Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It seems to me that although well designed, many examples of German military equipment during WW2 (more realistically world war, part deux) suffered fatal design flaws. Cases in point: The Panther Tank, marvelous as it was, lacked adequate secondary armament until later in the war. At Kursk, the Russians quickly found that if they could get below the minimum deflection angle of the main gun, it was no problem to getting an infantryman close enough to attach an explosive charge to the hull or suspension. In a pinch, a dog with a magnetic mine would also work. The Messerschmidt Bf-109, also an advanced design for its time, lacked the ability to carry drop tanks, nor could the design be easily adapted. During the Battle of Britain, they were forced to turn back just as the bombers were starting their bomb runs, giving the ?few? a clear approach to attack them. On the other hand, the Spitfire was designed from the start for growth, and evolved throughout the war to remain at or near the state of the art. Reg Mitchell was a genius. VBR, Ira Silverman Irvine, CA