http://www.scribd.com/doc/5299194/Germany
Lots of good pics and data, but a rather long read. The Germans didn't lose the war for lack of imagination.

 

Beautiful renderings of German WWII projects and photos of actual aircraft. Looks like some of the projects made it to current USAF drawing boards, ie, Global Hawk, B-2, and more than a few Soviet/Russian designs and flight status.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...ad.php?t=14644

I can almost envision a boatload of Wehrner Von Bauns being whisked to Alabama, White Sands and various "Skunk Works" design factories, while an equal or perhaps greater number of Blohms, Junkers and Messerschmidts were escorted east along with the dismantled factories. These aircraft, even if all did not reach flight status, certainly display the great minds at work and pushed by a tertiary syphaletic maniacal leader, Adolph Schickelgruber.

John P
FTroopChief

 

They certainly had imagination but there's a boatload of difference between a doodle and an actual modern aircraft that happens to have a passing resemblance.

Supposedly the Germans originally swept wings in order to maintain aircraft center of balance and it was only later that they discovered the speed advantaged offered by wings being swept.

Also supposedly the Soviets got the plans on the Focke-Wulf Ta 183 and eventually developed the MiG 15 from them.

 

Brent I whole heartedly agree with you that it is a long way from Mechanix Illustrated to Janes. Did you look at both the links I posted?
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...ad.php?t=14644 Mostly renderings with a few photos, and aircraft nomenclature with some "presumed" data?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5299194/Germany Variety of pictures and classifications of weapon systems. Of interest was the push-me/pull-me' Dornier DO-335 Pfeil with dual 1800 hp engines purported to be the fastest piston engine aircaft in the world at that time.
As I remarked, Ford's tome is a long read, but some interesting info in the captions.
A tidbit I will share: I went to DOD High School in Heidelberg, Germany and my senior year, 1949, our Civics, American Government teacher invited a German Professor to give us a six week segment on German History up through the conclusion of WWII. Without going into depth on the course, he was abviously very proud of his heritage and in acknowledgeing the errors of the **** system. He made two very profound statements that have been with me for almost 60 years. He blamed Hitler for two errors that potentially cost Germany the war. First was not following the British across the channel at Dunkirk. Occupation would have been a problem however there were lots of Germans and German sympathizers in Ireland to be tapped among others.
His second FATAL mistake was declaring war on Russia when he did, having a pact with Stalin at the time. He cut his ranks too thin, and didn't admit to the tenacity of the citizens and the weather he had no control over. That was the lesson I learned from an educated non-admitted rank and file former party member.
The US better heed the lessons of the past before we bite off more than we can chew. We have lost a good portion of our past "friends" and our economic crunch won't buy them back this time I'm afraid.

John P.
FTroopChief

 

I looked at the militaryphoto.net link but only skimmed through the other - just don't have the time to read it completely at the moment. My doodle reference was meant for aircraft only since the Germans cranked out dozens of paper concepts of all manner of shape and propulsion. Let a thousand monkeys bang away on a thousand typewriters and after a thousand years one is bound to reproduce the works of Shakespeare......

I don't think it was a mistake for the Germans not to continue across the channel after Dunkirk. The Royal Navy was intact at the time and would have been committed 100% to repel an invasion. The invasion of the Soviet Union was definitely a mistake and was a major, in fact the major factor in the defeat of Germany.

 

The Battle for Britain would have been interesting to say the least. The British Navy was indeed intact, but dispersed, in the North Atlantic, The Mediterranean, the North Sea. The German Navy was formidable as well, and the submarine force had to be reckoned with. The Germans did not have the landing ship armada as seen on D-Day, and had the White Cliffs to contend with, however paratroops could have created confusion and diversionary tactics. The 2 Queens were the only ships crossing in 4 days and only carried 7,000-8,000 troops between them. Hitler was a charismatic orator but no military genius. He disdained the advice of his best Generals and caused their rebellion, and Rommel's suicide. Lots of what ifs....

John P

 

I still think any German attempt to invade would have failed. Paratroopers would have caused diversions and were a serious threat but ultimately it would have taken a large army to conquer England, and the only way to get such an army across the channel was via ships. The RN, although dispersed, did have many ships available and would have been committed. Possibly every RN ship would have been sunk, but the invasion would have been averted.

The many what ifs. What if Germany had treated Jews well, and the many Jewish scientists involved in the atomic bomb program had stayed in Germany. Could Germany have developed the bomb first. What if Germany had not invaded the Soviet Union. Or more possibly, what if Germany had treated the Ukraines, Georgians, etc decently so that these populations rallied to the Germans. What if Germany wooed Spain to the point where Spain captured Gibraltar and helped closed the Mediterranean to the British. Heck, what if the Normans were repelled in 1066.

We really need to find Star Trek alternate universes where such events actually happened just to find out the results.

 

Maybe that's why we're so spaced out?

I mean out in space

I concede Brent, too many iffys.

John P

 

...ask Mussolini..

 

Missed this when it came out.
The Queen Mary carried nearly 16,000 soldiers at times.
Just a point of interest, where were the soldiers you mentioned coming from? Canada supplied troops from this side of the Atlantic when the invasion was a possibility. Americans soldiers would have had to come through Canada as volunteers. Americans did serve but strictly as volunteers at that time.
Prior to the declaration of war, some eighteen months after Dunkirk, by the US after Pearl Harbor the greatest death toll of Americans was suffered by the Merchant Marine, a massive thanks is owed this often forgotten group.