V-1 Flying Bomb in World War II

The V-1 flying bomb was developed by Germany during World War II (1939-1945) as a vengeance weapon and was an early unguided cruise missile. Tested at Peenemà ¼nde-West facility, the V-1 was the only production aircraft to utilize a pulsejet for its power plant.The first of the V-weapons to become operational, the V-1 flying bomb entered service in June 1944 and was used to strike London and southeastern England from launch facilities in northern France and the Low Countries. When these facilities were overrun, V-1s were fired at Allied port facilities around Antwerp, Belgium. Due to its high speed, few Allied fighters were capable of intercepting a V-1 in flight. Fast Facts: V-1 Flying Bomb User: Nazi GermanyManufacturer: FieselerIntroduced: 1944Length: 27 ft., 3 in.Wingspan: 17 ft. 6 in.Loaded Weight: 4,750 lbs. Performance Power Plant: Argus As 109-014 pulse jet engineRange: 150 milesMax Speed: 393 mphGuidance System: Gyrocompass based autopilot Armament Warhead: 1,870 lbs. Amatol Design The idea of a flying bomb was first proposed to the Luftwaffe in 1939. Turned down, a second proposal was also declined in 1941. With German losses increasing, the Luftwaffe revisited the concept in June 1942 and approved the development of an inexpensive flying bomb that possessed a range of around 150 miles. To protect the project from Allied spies, it was designated Flak Ziel Geraet (anti-aircraft target apparatus). Design of the weapon was overseen by Robert Lusser of Fieseler and Fritz Gosslau of the Argus engine works. Refining the earlier work of Paul Schmidt, Gosslau designed a pulse jet engine for the weapon. Consisting of few moving parts, the pulse jet operated by air entering into the intake where it was mixed with fuel and ignited by spark plugs. The combustion of the mixture forced sets of intake shutters closed, producing a burst of thrust out the exhaust. The shutters then opened again in the airflow to repeat the process. This occurred around fifty times a second and gave the engine its distinctive buzz sound. A further advantage to the pulse jet design was that it could operate on low-grade fuel. Cutaway drawing of V-1. US Air Force Gosslaus engine was mounted above a simple fuselage which possessed short, stubby wings. Designed by Lusser, the airframe was originally constructed entirely of welded sheet steel. In production, plywood was substituted for constructing the wings. The flying bomb was directed to its target through the use of a simple guidance system which relied on gyroscopes for stability, a magnetic compass for heading, and a barometric altimeter for altitude control. A vane anemometer on the nose drove a counter which determined when the target area was reached and triggered a mechanism to cause the bomb to dive. Development Development of the flying bomb progressed at the Peenemà ¼nde, where the V-2 rocket was being tested. The first glide test of the weapon occurred in early December 1942, with the first powered flight on Christmas Eve. Work continued through the spring of 1943, and on May 26, Nazi officials decided to place the weapon into production. Designated the Fiesler Fi-103, it was more commonly referred to as V-1, for Vergeltungswaffe Einz (Vengeance Weapon 1). With this approval, work accelerated at Peenemà ¼nde while operational units were formed and launch sites constructed. A German crew prepares a V-1, 1944. Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1975-117-26 / Lysiak / CC-BY-SA 3.0 While many of the V-1s early test flights had commenced from German aircraft, the weapon was intended to be launched from ground sites through the use of ramps fitted with steam or chemical catapults. These sites were quickly constructed in northern France in the Pas-de-Calais region. While many early sites were destroyed by Allied aircraft as part of Operation Crossbow before becoming operational, new, concealed locations were built to replace them. While V-1 production was spread across Germany, many were built by slave labor at the notorious underground Mittelwerk plant near Nordhausen. Operational History The first V-1 attacks occurred on June 13, 1944, when around ten of the missiles were fired towards London. V-1 attacks began in earnest two days later, inaugurating the flying bomb blitz. Due to the odd sound of the V-1s engine, the British public dubbed the new weapon the buzz bomb and doodlebug. Like the V-2, the V-1 was unable to strike specific targets and was intended to be an area weapon that inspired terror in the British population. Those on the ground quickly learned that the end of a V-1s buzz signaled that it was diving to the ground. Early Allied efforts to counter the new weapon were haphazard as fighter patrols often lacked aircraft that could catch the V-1 at its cruising altitude of 2,000-3,000 feet and anti-aircraft guns could not traverse quickly enough to hit it. To combat the threat, anti-aircraft guns were redeployed across southeastern England and over 2,000 barrage balloons were also deployed. The only aircraft suitable for defensive duties in mid-1944 was the new Hawker Tempest which was only available in limited numbers. This was soon joined by modified P-51 Mustangs and Spitfire Mark XIVs. Seen in silhouette, a Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire manoeuvres alongside a German V-1 flying bomb in an attempt to deflect it from its target. Public Domain At night, the De Havilland Mosquito was used as an effective interceptor. While the Allies made improvements in aerial interception, new tools aided the fight from the ground. In addition to faster-traversing guns, the arrival of gun-laying radars (such as the SCR-584) and proximity fuses made ground fire the most effective way of defeating the V-1. By late August 1944, 70% of V-1s were destroyed by guns on the coast. While these home defense techniques were becoming effective, the threat was only ended when Allied troops overran German launch positions in France and the Low Countries. With the loss of these launch sites, the Germans were forced to rely on air-launched V-1s for striking at Britain. These were fired from modified Heinkel He-111s flying over the North Sea. A total of 1,176 V-1s were launched in this manner until the Luftwaffe suspended the approach due to bomber losses in January 1945. Though no longer able to hit targets in Britain, the Germans continued to use the V-1 to strike at Antwerp and other key sites in the Low Countries that had been liberated by the Allies. A German Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 H-22 with a V-1 mounted. US Air Force Over 30,000 V-1s were produced during the war with around 10,000 fired at targets in Britain. Of these, only 2,419 reached London, killing 6,184 people and injuring 17,981. Antwerp, a popular target, was hit by 2,448 between October 1944 and March 1945. A total of around 9,000 were fired at targets in Continental Europe. Though V-1s only struck their target 25% of the time, they proved more economical than the Luftwaffes bombing campaign of 1940/41. Regardless, the V-1 was largely a terror weapon and had little overall impact on the outcome of the war. During the war, both the United States and the Soviet Union reverse engineered the V-1 and produced their versions. Though neither saw combat service, the American JB-2 was intended for use during the proposed invasion of Japan. Retained by the US Air Force, the JB-2 was used as a test platform into the 1950s.

Analysis Of Rubber Men And Flashbacks - 1758 Words

Suma Thati Media Studies 10: Intro to Media Studies Fall 2016 Rubber Men and Flashbacks: Narrative Complexity in American Horror Story: Murder House In the third episode of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology drama American Horror Story: Murder House (henceforth AHS: Murder House), Violet Harmon, the daughter of Ben and Vivien Harmon (the owners of the titular house) begins a relationship with Tate Langdon. It is only in the sixth episode that she finds out that Tate is not in fact alive: he was shot and killed in 1994 by police following his murder of 15 students at his high school. Up until then, and even afterwards, Violet and Tate co-exist harmoniously. The audience almost forgets that Tate is a ghost. This blurred boundary†¦show more content†¦A narratively complex show thus rejects the episodic convention of a return to the original status quo at the end of each episode, as one might see in an episode of Friends. Problems are often left unresolved to be expanded upon in future episodes. Narrative complexity is thus cumulative and unconventional: it is a combination of episodic closure and serial accumu lation, and employs new and engaging narratives and forms of storytelling (Jackson). Of the many ways to achieve narrative complexity, Mittell discusses â€Å"operational aesthetic,† which can best be described as something similar to special effects. Operational aesthetic is augmented in certain moments within a narratively complex program. That being said, complex television employs something called the narrative special effect, which is when a program makes use of certain storytelling tools, to engage the viewer (Mittell 43). It is by way of the narrative special effect that the media makers attempt to foster engagement in audiences by planting clues, and this can be achieved through, for example, shifts in perspective or time, dreams or fantasy sequences, and the absence of clear storytelling cues. The result is that audiences focus and speculate on form and structure in addition to content (Jackson). As a narratively complex program, AHS: Murder House makes use of narrat ive special effects to drive its storyline and to develop its characters. Episodes start in different time periods, and characters are oftenShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism : Not Just A Pretty Face 2609 Words   |  11 Pageswritten word. He contends that it suffers not only from inconsistencies internally because of Socrates analogy between memory and writing, but also because his ideas come to us only through his written word. Many deconstructive arguments center on the analysis of its oppositions. The person doing the deconstruction looks for ways in which one term is more privileged than the other in a particular text because it is considered the general, or normal, term, while the other is considered special or exceptionalRead MoreThe Hot Zone9599 Words   |  39 Pagesclotting agent. He is bleeding from his nose, as well as internally. By the time he reaches the hospital, Monet crashes and falls to the floor in a river of virus-infected blood. The Hot Zone Summary | Part 1, Chapter 1 Something in the Forest Analysis The author develops the first chapter with extreme attention to detail. In the plot structure of The Hot Zone, Part 1 acts as the exposition. The landscape of the region is used to foreshadow the potential for fear and death that may follow throughoutRead MoreProject on Stress Management9684 Words   |  39 Pagesball is about to be served at the other end. Certain Statistics that support common belief about stress: Statistics from a recent global stress research study show that increased stress is felt worldwide, and stress affects women differently than men: A recent Roper Starch Worldwide survey of 30,000 people between the ages of 13 and 65 in 30 countries showed: †¢ Women who work full-time and have children under the age of 13 report the greatest stress worldwide †¢ Nearly one in four mothersRead MoreTaguibo Watershed6389 Words   |  26 Pagessecond-growth forest but below 50% slope and 1000 meters above sea level, composing 589 hectares. A brush land area consists 227 hectares; grassland covers 641 hectares dominated by Cogon and Talahib among others. 148 hectares is filled with Falcata and rubber plantations. 62 hectares, meanwhile, constitute residential houses, barangay hall, bunkhouses as such. Roads and trails cover 22 hectares while rivers and creeks cover an estimated 27 hectares. Total cultivated area planted with fruit trees, coconut

“Crazy Homeless Man” Essay Free Essays

â€Å"Crazy Homeless Man† It was sophomore year of high school and after a long day of taking tests and writing essays it was finally time to go home. My cousin and I waited for and then got into our regular train. As we got in, we saw nothing out of the ordinary; you had your regular business man with too much product in his perfectly combed hair, that seemed as though he had spent hours on it, reading his newspaper while tapping his overpriced shoes on the floor, screaming little kids jumping up and down and swinging from the poles while their negligent nannies, totally oblivious of the whole scene, sit quietly reading their new editions of Harry Potter, and finally the homeless guy on the corner seat wrapped up in old newspapers and a dirty fleece, probably found while searching through some garbage, trying to get a good nap in before he has to switch trains. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Crazy Homeless Man† Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Nothing different about this train ride,† we thought to ourselves as the train left the station. Shortly after we took our seats, the homeless man awoke, stood up, and started walking around looking at people and sniffing the train. Everyone looked away as though to look busy, just in case the man tried to shout out his life story and then beg for money. Instead he took an old sock out of his pocket that looked worn out, and started to clean the train doors with it. He said, â€Å"Child, this train is dirty! † He moved around the train trying not to fall or lose his balance as he swept the floor with the old sock. He then took out an air deodorizer and started spraying it on the train walls. My cousin and I tried so hard not to laugh. We looked away so that we weren’t tempted. Our giggles and smiles soon changed into surprised, scared, frozen expressions as the man took out a lighter and said, â€Å"I can’t take this dirty train anymore. † I knew because of my immature eighth grade friends that when someone had an aerosol†¦ How to cite â€Å"Crazy Homeless Man† Essay, Essay examples

Auditor Liability (2004 words) Essay Example For Students

Auditor Liability (2004 words) Essay Auditor LiabilityannonThroughout the Eighties and into the Nineties thequestion of liability has become more prevalent in the practice of publicaccounting. Recently, the AICPA has been lobbying for liability reform incases involving negligence or malpractice by public acco untants. Opposition to this lobbying has come from consumer advocacy organizations,trial lawyers associations, and state public interest groups to name afew. (Bolinger p. 53) The key to success for the AICPA, according to GaryM. Bolinger is creatingan image as a, profession performing high-quality services but facedwith excessive liability burdens that harm the public interest. (Bolingerp.56)One should not be concerned, however, in the pending politicaloutcome, but in weighing the evidence argued by both sides and developinga sound reasonable basis. Therefore, the remainder of this document shallconcern itself with comparing the prevalen t arguments of both sidesagainst one another and drawing a conclusion based on the evidence. Opponents of liability reform rely heavily on an idealisticconstitutional argument as well as an economic argument to foster theirpoint. The main components of their argument are as follows: Limitingrecovery of loss has a detrimental effect on thosewhich are harmed by alleged negligence. The cost of liability isreasonable when compared to total revenues, and in light of a CPAs publicresponsibility. Indemnity insurance spreads risk in the aggregatetherefore removing the element of risk at the f irm level. The threat oflitigation provides public accountants with a deterrent against negligentwork. Finally, the results of lawsuits cause the profession itself toimplement new standards. (Bolinger p.54)The AICPA and its supporters have developed their argument basedon continued liabilitys likely effect on the profession as well as aneconomic argument. The arguments in favor of liability reform include theeffect of continued liability on the availab ility of CPA services. Thelikelihood of fe e increases resulting from liability risk. The threat ofthe inability of public accounting to obtain and retain qualifiedindividuals. (Bolinger p.56) Finally, the complexities involved in theaudit engagemen t and the subjective decision making process versus theability of a given jury to understand and levy a fair decision in suchcases. After examining the arguments of both sides one will see thatlitigation in its current form is a hindrance to the accou ntingprofession as well as society, and the benefits provided by litigation areattainable through enforcement of professional standards. The first of the opponents arguments finds its basis fromidealistic Constitutional principal. The notion that those which havebeen wronged, either directly or indirectly, deserve compensation fortheir estimated loss is one which first found favor inthe case of Thomas v. Winchester in 1942. (Minnis p.4) In this case, forthe first time a third party received compensation. (Minnis p.4) Theprecedent set by this case is the notion of duty owed to a third partyif it ascertains that a duty is owed t hen a third party has a right toseek compensation. The case which most directly affected auditors is acase filed in the UK, Hedley Byrne and Co Ltd v Heller and Partners Ltd(1964). (Minnis p.9) This case ultimately developed a situation where aban k passed to its client a certificate of credit-worthiness on apotential client. The business which was deemed credit-worthy ultimatelyfailed, and claim resulted by the third party against the bank issuing thecertificate.!(Minnis p.9) The finding in the The notion that all parties remotely affected by a given action(or lack thereof) deserve compensation for their loss is one which isembraced by the legal community and rightfully so, after all a drasticreduction in the number of claims filed would r esult otherwise. Theargument made in its favor is that all those harmed by negligent activitydeserve compensation. Idealistically this is true, and theoreticallyanyone who makes a decision based entirely on the results of an auditorsreport, and suf fers a loss due to negligence in preparation by theauditor, deserves compensation. Realistically, however, this is notusually the case. With the exception of banks, whom are approached bybusinesses for the possibility of tendering a loan, and therefo re do notinitiate contact; all other investors would only take the time to reviewthe financial statements of a given company if another mitigating forceattracted them. Therefore, it is reasonably asserted, that significa!nt third parties, such as banks aA second argument against liability reform is that the cost ofmalpractice suits are reasonable in comparison with the revenues and levelof public responsibility delegated to CPA firms. An argument against thisis made twofold. First, the total numberof claims is not reasonable, but rather, astronomical. According to arecent industry estimate, the accounting profession as a whole is facing4,000 lawsuits and $30 billion in potential claims pending against it.(Clolery p.42) Recent trends indicat e the total value of claims arecontinually increasing, one has to ask at what point will the value ofclaims become unreasonable? As claims continue to increase the demand forindemnity insurance, which is cyclical in nature, will increase alsocausing insurance expense to continually rise. The French and Indian War EssayThis brings up another key point in the liability reform issue,which is the likelihood of fee increases. Fee increases as a result ofmalpractice are incurred in three areas: the increase resulting frominsurance expense, the increase resulting from t he costs of performingthe engagement, and increases resulting from litigation expense. Thefirst two issues are covered previously. The area of insurance expense isdiscussed in the section covering indemnity insurance, while the cost ofthe engagementis illustrated in the most recent section. Additionally, the cost oflitigation services are also absorbed in engagement fees. A third area used in the AICPAs argument is that of obtaining andretaining quality professionals. The basis for this argument is that welleducated intelligent persons, ones which public accounting seeks toattract into the profession, are less likel y to pursue a career in publicaccounting if high levels of liability risk exist. Furthermore, those whodo enter public accounting are more likely to leave the profession due toliability risk. This argument has merit inasmuch as pointing out theprofe ssions dedication to employ only qualified individuals; however theeffect it will have on those choosing to enter the profession is difficultto prove. One may ascertain the rationale behind leaving a professionwhere the pressures of liability exist, b ut public accounting will neverhave difficulty recruiting young professionals. Finally, an area not addressed by the AICPA but which deservesconsideration nevertheless, is that of the complexities and subjectivenessof auditing versus the ability of jurors to issue an educated decision. The justice system relies on the services o f jurors to levy decisions;however, in highly technical areas the ability of jurors is suspect. Inmalpractice cases the verdict often hinges on compliance with GAAS. (Buckless p.164)A study was conducted concerning juror decisions based on a firmscompliance with GAAS by Frank A. Buckless and Robert L. Peace of the NorthCarolina State University. They conducted a factorial experiment using22 format. The four possibilities are as follows: instructionsindicating compliance with GAAS and such compliance is the onlyconsiderable factor, compliance with GAAS and all factors are considered,compliance with government standards and only compliance is considerable,and compliance wit h government standards with all factors beingconsidered. (Buckless p.169) The study concluded, that jurors attachedgreater credibility to auditing standards established by the federalgovernment than to those established by the auditing profession. (Buckless p.173) In a subsequent article the point is raised that whendiscussing the issue of government versus professional standards, one areaincluded a government witness while the other a witness from theprofession, b!ut not a cros s sample of both; thIn regression analysis of the same sample, education is foundsignificant with those more educated being more likely to find in favor ofthe auditor. (Buckless p.172) This creates significant implicationsregarding a jurys ability to reach a fair verdi ct in cases as technicaland subjective as accounting malpractice cases. The above argument shows major points used by both sides in theongoing fight involving liability reform in public accounting. Additionally it suggests that the profession itself need bear the burdenof deterrence, enforcement, and investigation whereb y eliminating theexisting systems only strength. If the AICPA in cooperation with stateboards becomes more willing to accept the role as investigator andpunisher, then the economics of the argument suggest that liability reformis in order.