Barracuda in RN service?

[John_fi_Skye]

Is that a Fiesler Storch? Better performance at low speeds than the Lysander. Unless there was a cross-wind!

[klr]

Storch?

The personal transport of choice for any allied commander who could get his hands on one.

There are still a good few flying, thanks to the French (and the Czechs) continuing with production after the war.

[John_fi_Skye]

Lysander. Named after a character from a play full of fairies! How the Germans must have laughed!

[klr]

Is that a Fiesler Storch? Better performance at low speeds than the Lysander. Unless there was a cross-wind!

I hadn't heard that before, but it makes good sense when you compare them.

I always tend to think of the Lysander as being closer to the Henschel 126 than the Storch in terms of flying characteristics. Maybe it's just because of the look of them.

The Irish Air Corps operated a few Lysanders, and I have a couple of Lysander kits within arm's reach. I have an idea ...

Lysander. Named after a character from a play full of fairies! How the Germans must have laughed!

They probably weren't laughing when it snuck past their air defences to drop and pick up agents.

[John_fi_Skye]

"Spit, fire! Spout, rain"

The Spitfire - named after the defiant ravings of a mad English king. How the Germans must have laughed!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Lord Louis also mentions a "walrus". Sounds like a pig with wings.

[John_fi_Skye]

This?

[John_fi_Skye]

I think they picked up ditched pilots in the Channel.

[klr]

"Spit, fire! Spout, rain"

The Spitfire - named after the defiant ravings of a mad English king. How the Germans must have laughed!

I'm seeing a bit of theme here.



RJ Mitchell certainly wasn't laughing: "Spitfire was just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose!"

Lord Louis also mentions a "walrus". Sounds like a pig with wings.

You wouldn't be too far wrong:


SNAP! John got their first.

Guess what? RJ Mitchell designed this as well. Beauty and the Beast ...

I think they picked up ditched pilots in the Channel.

They did indeed, and many a pilot was very thankful for them. They were also used on cruisers and battleships, via catapult launches.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

This?

Sounds right maybe.

One event occurred about the middle of November 1940 of which I shall mention some points here. My flotilla was moving down the Coast during the early morning, and had one of our reconnaissance airplanes overhead. The aircraft reported to us that a similar enemy flotilla had been sighted. The NEWCASTLE and ______________were with us in the first flotilla. Soon after we cleared the harbor the Germans reported the same as we had. The were planes of the RAF were not trained to work with the Navy, and therefore we could not find the German destroyers. Our destroyers went through at any rate and established the enemy position and made contact. As soon as the German destroyers saw us they turned and made off at full speed. We opened fire at range of about 24,000 yards. Everybody went at the best possible speed. At the end of a three-hour chase no one was out of position more than a mile. When the range dropped to 9800 yards the Germans opened fire. The NEWCASTLE launched her walrus aircraft and they reported the German destroyers. Torpedoes were fired with great accuracy, at 19,300 yards. The only ship that was within gun range was the NEWCASTLE. She was firing at about 23,000 yards, and fired 750 6-gun salvos. Because she had air observations,she laid down six 6-gun and 4 12-gun straddles. There were great quantities of German aircraft bombing, but nothing happened. The pilot of the NEWCASTLE'S walrus came in, landed in the slick which she had made, hooked his plane on and then passed out cold, shot through the chest.

[John_fi_Skye]

Did Mitchell not want to call it The Shrew? (The Germans who knew their Shakespeare would think it could be tamed.)

[John_fi_Skye]

This?

Sounds right maybe.

One event occurred about the middle of November 1940 of which I shall mention some points here. My flotilla was moving down the Coast during the early morning, and had one of our reconnaissance airplanes overhead. The aircraft reported to us that a similar enemy flotilla had been sighted. The NEWCASTLE and ______________were with us in the first flotilla. Soon after we cleared the harbor the Germans reported the same as we had. The were planes of the RAF were not trained to work with the Navy, and therefore we could not find the German destroyers. Our destroyers went through at any rate and established the enemy position and made contact. As soon as the German destroyers saw us they turned and made off at full speed. We opened fire at range of about 24,000 yards. Everybody went at the best possible speed. At the end of a three-hour chase no one was out of position more than a mile. When the range dropped to 9800 yards the Germans opened fire. The NEWCASTLE launched her walrus aircraft and they reported the German destroyers. Torpedoes were fired with great accuracy, at 19,300 yards. The only ship that was within gun range was the NEWCASTLE. She was firing at about 23,000 yards, and fired 750 6-gun salvos. Because she had air observations,she laid down six 6-gun and 4 12-gun straddles. There were great quantities of German aircraft bombing, but nothing happened. The pilot of the NEWCASTLE'S walrus came in, landed in the slick which she had made, hooked his plane on and then passed out cold, shot through the chest.

Amazing stuff to read. Brave men.

[klr]

Did Mitchell not want to call it The Shrew? (The Germans who knew their Shakespeare would think it could be tamed.)

Close enough. It was on a list of names submitted by the the Air Ministry.

IIRC, Sptifire (not Shrew) was the nickname used by one of the Vickers bigwigs for his feisty daughter. (EDITED)

Mitchell also designed the Stranraer, one of my favourite flying boats:

[John_fi_Skye]

"I'm seeing a bit of theme here."

Those blokes with the stiff upper lips who gave out names like "Aerocobra", or "Lightning" for the P-38, presumably thinking they'd be good for morale must've been nuts.

[John_fi_Skye]

Did Mitchell not want to call it The Shrew? (The Germans who knew their Shakespeare would think it could be tamed.)

Close enough. It was on a list of names submitted by the the Air Ministry. IIRC, it was the nickname used by one of the Vickers bigwigs for his feisty daughter.

Mitchell also designed the Stranraer, one of my favourite flying boats:

Named efter the Cley Hole!