Ramontxo
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Well if their Inteligence Section still goes for the "This are the RAF last fighters" theory they may fall for the sunken costs fallacy and keep investing good money after bad one...
AHC: Peerless Air Ministry
- Thread starter perfectgeneral
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Well if their Inteligence Section still goes for the "This are the RAF last fighters" theory they may fall for the sunken costs fallacy and keep investing good money after bad one...
Think of the effect of no devastation off Coventry on the 14/15 of november1940. In the PAM we are looking at November 1941 levels of night fighter cover in November 1940.
Night fighters will be Gloster Reaper NFI. Night intruders to attack Luftwaffe airfields will be Gloster Reaper Fi, Beaufighters, and the Mosquito FB MkI will join them by Christmas 1940!
Night fighters will be Gloster Reaper NFI. Night intruders to attack Luftwaffe airfields will be Gloster Reaper Fi, Beaufighters, and the Mosquito FB MkI will join them by Christmas 1940!
Interesting to see how the changes in the Air Ministry will change the Luftwaffe. Anyone any thoughts?
I must admit I had not put much thought into that. Until the phoney war ends and the serious fighting begins not that much. Now an extra 1000+ spitfires being built certainly should give pause for thought but given the mind set of Goering and his gang they are probably dismissed out of hand.
The Greater abundance of fighters available to the RAF, should hopefully see at Least Malta getting some Hurricane MkI's by the summer of 1940. Pre June 1940 these fighters can stage through Metropolitan France and thence to Malta. OTL Italy was still neutral so the Politicians in London might be worried that such a overt reinforcement might be seen as a threat by the Italians.
The Greater abundance of fighters available to the RAF, should hopefully see at Least Malta getting some Hurricane MkI's by the summer of 1940. Pre June 1940 these fighters can stage through Metropolitan France and thence to Malta. OTL Italy was still neutral so the Politicians in London might be worried that such a overt reinforcement might be seen as a threat by the Italians.
Germany surely was reasonably happy with Luftwaffe compared to West as at least they'd properly tested their new craft and doctrine in Spain
As far as the PAM is concerned that is the hope. The PAM is for obvious reasons selling the Government the line that the Luftwaffe is as large and dangerous as the government's worst fears imagine!
Higher losses to the RAF in daytime would mean an earlier start to night attacks rather than just giving up.
How that continues would depend on how good the new night fighters are, by the time the Blitz was called off in April 41 the LW was starting to take serious casualties.
As it was, the needs of Russia meant they stopped the attacks, but if they take more losses earlier, they might decide they have time to change tactics or methods for one last go.
How that continues would depend on how good the new night fighters are, by the time the Blitz was called off in April 41 the LW was starting to take serious casualties.
As it was, the needs of Russia meant they stopped the attacks, but if they take more losses earlier, they might decide they have time to change tactics or methods for one last go.
I don't think so, The Italians know that the English are switching their old Bi-planes out for more modern fighters. As this is completed in England, it's only logical that the old Bi-planes at major bases in thet Empire are next, and the new fighters are not the latest model.
The increased Luftwaffe losses in daytime would in all likelihood mean that the night campaign is commenced earlier.
Taking the level of losses inflicted on the Luftwaffe in the spring of 1941 OTL and projecting that onto a similarly equipped PAM night fighter force from October 1940 I suspect the Night Blitz would have been petering out by Christmas. losses of 10% plus over the UK with intruders attacking your airfield every night would tend to put a damper on the ardour of your bomber crews.
Taking the level of losses inflicted on the Luftwaffe in the spring of 1941 OTL and projecting that onto a similarly equipped PAM night fighter force from October 1940 I suspect the Night Blitz would have been petering out by Christmas. losses of 10% plus over the UK with intruders attacking your airfield every night would tend to put a damper on the ardour of your bomber crews.
It would be more accurate to say a club for grammar school boys.That was Fighter Command, right thru the BoB.
Bomber Command was actually much more egalitarian, what with needing door gunners & such.
With improvements to the UK RDF network and more capable fighters, it might encourage the LW to start larger more concentrated raids earlier. On the downside this would cause more damage to RAF installations but would put the LW out where it could be gotten at. Depending how it worked out it may result in higher LW daylight losses overall particularly if they believed their own intelligence on what Fighter Command had left in the tank, the LW had a reputation for believing the claims of their pilots at the start of the war which could delay the switch to earlier night ops. Of course with an earlier introduction of radar equipped night fighters the LW losses are going to be considerably higher across the board.
I'm thinking it might force a switch to night ops much sooner than OTL, which puts pressure on FC's GCI & NF programs (unless they're much more ready, & they look like they might be TTL
{nice work, sonofpegasus }).Broader implications? This could seriously bugger German air ops on the Eastern Front...
Although this is a RAF thread will the improvements in radar result in Anti-Aircraft Command having more accurate Gun Laying (GL) radars during the Blitz and receiving Searchlight Control (SLC) radars sooner?
If that is correct could some GL and SLC sets be sent to Malta in late 1940 to give Fligerkorps X a warm welcome in January 1941?
Edit
In June 1940 Malta had 34 heavy AA guns, 12 light AA guns and 24 searchlights against a requirement for 112, 60 and 24 respectively.
If that is correct could some GL and SLC sets be sent to Malta in late 1940 to give Fligerkorps X a warm welcome in January 1941?
Edit
In June 1940 Malta had 34 heavy AA guns, 12 light AA guns and 24 searchlights against a requirement for 112, 60 and 24 respectively.
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More!
This should have been done earlier and continued until mid 1941 (for Singapore).
@sonofpegasus , this has been a challenge well met. Thank you to all that have followed and contributed.
I'm thinking it might force a switch to night ops much sooner than OTL, which puts pressure on FC's GCI & NF programs (unless they're much more ready, & they look like they might be TTL
Broader implications? This could seriously bugger German air ops on the Eastern Front...
Your right but I still think they will double down with larger ops "to bring the British to battle" and/or an earlier Adler Tag and then switch to night ops. But in his TL the RAF has better reserves, training and cannon armed fighters, Adler Tag would result in much higher losses as the RAF fighters will both down more German bombers and fighters outright and those that are damaged and get home will be scrapped or non-operational for longer.
Interesting point re AAA Command, more and earlier GL radar will increase German losses significantly. What would cause them to skyrocket would be if there were proximity fused AAA, but that will take a few more years.
Taking conditions in 1939/40 and having Supermarine/Vickers running castle Bromwich since May 1939 what would be considered a viable average weekly production figure for Spitfires. As in OTL at this time the factory will not be solely building Spitfires?
OTL before May 1940 Castle Bromwich had contracts to build both Wellingtons and Halifaxes.
At peak production Castle Bromwich was producing about 10 Spitfires a day. So would 5 a day be reasonable ITTL prior to the battle of France?
OTL before May 1940 Castle Bromwich had contracts to build both Wellingtons and Halifaxes.
At peak production Castle Bromwich was producing about 10 Spitfires a day. So would 5 a day be reasonable ITTL prior to the battle of France?
RE AA guns in general, the UK's AA defences never seem to get much lime light, I don't know how effective they were, but with the 3.7-inch AA gun they had a potent weapon for sure. Hell the UK even put 5.25-inch guns in their turret mountings ashore as AA weapons.
Just 2000 rounds to hit one aircraft. AAA was mostly for morale until proximity fuses and GL radar targeting.