Radar and Flak
Heroes Remember
Transcript
I know one, one day time trip over Germany
and they had radar, oh that was,
radar was, they had the best of radar.
And it took flak about twenty seconds
to reach their altitude and the pilots
used to, every eighteen seconds or so
they'd, they'd kick the rudder starboard
you know four degrees or port four
degrees or down fifty feet, you know.
Because that radar it could predict
right on ya. So one, one trip there I
guess our pilot got lazy and he didn't
turn port starboard or up or down,
right ahead of us,
right ahead of us on our,
our altitude and course.
And they always came up in fours,
and there was puff, puff, puff, puff and
as soon as that puff our props
shoot through the smoke.
Puff, the props shoot through the smoke, puff...
How we didn't get hit, I don't know,
if we had a been a hundred yards ahead
we'd of been blown to pieces.
So somebody was taking care of us,
the devil or I don't know but,
nobody said a word, nobody said a
word because, that was close.
But the pilot was too lazy to kick 'er
because that, there radar then was so
accurate they could tell exactly your height
exactly your course and your speed.
And those eighty-eight cannons,
that was a German 88mm,
oh they were, a wonderful weapon.
Ya, so and they, in fact the German,
the Wrzburg radar line, after the war in '46
they used that German radar,
this is how accurate it was,
to measure the distance from
the earth to the moon.
That was the Werzburg radar they had.
So if it could tell the exact distance
to the moon from the earth,
they could pretty well tell your altitude
and your course and your speed.
Description
Mr. Taschuk explains how the incredible German radar made their flak fire very accurate and dangerous.
Neil Taschuk
Mr. Taschuk was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His father, a Russian immigrant, fought for Canada in the First World War. Mr. Taschuk joined the air force along with many others from the community, and was sent overseas as soon as he had earned his wireless air gunner (WAG) wings. He was assigned to a Lancaster in Bomber Command's 434 Squadron. Given the casualty rate at the time, it was a near death sentence. Against huge odds and having experienced numerous near misses, he and the rest of his crew were one of few in bomber command who were never injured in any action, training, or other mishaps.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 02:26
- Person Interviewed:
- Neil Taschuk
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Germany
- Branch:
- Air Force
- Units/Ship:
- 434 Squadron
- Occupation:
- Wireless Air Gunner
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