Night Witch!

This is coolbert:

Regarding the recent aerial attack by the EELAM Tigers on the Colombo airport, Sri Lanka.

That Czech Zlin is a pretty nice looking aircraft. I would not mind owning one. Rather sophisticated from what I see. NOT needing however, a sophisticated airport or runway to operate out of.

Attacking the Colombo airport in this manner is unprecendented for this conflict. An escalation of hostilities when negotiations have stalled or ended? Even if the Sri Lanka military did spot the aircraft as it approached, they would have been hesitant to act, IF THEY EVEN COULD!

This was the “bomb chucker” squadron of the Tamil Tiger EELAM forces in action. Drop hand grenades and improvised explosives out the window as you fly by.

Such an attack will have more of a PSYCHOLOGICAL effect than anything else. [except for the three KIA and the sixteen WIA of course].

"The attack had limited military significance . . . But it had great psychological impact"

Cathay Pacific is now hesitant to fly into the international airport for all of Sri Lanka. With good reason why too! Others will follow suit? NO telling the amount of damage to the tourist industry of Sri Lanka this will cause.

"There were indications the rebel attack could harm the country's lucrative tourism industry. The air base targeted was next to Sri Lanka's international airport, and Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. announced it was indefinitely suspending its daily flights to and from Sri Lanka."

That is the idea in the first place. Economic damage suits the purpose just as well as damage on the battlefield. The IRA with one ANFO [ammonium-nitrate-fuel-oil] explosive detonating in downtown London caused $1 billion in damage with just blown out high rise widows alone. Insurance becomes prohibitive. Economic growth is snarled.

There is also precedent for this type of low technology, PSYCHOLOGICAL attack.

The Soviet “Night Witch” squadron of World War Two [WW2]. A Soviet Air Force squadron of women-only pilots. Flying the antiquated but ubiquitous PO-2 aircraft. A bi-plane, designed as an observer aircraft, but having a myriad of civilian applications as well.




[This all-woman unit was called “Nachthexen” by the German. I give this unit of Russian women the utmost credit. It IS an established fact that a specially selected unit of women fliers CAN EXCEED THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS in many regards. American women WASP pilots of WW2 fame also were outstanding fliers!!]

Flying very low, almost exclusively at night, these women pilots flying the PO-2 would drop bombs, fire rockets, strafe with machine gun fire German forward positions. Again, the effect was intended to be mostly PSYCHOLOGICAL. I think the worst part would have been KNOWING that this was women doing this to you!

"The material effects of these missions was mostly insignificant, but the psychological effect on German troops was much more noticeable."

"the psychological effect of terror and insecurity and constant restlessness in the Germans (and Rumanians, Italians, Finns...) was very effective."

"Their usual tactics involved flying only a few meters above the ground, rising for the final approach, cutting off the engine and making a gliding bombing run, leaving the targeted troops with only the eerie whistling of the wind in the wings' bracing-wires as an indication of the impending attack."

It is alleged that at Stalingrad, SMALL BOYS STRAPPED TO THE WINGS OF A LOW FLYING PO-2 WOULD LOB GRENADES THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF BUILDINGS OCCUPIED BY GERMAN TROOPS!!!

Intense is a word that cannot even begin to describe!!??

coolbert.