German use of bombs to destroy allied bomber boxes

[AeroFranz]

I just finished reading "I flew for the Fuhrer" by Bf-109 pilot Heinz Knocke (see link below for more info)

http://www.amazon.com/Flew-Fuhrer-Greenhill-Military-Paperback/dp/1853672637

It doesn't stand out as an exceptionally good book, but it's not bad either. One thing that I found interesting though was that Knocke was apparently one of the originators of the aerial bombing of Allied bomber boxes technique using either a single 500kg or 4x100kg bombs. I had always read that the tactic didn't work, but in the book he mentions several successful occasions.
Long range fighter escorts which showed up later would have made bombed up Bf-109s sitting ducks, so the question is purely academic, but I would be interested in finding out more about the operational figures regarding this technique, like how many bombers were actually brought down? what was the technique like (trajectory, starting altitude, etc.?)

thanks to anyone providing more info!

 

[Avimimus]

There were also proposals for towed mines if I recall correctly, as well as some mention of the use of AB series (but I can't remember where)

 

[toura]

4 avril 1943-paris/air force miision 49
2 pilots said that they were bombed by german planes
during the raid on the RENAULT FACTORY.........

 

[AeroFranz]

Avimimus, you are right. I remember at least one such proposal for the BV.40

from German aircraft of the Second World War: including helicopters and missiles By Antony L. Kay, John Richard Smith, Eddie J. Creek

At one stage it was proposed that if it still had sufficient altitude, the BV.40 should make a second attack with a Geraetschlinge, a device consisting of a small bomb suspended by a cable beneath the aircraft

edit: i thought I had seen this on the forum. It's a picture from Justo on this thread. I had searched for "BV.40" but missed "BV40"!
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3629.msg28662/highlight,schlinge.html#msg28662

As you said, this is different from the technique a released bomb dropped from higher altitude.

 

[red admiral]

At one stage it was proposed that if it still had sufficient altitude, the BV.40 should make a second attack with a Geraetschlinge, a device consisting of a small bomb suspended by a cable beneath the aircraft

Very similar to the "fiery grapple" that was thought up in WWI for destroying airships.

 

[Justo Miranda]

German AA bomb

 

[Avimimus]

At one stage it was proposed that if it still had sufficient altitude, the BV.40 should make a second attack with a Geraetschlinge, a device consisting of a small bomb suspended by a cable beneath the aircraft

Very similar to the "fiery grapple" that was thought up in WWI for destroying airships.

I have to ask: What? What did it look like? I can't help but to think of a flaming anchor of some sort

The first aerial bombing (ie. against an aircraft) was conducted against an airship during that war.

 

[Kiwiguy]

Some He-177 were modified to fire salvos of rockets upwards. These He-177 were intended to fly in formations under B-17 / B-24 formations and literally fire artillery salvos at them from beneath.

 

[AeroFranz]

All these schemes could have worked until the advent of long range escorts, but not after that. Operational use of modified fighters of all sorts (up-armored 190s, cannon-tubs 109s, 21cm stovepipe rockets, 50mm BK-5, etc.) proved that you couldn't have an effective bomber destroyer AND evade the fighters. The Germans did finally find the box-destroyer in the R4M-armed 262. Was there anything else that came close to fulfilling successfully their needs?