This is an accepted version of this page
161-409: Mozzie may refer to: De Havilland Mosquito , a World War II combat aircraft Mozzie (White Collar) , a character in the comedy drama series A Rainbow Six Siege operator An Australian term for mosquito See also [ edit ] Mosquito (disambiguation) Mossie (disambiguation) Mozzi (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
322-567: A combat radius of over 1,800 miles (2,900 km) when using underwing drop tanks , began to escort the bombers in large formations to and from the target area in early 1944. From that point onwards, the Luftwaffe began to suffer casualties in aircrews it could not sufficiently replace. By targeting oil refineries and rail communications, Allied bombers crippled the German war effort by late 1944. German civilians blamed Göring for his failure to protect
483-565: A Swedish airline. Göring was often hired for private flights. During the winter of 1920–1921, he was hired by Count Eric von Rosen to fly him to his castle from Stockholm. Invited to spend the night, Göring may at this time have first seen the swastika emblem, which Rosen had set in the chimney piece as a family badge. This was also the first time that Göring saw his future wife; the count introduced his sister-in-law, Baroness Carin von Kantzow ( née Freiin von Fock). Estranged from her husband of 10 years, she had an eight-year-old son. Göring
644-447: A career as a soldier from a very early age, Göring enjoyed playing with toy soldiers and dressing up in a Boer uniform his father had given him. He was sent to boarding school at age eleven, where the food was poor, and discipline was harsh. He sold a violin to pay for his train ticket home, and then took to his bed, feigning illness, until he was told he would not have to return. He continued to enjoy war games, pretending to lay siege to
805-417: A compartment under the cockpit floor with the breeches projecting into the bomb bay and the automatic bomb bay doors were replaced by manually operated bay doors, which incorporated cartridge ejector chutes. As a day and night fighter, prototype W4052 was equipped with AI Mk IV equipment, complete with an "arrowhead" transmission aerial mounted between the central Brownings and receiving aerials through
966-400: A considerable altitude was attained. The aircraft reached 220 mph (355 km/h), with the only problem being the undercarriage doors, which were operated by bungee cords attached to the main undercarriage legs,and remained open by some 12 in (300 mm) at that speed. This problem persisted for some time. The left wing of E-0234 also had a tendency to drag slightly to port, so
1127-474: A cruising speed of 230 mph (370 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m). De Havilland believed that a compromise, including eliminating surplus equipment, would improve matters. On 4 October 1938, de Havilland projected the performance of another design based on the Albatross, powered by two Merlin Xs, with a three-man crew and six or eight forward-firing guns, plus one or two manually operated guns and
1288-455: A cruising speed of 325 mph (525 km/h) at 26,500 ft (8,100 m) with a range of 1,500 mi (2,400 km) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) on full tanks. Maximum service ceiling was to be 32,000 ft (9,800 m). On 1 March 1940, Air Marshal Roderic Hill issued a contract under Specification B.1/40, for 50 bomber-reconnaissance variants of the DH.98; this contract included
1449-454: A delivery rate far in advance of competing designs. Without armament, the crew could be reduced to a pilot and navigator. Whereas contemporary RAF design philosophy favoured well-armed heavy bombers, this mode of design was more akin to the German philosophy of the Schnellbomber . At a meeting in early October 1938 with Geoffrey de Havilland and Charles Walker (de Havilland's chief engineer),
1610-626: A design with a clear perspex bomb-aimer's position, to one with a solid nose housing four .303 machine guns and their ammunition. On 3 November 1940, the prototype aircraft, painted in "prototype yellow" and still coded E-0234 , was dismantled, transported by road to Hatfield and placed in a small, blast-proof assembly building. Two Merlin 21 two-speed, single-stage supercharged engines were installed, driving three-bladed de Havilland Hydromatic constant-speed controllable-pitch propellers . Engine runs were made on 19 November. On 24 November, taxiing trials were carried out by Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. ,
1771-514: A failed coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch . Göring, who was with Hitler leading the march to the War Ministry, was shot in the groin. Fourteen Nazis and four policemen were killed; many top Nazis, including Hitler, were arrested. With Carin's help, Göring was smuggled to Innsbruck , where he received surgery and was given morphine for the pain. He remained in hospital until 24 December. This
SECTION 10
#17328697587671932-526: A falling-out with Epenstein. The family was forced to leave Veldenstein and moved to Munich ; Göring's father died shortly afterwards. It was in Bavaria where Göring developed his "romantic sense of Germanness" that further evolved under Nazism. When World War I began in August 1914, Göring was stationed at Mülhausen with his regiment. During the first year of World War I, Göring served with his infantry regiment in
2093-409: A former cavalry officer, had been the first governor-general of German South West Africa (modern-day Namibia ). Heinrich had three children from a previous marriage. Göring was the fourth of five children by Heinrich's second wife, Franziska Tiefenbrunn (1859–15 July 1943), a Bavarian peasant. Göring's elder siblings were Karl, Olga, and Paula; his younger brother was Albert . At the time that Göring
2254-419: A full-scale mock-up at Hatfield on 29 December 1939, the project received backing. This was confirmed on 1 January 1940, when Freeman chaired a meeting with Geoffrey de Havilland, John Buchanan (Deputy of Aircraft Production), and John Connolly (Buchanan's chief of staff). De Havilland claimed the DH.98 was the "fastest bomber in the world ... it must be useful". Freeman supported it for RAF service, ordering
2415-545: A good aerodynamic design and smooth, minimal skin area, would exceed the P.13/36 specification. Furthermore, adapting the Albatross principles could save time. In April 1938, performance estimates were produced for a twin Rolls-Royce Merlin -powered DH.91, with the Bristol Hercules ( radial engine ) and Napier Sabre ( H-engine ) as alternatives. On 7 July 1938, de Havilland wrote to Air Marshal Wilfrid Freeman ,
2576-502: A larger rudder tab. It continued to serve as a test machine until it was scrapped on 28 January 1946. 4055 flew the first operational Mosquito flight on 17 September 1941. During flight testing, the Mosquito prototypes were modified to test a number of configurations. W4050 was fitted with a turret behind the cockpit for drag tests, after which the idea was abandoned in July 1941. W4052 had
2737-662: A law abolishing the Prussian State Council , the second chamber of the Prussian legislature that represented the interests of the Prussian provinces. In its place, he created a revised non-legislative Prussian State Council to serve merely as a body of advisors to him. Göring would serve as President of the council. It would consist, ex officio , of the Prussian cabinet ministers and state secretaries, as well as hand-picked Nazi Party officials and other industry and society leaders selected solely by Göring. In October 1933, Göring
2898-519: A luncheon held on Hitler's birthday in 1942, Göring said, "The only one who really knows about the Reichstag is I, because I set it on fire!" In his own Nuremberg testimony, Göring denied this story. During the early 1930s, Göring was often in the company of Emmy Sonnemann , an actress from Hamburg . They were married on 10 April 1935, in Berlin. The wedding was celebrated on a huge scale. A large reception
3059-451: A number of additional reinforcements and special details. Spruce and plywood ribs were connected with gusset joints. Some heavy-duty ribs contained pieces of ash and walnut, as well as the special five ply that included veneers laid up at 45°. The upper skin construction was in two layers of 0.25-in five-ply birch, separated by Douglas fir stringers running in the span-wise direction. The wings were covered with madapollam fabric and doped in
3220-569: A position he held until the final days of the regime. Upon being named Plenipotentiary of the Four Year Plan in 1936, Göring was entrusted with the task of mobilizing all sectors of the economy for war, an assignment which brought numerous government agencies under his control. In September 1939, Hitler gave a speech to the Reichstag designating him as his successor. After the Fall of France in 1940, he
3381-521: A range of 3,000 mi (4,800 km) with a 4,000-lb bomb load. To appease the ministry, de Havilland built mock-ups with a gun turret just aft of the cockpit, but apart from this compromise, de Havilland made no changes. On 12 November, at a meeting considering fast-bomber ideas put forward by de Havilland, Blackburn , and Bristol , Air Marshal Freeman directed de Havilland to produce a fast aircraft, powered initially by Merlin engines, with options of using progressively more powerful engines, including
SECTION 20
#17328697587673542-404: A similar manner to the fuselage. The wing was installed into the roots by means of four large attachment points. The engine radiators were fitted in the inner wing, just outboard of the fuselage on either side. These gave less drag. The radiators themselves were split into three sections: an oil cooler section outboard, the middle section forming the coolant radiator and the inboard section serving
3703-464: A single 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Napier Sabre, with a wingspan of 47 ft (14 m) and capable of carrying a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb load 1,500 mi (2,400 km). On 20 September, in another letter to Wilfrid Freeman, de Havilland wrote "... we believe that we could produce a twin-engine bomber which would have a performance so outstanding that little defensive equipment would be needed." By 4 October, work had progressed to
3864-465: A single prototype for an unarmed bomber to specification B.1/40/dh, which called for a light bomber/reconnaissance aircraft powered by two 1,280 hp (950 kW) Rolls-Royce RM3SM (an early designation for the Merlin 21) with ducted radiators , capable of carrying a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb load. The aircraft was to have a speed of 400 mph (640 km/h) at 24,000 ft (7,300 m) and
4025-431: A slight change in the angle of the wing was carried out before further flights. On 5 December 1940, the prototype, with the military serial number W4050 , experienced tail buffeting at speeds between 240 and 255 mph (385 and 410 km/h). The pilot noticed this most in the control column, with handling becoming more difficult. During testing on 10 December, wool tufts were attached to suspect areas to investigate
4186-577: A special Prussian police force, with Rudolf Diels at its head. The force was called the Geheime Staatspolizei ( transl. Secret State Police ), or Gestapo . Göring, thinking that Diels was not ruthless enough to use the Gestapo effectively to counteract the power of the SA, handed over control of the Gestapo to Himmler on 20 April 1934. By this time, the SA numbered over two million men. Hitler
4347-612: A suburb of Munich. Göring joined the Nazi Party in 1922 after hearing a speech by Adolf Hitler . He was given command of the Sturmabteilung (SA) as the Oberster SA-Führer on 1 March 1923, succeeding Hans Ulrich Klintzsch , and headed the organization until it was banned in November 1923. He was appointed an SA- Gruppenführer on 18 December 1931. On 1 January 1933, he
4508-472: A tail turret. Based on a total loaded weight of 19,000 lb (8,600 kg), it would have a top speed of 300 mph (480 km/h) and cruising speed of 268 mph (431 km/h) at 22,500 ft (6,900 m). Still believing this could be improved, and after examining more concepts based on the Albatross and the new all-metal DH.95 Flamingo , de Havilland settled on designing a new aircraft that would be aerodynamically clean, wooden, and powered by
4669-423: A twin-engined light bomber with a wingspan of 51 ft (16 m) and powered by Merlin or Griffon engines, the Merlin favoured because of availability. On 7 October 1939, a month into the war, the nucleus of a design team under Eric Bishop moved to the security and secrecy of Salisbury Hall to work on what was later known as the DH.98. For more versatility, Bishop made provision for four 20 mm cannon in
4830-660: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft , introduced during the Second World War . Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or "Mossie". Lord Beaverbrook , Minister of Aircraft Production, nicknamed it "Freeman's Folly", alluding to Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman , who defended Geoffrey de Havilland and his design concept against orders to scrap
4991-428: Is pleasant to fly ... aileron control light and effective ..." The maximum speed reached was 388 mph (624 km/h) at 22,000 ft (6,700 m), with an estimated maximum ceiling of 34,000 ft (10,000 m) and a maximum rate of climb of 2,880 ft/min (880 m/min) at 11,500 ft (3,500 m). W4050 continued to be used for various test programmes, as the experimental "workhorse" for
Mozzie - Misplaced Pages Continue
5152-527: The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle medium bomber, largely constructed from spruce and plywood attached to a steel-tube frame. The idea of a small, fast bomber gained support at a much earlier stage than is sometimes acknowledged, though the Air Ministry likely envisaged it using light alloy components. Based on his experience with the Albatross, Geoffrey de Havilland believed that a bomber with
5313-588: The Battle of Britain , the Luftwaffe attempted to defeat Britain via strategic bombing . On 12 October 1940 Hitler cancelled Sea Lion due to the onset of winter. By the end of the year, it was clear that British morale was not being shaken by the Blitz , though the bombings continued through May 1941. In spite of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , signed in 1939, Nazi Germany began Operation Barbarossa —the invasion of
5474-781: The Battles of the Netherlands , of Belgium and of France in May 1940. After the Fall of France , Hitler awarded Göring the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross for his successful leadership. During the 1940 Field Marshal Ceremony , Hitler promoted Göring to the rank of Reichsmarschall des Grossdeutschen Reiches ( transl. Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich ), a specially created rank which made him senior to all field marshals in
5635-554: The Bristol Beaufighter night fighter. During its trials on 16 January 1941, W4050 outpaced a Spitfire at 6,000 ft (1,800 m). The original estimates were that as the Mosquito prototype had twice the surface area and over twice the weight of the Spitfire Mk.II , but also had twice its power, the Mosquito would be 20 mph (30 km/h) faster. Over the next few months, W4050 surpassed this estimate, easily beating
5796-457: The Far East . At first, these were thought to be a result of wing-structure failures. The casein glue, it was said, cracked when exposed to extreme heat and/or monsoon conditions. This caused the upper surfaces to lift from the main spar. An investigating team led by Major Hereward de Havilland travelled to India and produced a report in early December 1944 stating, "the accidents were not caused by
5957-447: The French invasion of Russia in 1812. In late October or early November 1941, Hitler and Göring decided on the mass deportation of Soviet prisoners of war —and a larger number of Soviet civilians—to Germany for forced labor , but epidemics soon caused the halting of prisoner-of-war transports. Those who were deported to Germany faced conditions not necessarily any better than existed in
6118-553: The July 1932 election , the Nazis won 230 seats to become far and away the largest party in the Reichstag . By longstanding tradition, the Nazis were thus entitled to select the President of the Reichstag , and elected Göring to the post. He would retain this position until 23 April 1945. The Reichstag fire occurred on the night of 27 February 1933. Göring was one of the first to arrive on
6279-603: The Lockheed P-38 Lightning could fulfill the same duties. However, Arnold urged the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) to evaluate the design even if they would not adopt it. On 12 December 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor , the USAAF requested one airframe for this purpose. While timber construction was considered outmoded by some, de Havilland claimed that their successes with techniques used for
6440-575: The Nuremberg trials in 1946. He requested at trial for an execution by firing squad, but was denied, and instead he was sentenced to death by hanging. He committed suicide by ingesting cyanide the night before his scheduled execution. Göring was born on 12 January 1893 at the Marienbad Sanatorium in Rosenheim , Bavaria . His father, Heinrich Ernst Göring (31 October 1839 – 7 December 1913),
6601-578: The Rolls-Royce Griffon and the Napier Sabre . Although estimates were presented for a slightly larger Griffon-powered aircraft, armed with a four-gun tail turret, Freeman got the requirement for defensive weapons dropped, and a draft requirement was raised calling for a high-speed, light-reconnaissance bomber capable of 400 mph (645 km/h) at 18,000 ft. On 12 December, the Vice-Chief of
Mozzie - Misplaced Pages Continue
6762-734: The Southeast Asian theatre and by the Royal Australian Air Force based in the Halmaheras and Borneo during the Pacific War . During the 1950s, the RAF replaced the Mosquito with the jet-powered English Electric Canberra . By the early to mid-1930s, de Havilland had built a reputation for innovative high-speed aircraft with the DH.88 Comet racer. Later, the DH.91 Albatross airliner pioneered
6923-516: The Supermarine Spitfire , Hawker Hurricane fighter, Vickers Wellington , Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley , and Bristol Blenheim bombers. Work on the DH.98 prototype stopped. Apparently, the project shut down when the design team were denied materials for the prototype. The Mosquito was only reinstated as a priority in July 1940, after de Havilland's general manager, L.C.L. Murray, promised Lord Beaverbrook 50 Mosquitoes by December 1941. This
7084-684: The Zähringer Lion with swords, the Friedrich Order , the House Order of Hohenzollern with swords third class, and finally, in May 1918, the coveted Pour le Mérite . According to Hermann Dahlmann , who knew both men, Göring had Loerzer lobby for the award. He finished the war with 22 victories . A thorough post-war examination of Allied loss records showed that only two of his awarded victories were doubtful. Three were possible and 17 were certain, or highly likely. On 7 July 1918, following
7245-418: The occupied Soviet Union . By the end of the war, at least 1.3 million Soviet prisoners of war had been deported to Germany or its annexed territories. Of these, 400,000 did not survive and most of these deaths occurred in the winter of 1941/1942. After the attack on Pearl Harbor , Göring, along with Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel and Admiral Erich Raeder , urged Hitler to immediately declare war on
7406-525: The "main tanks" and the total internal fuel load of 452 imp gal (545 US gal; 2,055 L) was initially deemed appropriate for the type. In addition, the FB Mk. VI could have larger fuselage tanks, increasing the capacity to 63 imp gal (76 US gal; 290 L). Drop tanks of 50 imp gal (60 US gal; 230 L) or 100 imp gal (120 US gal; 450 L) could be mounted under each wing, increasing
7567-561: The 10th anniversary of Hitler being made chancellor and the Nazis gaining power, a morning Mosquito attack knocked out the main Berlin broadcasting station while Hermann Göring was speaking, taking his speech off the air. The Mosquito flew with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other air forces in the European , Mediterranean , and Italian theatres. The Mosquito was also operated by the RAF in
7728-472: The Air Council's member for Research and Development, discussing the specification and arguing that in war, shortages of aluminium and steel would occur, but supplies of wood-based products were "adequate." Although inferior in tension , the strength-to-weight ratio of wood is equal to or better than light alloys or steel, hence this approach was feasible. A follow-up letter to Freeman on 27 July said that
7889-420: The Air Ministry showed little interest, and instead asked de Havilland to build wings for other bombers as a subcontractor. By September 1939, de Havilland had produced preliminary estimates for single- and twin-engined variations of light-bomber designs using different engines, speculating on the effects of defensive armament on their designs. One design, completed on 6 September, was for an aircraft powered by
8050-561: The Air Staff , Director General of Research and Development, and the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of RAF Bomber Command met to finalise the design and decide how to fit it into the RAF's aims. The AOC-in-C would not accept an unarmed bomber, but insisted on its suitability for reconnaissance missions with F8 or F24 cameras . After company representatives, the ministry, and the RAF's operational commands examined
8211-514: The Allies; he refused. Many of his pilots intentionally crash-landed their planes to keep them from falling into enemy hands. Like many other German veterans, Göring was a proponent of the stab-in-the-back myth , the belief which held that the German Army had not really lost the war, but instead was betrayed by the civilian leadership: Marxists, Jews, and especially the republicans , who had overthrown
SECTION 50
#17328697587678372-562: The British Air Ministry issued Specification P.13/36, which called for a twin-engined medium bomber capable of carrying a bomb load of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) for 3,000 mi (4,800 km) with a maximum speed of 275 mph (445 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m); a maximum bomb load of 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) carried over shorter ranges was also required. Aviation firms entered heavy designs with new high-powered engines and multiple defensive turrets, leading to
8533-569: The Czechs as an inferior race that must be conquered. Chamberlain and Hitler had a series of meetings that led to the signing of the Munich Agreement (29 September 1938), which turned over control of the Sudetenland to Germany. In March 1939, Göring threatened Czechoslovak president Emil Hácha with the bombing of Prague . Hácha then agreed to sign a communique accepting the German occupation of
8694-451: The DH 91 Albatross could lead to a fast, light bomber using monocoque-sandwich shell construction. Arguments in favour of this included speed of prototyping, rapid development, minimisation of jig-building time, and employment of a separate category of workforce. The ply-balsa-ply monocoque fuselage and one-piece wings with doped fabric covering would give excellent aerodynamic performance and low weight, combined with strength and stiffness. At
8855-496: The German monarchy. Atop the frustration of military defeat, Göring also experienced the personal disappointment of being snubbed by his fiancée's upper-class family, who broke off the engagement when he returned penniless from the front. Göring remained in aviation after the war. He tried barnstorming and briefly worked at Fokker . After spending most of 1919 living in Denmark , he moved to Sweden and joined Svensk Lufttrafik ,
9016-520: The Germans would produce fighters that were faster than had been expected. and suggested the incorporation of two forward- and two rear-firing machine guns for defence. The ministry also opposed a two-man bomber, wanting at least a third crewman to reduce the work of the others on long flights. The Air Council added further requirements such as remotely controlled guns, a top speed of 275 mph (445 km/h) at 15,000 ft on two-thirds engine power, and
9177-557: The Göring family, who were surviving on Heinrich's pension, first with a family home in Berlin-Friedenau, and then a small castle called Veldenstein, near Nuremberg . Göring's mother became Epenstein's mistress around this time and remained so for some fifteen years. Epenstein acquired the minor title of Ritter (knight) von Epenstein through service and donations to the Crown. Interested in
9338-450: The Merlin, which offered substantial future development. The new design would be faster than foreseeable enemy fighter aircraft , and could dispense with defensive armament which would slow it and make interception or losses to antiaircraft guns more likely. Instead, high speed and good manoeuvrability would make evading fighters and ground fire easier. The lack of turrets simplified production, reduced drag, and reduced production time, with
9499-667: The Mosquito by holding to Major de Havilland's initial investigation in India that the accidents were caused "largely by climate" To solve the problem of seepage into the interior, a strip of plywood was set along the span of the wing to seal the entire length of the skin joint. The fuel systems gave the Mosquito good range and endurance, using up to nine fuel tanks. Two outer wing tanks each contained 58 imp gal (70 US gal; 260 L) of fuel. These were complemented by two inner wing fuel tanks, each containing 143 imp gal (172 US gal; 650 L), located between
9660-578: The Mosquito family. In late October 1941, it returned to the factory to be fitted with Merlin 61s , the first production Merlins fitted with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger. The first flight with the new engines was on 20 June 1942. W4050 recorded a maximum speed of 428 mph (689 km/h) at 28,500 ft (8,700 m) (fitted with straight-through air intakes with snow guards, engines in full supercharger gear) and 437 mph (703 km/h) at 29,200 ft (8,900 m) without snow guards. In October 1942, in connection with development work on
9821-461: The Mosquito had become one of the world's fastest operational aircraft. It ordered 19 photo-reconnaissance (PR) models and 176 fighters. A further 50 were unspecified; in July 1941, these were confirmed to be unarmed fast bombers. By the end of January 1942, contracts had been awarded for 1,378 Mosquitoes of all variants, including 20 T.III trainers and 334 FB.VI bombers. Another 400 were to be built by de Havilland Canada . On 20 April 1941, W4050
SECTION 60
#17328697587679982-560: The NF Mk.XV, W4050 was fitted with extended wingtips, increasing the span to 59 ft 2 in (18.03 m), first flying in this configuration on 8 December. Fitted with high-altitude-rated, two-stage, two-speed Merlin 77s, it reached 439 mph (707 km/h) in December 1943. Soon after these flights, W4050 was grounded and scheduled to be scrapped, but instead served as an instructional airframe at Hatfield. In September 1958, W4050
10143-553: The Nazi cause, such as Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia and the conservative-minded businessmen, Fritz Thyssen and Hjalmar Schacht . The Great Depression led to a disastrous downturn in the German economy, and in the 1930 election , the Nazi Party won 6,409,600 votes and 107 seats. In May 1931, Hitler sent Göring on a mission to the Vatican , where he met the future Pope Pius XII . In
10304-523: The Nazis to agitate. The SA was reorganised, but with Franz Pfeffer von Salomon as its head rather than Göring, and the Schutzstaffel (SS) was founded in 1925, initially as a bodyguard for Hitler. Membership in the party increased from 27,000 in 1925 to 108,000 in 1928 and 178,000 in 1929. In the May 1928 elections the Nazi Party only obtained 12 seats out of an available 491 in the Reichstag . Göring
10465-457: The P.13/36 specification could not be met by a twin Merlin-powered aircraft and either the top speed or load capacity would be compromised, depending on which was paramount. For example, a larger, slower, turret-armed aircraft would have a range of 1,500 mi (2,400 km) carrying a 4,000 lb bomb load, with a maximum of 260 mph (420 km/h) at 19,000 ft (5,800 m), and
10626-465: The RAF and Air Ministry; Captain R. N. Liptrot, Research Director Aircraft 3, appraised Volkert's design, calculating that its top speed would exceed that of the new Supermarine Spitfire , but counter-arguments held that although such a design had merit, it would not necessarily be faster than enemy fighters for long. The ministry was also considering using non- strategic materials for aircraft production, which, in 1938, had led to specification B.9/38 and
10787-915: The Sixth Army—some 91,000 men out of an army of 285,000—surrendered in early February 1943; only 5,000 of these captives survived the Soviet prisoner of war camps to see Germany again. Meanwhile, the strength of the US and British bomber fleets had increased. Based in Britain, they began operations against German targets . The first thousand-bomber raid was staged on Cologne on 30 May 1942. Air raids continued on targets farther from England after auxiliary fuel tanks were installed on US fighter aircraft . Göring refused to believe reports that American fighters had been shot down as far east as Aachen in winter 1942–1943. His reputation began to decline. The American P-51 Mustang , with
10948-483: The Soviet Union—on 22 June 1941. Initially, the Luftwaffe was at an advantage, destroying thousands of Soviet aircraft in the first month of fighting. Hitler and his top staff were sure that the campaign would be over by Christmas, and no provisions were made for reserves of men or equipment. But, by July, the Germans had only 1,000 planes remaining in operation, and their troop losses were over 213,000 men. The choice
11109-672: The Soviets to encircle and trap it there without reinforcements or supplies. When the Sixth Army was surrounded by the end of November in Operation Uranus , Göring promised that the Luftwaffe would be able to deliver a minimum of 300 tons of supplies to the trapped men every day. On the basis of these assurances, Hitler demanded that there be no retreat; they were to fight to the last man. Though some airlifts were able to get through, supplies delivered never exceeded 120 tons per day. The remnants of
11270-402: The Spitfire Mk.II in tests at RAF Boscombe Down in February 1941, reaching a top speed of 392 mph (631 km/h) at 22,000 ft (6,700 m), compared to a top speed of 360 mph (580 km/h) at 19,500 ft (5,900 m) for the Spitfire. On 19 February, official trials began at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (AAEE) based at Boscombe Down, although
11431-414: The United States. Hitler decided that the summer 1942 campaign would be concentrated in the south; efforts would be made to capture the oilfields in the Caucasus . The Battle of Stalingrad , a major turning point of the war, began on 23 August 1942 with a bombing campaign by the Luftwaffe. The German Sixth Army entered the city, but because of its location on the front line, it was still possible for
11592-450: The aircraft had been exposed to monsoon conditions or termite attack. The investigators concluded that construction defects occurred at the two plants. They found that the "... standard of glueing ... left much to be desired." Records at the time showed that accidents caused by "loss of control" were three times more frequent on Mosquitoes than on any other type of aircraft. The Air Ministry forestalled any loss of confidence in
11753-489: The airplane that looks fast usually is fast, and the Mosquito was, by the standards of the time, an extremely well-streamlined airplane, and it was highly regarded, highly respected." The trials set up future production plans between Britain, Australia , and Canada . Six days later, Arnold returned to America with a full set of manufacturer's drawings. As a result of his report, five companies (Beech, Curtiss-Wright , Fairchild , Fleetwings, and Hughes) were asked to evaluate
11914-713: The area of Mülhausen , a garrison town less than 2 km from the French frontier. He was hospitalized with rheumatism , a result of the damp of trench warfare . While he was recovering, his friend Bruno Loerzer convinced him to transfer to what would become, by October 1916, the Luftstreitkräfte ( transl. air combat forces ) of the German army, but his request was turned down. Later that year, Göring flew as Loerzer's observer in Feldflieger Abteilung 25 (FFA 25); Göring had informally transferred himself. He
12075-552: The armament of subsequent variants might be regarded as primarily offensive. The most-produced variant, designated the FB Mk. VI (Fighter-bomber Mark 6), was powered by two Merlin Mk.23 or Mk.25 engines driving three-bladed de Havilland hydromatic propellers. The typical fixed armament for an FB Mk. VI was four Browning .303 machine guns and four 20-mm Hispano cannons, while the offensive load consisted of up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) of bombs, or eight RP-3 unguided rockets. The design
12236-500: The balsa core. The main areas of the sandwich skin were only 0.55 in (14 mm) thick. Together with various forms of wood reinforcement, often of laminated construction, the sandwich skin gave great stiffness and torsional resistance. The separate fuselage halves speeded construction, permitting access by personnel working in parallel with others, as the work progressed. Work on the separate half-fuselages included installation of control mechanisms and cabling. Screwed inserts into
12397-561: The cabin heater. The wing contained metal-framed and -skinned ailerons , but the flaps were made of wood and were hydraulically controlled. The nacelles were mostly wood, although for strength, the engine mounts were all metal, as were the undercarriage parts. Engine mounts of welded steel tube were added, along with simple landing gear oleos filled with rubber blocks. Wood was used to carry only in-plane loads, with metal fittings used for all triaxially loaded components such as landing gear, engine mounts, control-surface mounting brackets, and
12558-773: The castle Veldenstein and studying Teutonic legends and sagas. He became a mountain climber, scaling peaks in Germany, at the Mont Blanc massif , and in the Austrian Alps . At age 16, he was sent to a military academy in Berlin-Lichterfelde , from which he graduated with distinction. Göring joined the Prince Wilhelm Regiment (112th Infantry, Garrison: Mülhausen ) of the Prussian Army in 1912. The next year his mother had
12719-536: The composite wood construction used for the Mosquito. The 22-passenger Albatross could cruise at 210 mph (340 km/h) at 11,000 ft (3,400 m), faster than the Handley Page H.P.42 and other biplanes it was replacing. The wooden monocoque construction not only saved weight and compensated for the low power of the de Havilland Gipsy Twelve engines used by this aircraft, but also simplified production and reduced construction time. On 8 September 1936,
12880-407: The de Havilland test pilot . On 25 November, the aircraft made its first flight, piloted by de Havilland Jr., accompanied by John E. Walker, the chief engine installation designer. For this maiden flight, E-0234 , weighing 14,150 lb (6,420 kg), took off from the grass airstrip at Hatfield. The takeoff was reported as "straightforward and easy" and the undercarriage was not retracted until
13041-421: The de Havilland data. The report by Beech Aircraft summed up the general view: "It appears as though this airplane has sacrificed serviceability, structural strength, ease of construction and flying characteristics in an attempt to use construction material which is not suitable for the manufacture of efficient airplanes." The Americans did not pursue the proposal for licensed production, the consensus arguing that
13202-521: The de Havilland representative was surprised by a delay in starting the tests. On 24 February, as W4050 taxied across the rough airfield, the tailwheel jammed leading to the fuselage fracturing. Repairs were made by early March, using part of the fuselage of the photo-reconnaissance prototype W4051 . In spite of this setback, the Initial Handling Report 767 issued by the AAEE stated, "The aeroplane
13363-407: The death of Wilhelm Reinhard , successor to Manfred von Richthofen , Göring was made commander of the "Flying Circus", Jagdgeschwader 1 . His arrogance made him unpopular with the men of his squadron. In the last days of the war, Göring was repeatedly ordered to withdraw his squadron, first to Tellancourt airdrome, then to Darmstadt . At one point, he was ordered to surrender the aircraft to
13524-484: The defence of the UK decided no production capacity remained for aircraft like the DH.98, which was not expected to be in service until early 1942. Beaverbrook told Air Vice-Marshal Freeman that work on the project should stop, but he did not issue a specific instruction, and Freeman ignored the request. In June 1940, however, Lord Beaverbrook and the Air Staff ordered that production should concentrate on five existing types, namely
13685-497: The deterioration of the glue, but by shrinkage of the airframe during the wet monsoon season". However, a later inquiry by Cabot & Myers firmly attributed the accidents to faulty manufacture and this was confirmed by a further investigation team by the Ministry of Aircraft Production at Defford , which found faults in six Mosquito marks (all built at de Havilland's Hatfield and Leavesden plants). The defects were similar, and none of
13846-408: The direction of airflow. The conclusion was that the airflow separating from the rear section of the inner engine nacelles was disturbed, leading to a localised stall and the disturbed airflow was striking the tailplane, causing buffeting. To smooth the air flow and deflect it from forcefully striking the tailplane, nonretractable slots fitted to the inner engine nacelles and to the leading edge of
14007-416: The drug, he left the facility briefly, but had to return for further treatment. He returned to Germany when an amnesty was declared in 1927 and resumed working in the aircraft industry. Carin Göring, ill with epilepsy and tuberculosis , died of heart failure on 17 October 1931. Meanwhile, the Nazi Party was in a period of rebuilding and waiting. The economy had recovered, which meant fewer opportunities for
14168-654: The existence of the Luftwaffe was formally acknowledged, with Göring as Reich Aviation Minister. During a cabinet meeting in September 1936, Göring and Hitler announced that the German rearmament programme must be sped up. On 18 October, Hitler named Göring as Plenipotentiary of the Four Year Plan to undertake this task. Göring created a new organisation to administer the Plan and drew
14329-408: The fighter prototype, W4052 , was also carried out at Salisbury Hall. It was powered by 1,460 hp (1,090 kW) Merlin 21s, and had an altered canopy structure with a flat, bullet-proof windscreen; the solid nose had mounted four .303 British Browning machine guns and their ammunition boxes, accessible by a large, sideways hinged panel. Four 20-mm Hispano Mk.II cannon were housed in
14490-444: The fighter version should have dual or single controls, or should carry a turret, was still uncertain, so three prototypes were built: W4052 , W4053 , and W4073 . The second and third, both turret armed, were later disarmed, to become the prototypes for the T.III trainer. This caused some delays, since half-built wing components had to be strengthened for the required higher combat loading. The nose sections also had to be changed from
14651-447: The fillet some 10 in (250 mm) behind the wing's trailing edge; this meant the flaps had to be divided into inboard and outboard sections. With the buffeting problems largely resolved, John Cunningham flew W4050 on 9 February 1941. He was greatly impressed by the "lightness of the controls and generally pleasant handling characteristics". Cunningham concluded that when the type was fitted with AI equipment, it might replace
14812-537: The first version of the Youngman Frill airbrake fitted to the fighter prototype. The frill was mounted around the fuselage behind the wing and was opened by bellows and venturi effect to provide rapid deceleration during interceptions and was tested between January and August 1942, but was also abandoned when lowering the undercarriage was found to have the same effect with less buffeting. The Air Ministry authorised mass production plans on 21 June 1941, by which time
14973-440: The fitments and transmitted the aerodynamic loadings for the tailplane and rudder. The fuselage had a large ventral section cut-out, strongly reinforced, that allowed the fuselage to be lowered onto the wing centre-section at a later stage of assembly. For early production aircraft, the structural assembly adhesive was casein -based. At a later stage, this was replaced by " Aerolite ", a synthetic urea-formaldehyde type, which
15134-444: The forward half of the bomb bay , under the cockpit, firing via blast tubes and troughs under the fuselage. The DH.98 was too radical for the ministry, which wanted a heavily armed, multirole aircraft, combining medium bomber, reconnaissance, and general-purpose roles, that was also capable of carrying torpedoes. With the outbreak of war, the ministry became more receptive, but was still sceptical about an unarmed bomber. They thought
15295-436: The forward sweep of the trailing edges of the wings, this rear spar was one of the most complex units to laminate and to finish machining after the bonding and curing. It had to produce the correct 3D tilt in each of two planes. Also, it was designed and made to taper from the wing roots towards the wingtips. Both principal spars were of ply box construction, using in general 0.25-in plywood webs with laminated spruce flanges, plus
15456-499: The head of my SA. He is the only one of its heads that ran the SA properly. I gave him a dishevelled rabble. In a very short time he had organised a division of 11,000 men. Hitler and the Nazi Party held mass meetings and rallies in Munich and elsewhere during the early 1920s, attempting to gain supporters in a bid for political power. Inspired by Benito Mussolini 's March on Rome , the Nazis attempted to seize power on 8–9 November 1923 in
15617-433: The inner skins that would be under stress in service were reinforced using round shear plates made from a fabric-Bakelite composite. Transverse bulkheads were also compositely built-up with several species of timber, plywood, and balsa. Seven vertically halved bulkheads were installed within each moulded fuselage shell before the main "boxing up" operation. Bulkhead number seven was especially strongly built, since it carried
15778-568: The lack of natural resources in Germany and began pushing for Austria to be incorporated into the Reich. The province of Styria had rich iron ore deposits, and the country as a whole was home to many skilled labourers who would also be useful. Hitler had always been in favour of a takeover of Austria, his native country. He met the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg on 12 February 1938, threatening invasion if peaceful unification
15939-591: The level which private enterprise could economically provide. In 1938, Göring was involved in the Blomberg–Fritsch Affair , which led to the resignations of the War Minister, Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg , and the army commander, General Werner von Fritsch . Göring had acted as witness at Blomberg's wedding to Margarethe Gruhn, a 26-year-old typist, on 12 January 1938. Information received from
16100-530: The lists of prisoners—numbering in the thousands—and determined who else should be shot. At least 85 people were killed in the period of 30 June to 2 July, which is now known as the Night of the Long Knives . Hitler admitted in the Reichstag on 13 July that the killings had been entirely illegal but claimed a plot had been under way to overthrow the Reich. A retroactive law was passed making the action legal. Any criticism
16261-565: The major factors that caused the failure of the Moscow offensive, which was resumed in October 1941 with the Battle of Moscow . Poor weather conditions, fuel shortages, a delay in building aircraft bases in Eastern Europe, and overstretched supply lines were also factors. Hitler did not give permission for even a partial retreat until mid-January 1942; by this time the losses were comparable to those of
16422-520: The military. As a result of this promotion, he was the highest-ranking soldier in Germany until the end of the war. Göring had already received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 September 1939 as Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe. The UK had declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, the third day of the invasion of Poland. In July 1940, Hitler began preparations for an invasion of Britain. As part of
16583-491: The ministries of labour and agriculture under its umbrella. He bypassed the Economics Ministry in his policy-making decisions, to the chagrin of Hjalmar Schacht , the minister in charge. Huge expenditures were made on rearmament, in spite of growing deficits. Schacht resigned on 26 November 1937, and Göring took over the Economics Ministry on an interim basis until January 1938. He then managed to install Walther Funk in
16744-616: The most detailed at Salisbury Hall, where E-0234 was later constructed. Initially, the concept was for the crew to be enclosed in the fuselage behind a transparent nose (similar to the Bristol Blenheim or Heinkel He 111 H), but this was quickly altered to a more solid nose with a conventional canopy. Work was cancelled again after the evacuation of the British Army from France , when Lord Beaverbrook , as Minister of Aircraft Production , concentrating production on aircraft types for
16905-444: The optimum speed for obtaining maximum range was 200 mph (320 km/h) at 17,000 lb (7,700 kg) weight. The Mosquito had a high stalling speed of 120 mph (190 km/h) with undercarriage and flaps raised. When both were lowered, the stalling speed decreased from 120 to 100 mph (190 to 160 km/h). Stall speed at normal approach angle and conditions was 100 to 110 mph (160 to 180 km/h). Warning of
17066-491: The other 30 were delivered by mid-March 1942. During the Battle of Britain , interruptions to production due to air raid warnings caused nearly a third of de Havilland's factory time to be lost. Nevertheless, work on the prototype went ahead quickly at Salisbury Hall since E-0234 was completed by November 1940. In the aftermath of the Battle of Britain, the original order was changed to 20 bomber variants and 30 fighters. Whether
17227-508: The outbreak of the Second World War , Hitler appointed Göring as the chairman of a new six-person Council of Ministers for the Defense of the Reich which was set up to operate as a war cabinet. The invasion of Poland, the opening action of World War II, began at dawn on 1 September 1939. Later in the day, speaking to the Reichstag , Hitler designated Göring as his successor as Führer of all Germany, "If anything should befall me", with Hess as
17388-417: The outer wing tips, and it was painted in black RDM2a "Special Night" finish. It was also the first prototype constructed with the extended engine nacelles. W4052 was later tested with other modifications, including bomb racks, drop tanks, barrage balloon cable cutters in the leading edge of the wings, Hamilton airscrews and braking propellers, and drooping aileron systems that enabled steep approaches and
17549-469: The outside of the shells. The half bulkheads of each shell were bonded to their corresponding pair in a similar way. Two laminated wooden clamps were used in the after portion of the fuselage to provide supports during this complex gluing work. The resulting large structural components had to be kept completely still and held in the correct environment until the glue cured. For finishing, a covering of doped madapollam (a fine, plain-woven cotton) fabric
17710-519: The pilot's training course, Göring was assigned to Jagdstaffel 5 . Seriously wounded in the hip in aerial combat, he took nearly a year to recover. He then was transferred to Jagdstaffel 26 , commanded by Loerzer, in February 1917. He steadily scored air victories until May, when he was assigned to command Jagdstaffel 27 . Serving with Jastas 5, 26 and 27, he continued to win victories. In addition to his Iron Crosses (1st and 2nd Class), he received
17871-403: The plan, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had to be neutralized. Bombing raids commenced on British air installations and on cities and centres of industry. Göring had by then already announced in a radio speech, "If as much as a single enemy aircraft flies over German soil, my name is Meier!", something that would return to haunt him, when the RAF began bombing German cities on 11 May 1940. Though he
18032-516: The plebiscite was cancelled. By 5:30 the next morning, German troops that had been massing on the border marched into Austria, meeting no resistance. Although Joachim von Ribbentrop had been named Foreign Minister in February 1938, Göring continued to involve himself in foreign affairs. That July, he contacted the British government with the idea that he should make an official visit to discuss Germany's intentions for Czechoslovakia. Neville Chamberlain
18193-483: The police showed that the young bride was a prostitute. Göring felt obligated to tell Hitler, but also saw this event as an opportunity to dispose of Blomberg. Blomberg was forced to resign. Göring did not want Fritsch to be appointed to that position and thus be his superior. Several days later, Heydrich revealed a file on Fritsch that contained allegations of homosexual activity and blackmail. The charges were later proven to be false, but Fritsch had lost Hitler's trust and
18354-581: The position, who also took control of the Reichsbank when Schacht was forced out of that post as well in January 1939. In this way, both of these institutions effectively were brought under Göring's control under the auspices of the Four Year Plan. In July 1937, the Reichswerke Hermann Göring was established under state ownership – though led by Göring – with the aim of boosting steel production beyond
18515-401: The prisoners should be shot, but Rudolf Diels , head of the Prussian political police, ignored the order. Some researchers, including William L. Shirer and Alan Bullock , are of the opinion that the Nazi Party itself was responsible for starting the fire. At the Nuremberg trials , General Franz Halder testified that Göring admitted responsibility for starting the fire. He said that, at
18676-672: The problem and were used in the PR.VIII, B.IX, and B.XVI variants. This increased speed performance in the B.IX alone by 10 to 13 mph (16 to 21 km/h). The oval-section fuselage was a frameless monocoque shell built in two vertically separate halves formed over a mahogany or concrete mould. Pressure was applied with band clamps . Some of the 1/2—3/4" shell sandwich skins comprised 3/32" birch three-ply outers, with 7/16" cores of Ecuadorean balsa . In many generally smaller but vital areas, such as around apertures and attachment zones, stronger timbers, including aircraft-quality spruce, replaced
18837-464: The production of the Avro Manchester and Handley Page Halifax . In May 1937, as a comparison to P.13/36, George Volkert , the chief designer of Handley Page , put forward the concept of a fast, unarmed bomber. In 20 pages, Volkert planned an aerodynamically clean, medium bomber to carry 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of bombs at a cruising speed of 300 mph (485 km/h). Support existed in
18998-415: The project. In 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber , the Mosquito's use evolved during the war into many roles, including low- to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber , high-altitude night bomber , pathfinder , day or night fighter , fighter-bomber , intruder , maritime strike , and photo-reconnaissance aircraft. It
19159-407: The prototype, which was given the factory serial E-0234 . In May 1940, specification F.21/40 was issued, calling for a long-range fighter armed with four 20 mm cannon and four .303 machine guns in the nose, after which de Havilland was authorised to build a prototype of a fighter version of the DH.98. After debate, it was decided that this prototype, given the military serial number W4052 ,
19320-422: The remainder of Bohemia and Moravia . Although many in the party disliked him, before the war Göring enjoyed widespread personal popularity among the German public because of his perceived sociability, colour and humour. As the Nazi leader most responsible for economic matters, he presented himself as a champion of national interests over allegedly corrupt big business and the old German elite. The Nazi press
19481-409: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Mozzie . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mozzie&oldid=1093184931 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
19642-509: The same time, the design team had to fight conservative Air Ministry views on defensive armament. Guns and gun turrets, favoured by the ministry, would impair the aircraft's aerodynamic properties and reduce speed and manoeuvrability, in the opinion of the designers. Whilst submitting these arguments, Geoffrey de Havilland funded his private venture until a very late stage. The project was a success beyond all expectations. The initial bomber and photo-reconnaissance versions were extremely fast, whilst
19803-570: The scene. Marinus van der Lubbe , a Communist radical, was arrested and claimed sole responsibility for the fire. Göring immediately called for a crackdown on Communists. The Nazis took advantage of the fire to advance their own political aims. The Reichstag Fire Decree , passed the next day on Hitler's urging, suspended basic rights and allowed detention without trial. Activities of the German Communist Party were suppressed, and some 4,000 Party members were arrested. Göring demanded that
19964-564: The second alternate. Big German victories followed one after the other in quick succession. With the help of the Luftwaffe, the Polish Air Force was defeated within a week. The Fallschirmjäger seized vital airfields in Norway ( Operation Weserübung ) and captured Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium on 10 May 1940, the first day of the Battle of France . Göring's Luftwaffe played critical roles in
20125-558: The stall was given by buffeting and would occur 12 mph (19 km/h) before stall was reached. The conditions and impact of the stall were not severe. The wing did not drop unless the control column was pulled back. The nose drooped gently and recovery was easy. Early on in the Mosquito's operational life, the intake shrouds that were to cool the exhausts on production aircraft overheated. Flame dampers prevented exhaust glow on night operations, but they had an effect on performance. Multiple ejector and open-ended exhaust stubs helped solve
20286-415: The tailplane were tested. These slots and wing-root fairings fitted to the forward fuselage and leading edge of the radiator intakes stopped some of the vibration experienced, but did not cure the tailplane buffeting. In February 1941, buffeting was eliminated by incorporating triangular fillets on the trailing edge of the wings and lengthening the nacelles, the trailing edge of which curved up to fair into
20447-508: The total fuel load to 615 or 715 imp gal (739 or 859 US gal; 2,800 or 3,250 L). Hermann G%C3%B6ring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering ; German: [ˈhɛʁman ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈɡøːʁɪŋ] ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party , which governed Germany from 1933 to 1945. A veteran World War I fighter pilot ace , Göring
20608-486: The wing root and engine nacelle. In the central fuselage were twin fuel tanks mounted between bulkhead number two and three aft of the cockpit. In the FB.VI, these tanks contained 25 imp gal (30 US gal; 110 L) each, while in the B.IV and other unarmed Mosquitoes each of the two centre tanks contained 68 imp gal (82 US gal; 310 L). Both the inner wing, and fuselage tanks are listed as
20769-435: The wing-to-fuselage junction. The outer leading wing edge had to be brought 22 in (56 cm) further forward to accommodate this design. The main tail unit was all wood built. The control surfaces, the rudder , and elevator were aluminium -framed and fabric-covered. The total weight of metal castings and forgings used in the aircraft was only 280 lb (130 kg). In November 1944, several crashes occurred in
20930-580: Was a recipient of the Pour le Mérite . He also served as the last commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG I), the fighter wing once led by Manfred von Richthofen . An early member of the Nazi Party, Göring was among those wounded in Adolf Hitler 's failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. While receiving treatment for his injuries, he developed an addiction to morphine which persisted until the last year of his life. After Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Göring
21091-660: Was also used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation as a fast transport to carry small, high-value cargo to and from neutral countries through enemy-controlled airspace . The crew of two, pilot and navigator, sat side by side. A single passenger could ride in the aircraft's bomb bay when necessary. The Mosquito FB Mk. VI was often flown in special raids, such as Operation Jericho (an attack on Amiens Prison in early 1944), and precision attacks against military intelligence, security, and police facilities (such as Gestapo headquarters). On 30 January 1943,
21252-426: Was among the first to be promoted to the recently created rank of SA- Obergruppenführer , and he held this rank on the SA rolls until 1945. Through the early years, Carin—who liked Hitler—often played hostess to meetings of leading Nazis, including her husband as well as Hitler, Rudolf Hess , Alfred Rosenberg , and Ernst Röhm . Hitler later recalled his early association with Göring: I liked him. I made him
21413-755: Was bestowed the specially created rank of Reichsmarschall , which gave him seniority over all officers in Germany's armed forces . By 1941, Göring was at the peak of his power and influence. As the Second World War progressed, Göring's standing with Hitler and the German public declined after the Luftwaffe proved incapable of preventing the Allied bombing of Germany's cities and resupplying surrounded Axis forces in Stalingrad . Around that time, Göring increasingly withdrew from military and political affairs to devote his attention to collecting property and artwork, much of which
21574-501: Was born, his father was serving as consul general in Haiti , and his mother had returned home briefly to give birth. She left the six-week-old baby with a friend in Bavaria and did not see the child again for three years, when she and Heinrich returned to Germany. Göring's godfather was Hermann Epenstein , a wealthy Jewish physician and businessman his father had met in Africa. Epenstein provided
21735-525: Was by then in prison. Hitler penned Mein Kampf while incarcerated, before being released in December 1924. Meanwhile, personal problems continued to multiply for Göring. By 1925, Carin's mother was ill. The Görings—with difficulty—raised the money in the spring of 1925 for a journey to Sweden via Austria, Czechoslovakia , Poland, and Danzig (now Gdańsk). Göring had become a violent morphine addict; Carin's family were shocked by his deterioration. Carin, who
21896-504: Was confident the Luftwaffe could defeat the RAF within days, Göring, like Admiral Erich Raeder , commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine (navy), was pessimistic about the chance of success of the planned invasion (codenamed Operation Sea Lion ). Göring hoped that a victory in the air would be enough to force peace without an invasion. The campaign failed, and Sea Lion was postponed indefinitely on 17 September 1940. After their defeat in
22057-476: Was deeply concerned that Ernst Röhm , the chief of the SA, was planning a coup. Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich plotted with Göring to use the Gestapo and SS to crush the SA. Members of the SA got wind of the proposed action and thousands of them took to the streets in violent demonstrations on the night of 29 June 1934. Enraged, Hitler ordered the arrest of the SA leadership. Röhm was shot dead in his cell when he refused to commit suicide; Göring personally went over
22218-454: Was demonstrated to Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister of Aircraft Production . The Mosquito made a series of flights, including one rolling climb on one engine. Also present were US General Henry H. Arnold and his aide Major Elwood Quesada , who wrote "I ... recall the first time I saw the Mosquito as being impressed by its performance, which we were aware of. We were impressed by the appearance of
22379-609: Was discovered and sentenced to three weeks' confinement to barracks, but the sentence was never carried out. By the time it was supposed to be imposed, Göring's association with Loerzer had been made official. They were assigned as a team to FFA 25 in the Crown Prince 's Fifth Army. They flew reconnaissance and bombing missions, for which the Crown Prince invested both Göring and Loerzer with the Iron Cross , first class. After completing
22540-472: Was elected as a representative from Bavaria. Having secured a seat in the Reichstag , Göring gained a more prominent place in the Nazi movement, since Hitler saw him as a public relations officer for Nazism in this capacity. Göring continued to be elected to the Reichstag in all subsequent elections during the Weimar and Nazi regimes. Electoral success also afforded Göring with access to powerful sympathizers to
22701-515: Was followed on 11 April 1933 by his appointment as Minister-President of Prussia, Prussian interior minister and chief of the Prussian police. On 25 April 1933, Hitler also delegated his powers as Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) of Prussia to Göring. On 18 May 1933, Göring secured passage of an enabling act through the Landtag of Prussia that conferred all legislative powers on the cabinet. Using this authority, on 8 July 1933 Göring enacted
22862-502: Was forced to resign. Hitler used the dismissals as an opportunity to reshuffle the leadership of the military. Göring asked for the post of War Minister but was turned down; he was appointed to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall . Hitler took over as supreme commander of the armed forces and created subordinate posts to head the three main branches of service. As minister in charge of the Four-Year Plan, Göring became concerned with
23023-498: Was held the night before at the Berlin Opera House . Fighter aircraft flew overhead on the night of the reception and the day of the ceremony, at which Hitler was best man. Göring's daughter, Edda , was born on 2 June 1938. Final solution Parties When Hitler was named chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933, Göring was appointed as Reichsminister without portfolio and Reichskommissar of Aviation. This
23184-460: Was ill with epilepsy and a weak heart, had to allow the doctors to take charge of Göring; her son was taken by his father. Göring was certified a dangerous drug addict and was placed in Långbro Asylum on 1 September 1925. He was violent to the point where he had to be confined in a straitjacket , but his psychiatrist felt he was sane; the condition was caused solely by the morphine. Weaned off
23345-699: Was immediately infatuated and asked her to meet him in Stockholm. They arranged a visit at the home of her parents and spent much time together through 1921, when Göring left to study political science at the University of Munich . Carin obtained a divorce, followed Göring to Munich, and married him on 3 February 1922. Their first home together was a hunting lodge at Hochkreuth in the Bavarian Alps , near Bayrischzell , some 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Munich. Later in 1922, they moved to Obermenzing [ de ] ,
23506-520: Was in favour of a meeting, and there was talk of a pact being signed between Britain and Germany. In February 1938, Göring visited Warsaw to quell rumours about the upcoming invasion of Poland . He had conversations with the Hungarian government that summer as well, discussing their potential role in an invasion of Czechoslovakia. At the Nuremberg Rally that September, Göring and other speakers denounced
23667-471: Was made a member of Hans Frank 's Academy for German Law at its inaugural meeting. In July 1934, he was appointed Reichforstmeister , with the rank of a Reichsminister , as the head of the newly created Reich Forestry Office . Wilhelm Frick , the Reich interior minister, and the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler , hoped to create a unified police force for all of Germany, but Göring on 26 April 1933 established
23828-535: Was made to concentrate the attack on only one part of the vast front; efforts would be directed at capturing Moscow. After the long, but successful, Battle of Smolensk , Hitler ordered Army Group Centre to halt its advance to Moscow and temporarily diverted its Panzer groups north and south to aid in the encirclement of Leningrad and Kiev . The pause provided the Red Army with an opportunity to mobilize fresh reserves; historian Russel Stolfi considers it to be one of
23989-563: Was met with arrests. One of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles , which had been in place since the end of World War I, stated that Germany was not allowed to maintain an air force. After the 1928 signing of the Kellogg–Briand Pact , police aircraft were permitted. Göring was appointed Air Traffic Minister in May 1933. Germany began to accumulate aircraft in violation of the Treaty, and in 1935
24150-462: Was more durable. To provide for the edge joints for the fuselage halves, zones near the outer edges of the shells had their balsa sandwich cores replaced by much stronger inner laminations of birch plywood. For the bonding together of the two halves ("boxing up"), a longitudinal cut was machined into these edges. The profile of this cut was a form of V-groove. Part of the edge bonding process also included adding further longitudinal plywood lap strips on
24311-512: Was named as minister without portfolio in the new government. One of his first acts as a cabinet minister was to oversee the creation of the Gestapo , which he ceded to Heinrich Himmler in 1934. Following the establishment of the Nazi state, Göring amassed power and political capital to become the second most powerful man in Germany. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe (air force),
24472-556: Was not forthcoming. The Nazi Party was made legal in Austria to gain a power base, and a referendum on reunification was scheduled for March. When Hitler did not approve of the wording of the plebiscite, Göring telephoned Schuschnigg and Austrian head of state Wilhelm Miklas to demand Schuschnigg's resignation, threatening invasion by German troops and civil unrest by the Austrian Nazi Party members. Schuschnigg resigned on 11 March and
24633-503: Was noted for light and effective control surfaces that provided good manoeuvrability, but required that the rudder not be used aggressively at high speeds. Poor aileron control at low speeds when landing and taking off was also a problem for inexperienced crews. For flying at low speeds, the flaps had to be set at 15°, speed reduced to 200 mph (320 km/h), and rpm set to 2,650. The speed could be reduced to an acceptable 150 mph (240 km/h) for low-speed flying. For cruising,
24794-508: Was on Göring's side. Other leaders, such as Hess and Ribbentrop, were envious of his popularity. In Britain and the United States, some viewed Göring as more acceptable than the other Nazis and as a possible mediator between the western democracies and Hitler. Göring and other senior officers were concerned that Germany was not yet ready for war, but Hitler insisted on pushing ahead as soon as possible. On 30 August 1939, immediately prior to
24955-456: Was only after Beaverbrook was satisfied that Mosquito production would not hinder de Havilland's primary work of producing Tiger Moth and Airspeed Oxford trainers, repairing Hurricanes , and manufacturing Merlin engines under licence. In promising Beaverbrook such a number by the end of 1941, de Havilland was taking a gamble, because they were unlikely to be built in such a limited time. As it transpired, only 20 aircraft were built in 1941, but
25116-538: Was returned to the Salisbury Hall hangar where it was built, restored to its original configuration, and became one of the primary exhibits of the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre . W4051 , which was designed from the outset to be the prototype for the photo-reconnaissance versions of the Mosquito, was slated to make its first flight in early 1941. However, the fuselage fracture in W4050 meant that W4051's fuselage
25277-532: Was stolen from Jewish victims of the Holocaust . Informed on 22 April 1945 that Hitler intended to commit suicide, Göring sent a telegram to Hitler requesting his permission to assume leadership of the Reich. Considering his request an act of treason, Hitler removed Göring from all his positions, expelled him from the party, and ordered his arrest. After the war, Göring was convicted of conspiracy , crimes against peace , war crimes , and crimes against humanity at
25438-426: Was stretched tightly over the shell and several coats of red, followed by silver dope, were added, followed by the final camouflage paint. The all-wood wing pairs formed a single structural unit throughout the wingspan, with no central longitudinal joint. Instead, the spars ran from wingtip to wingtip. There was a single continuous main spar and another continuous rear spar. Because of the combination of dihedral with
25599-509: Was the beginning of his morphine addiction, which lasted until his imprisonment at Nuremberg. Meanwhile, the authorities in Munich declared Göring a wanted man. The Görings—acutely short of funds and reliant on the good will of Nazi sympathizers abroad—moved from Austria to Venice . In May 1924 they visited Rome, via Florence and Siena . Sometime in 1924, Göring met Mussolini through his contacts with members of Italy's Fascist Party; Mussolini had also expressed an interest in meeting Hitler, who
25760-438: Was to carry aircraft interception (AI) Mk IV radar equipment as both a day fighter and night fighter. By June 1940, the DH.98 had been named "Mosquito". Having the fighter variant kept the Mosquito project alive, as doubts remained within the government and Air Ministry regarding the usefulness of an unarmed bomber, even after the prototype had shown its capabilities. With design of the DH.98 started, mock-ups were built,
25921-445: Was used as a replacement; W4051 was then rebuilt using a production standard fuselage and first flew on 10 June 1941. This prototype continued to use the short engine nacelles, single-piece trailing-edge flaps, and the 19 ft 5.5 in (5.931 m) "No. 1" tailplane used by W4050 , but had production-standard 54 ft 2 in (16.51 m) wings and became the only Mosquito prototype to fly operationally. Construction of
#766233