Leonidas Squadron?

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5th Horseman
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Leonidas Squadron?

#1

Post by 5th Horseman » 09 Jan 2010, 02:40

The Leonidas Squadron, formally known as 5th Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 200 was a unit which was originally formed to fly the Fieseler Fi 103R (Reichenberg), a manned version of the V-1 flying bomb that was never used in combat because of Werner Baumbach.

The Fieseler Fi 103, better known as V-1 , colloquially know in Britain as the 'Doodlebug', was an early cruise missile ,used during World War II. The V-1 was developed at Peenemünde by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Between 13 June 1944 and 29 March 1945, it was fired at London.

Werner Baumbach was a bomber pilot in the German Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of the secret KG 200, and he and his superiors considered it an unnecessary waste of life and resources, and preferred to use the Mistel.
The Mistel , also known as Beethoven-Gerät and Vati und Sohn , was a Luftwaffe aircraft bombing system, based broadly on the parasite aircraft concept, from late in World War II....

The Battle of Berlin was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II and was designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union. The last offensive of the European war was the Prague Offensive on 6–11 May 1945, when the GermanArmy, with the help ofthirty-five pilots of the Leonidas Squadron flew suicide sorties against Soviet bridges over the river Oder with little noticeable effect.

Anyone have anymore info about this unit?
Many thanks.

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Flyin-Vulf
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Re: Leonidas Squadron?

#2

Post by Flyin-Vulf » 09 Jan 2010, 14:14

Found this at:

http://greyfalcon.us/Fiesler%20Fi.htm

5.II/KG200 named the Leonidasstaffel

Image

Fieseler Fi-103R Reichenberg
Builder: Fieseler AG
Type: Piloted cruise missile

Most students of WW2 aviation know about Ohka, the Japanese manned anti-shipping missile. The story of Reichenberg, which never saw use, is largely forgotten. Reichenberg, a manned version of the Fi-103 missile better known as the V-1 "buzz bomb," is proof that the mentality of the suicide attacker is not merely the product of the Japanese (or today, the Islamic) society but can afflict any nation desperate enough that values the collective existence of the state more than individual life.

By mid-1944, the Fi-103 (V-1) had been deployed to special units in Germany and in the occupied countries for attacks against the British Isles. It was a simple weapon, a streamlined airframe carrying an explosive warhead on which an Argus AS-109 pulsejet was mounted. The pulsejet was equally simple; a tube lacking both turbine and compressors into which vaporized fuel was injected in spurts and ignited. Shutters at the front of the tube opened to admit air during the intake phase and closed during the ignition phase to direct the combustion gases to the rear. It had very few moving parts, was simple to make and easy to maintain.

In action, the gunners would set the gyroscopic autopilot controls, line up the launch ramp in the general direction of the target and launch the missile. A catapult was necessary to provide enough speed to start the engine. The V-1 traveled at about 400 miles an hour at varying altitudes. When it reached the vicinity of the target, the engine would cut out and the missile would strike. It was not a very accurate weapon. Vibrations caused by the engine (remember-the combustion was not continuous) would affect the autopilot and the V-1 which flew a straight course and, being unmanned, took no evasive action, was prone to interception by both antiaircraft fire and British fighters.

It was to correct these flaws that two noted personages proposed including a pilot, The first was Flugkapitän Hanna Reitsch, noted female test pilot: the other was SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Skorzeny, a noted commando famous for the abduction of the son of Admiral Horthy Miklos, the Hungarian regent, in order to force Horthy's resignation and the abduction-rescue of Benito Mussolini.

Reitsch and Skorzeny soon found an ally in another test pilot Hauptmann Heinrich Lange and the three sought to form a unit of Selbstopfermänner (Self-sacrifice men) who would offer their lives if necessary to accomplish their mission. They immediately ran into the opposition of Adolf Hitler who insisted that the pilots be given some means of escape. With this modification Skorzeny put forward Hitler's decree to Reichsminister Albert Speer and Erhardt Milch of the Reichsluftministerium. The project was given the code-name Reichenberg within 14 days, three training models and the operational model had been designed and put under test.

Image


The Reichenberg had few changes other than the armored cockpit. Instruments were rudimentary and controls consisted of a stick and rudder bar. Due to the G-forces, the catapult launch was abandoned in favor of air drops, a He-111 being proposed as the mother ship. The pilot was to bail out during the terminal dive as per Hitler's orders, BUT owing to the difficulty of opening the canopy against the wind resistance and the fact that if he did manage to bail out, he stood a 100% chance of being sucked into the pulsejet this was just a formality. The Reichenberg WAS a suicide weapon and everyone knew it.

A special unit was formed to operate the Reichenberg: 5.II/KG200 named the Leonidasstaffel after the Spartan king who fought to the death at Thermopylae. 60 Luftwaffe pilots and 30 of Skorzeny's commandos volunteered for the Leonidasstaffel and 175 Reichenbergs were ready for use when in October, 1944 Oberleutnant Werner Baumbach became commandant of KG200. He immediately shelved the Fi-103R project in favor of Mistel remote controlled aircraft while the German high command refused to allocate fuel even for the Reichenberg trainers.

Image

Hope that helps you out a little.
Flyin-Vulf
Last edited by Flyin-Vulf on 09 Jan 2010, 23:34, edited 1 time in total.
"nemo me impune lacessit"
(no one shall harm me without being punished)


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Marcus
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Re: Leonidas Squadron?

#3

Post by Marcus » 09 Jan 2010, 23:03

When quoting please remember to give credit to the source, thanks.

/Marcus

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Flyin-Vulf
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Re: Leonidas Squadron?

#4

Post by Flyin-Vulf » 10 Jan 2010, 00:22

There ya go I put in the Web addresses to the info. Hope thats the ticket. ;)
"nemo me impune lacessit"
(no one shall harm me without being punished)

5th Horseman
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Re: Leonidas Squadron?

#5

Post by 5th Horseman » 10 Jan 2010, 03:56

Thank you, Flyin-Vulf.
Excellent information.

And, um, guilty, as well... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_Squadron
Not the website I got the info from, but obviously that website copied this website.

Remember kids, Don't drink and post.

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