27.10.2008, 12:39
Before war broke out the Graf Zeppelin flew a mission around the coast of Britain to search for radar transmissions. Assuming that the Brits were using the same wavelengths as they were they failed to pick up the latest radar systems and wrongly assumed that Britain was well behind them in the technology.
Anyway, it would be interesting to see flights of Gladiators flying an intercept mission against the Graf Zeppelin. All historically feasible alternative scenarios.
Here is an account of the flight:
Flight 24 - Spionagefahrt
24. The Spionagefahrt ("espionage trip") of 2 to 4 August 1939, taking over 48 hours and covering 4.203 km, was the longest trip the LZ 130 made. The main goal was to secretly collect information on the English Chain Home radar system.[2] To do this the airship flew northwards close to the British east coast up to the Shetland Isles and back. On board were 45 crew and 28 measurement personnel. Lift off was on 1939-08-02 around 20:53,[1] and it overflew Hildesheim at 23:38, seen by very few people.[2]
The memoirs of Albert Sammt, Mein Leben f
Anyway, it would be interesting to see flights of Gladiators flying an intercept mission against the Graf Zeppelin. All historically feasible alternative scenarios.
Here is an account of the flight:
Flight 24 - Spionagefahrt
24. The Spionagefahrt ("espionage trip") of 2 to 4 August 1939, taking over 48 hours and covering 4.203 km, was the longest trip the LZ 130 made. The main goal was to secretly collect information on the English Chain Home radar system.[2] To do this the airship flew northwards close to the British east coast up to the Shetland Isles and back. On board were 45 crew and 28 measurement personnel. Lift off was on 1939-08-02 around 20:53,[1] and it overflew Hildesheim at 23:38, seen by very few people.[2]
The memoirs of Albert Sammt, Mein Leben f