their own as they turned away, sending the Stukas in a downward spiral that they didn't have time to pull out of. Saved the Spitfires and awful lot of ammo too!

I knew they did that to Doodlebugs, but never heard that about Stukas.

 


We don't do possession; we do defense and attack. Everything else is just wa**ing with a football.

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View Oliver's Profile Oliver Flag Bodega Bay 01 Aug 17 6.28pm Send a Private Message to Oliver Add Oliver as a friend

For anyone interested in the history scroll down to Dunkirk Joshua Levine [Link]

 


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View kingdowieonthewall's Profile kingdowieonthewall Flag Sussex, ex-Cronx. 01 Aug 17 6.40pm Send a Private Message to kingdowieonthewall Add kingdowieonthewall as a friend

Originally posted by Lakeview

In reply to Elgrande, my father was in the Royal Artillery (Field) & served for 8 years in total. Sorry if I should have posted this in a different section.
On a similar subject, what do you think of the Remembrance for the 100th anniversary of Passchendaele? Personally, I don't like the "Black Adder"-style of history: war is futile-angle. I think both World Wars were disasters, but stopped power-crazed evil from spreading.

well said sir

 


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View steeleye20's Profile steeleye20 Flag Croydon 01 Aug 17 7.17pm Send a Private Message to steeleye20 Add steeleye20 as a friend

Originally posted by becky

I believe that it was the Stukas that the Spitfires would fly up underneath, and then tip their wings up with their own as they turned away, sending the Stukas in a downward spiral that they didn't have time to pull out of. Saved the Spitfires and awful lot of ammo too!

That's the V1 rockets you are thinking of.

Stukas became an easy target for our fighter planes and radar as their maximum speed was only about 200 mph.


 

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pefwin Flag Where you have to have an English ... 01 Aug 17 8.31pm

Originally posted by jamiemartin721

I don't know how many Spitfires would have been at Dunkirk. Most of the RAF's backbone at the time, even during the Battle of Britain was the Hurricane.

Most of the planes committed were out of date, the good stuff being held back for what was to come (some were committed).

Aircrew flew stuff like Bolton Paul Defiants a fighter with no front firing guns and BP Defenders.

 


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