The Myth of Strafing Flak Towers

[airnutz]

CraigQ, did Capt. Franks mention where this excitement took place?

Not that I heard, at least Cecil Laxton didn't mention the exact area.

Thanks Craig, oops sorry, yes Laxton. The reason I ask is, about 8-10 years ago we discussed this photo quite a bit but it turned into a bit of kerfaffle. Apparently some of us were idiots for even considering this tower could be a FLAK source. I had seen enough of them to KNOW this is a water tower, but I also could not believe any self-respecting German...or any other nationality... air defense officer could pass up occupying the highest structure overseeing the plain surrounding an aerodrome. Your lookout personnel would feel pretty naked without an adequate source of defense as well as very perturbed at missing golden opportunities to whack fighters beating up your airbase. You don't need an '88 for that. A few MG81's or '81 Zwillings would satisfy those requirements. Some felt the "viewing slits" at the roofline were shadows or inadequate for FLAK gun use. The sun and shadow angles look wrong for the former to be true, and supposition that FLAK is all large caliber trained vertically is naive for the latter. Regardless, if this is a defenseless water tower the Jug is hitting the "blind side" of it.

Water towers are fair game in any case, any thing that makes your foe work harder or ties-up labor for your people tomorrow for the same needs he had before, means he might not have a gun in his hand at the right moment.

It's good the subject came up again tho, because in reaquainting myself with the subject I found on author Don Hollway's website a "Wolfpack" page, where he displays this iconic photo and notes it's part of an Army Air Forces Film linked further down his page. Unfortunately the link is dead to the film. I had hoped this film would give a little more context of where this took place, if it is at the location of an airfield. For some reason, from the conversation years ago, I'm thinking this took place at Chartres, France..don't remember why. Anywho... I didn't find a way to contact him at his site to let him know of the error or to query him as to the source of the film. It's not listed in his biblio below. The clues he does leave are....even tho the footage is not of a 56th FG Jug beating up the tower at the end of the reel is an attaboy(s) for a group of 56th aces and Ron Reagan is the narrator. Whoopee! Sound! Sorry, I'm easily amused.. Don Hollway's page...
http://www.donhollway.com/wolfpack/

And a reel I did find the other day of a fighter beating up a water tower at 3:06 25 seconds...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pflhFejvCEk

Thanks folks!

[Tulio]

Boy!

Do I remember that thread!

I also conducted research after that "affable" exchange, and came up with more questions, than definitive answers. My participation in that thread made me feel like an idiot, like a troll, and was the reason behind my gradual withdrawal from aviation forums...

Most searches, took me to the massive FLAK towers, some of which still survive in Germany; but your comment -with which I concur- that FLAK was not only 88's shooting upwards, is right on spot.

Saludos,


Tulio

[JFS61]

This appears to be the original source of all the confusion:



Would be interesting if there are any additional photos in this sequence (maybe someone could take a look over at Fold3.com).

Would also be nice to know if they were indeed attacking these under the assumption that they were Flak Towers, or (as others have suggested), knew that they were water towers and attacked them in an attempt to further disrupt the German supply infrastructure.

Sadly, we may never know, as (in all likelihood) there may no longer anyone left alive who can answer our questions.

The P-47 in the picture was a 376th/361st P-47 flown by Capt. Wallace Franks. The gun camera film is from Lt. Cecil Laxtons P-47. Capt Franks ship was damaged by Laxtons gunfire when he (Franks) banked to the right. When talking with Laxton years ago at a 361st reunion ( 376th/361st was also my dads squadron/group) he told me a little about it but never described the tower as being a flak tower. The were shooting up any potential objects of use to the Germans. Despite the damage from Laxtons guns they did complete their mission and returned to base safely.

That's the thing I love about WIX - Either someone here is related to, or personally knows those particpants involved in any given incident of note.

Curious now if someone down the line either misidentified it as a flak tower, or intentionally labelled it as such, as a photograph of a low level level attack upon an everyday water tower wouldn't generate quite the same level of "buzz" as an attack on a flak tower would.

[Adam Kline]

Blame it on Army Intelligence. That picture was posted in an "Impact" confidential magazine about 1944 article about flak towers. Some private must have thrown it on the desk and assumed it was a flak tower. It's funny that this thread exist as I have always questioned that photo. The explanations are great. Especially from the horse's mouth.

[airnutz]

..but your comment -with which I concur- that FLAK was not only 88's shooting upwards, is right on spot.
Tulio

Found my notes...I would think you would agree with that comment...you were the originator ! We both agreed smaller caliber automatic fire was well within the realm of, and commonly used as, air defense. I don't recall you as being "trollish" during that discussion. Anywho, good to see you post from time to time! I've found listening takes a lot less energy than arguing!

A French member claimed the subject photo was used in a French book of some sort and identified the location as the water tower at Chartres Aerodrome. It would be nice to find that footage again from the AC/AS reel to see how much of it was of that airbase. I didn't spend a lot of time looking at FLAK towers...I'd seen enough over the years, but I did look at beaucoup French water towers and non, zero, zip had observation decks...yet. I'd give someone elses right arm to see the mission briefing/post mission debriefing notes of that squadrons foray. It just doesn't make sense that the Germans would not make use of of the tallest structure above the airbase as a armed early warning/defensive position. Without further info or film this is another circular kerfaffle...Airnuts out!

[mike furline]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT4P9Lbl0E0

The "Flak Towers" are from the 5:24 - 5:34 mark.

At the 6:26 mark, a P-51(?) to the left of the train gets vaporized from the explosion.

Fold 3, Flak Tower pics. https://www.fold3.com/search/#query=flak+tower&t=495