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What if German pilots shot British BoB pilots

Discussion in 'What If - European Theater - Western Front & Atlan' started by harolds, Jan 28, 2014.

  1. Dave55

    Dave55 Member

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    I saw a couple RAF pilots interviewed in "World at War" The first one gave the "I was after the target or plane, not the man" and "Fellow avaitors" angle. The second one said, "I hated them. I wanted to kill them. They were trying to enslave us. There was no sportsmanship at all, at least as far as I was concerned."
     
  2. arminiuss

    arminiuss New Member

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    Damn German fighting for his country. And he did qualify as an ace using American standards, he did fly an FW 190.

    Actually the German pilots were kind of surprised when Americans started shooting at German jet pilots who baled out. But of course at the trials after the war it was discovered that the allies were incapable of committing a war crime, after all they won.
     
  3. Dave55

    Dave55 Member

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    Dedicated, unrepentant Nazi party member. And I know he flew some missions in a 190.
     
  4. von_noobie

    von_noobie Member

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    Since when has the victor ever committed a war crime?

    Naturally if you win the war you get any past sins wiped clean and are allowed to pillage to your pleasure but it's no crime because you won =)
     
  5. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake Member

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    The 21 squadrons of the Auxiliary air force was a relatively small part of the RAF, and the social; elitism did not survive much beyond the outbreak of war, and certainly not the first heavy casualties

    There may be a bias in favour of the greater likelihood of people from solid middle class families to have the education, time and expectations to write memoirs.
     
  6. Triple C

    Triple C Ace

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    And in what universe would the British not retaliate? Most fighter pilots would have enough sense of self-preservation to avoid carrying out such an order. Budd Anderson killed one parachuting Luftwaffe pilot over Germany after seeing him did the same to bomber crews. Killing parachuting pilots make military sense, but I think in this case there wasn't the stomach for it.
     
  7. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    Not particularly accurate especially since some allies were convicted of crimes that violated the conventions before the war was even over.

    Calling BS on this one as well.
    Once the conventions were codified victors as well as vanquished could be convicted of war crimes. Of course in a well run military they are actually convicted of violating the laws of the country whose force they belong to.
     
  8. harolds

    harolds Member

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    Some allied soldiers were convicted of crimes before the war was over but most of these crimes were of a general criminal nature: rape, looting, desertion etc. I don't remember any trials of Allies soldiers for doing bad things to the enemy. For instance, were there any legal ramifications for what the French colonial troops did in Italy?

    PS: this might be a teenie bit off-topic! :whip:
     
  9. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    There were at least two US soldiers convicted of killing POW's, in Sicily I believe. Note that those "general criminal nature" crimes are also war crimes. That's the way warcrimes are suppose to be handled. They are suppose to be incorporated in national laws and enforced by the judical system of the country being served.
     
  10. TiredOldSoldier

    TiredOldSoldier Ace

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    The Sicily episode a near carbon copy of the Malmedy episode, comparing the two trials is instructive, Patton who was responsible for issuing the orders that were "misinterpreted" was never tried.
     
  11. harolds

    harolds Member

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    TOS,

    Could you please give a quick synopsis of the "Sicily episode"? I THINK I remember something re. this but it is way foggy. Thanks.
     

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