World War II and Cold War by Mark Felton Productions

[lordroel]

The Goebbels Government - Berlin 1945 - Mark Felton. Productions - 95

[lordroel]

Hitler's Alligator - The Last German Prisoner of War in Russia - Mark Felton. Productions - 96

[lordroel]

The American Dambusters - Korea 1951 - Mark Felton. Productions - 97

[lordroel]

Low Level Kings! The Real 633 Squadron - Mark Felton. Productions - 98

[oscssw]

Jul 23, 2020 13:35:49 GMT lordroel said:

Low Level Kings! The Real 633 Squadron - Mark Felton. Productions - 98

Once again Mark Felton presents an outstanding video. 

I have to ask the question of why anyone would employ the Lockheed Ventura Patrol Bomber (what we would call Maritime Patrol aircraft today) on such a difficult raid. 

It certainly was not anywhere as survivable as the Mosquito and the A-20/Havoc.  No wonder the overwhelming majority of the losses are attributable to the Ventura.   

Why eliminate the B-25s but not the Ventura?    

[lordroel]

Jul 23, 2020 18:39:46 GMT oscssw said:

Jul 23, 2020 13:35:49 GMT lordroel said:

Low Level Kings! The Real 633 Squadron - Mark Felton. Productions - 98

Once again Mark Felton presents an outstanding video. 

I have to ask the question of why anyone would employ the Lockheed Ventura Patrol Bomber (what we would call Maritime Patrol aircraft today) on such a difficult raid. 

It certainly was not anywhere as survivable as the Mosquito and the A-20/Havoc.  No wonder the overwhelming majority of the losses are attributable to the Ventura.   

Why eliminate the B-25s but not the Ventura?    

If you want to now more about the raid, there is the Wikipedia pace about it called Operation Oyster

Seems that the Lockheed Ventura Patrol Bomber was not willingly chosen, but it was already part of No. 2 Group RAF who operated not only the Ventura but also the Douglas Boston, North American B-25 Mitchell and de Havilland Mosquito, thus four types of medium bombers took part in the operation. 

Here is another YouTube clip about Operation Oyster called Operation "Oyster", attack on Philips Radio Works, Holland.

It has a short description about the events as well: 

Dec 6th 1942 - RAF Bomber Command flies Operation OYSTER, a special raid carried out by all of the operational day-bomber squadrons in No. 2 Group. Their targets are the Philips radio and valve (electron tube) factories in the town of Eindhoven. Ninety three aircraft take part in the raid, 47 (PV-1) Venturas Mk. Is of RAF No. 21, RAAF No. 464 and RNZAF No. 487 Squadrons, 36 (A-20) Boston IIIs of Nos. 88, 107, and 226 Squadrons and ten Mosquito Mk. IVs of No.105 and No.139 Squadrons; 83 aircraft actually bomb.One of the Mosquitos is a photographic aircraft.

Eindhoven is well beyond the range of any available fighter escort thus the raid is flown at low level and in clear weather conditions. Bombing is accurate and severe damage is caused to two factories in the complex, which is situated in the middle of the town. Because the raid is deliberately carried out on a Sunday, there are few casualties in the factory but several bombs fall in nearby streets and 148 Dutch people and seven German soldiers are killed. Full production at the factory is not reached again until six months after the raid.

The bomber casualties are heavy: nine Venturas, four Bostons and a Mosquito are lost over the Netherlands or the sea. This is a loss rate of 15 percent for the whole force; the Venturas, the aircraft with the poorest performance, suffer 19 per cent casualties. Three more aircraft crashed or force-land in England and most of the other aircraft are damaged, 23 by bird strikes!

[oscssw]

Jul 23, 2020 18:58:26 GMT lordroel said:

Jul 23, 2020 18:39:46 GMT oscssw said:

Once again Mark Felton presents an outstanding video. 

I have to ask the question of why anyone would employ the Lockheed Ventura Patrol Bomber (what we would call Maritime Patrol aircraft today) on such a difficult raid. 

It certainly was not anywhere as survivable as the Mosquito and the A-20/Havoc.  No wonder the overwhelming majority of the losses are attributable to the Ventura.   

Why eliminate the B-25s but not the Ventura?    

If you want to now more about the raid, there is the Wikipedia pace about it called Operation Oyster

Thanks for the steer  lordroel.  B-25 crews too inexperienced explains their absence.   Looks like a matter of the Ventura's were what was available, like the TBDs at Midway. 

Just a case of war being war.    Someone had to make the tough decision that the target was worth the risk.

So often it comes down to doing the best you can with what you have and trust that lady luck will be with you this day.

[lordroel]

Jul 23, 2020 19:47:35 GMT oscssw said:

Jul 23, 2020 18:58:26 GMT lordroel said:

If you want to now more about the raid, there is the Wikipedia pace about it called Operation Oyster

Thanks for the steer  lordroel.  B-25 crews too inexperienced explains their absence.   Looks like a matter of the Ventura's were what was available, like the TBDs at Midway. 

Just a case of war being war.    Someone had to make the tough decision that the target was worth the risk.

So often it comes down to doing the best you can with what you have and trust that lady luck will be with you this day.

Well some of the B-25s crews are inexperienced, a couple of months before some in B-25s took of from a moving carrier, flew to Tokyo, bombed it and then flew to China. 

[oscssw]

Jul 23, 2020 19:59:57 GMT lordroel said:

Jul 23, 2020 19:47:35 GMT oscssw said:

Thanks for the steer  lordroel.  B-25 crews too inexperienced explains their absence.   Looks like a matter of the Ventura's were what was available, like the TBDs at Midway. 

Just a case of war being war.    Someone had to make the tough decision that the target was worth the risk.

So often it comes down to doing the best you can with what you have and trust that lady luck will be with you this day.

Well some of the B-25s crews are inexperienced, a couple of months before some in B-25s took of from a moving carrier, flew to Tokyo, bombed it and then flew to China. 

I was referring to the RAF B-25 crews available for this raid not all B-25 crews.

[lordroel]

Jul 24, 2020 11:52:47 GMT oscssw said:

Jul 23, 2020 19:59:57 GMT lordroel said:

Well some of the B-25s crews are inexperienced, a couple of months before some in B-25s took of from a moving carrier, flew to Tokyo, bombed it and then flew to China. 

I was referring to the RAF B-25 crews available for this raid not all B-25 crews.

A okay, my mistake.

[lordroel]

Hermann Göring's Mysterious Demise - Mark Felton. Productions - 99

[lordroel]

US Army Gold Hunters - The Postwar Search for Hidden Bullion - Mark Felton. Productions - 100

[lordroel]

Asian Stalingrad - The Battle of Manila 1945 - Mark Felton. Productions - 101

[lordroel]

Hiroshima 1945 - The British Atomic Attack - Mark Felton. Productions - 102

[lordroel]

Third Atomic Bomb Attack - Japan 1945 - Mark Felton. Productions - 103