panda124c -> (1/31/2002 1:43:00 AM)
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles_22: kgvm: Thanks for the response. When you think of how that book I mentioned was wrote, that it was found in a German lab somewhere, it almost confuses me all the more. Saying the advancing Americans found it in such a place would tend to indicate that the Germans had not used it yet (but it would certainly shatter the myth that the US was the only one that had it), since you would figure the US would've examined most German airplanes and concluded what they believed all along that the Germans didn't have it. But, then again, one is supposing that the ones that found that bombsight in that one place were privy to knowing what was on all German aircraft, when that is actually very unlikely. In order to believe that it being found remotely would indicate it's not being used in the German air arm, one would also have to believe what the US said that they were the only ones that had it. If the US would've gone overboard to make themselves as the only ones that had it and possibly cover up any German use that had been made, why would they suddenly let or not let that information out at that point?
Another question strikes me too. If the Germans had it (particularly in some of their planes), then why didn't they expose the myth that the US was the only one that possessed it (and there might be reasons not to let the US know that you had one or many)? Also, did the Germans realize that the Norden bombsight was made such a big deal out of, in America? And if the Germans wanted to shatter that belief, be it that they were using them or just had one intact, would common Americans ever hear about it? I can understand not informing the public if you knew the Germans had one intact, in fact I'm sure they expected it would happen sooner or later, but what if the Germans were using them, particularly if extensively, is it wise then to try and act as though you're the only one that has it still?
It seems the fact that it was so esteemed they wouldn't even let the British have them, but just because they weren't keen on giving that bombsight to their Allies, says nothing for it possibly being captured by the Germans, no matter how much emphasis crews were trained to destroy the thing when going down or landing in enemy territory.
If the blueprints were available to Germany in the time you indicated, that would probably mean that if it was placed on planes, it might've been restricted to AR234s, HE177s, ME262bs etc. Of course the bombsights might've been able to be changed on more planes that that, but if the Germans captured it then, wouold they have been thinking at that time how great it was? I could see it just lying around in a lab somewhere for a long time, because until the US went to strategically bombing Germany, what would tell the Germans that it was necessarily such a great thing? Would they even bother to build one and test it? Would they be politically motivated to claim it as inferior to their own and then ignore it?
Another question comes up, did the Germans have a need for the Norden? Consider that the HE 177 was their first attempt at any thing remotly resembling a stratigic bomber and it had dive bombing capability. It occurs to me that the German bombing philosophy precluded the need for a high altitude bomb sight.
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