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  • Komet grey camouflage underside, 280mm aerial rockets from 1.48th HobbyCraft Me-109G kit, its external weapons brackets from 1.72nd Revell Ju-88 kit. Rockets mounted close to fuselage for streamlined flight since Komet traveled around 600mph. Rollover : Underside detailing along panel lines done by ink pen, drafting pencil, and paint wash.

  • Inset 1 : 280mm aerial rockets being mounted onto Focke Wulf Fw-190 interceptor, insetmen manhandling it into position shows its relative size. German configured "Rusatz" (field-installation kits) layout for various weapon loads from heavy cannons to aerial rockets, this enabled local Luftwaffe field technicians to install desired configuration based on combat need. Pauke Pauke - ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/neilpage/pauke.html

  • Rollover : This rocket was unguided, thus followed simple trajectory when fired off. German interceptors would have to get in close onto USAAF bomber formations to ensure a hit, thus run a gauntlet of interlocking defensive fire from US "Combat Box" bomber formations. Combat Box - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_box

  • Combat Box concept was envisioned after massive US bomber losses in 1943 (ex. raid against German industrial centers of Schweinfurt and Regensburg, resulted in loss of 60 bombers and about 600 crewmen). Tactic was to closely cluster bomber formations for interlocking fire to prevent German interceptors from interweaving within formation and keep them at peripheral. Germans countered by increasing its interceptor armaments, one technique was to arm aerial rockets of various calibers and fired them in salvos against bomber clusters. Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweinfurt-Regensburg_mission

  • One hit from such rockets could fatally cripple a bomber, thus American bombers scattered when these rockets torn through their formation. This avoidance broke the Combat Box formation, other German interceptors armed with heavy cannons would follow through the rocket attack by strafe-herding bombers into smaller clusters and pick them off one by one now that large interlocking defensive fire was negated. Strategic Bombing - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_bombing

  • German were quite successful in this tactic until introduction of Allied long-range fighter escorts in Summer 1944. Namely, P-51D Mustang fighter which could escort US bomber formations to targets in central Germany and back. Although American P-51 only had enough fuel for about 15-minute dogfight with German interceptors (ex. Me-109, Fw-190, Me-110, Me-410), they had distinct advantage in maneuverability since German interceptors were heavily laden with extra rockets or heavy cannons/ammo payloads for Allied bomber interception. These German interceptors became easy targets for P-51 pilots. Battle of Europe (Air Operations) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Europe_%28air_operations%29

  • To counter new German Me-262 jet fighter and Me-163 rocket fighter, American P-51 crews could only match their speed in a dive or tight turn radius. But they soon discovered that German jet/rocket fighters consume enormous amount of fuel, thus could not hover in aerial combat zone for same duration as propeller aircraft. Thus, Americans would routinely hover over German airbases and ambushed incoming enemy jets/rockets when they landed, German pilots could not readily maneuver since they were near fuel exhaustion. List of Military Operations in the West European Theater during WW2 by Year - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Military_Operations_in_the_West_European_Theater_during_WW2_by_Year

  • Inset 2 : WW2 central Germany dotted with FLAK stations to protect industrial centers, such as insert 88mm artillery batteries in build-up earthen parapet (for protection against enemy low-flying strafing runs or near-by bomb explosions). FLAK is German abbreviation for Flugabwehrkanone (aircraft defense cannon).

  • Batteries were linked to central fire-control / range-finder station for simultaneous fire to saturate high-altitude region since upon target approach US bomber formations must maintain stable flight path for lead plane to calculate point of bomb release.

  • This was where FLAK batteries would fire into an "invisible box" at designated altitudes for Allied bombers had no choice but to fly through this barrage. Although enemy fighters claimed more Allied bomber destruction in WW2, majority of Allied bomber crew detested FLAK more since there was no defense against it. Anti-aircraft warfare - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak

  • In urban areas, Germans built FLAK towers which mounted large caliber (88mm to 120mm) FLAK guns for high-altitude bomber defense, smaller caliber (20mm to 37mm) FLAK guns to ward off strafing enemy aircrafts, towers also had large internal capacity to house thousands of civilians during Allied air raids. Flak Tower - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_tower

  • track hetzer Related Model and History : Croatian FLAK Helpers | Central Germany 1943 - UweMilitaria.org/6-Misc/KroatFlakhelfer/index.html

  • Inset 3 : FLAK hitting US B-24 bomber over Europe, rupturing wing fuel lines, flames engulf bomb bay and rear tail section, its crew are forced to bail out. Yellow square outline on insettailfin indicated USAAF 55th Bomb Wing, yellow circle marking below was 460th Bomb Group. 55th Bomb Wing was station in Spinozzola-Italy. 460th Bomb Group consisted of 760th, 761st, 762nd, and 763rd Bomb Squadrons. 55th Bomb Wing - www.15thaf.org/55th%20Bomb%20Wing.htm

  • Rollover : US B-17 bomber hit by enemy interceptors in left wing as it losses power and falls out of formation, enemy fighters will finish-off such cripples unless bomber can dive to low altitude, use ground terrain as camouflage, and hope to nurse damaged plane back to home base or fly to neutral Switzerland to be interned.

  • Between 1943-1944, US bomber crew combat attrition was so high that majority did not expect to survive their 25 missions before being rotated to back to USA (so that their combat experience be imparted to new aircrew recruits). Thus some US bomber crews elected to fake damage and escape to Switzerland to sit-out the war. Situation was so critical that US ambassador to Switzerland threatened military court-martial for any US bomber crew without actual combat damage for landing in Swiss territory. Internment - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment

  • Situation was not helped by tense US-Swiss WW2 relations as US bombers violated Swiss airspace and bombed a few Swiss cities bordering Germany, so say by accident while others claim it was deliberate for Swiss neutrality maintain trade relations with Germany (especially in financial, banking, and precious metals). Bombing of Zurich-Switzerland 1945 - www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj00/sum00/helmreich.pdf

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