Posted By Kevin M. Pearson on July 19, 2007 at 08:25:42:
In Reply to: RAMMING OF HEAVY BOMBERS ON APRIL 7, 1945 posted by GEORGE D. KASPARIAN on July 19, 2007 at 07:56:35:
I saw one of these episodes and didn't know there were two - thanks for the heads up, George. A few years ago I corresponded with the man who wrote the book about Luftwaffe rammings, the book on which this show is based.
The bomber hunter/killers, like IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 had to declare in writing they would not come back to base without a bomber victory and were instructed to ram if they ran out of ammo. I have been fortunate to know Oskar Bosch from this squadron and have interviewed him several times. If anyone would like to see my story on him, let me know and I will send it your way.
Oskar tried to ram a B-24 by coming in behind the wings where the wings join the fuselage and using his wing, slice the bomber in half. Didn't work as the prop wash thew him up and over the plane and he then cart rolled down from there while taking heavy fire from the bombers.
Unlike the Japs whose mission was to kill themselves, the Germans tried to fatally damage a plane and the pilot hoped to bail out alive after ramming.
My two cents
Kevin