1. #1
    People were fighting in the bitter cold of winter when the Luftwaffe staged a massive attack in support of the Ardennes offensive.
    Today, that event is 65 years ago

    Seems hard to believe when sitting in front of the fireplace, but the fighting was fierce and so were the circumstances.

    I'm very glad to have witnessed this only virtually

    http://www.mission4today.com/i...file=details&id=1643

    Happy new year!!
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  2. #2
    M_Gunz's Avatar Banned
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    Bodenplatte?
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  3. #3
    AndyJWest's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally posted by M_Gunz:
    Bodenplatte?
    That would be it. Ill conceived, and a waste of lives. Wishful thinking as strategy, misassessment of present capabilities tactically, and even a 'total sucess' would have achieved little.
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  4. #4
    Sitting in front of the fireplace is a tremendous blessing after you have been in the blood and in the mud.
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  5. #5
    AndyJWest's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally posted by Choctaw111:
    Sitting in front of the fireplace is a tremendous blessing after you have been in the blood and in the mud.
    I would never suggest otherwise.
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  6. #6
    M_Gunz's Avatar Banned
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    Originally posted by Choctaw111:
    Sitting in front of the fireplace is a tremendous blessing after you have been in the blood and in the mud.
    Not being shot at should do the trick, I have been told! Only had loaded guns pointed at me so far, I've been lucky.

    The thing is that -everything- I did while I was young seems better than now, even the stupid dangerous stunts I pulled.
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  7. #7
    Originally posted by M_Gunz:
    Bodenplatte?
    Spot on Gunz

    Obviously a waste of lives, Bodenplatte. And it was clear even before the Luftwaffe took off that lives would be lost...
    Still the pilots got into their aircraft and flew the mission. That took guts as well!

    Then, at Asch, some 20 Mustangs and Thunderbolts mixed it with about 40 Messers and FW's... that took guts too! It earned them the distinguished unit citation, the luftwaffe pilots got nothing.
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  8. #8
    Uufflakke's Avatar Senior Member
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    And the most bizar thing is that 50% of the German planes that got shot down during Operation Bodenplatte was friendly fire as it was a secret mission. So Flak crew was not informed about this operation. On the way to and from the targets about 80(!) planes got shot down by their own Flak.
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  9. #9
    A 190 was brought down by a partridge, it seems even nature wasn't on their side.
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  10. #10
    Originally posted by M_Gunz:


    Not being shot at should do the trick, I have been told! Only had loaded guns pointed at me so far, I've been lucky.

    The thing is that -everything- I did while I was young seems better than now, even the stupid dangerous stunts I pulled.
    Getting shot at is fine, just don't get hit, or perhaps it's the fear of being hit. Regardless, you don't have time to think about it at the time.
    I only caught a ricochet that cut my thumb. It's barely worth even mentioning but it could have been a lot worse. I was lucky.
    Yeah, sitting in front of my fireplace has never felt so good
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