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Thread: The Battle of Britain

  1. #1

    Default The Battle of Britain

    Book Title:
    The Battle of Britain
    Author:
    Richard Townshend Bickers
    ISBN:
    0-86101-934-2
    Category:
    History
    Format:
    Hardback
    Summary:
    Salamander Books, London, 208pp.
    Photographs, drawings, illustrations, Orders of Battle, charts and tables.
    "This unique volume tells the full story of the greatest air battle in history - the battle that shaped the future of the free world.". Using a team of distinguished authors and historians, it describes the events leading up to the assault on Britain, and the history, structure and equipment of the participants. It examines key days in exhaustive detail, illustrated with diaromas showing the ebb and flow of the combat.

    I grabbed this book because it illustrated tactics, showing British three-plane formations and how they maneuvered through turns, approaches, attacks, and follow-throughs. It covers very basic maneuvers, on up to four flight attacks on groups of He-111s. Fascinating for maneuvering flights of planes in the game. The German coverage is much lighter, almost non-existant in comparison, but there are a few drawings of rotte-schwarm composition and a Stuka dive bomb profile.

    Really interesting tidbits are included, such as the " slight left-hand bias" of fighter pilots during the war. Because most pilots flew with their right hand on the stick, and the left on the throttle, it made it easier to glance over the left shoulder than the right. Additionally, it was easier to push the stick to the left, than pull to the right. So, attacking a plane slightly from the right-rear was advantageous two ways. You might get closer before being discovered, and the victim wouldn't turn as easily into your attack.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by OldGuy59; 07-28-2015 at 20:33.

  2. #2

    Default

    The tactics thing sounds VERY interesting - I'll have t try to track this one down.
    Thanks for posting, Mike!

  3. #3

    Default

    Hopefully not breaching copy-write, but I'll post a representative image of the tactics. It is from Chapter 7 - Battle Tactics, page 101:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    NOTE: This image is colour-shifted. The original image used yellow for the second flight of aircraft, which is almost invisible to my old eyes. I "Hue" modified it in Photoshop to make it green, and a bit more visible.

    There are a few pages of these, from single flights up to squadrons. Note the radio calls from the Flt/Sqn Leader giving the instructions to the wingers. Really cool.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59



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