Battle of Britain: Failure

[ATI_7500]

sorry ,if someone feels offended my my last post,but i had a f****** bad day. i'm feeling a bit better now,but still angry and depressed....

[Hagar]

Silent. Please don't apologise on my account.

It takes a lot to offend me but I can see how others might take your comment the wrong way. As I mentioned, I've read this book but as I don't recall anything about it maybe it was not one of Len Deighton's better efforts. I have a pretty good memory for books that have impressed me over the years, some of which I might have read many years ago, long before you were born. Perhaps Will read it more recently. I have no idea why he found it particularly dark & depressing but considering the subject of the novel I suggest that doesn't take a lot of imagination.

[Professor Brensec]

As I said it was over 25 years ago that I read SSGB, and at that time, probably my late teens, I was interested in WWII history etc, but nowhere near the level that I have become over the years, so I don't recall if there is any mention of the events which led to the 'occupation'.  :o

My reason for mentioning the book and asking if anyone had read it was more to find out if there was any such mention of how the Nazis had managed to occupy GB.

This, of course would have made the exercise quite pertinent to this thread, in so far as, possibly giving a good writer and historian's view of "what could have been" in terms of this idea.  ;D

[Scorpiоn]

Well, it'd be a good idea, but I can't find it anywhere, at least not locally.

So, the discussion continues...

[Hagar]

To approach this properly I think it would have to be done on a purely hypothetical basis. Historically, I favour the notion that Hiltler never seriously considered invading Britain. He would have much preferred to have the powerful British Empire as an ally against his real enemy, the Soviet Union. I also think that this stood more chance of happening than many would have us believe.

PS. On the subject of SS-GB. It's basically a detective novel with a political background, set in Nazi-occupied Britain. I've read reviews that suggest the author makes no attempt to explain how the actual invasion & occupation was carried out.

[Smoke2much]

dark and depressing for whom? englishmen?

Nope, for anyone who doesn't want to be taken out and shot for disagreeing with the political leadership.  The subject of the book is that southern Britain is occupied and the SS are running the show.

The book is dark as it is a plot surrounding the use of the occult in high Nazi circles and involves betrayal, destroyed families and lives, murder and control.

Depressing because the actions of the characters ultimately have little effect on the outcome.

Other books that I give this accolade too are (in no particular order):

1984
The Stand
Anything by Sven Hassel
Most of Douglas Reeman

Please understand that my comments against Nazism in no way reflect any grudge/bad feeling/negativity towards you as a German.

It is totalitarianism that I detest, whatever it calls itself.

Will

PS I too am having a bad day.  Insomnia rules and no beer!!!

[Delta_]

The Germans lost to the Russians because for every one german tank there 40 russian ones.

[Hagar]

Just a few points Hyvry. I don't know where you got this information.
[quote]The british aircraft were far more mobile and were churned out at a massive rate.

[Delta_]

The raf angled the guns slightly so that they would be able fire further.

The tank was designed by the british and first used in the battle of the somme, september 1916.  I don't know why i said Churchill invented the tank, i have only had 3 hours sleep and so make stupid mistakes sometimes.

Good point on the V2 i new it was one of them.
Does anyoneknow how they took down V2s then?

[Hagar]

The raf angled the guns slightly so that they would be able fire further.

All wing mounted guns are angled inwards slightly (harmonised) so the trajectories meet at their effective range. This does not increase the range of the individual guns, in fact usually the opposite.

[quote]The tank was designed by the british and first used in the battle of the somme, september 1916.

[Delta_]

Thanks for the info, i must though stick with the gun angled slight upwards because it does increase the distance the round can be fired.  Throwing a stone straight forwards will not allow it to go further than throwing it at a 40-50 degree angle.  Obviously using an angle like that on an aircraft would make it useless at close range.  I don't know what the angle was and can not find it anywhere.  If anyone would enlighten me i would much appreciate it.

[Hagar]

I agree about the slight upward angle which I believe was done. Theoretically the same thing could be achieved just as effectively on an aircraft by adjusting the gunsight. I'm not too sure what difference it would make at the typically short ranges of about 500 yards or less. I'll have a punt round later & see what I can find out.

[ATI_7500]

Please understand that my comments against Nazism in no way reflect any grudge/bad feeling/negativity towards you as a German.

never mind.

although i'm on the side of the wehrmacht and luftwaffe,i'm no nazi,because i just hate it what they did to innocent people of different religions ,skin colours or "races" (can you say this? i couldn't find another,better word for it).

what upsets me about this part of history is that some people (from all over the world) still blame us (the german after-war generations) for things we haven't done. i just don't want to run around with that "nazi" sign over my head in foreign countries just because i'm german. and if yes,why just me? there were some more,big crimes in history with other countries involved(vietnam,stalin,etc...).
this doesn't mean that we should bury this topic and forget it,it should always stand as a sign for one of the worst crimes in humankind and students should talk about it in at least every western country.

[Woodlouse2002]

[quote]Thanks for the info, i must though stick with the gun angled slight upwards because it does increase the distance the round can be fired.

[Scorpiоn]

To approach this properly I think it would have to be done on a purely hypothetical basis. Historically, I favour the notion that Hiltler never seriously considered invading Britain. He would have much preferred to have the powerful British Empire as an ally against his real enemy, the Soviet Union. I also think that this stood more chance of happening than many would have us believe.

PS. On the subject of SS-GB. It's basically a detective novel with a political background, set in Nazi-occupied Britain. I've read reviews that suggest the author makes no attempt to explain how the actual invasion & occupation was carried out.

Forget SS-GB then, I hate detective stories.

Well, since conquering Britain is leading nowhere, enlighten us with your "notion". Don't worry that it's only one viewpoint, someone's sure to comment and it is for a game afterall.