Anticipation and contemporary interpretation of BoB (real life)
 

I found this interesting set of articles:
http://airminded.org/2006/07/31/an-a...in-i/#more-191
http://airminded.org/2006/08/11/an-a...n-ii/#more-192
http://airminded.org/2006/08/25/an-a...-iii/#more-200

It is interesting to compare these prediction to Seversky's classic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Through_Air_Power
(In case you don't know it, the book predicts an increase in aircraft durability using redundancy and improved fire control for turrets. Bombardment forces will sweep across continents and be intercepted by giant deffense gunships with 100mm turrets in long range fire exchanges. Faster light wait and lighter armed multi-turret escort fighters will provide a screen for these exchanges and small rocket assisted fighters with recoilless rifles will attempt to penetrate to point blank ranges... etc.)

The primary failure behind these predictions is underestimating the increased firepower of aircraft cannons (smaller exist errors regarding propulsion advances and turret effectiveness/verses maneuvering the whole aircraft).

Try setting up a battle flying the J8A (Gloster Gladiator) up against a group of TB-3s and you'll see what a world is like with only 0.303 cal and 7.62mm peashooters. Fighting the behemoths is quite a remarkable experience actually and shows how much we have yet to explore scenarios in Il-2. The same goes for Su-2 vs. P.11C etc.

Fascinating stuff. Thanks for posting, old chap. :-)

T.

Thanks Avimimus. I'd love to try the Defiant out on a bomber formation!

Very interesting reading, thanks|

And the Whirlybomber gets my vote too!