Little known facts...

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

There seem to be many misconceptions out there, giving people some worng impressions. Let's start a thread to state misconceptions often posted as facts, and the correct 'answer' to these. (Anybody got that? )

I'll start:
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The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 was only an earlier name for the Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. G, and not a different design.

There were 11, and not 2, Porsche desigened Jagdtigers

Christian

[Oleg Grigoryev]

little know fact that after battle of Kursk both German and Soviet fallen were burried in the same garves with usual laconic note: "number of Germans burried: ... number of Soviet burried: "

[D. Löwenhamn]

Oleg, the unknown facts are supposed to be about german, and her allies, equipment.

regards

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

We'll live

Okay, the name Brumbär was never used by the Germans in official documents. Neither was Bison, or Königstiger...

Christian

[D. Löwenhamn]

The Heinkel 162 Salamander, also known as 'Volksjäger', was the first aircraft to use a ejection seat. When the war ended the ejection seats had been used by over 60 pilots.

regards

[Logan Hartke]

German tanks didn't run on diesel. None of them did. Only one experimental tank engine did. This is a myth created by the German use of petrol with chemicals in it that made it harder to ignite, causing the Allies to believe that they used diesel.

Logan Hartke

[General Patton]

The PZKW 3 and PZKW 4 despite the simmilar appearance of their suspension, in fact , the mk.3 had the revolutionary torsion bar, while the mk. 4 had a tradtional leaf spring suspension.

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Speaking of the Pz.Kpfw. III and IV, the Pz.Kpfw. III was codenamed 'Zugführerwagen', however the Pz.Kpfw. IV was codenamed 'Begleitswagen' - not 'battalionsführerwagen'...

Christian

[General Patton]

The Totenkopf "death's head" signs of the divsion were different than that of the panzerwaffe. the panzerwaffe had alower jaw, while the totenkof didn't.

[Rob S.]

The first American citizen killed in WW2 was fighting in the 1940 winter war as a Finnish volunteer.

There was one Waffen-SS Fallschirmjäger division. It had jumpsmocks in Waffen-SS camouflage style.

KV-2's ceased production early on in the war because their guns couldn't go low enough to hit close-range objects.

There was a German U-boat that sank due to a toilet malfunction.

After the retreat from Dunkirk, England direly lacked defensive fortifications so she hurried to get all available resources. The coastal fortifications were even equipped with black powder cannons in some areas.

Many early-war allied tanks were made using cast armor; which were 15-17 percent weaker than the armor on German tanks.

Himmler had plans for an SS-Luftwaffe and possibly an SS-Kriegsmarine. Neither went past the drawboard.

Brazil joined the Allies and sent one full division to Europe. Brazil was ruled by a fascist dictator during ww2.

A single Bf-109 was shot down during the invasion of France by a French rifleman who fired only a single shot at the plane. The Bullet killed the pilot.

Ireland was pro-German, and even comtemplated joining the Axis. (this one is probably inaccurate, but a strange thought none the less)

Hitler's bloodline has been traced back to Jewish heriatage as well as Himmler's and Goebbels'.

A few early Crusader series tanks were abandoned from small arms fire which could penetrate the back and sides at point-blank range. Grenades could destroy them.

The British never used the Bofors AA gun against German armor in North Africa even though it was full auto and capable of destroying every German tank except the Tiger.

The RAF were ordered to go for Flak88's when attempting to destroy dug in positions.

Hurricanes and Spitifires could catch up with the V-1 rockets and a number of them were shot down.

The French had 75mm AT guns and heavy tanks in active service during the Blitzkrieg. The French didn't use them very well.

The British had the Matilda heavy tank during the BEF which had a green camoflouge scheme and a high-velocity 40mm gun. They were not used right.

Before WW2 started, the American M-1 Garand was being manufactured in Polish factories. The Germans almost got their hands on them but the factory producing them fell victim to scorched earth. It was "in the nick of time" according to my sources.

The American Pershing tank had such weak back armor that German 20mm shells were able to penetrate and knock out the tank.

More later.

[D. Löwenhamn]

Rob, i've seen those kind of lists before- where did you get it? By the way, try to keep to equipment.

regards

[Logan Hartke]

Many early-war allied tanks were made using cast armor; which were 15-17 percent weaker than the armor on German tanks.

But it cuts down greatly on weak spots and welded areas.

Hurricanes and Spitifires could catch up with the V-1 rockets and a number of them were shot down.

Spitfires could; Hurricanes couldn't.

Logan Hartke

[Erik E]

The first American citizen killed in WW2 was fighting in the 1940 winter war as a Finnish volunteer.

Have you got a date for this ? Was he a volunteer??

EE

[Logan Hartke]

Have you got a date for this ? Was he a volunteer??

Well, I don't think he was drafted.

Logan Hartke

[Marcus Wendel]

There was one Waffen-SS Fallschirmjäger division.

The Waffen-SS para unit was not a division.

Hitler's bloodline has been traced back to Jewish heriatage as well as Himmler's and Goebbels'.

Nonsense.

/Marcus