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June issue of Air Classics

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  • Member since
    January 2013
June issue of Air Classics
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Monday, May 5, 2014 9:06 AM

Last night, I went to Barnes and Nobles with intention to buy Fly Past magazine. Unfortunately the newest issue wasn't in yet but I did find a worthy June issue of Air Classic. This issue is a 70th Anniversary Commemorative Edition to D-Day. Buy it before they're gone! LOL!

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: State of Mississippi. State motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
Posted by mississippivol on Monday, May 5, 2014 8:33 PM

Cool! I didn't know Air Classics was still around; loved their stuff in the '70's.

  • Member since
    February 2014
Posted by USMC6094 on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 7:03 AM

I get their magazine about monthly when I male my trip to the Book a Million in New Bern

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 9:28 PM

I got the chance to read it a bit and WOW! Loads of stuff I never knew about D-Day - especially the inset box about the Phantom Fleet (aka: Operation Taxable and Operation Glimmer). Basically it explains as follows:

By midnight of June 5, 1333 RAF heavies drops over 5,000 tons of bombs on radar  stations and 10 most important German gun batteries in the assault areas. In 24 hours between the night of June 5 and June 6th the RAF dropped 15,000 and 20,000 tons of bombs.

June 5&6 Operations Taxable and Glimmer were both devised by W/Cmder. E.I. Dickie create "Phantom Fleets" on German radar  screens. Taxable involved 16 Lancasters of 617 Sqn and its joint RN/RAF operation aimed at making the Germans believe that an invasion force was attacking the French coast between Dieppe and Caps d'Antifer. Meantime the German High Command  plots 3 "invasion forces"

arriving on the French coast,

6 aircrafts of 218 Sqn and a few boats mount Operation Glimmer, whose "convoy" is aimed at the beaches of Boulogne. German searchlights are turned on and open fired on the "convoy." The Luftwaffe night fighters are directed at the jammers and spend hours in the area as well as German E-boats were sent out searching for the fleet that never sailed.

15 aircrafts of 138. 149 and 161 Sqns giving the Germans the impression of a much larger force , drop dummy parachutists called "Ruperts" between Rouens and Le Harve. German 915th Regiment abandons Omaha and set off to intercept them. Crucially, they are away for hours.

16 aircrafts of 90, 138 and 149 Sqns, flying tracks 15-miles south of that taken by the invasion forces, simulates landings at Maligny and Villars Bocage. The Maligny decoy was designed to relieve some pressure on US airborne forces around St. Mere-Eglise.

24 Lancasters of 101 Sqn and 5 B-17s of 214 Sqn carrying  82 radio jammers between them, obliterate the German night-fighter frequencies for more than 5 hours. Only one Lancaster was shot down.

16 Stirling bombers from 199 Sqn and 4 B-17s of 803rd Bomb Sqn USAAF establish a Mandrel screen from Littlehampton to Portland Bill jamming all but 5% of the Freya radars between Cherbourg and Le Harve.

The RAF flew 5656 sorties and the Allies flew 14,674 sorties on D-Day. Losses were caused mainly by flak are 133 (0.77%) while the Luftwaffe only flew 319 sorties.

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