| GeoffQRF | 24 Jan 2012 6:26 a.m. PST |
link "In the lighter moments of World War II, the Spitfire was used in an unorthodox role: bringing beer kegs to the men in Normandy"
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| CraigH | 24 Jan 2012 8:17 a.m. PST |
Thanks for posting – love the line "Anyone who made a rough landing and dropped the tanks would be the most hated man on the squadron for an entire week." Almost pity any German unit that would fire on the airplane – we need every Lancaster in the UK to attack… |
| taskforce58 | 24 Jan 2012 8:58 a.m. PST |
I can just imagine the pre-flight briefing: "…and for God's sake don't ever touch the bomb jettison handle!" |
| GeoffQRF | 24 Jan 2012 9:13 a.m. PST |
…and for God's sake don't ever touch the bomb jettison handle! "Whether the kegs could be jettisoned in case of emergency is unknown" However: "Jonsson hated the beer runs as every man on the squadron would be watching you upon arrival. Anyone who made a rough landing and dropped the tanks would be the most hated man on the squadron for an entire week." I also love: "Champagne bottles in particular did not react well to the vibrations they were submitted to during such bootlegging trips." |
| desert war | 24 Jan 2012 9:17 a.m. PST |
I'm betting that any German who saw a spit being used this way knew instantly that they lost the war. While they had to squeeze every drop of fuel just to move their tanks the allies were burning av gas to haul beer. |
| GeoffQRF | 24 Jan 2012 9:25 a.m. PST |
But what a dilemma… shoot it down, or try and force it to land near your own airfield… |
| elsyrsyn | 24 Jan 2012 10:38 a.m. PST |
While they had to squeeze every drop of fuel just to move their tanks the allies were burning av gas to haul beer. Oh, I'm sure that (in the spirit of fiddlign while Rome burns) plenty of this sort of frivolity went on on the German side, too. Just think of all the fuel spent moving looted art around. Doug |
| Lluis Vilalta | 24 Jan 2012 11:20 a.m. PST |
But what a dilemma… shoot it down, or try and force it to land near your own airfield… No dilemma at all, I guess… Just surrendering, with the hope of being given a drop  |
| Dances with Clydesdales | 24 Jan 2012 4:01 p.m. PST |
Fly high enough and you get cold beer to boot. My Uncle's father was a SeaBee on Gudalcanal, and said they used TBFs to chill their beer, under the guise of an instrument check of course… |
| GeoffQRF | 24 Jan 2012 4:42 p.m. PST |
"If the Spitfire flew high enough, the cold air at altitude would even refresh the beer, making it ready for consumption upon arrival." |
| svsavory | 24 Jan 2012 4:55 p.m. PST |
Great stuff, thanks! I'll have to scrounge around for some kegs to glue to one of my 1/144 Spitfires. |
| pbhawkin | 24 Jan 2012 5:06 p.m. PST |
Kami de Koro do a Spitfire Mk.IX in 1/144 scale with Beer barrels included!
here is where to buy it: radjapan.ocnk.net/product/607
and if you click on the picture you can see the Beer barrels!! Peter H |
paints up some WWII Soviet aircraft.
