Dogfights: Secret Weapons Part 1

The Me 163 Komet was perhaps the most unique aircraft design of the Second World War. German scientists, always on the cutting edge of evolving war technology, developed a rocket-powered aircraft based on testing completed with an engine-less glider design. The resulting research produced the one-man, swept back fighter that was equally dangerous to pilot and Allied bomber formations alike.

By late 1944, the war situation had deteriorated for Japan to the point where extraordinary measures were seen as offering the only way out of an increasingly grim military predicament. Thus, with the invasion of the Phillipines, the Japanese first formulated and implemented 'Special Attack' tactics in the form of suicide aircraft attacks: the kamikazes. In short order, Japan began applying the same doctrine in the creation of new weapons systems. Notable among these was the kaiten suicide submarine.

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY JR., 1915-1944

A Navy pilot, died when an explosives-laden bomber he was piloting on a secret World War II mission exploded. Awarded the Navy Cross and the Air Medal.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Me-163
• rocket
• German
• B-17
• Allies
• Axis
• Glider
• Suicide
• submarine
• Japan
• Kamikaze
• Kennedy
• B-24
• Bomber
• explosion
• dogfights

[starguard]

@Bubo25 Those two kills were two less bombers they had to worry about. Unlike what they show in this video, the Germans sent up as many rocketplanes at one time as their fuel supplies allowed.

[Bubo25]

All that effort for just two kills? Pretty useless against almost 500 B-17s. If it had more fuel or was (ironically) slower, so it could either linger in the warzone or stay in an attack for longer periods before overshooting, it would've been more worth it. As is it was just one aircraft that was so fast and had so little fuel that it could only shoot down just two aircraft at best. Sign of desperation. Now, if there were a swarm of the little sods things could've been much different.

[astrofly]

@porpus99 By 1944, Germany didn't have enough pilots or even fuel left to cause any disasters for the allies. It didn't matter how many or what kind of planes they produced.

[porpus99]

@ww2guy100 They didnt remake the carriers until later. In the early days, around 1946, they modified P-80 to include a tail hook and other features standard for carrier landing.

[ww2guy100]

@porpus99 yeah they just remade the carriers because of the new era of jets and I think youre confused with the me163 and so was the russian jet 

[porpus99]

@ww2guy100 Still were not that many produced, only around 83 by 1945. It took another year for them to modify a model so it can launch from an Air Craft Carrier. The ME-262 on the other hand was produced in 1941. If they had been mass produced, Normandy would have been a disaster for the allies, and Britain would have fallen not to long after.

[ww2guy100]

@porpus99 they saw service in late 1945 just damageing supply line and some other things my neighbor flew one he flew planes from 1942-1968

[starguard]

I dont believe it, the History Channel made a dogfight video where the Germans acutally WON!!

Amazing!!!

[porpus99]

@ww2guy100 They were not ready for service until after the war. The Nazi's were constantly coming up with new ideas to improve there weapons. If Hitler had mass produced the ME-262 the Nazi's could have strafed the hell out of the Normandy invasion force. With such high loses the Allies wouldnt have been able to make another invasions for a while.

[ww2guy100]

@porpus99 the me262 would have fell victum to the superior p-80 shooting star