When the RAF pilot goes in the drink...

[philip.ed]

Well, that's if you survive.
With no dinghy, swimming in freezing cold water is disastrous.
Also, the Mae Wests were green, and only later in the battle did the pilots dope them yellow...the green blended in with the channel water, which again was disastrous.

[Sauf]

I fly Luftwaffe, we are smarter than that

[Zappatime]

I recall one of the veterans in the recent 70th anniversay programmes saying that 'dropping in the drink' you only had a few minutes survival time due to the cold waters, unless you were near a passing boat you'd very little chance as loss of feeling in your limbs was rapid.

[philip.ed]

Originally Posted by Zappatime

I recall one of the veterans in the recent 70th anniversay programmes saying that 'dropping in the drink' you only had a few minutes survival time due to the cold waters, unless you were near a passing boat you'd very little chance as loss of feeling in your limbs was rapid.

Yes, very true. Kit improvements helped this later on, but in the BoB, the RAF were not really prepared for such enventualities.

[JAMF]

They weren't issued Mea Wests? And the sea temperature in the time period of BoB should be the warmer time, right? It's not the GIUK gap we'll be floating in.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Hopefully the prevailing winds will be blowing towards England!

Does anyone know if the crash rescue boats will be doing their job?



Cheers!

http://battleofbritain.devhub.com/bl...-pilot-rescue/

[philip.ed]

Originally Posted by JAMF

They weren't issued Mea Wests? And the sea temperature in the time period of BoB should be the warmer time, right? It's not the GIUK gap we'll be floating in.

No, they were issued mae-wests, but they weren't satisfactory for the purpose. They did the job of keeping one alfoat, but unfortunately they weren't suited to anything other than that. They had no dye-markers (until later) no torch, no provision for a mirror or anything like that. They even had no compartment for a mobile-phone.

[JAMF]

Originally Posted by philip.ed

No, they were issued mae-wests, but they weren't satisfactory for the purpose. They did the job of keeping one alfoat, but unfortunately they weren't suited to anything other than that. They had no dye-markers (until later) no torch, no provision for a mirror or anything like that. They even had no compartment for a mobile-phone.

Anyone have the numbers of British aircraft/fighters that didn't make it to base and then these separated into numbers that landed in the field, made a parachute landing on land, belly-landed on the water and made a parachute landing on water?

[JAMF]

Originally Posted by Rodolphe

With a water temperature of 15.5 to 21°C, some individuals wearing a Personal Flotation Device, could suffer from hypothermia within 2 hrs.

So in the summer and early autumn months of the battle, between 2 an 7 hours of consciousness and up to 40 hours of survival (60-70). In the Thames estuary and close to shore even longer. If the bay of Biscay were on the map, it would be in the upper zone of 70-80F.



(Maximum sea temperature is reached in the last week of August)

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by JAMF

In the Thames estuary and close to shore even longer.

Apparently you had a worse chance of survival in the Thames Estuary due to strong currents.

Cheers!