Under The Guns of the Red Baron

[leo]

Just received this work. Authors feel they have authenticated most of mvr kills. They ascribe the others to,"the great mn made mistakes". There is a bio of each victim and it sad to read about these young lives snuffed out. Did anyone read this work? Opinions?

reading it now.
think it is a very good read.


leon

I really liked it personnaly. A great book.

Just bought the book myself (on sale for $10 at B&N), and have read through parts of it. I agree that it is a sad tale. It adds a great deal of "personality" to victory scores, and is sobering in that regard. It's one thing to read of 80 kills, and another altogether to learn a bit about each of the lives snuffed out in the process.

Also makes me wonder about the emotional well-being (for want of a better term) of MvR, given that he gathered trophies of his victims, and awarded himself little cups to celebrate. Not that he was necessarily any different than many other pilots, but such practices strike me as being more than a little bit disturbing.

Graham

I find the whole idea of frying someone alive two miles above the earth to be somewhat disturbing.



regards

MDD

[Amy]

Leo:

I concur with the previous replies. It's a good book, but as you wrote, it's sad to read about young men who had their lives snuffed out so early.

Amy

[Darryl]

Michael,

I would be even MORE disturbed by ME frying two miles above the earth.**G**

Call me selfish.......

Darryl

BTW, Amy, incredible dramas, email tonight, sorry.

[Ginger.]

I've had the book sometime and just had another look.The Von did'nt get anyone from 56 Squadron,seems odd,when they were known as the"Anti Richthofen" Squadron.Also he claims few enemy scouts
But I'll bet the Infantry loved him for getting the observation planes off their back.Just an opinion after a quick flick through.

[Barrett]

Ref. MvR's high ratio of observation/recon machines in his toll: aside from the fact that it's what fighter pilots do (control their own airspace and, optimistically, the enemy's) The Von stated that were he not a jagdflieger he would prefer to be a Schlasta guy affording direct support to the infantry.
Sorta makes you wonder if, had he survived the First War, he'd have succumbed to the tactical orientation of the Luftwaffe that Goering built. Of course, it's possible that had MvR survived, we'd not have heard much of HG.

I dont understand, what's wrong with tactical Bombing? Hell of a lot more efficient(as a way to defeat the enemy) than Strategic bombing in my opinion.

There is no way Germany would have had the time or resources to operate a strategic bombing campaign against anyone.

I think MvR would have made a much better Luftwaffe head however. No completely retarded moves like letting the brits get away at Dunkirk.

"Oh Mon Fuerer, I swear I can tactically bomb an army to death"

What a moron, there wasn't enough bombs in Germany.