Added: Jun 28, 2008
From: skoblinI
Duration: 1:21
Italian Newsreel. February 16, 1940. World War I had proven that the aircraft was an important part of the battlefield. As the capabilities of aircraft improved, and more specifically their engines, it was clear that their role in future combat would be even more critical as their warload grew. Many felt that the higher speeds and altitudes would render anti-aircraft systems useless, so little effort was put into improving systems.This is probably a version of the Swedish-built Bofors 40mmm.
Channel: News
Tags: 40mm allied anti-aircraft bofors french front guns ii sitzkrieg war western world
Rating: 5.00 (7 ratings) Views: 332' favoriteCount='1 Comments: 3
skoblinI Says:
Jun 29, 2008 - Interesting story, olivenstein. Thanks for sharing it with us. What happened to him afterwards? Did he end up in a POW camp or as 'volunteer worker' in Germany?
olivenstein Says:
Jun 29, 2008 - He died when I was four, but I can tell you he got pushed back until the Armistice and went back to his Paris central heating business he inherited from his father (a Verdun veteran). D-day, Grandpere tried to persuade (unsuccessfully) his Milicien neighbour to jump Darnand's ship and escaped with his and my grandmother's brother's family south to a Berry summer home. The Germans came, but that's another story (not enough remaining letters for this comment). Laurent Aerts.
olivenstein Says:
Aug 4, 2008 - Whoops, that's Casque Adrian with an "a" at the end instead of an "e". Actually, the DCA here have their own Adrian helmet like the one for "troupes motorisées" with the leather rim, but with the side cut out for the ears.
olivenstein Says:
Jun 29, 2008 - My grandfather on my mum's side, Jacques Courtine, was a marechal des logis (sergeant whose additional job is to find lodgings - "logis" - for soldiers as well as find stables for horses) with the DCA (Defense contre avion--anti-aircraft) starting 1939. His small unit was pushed back south of Chartres in 1940. They also helped remove the stained glass windows of Chartres cathedral to a safe location.