The Second World War was a period of remarkable advances in technology and many new weapons were invented during this period, some of which entered production and actually saw service in the war, while others never left the drawing board.
Most of us are familiar with the secret weapons the Nazis had at their disposal in the last months of the war that were expected to turn the tide against the Allies. However, Germany had a reputation as a scientifically advanced nation well before the outbreak of hostilities in 1939. At the beginning of the war, the Germans had a significant advantage in many areas of military technology, although it lost the lead, for a variety of reasons, as the war progressed.
For the naval war, Germany built some submarines that could: - stay submerged for an entire patrol - used advanced sonar so they could target the enemy without raising the periscope - were equipped with the first electric powered torpedoes which left no trail of bubbles to give away the sub’s position - some even had stealth coating, rendering them invisible, when surfaced, to Allied planes using infra-red searchlights.
This was years ahead of its time, similar to the radar absorbing coating of modern stealth aircraft. Germany also developed synthetic fuel from coal, in order to lessen its dependence on imported oil for its petroleum needs. And very early in the war, German bombers operating at night used fixed radio transmitters, with receivers installed in the bombers, to very effectively navigate to their target areas. This system was the forerunner of GPS that we are familiar with today and for the first couple of years of the conflict at least, Allied air forces had no comparable system.
Thinking the war was already won, Hitler placed less emphasis on weapons development. Later, when the war turned against them, Germany turned to new, highly sophisticated weaponry in a desperate bid to turn the tide. These wonder weapons, or wunderwaffe, mostly reached the field of combat too late to make a difference, although some, like the V2 rockets, were deployed and were superior to anything possessed by the Allies at the time. Most of these weapons were very advanced for their era and with the exception of the gigantic tanks, were all developed by other counties in the subsequent decades. There are too many to cover in detail in this article, but here are some of the most fascinating ones.
WunderWaffe 1 - Vampire Vision
The Sturmgewehr 44 was the first ever assault rifle, similar to the modern M-16 and AK-47. The ZG 1229, also known by the code name Vampir, was an infra-red sight designed so that this rifle could be used by snipers at night. It was first used in combat in the last months of the war and weighed about five pounds, but was also connected to a thirty pound battery support pack, strapped to the soldier’s back.
"The idea of weapons capable of proving aimed fire from around corners has always existed, and eventually materializes in the form of working pieces. One such device was "Der Gebone Lauf" ("The Curved Barrel"), created by the Germans in WWII, seen below fitted to an MP44 7.92 x 33 mm (7.92 Kurz) caliber assault rifle." (more info)
German engineers worked on a number of designs for super-heavy tanks and the Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus was the heaviest model of which a working prototype was made during the war. This tank weighed in at around 180 tonnes and this ended up being its principal problem. No engine was powerful enough to allow the tank to achieve the desired speed of 20 km/h, with only 13km/h being reached and that under ideal conditions. It was also too heavy to cross bridges. However, because the tank stood relatively high off the ground, it could actually ford deep streams and for deeper rivers was able to go underwater and drive along the bottom. However, to do this it had to be partnered with another tank, which supplied the electrical power through a cable. Amazingly, a long snorkel, allowing the crossing tank to submerge to a depth of 45 feet, fed air to the submerged tank’s crew.
(images via 1, 2, 3, 4, Wydawnictwo «Militaria» Wrobec)
"Design studies found at Krupp showed a version of the Maus carrying a 305mm breech-loading mortar, named 'Bear', and a giant 1500-ton vehicle with a 800mm gun as main armament plus two 150mm guns in auxiliary turrets on the rear quarters. This vehicle, put forward by two engineers named Grote and Hacker, was planned to be powered by four U-boat diesel engines!" (more info)
WunderWaffe 4 - "The Walking Tank", the mine-clearing vehicle
One of the MinenRaumers - "In 1944, Krupp built a prototype of this super heavy mineclearing vehicle. The 130t vehicle was articulated in the centre, and was suspended on 2.7m diameter steel wheels. These were set on different track widths at front and rear, so as to sweep a wider path. Each section of the Raumer S was powered by a Maybach HL90 motor. It was captured at end of the war by the U.S Army." (source)
Another design was even stranger, developed by Alkett, Krupp and Mercedes-Benz in 1942:
"The body of this strange machine built on the mounting of a heavy gun with a cabin including the compartment of combat, the engine compartment and which was surmounted by a turret of Panzer I (2 MG34). The shielding varied from 20 to 40 mm on the body of the machine. The lower part to be able to resist to the mines was of 80 mm. The direction was done using the small wheel located at the back, two larger wheels supplemented the suspension. The steel wheels were provided with steel shoes similar to those used by the German heavy guns at the time of the First World War. The wheels come from Caterpillar trucks. They were in theory to resist the explosive loads of the mines." - via
WunderWaffe 5 - the world’s first cruise missile
The Fieseler Fi 103, more familiar as the V-1, from the German vergeltungswaffe or vengeance weapon, was the world’s first cruise missile. The V-1 was powered by jets and carried an 1875 lb warhead with a range of 125 miles, the first ones being launched at England on June 13, 1944, just after D Day. The missile was sometimes delivered in the air from bombers, but was mostly ground launched, with long ramps hidden in wooded terrain. However, these were clearly visible from the air, so were usually bombed very quickly, forcing the German army to use mobile ramps instead, which they moved around the Pas-de-Calais region of the French channel coast.
Despite its fearsome reputation, although nearly 9,250 V1’s were fired against London and other English towns and cities, fewer than 2,500 reached their target, the others being destroyed by anti-aircraft fire, fighters, and even barrage balloons. However, V1 firing continued, at Antwerp and other cities on the European mainland as well as against England, until Allied forces finally captured the launch areas in late March 1945.
Variation: Rocket-Propelled Piloted Aircraft Bomb - more info:
Kamikaze "Ohka" (Cherry Blossom) ordered by Japan empire (U.S.S. "Essex" was hit by one of these, for example)
V-1 used against London, and the new V-1 "BAKA", an interesting comparison
WunderWaffe 6 - the original long-range ballistic missile
The V1’s successor, perhaps a little predictably known as the V-2, was the original long-range ballistic missile and the first man-made object to achieve sub-orbital spaceflight. With a range of 200 miles and a 2150lb warhead, the V2 also traveled at 2500 mph, so it was impossible to intercept and hit its target from above faster than the speed of sound. There was no advance warning and although the V2 was far from accurate, it caused mass terror and panic when used against civilians. The rockets were also fired from mobile launchers, which were difficult to locate either before or after they were fired. Over 3000 V2’s were fired against the Allies, killing over 7000 people, both military and civilian, and the rocket threat was only finally ended when the German army was forced to retreat beyond the launch range.
The V2 was very expensive to produce, inaccurate and only carried a small warhead, but had the Germans had more time to develop it, the war might have taken a very different course. They may have been able to attach a nuclear warhead, and were working on using biological and chemical weapons in the rocket program. By the last days of the war, Germany had supplies of the nerve agents sarin, tabun and soman, but had never used them.
A rocket launching platform towed behind a submarine, intended for use against the North American continent, was successfully tested and scientists were also supposedly at work on the V9 rocket. This version would actually have a pilot, who was to bail out at the last minute with a parachute and be rescued at sea by a submarine. The V9 was to be armed with a one ton warhead, and be able to reach the US from Europe in just thirty five minutes.
At the end of the war, American, British or Soviet forces captured many German weapons, undeveloped projects and blueprints, plus the scientists who worked on them. Rocket scientists in particular played a large role in the space race and were instrumental helping the United States achieve the moon landing in 1969.
WunderWaffe 7 - the rocket-powered fighter plane
With aircraft, some of the German designs not only made it off the drawing board, but also flew in combat, although often not in sufficient numbers to alter the course of the war in Germany’s favour. The Messerschmitt Me 163 was the only operational rocket-powered fighter plane of the war, but although it was very advanced it performed poorly in combat and downed limited numbers of Allied aircraft.
The first turbojet fighter aircraft, the Messerschmitt Me 262, first appeared in the skies over Europe in 1944. Although arriving too late to seriously impact the course of the conflict, the Me 262 still claimed over 500 Allied aircraft, losing around 100 Me 262s in the process.
Strange prototype Dornier Do-335, with propellers both in front and in back
Intended to be the successor of the Me 262, the Focke-Wulf Ta-183 fighter jet had only been tested in wind tunnels by the end of the war, although the plane’s basic design was developed in Argentina after 1945. Is thought that the Soviet MiG-15 was based on captured German plans, and the two planes do bear some resemblance, although Russian historians reject these theories.
The Bachem Ba 349 was an experimental rocket-powered interceptor. With a vertical take off rather than using vulnerable airfields, it was intended to operate like an unmanned missile. Most of its journey to reach enemy bombers was radio controlled by ground personnel, although it did have a pilot, who would aim at the target and fire its rockets when close enough. However, the test pilot was killed in the plane’s first and last test flight in March 1945 - more info.
The DFS 346 was a high-speed, rocket powered research aircraft. The prototype, unfinished at the time of the German surrender, was apparently rebuilt and underwent successful test flights in the Soviet Union a few years later - more info
The Heinkel He 162 was a single engine jet fighter. It was made mostly of wood, since by this stage of the war, metals for aircraft manufacture were becoming scarce, but the He 162 was the fastest of the early jets. Henschel’s Hs 132, an interceptor aircraft and dive-bomber, never flew in active combat:
Heinkel He 162 above, Henschel’s Hs 132 below. images via
The Arado 234, the world’s original jet bomber, was very advanced for its time. It was equipped with automatic pilot, an ejector seat, pilot-aimed rear guns, and powered by twin jet engines, it proved far too fast for Allied planes to intercept.
WunderWaffe 8 - a sub-orbital bomber
Silbervogel, which translates as Silverbird, was a rocket powered sub-orbital bomber, which was tested in wind tunnels, but never actually produced. However, it was a forerunner of future winged space vehicles such as the Space Shuttle.
1) Captive Rocket Booster of 600 Tons Thrust 2) Sänger Amerika Bomber of 100 Tons Thrust 3) 3 Km (1.9 miles) Long Monorail Track 4) Sled Carriage - image via
Scientists believed that the Silbervogel would be able to cross the Atlantic carrying an 8,800 lb bomb to the continental USA, and then land in territory held by Japan in the Pacific. It would cover such a vast distance in a series of hops. After reaching 1200 mph with the help of a rocket-powered sled on a two mile rail track, the Silverbird’s rocket engines kicked in once it was airborne. Eventually flying at ninety miles and at a speed of almost 14,000 mph, it would slowly fall into the stratosphere and greater air density would give it a bounce to regain altitude. The size of the bounce would decrease each time, but German technicians still figured the Silverbird was very capable of making a mind-boggling trip of between 12000 and15000 miles.
WunderWaffe 9 - the flying-wing bomber
The Horten Ho-IX was a flying wing fighter/bomber, the prototype being developed in the latter part of the war. We show both "Gotha" and "Horten" projects here:
(image courtesy Jozef Gatial Thomas, see more here)
The earliest military helicopters were built by Germany and mainly saw service in the Mediterranean, but a few were also used in the Aegean and Baltic theatres. Both the Flettner 282 and the Focke Achgelis 223 (shown here) were never built in large numbers as a result of the production facilities being destroyed by Allied bombers.
Some of the more bizarre inventions and ideas developed by German scientists were - the sun cannon - the vortex gun - the sound cannon - and the wind cannon.
The sun cannon had a big sun-reflector intended for use against enemy aircraft. The Americans captured an experimental model of the cannon in 1945, but its unknown whether any tests were done after the war - more info
The vortex gun was designed to try and take advantage of the known fact that air turbulence could bring down large aircraft and break them into pieces. The vortex gun’s shells, containing coal-dust and a slow-burning explosive in the center, were supposed to create an artificial whirlwind or tornado, which would make enemy airplanes lose control and thus fall from the sky. During testing and under near perfect conditions this odd device seemed to work quite well. It wasn’t known if the air pressure would actually cause structural failure in a plane, but the pressure it put on the wings would probably be very high and that might be enough to down the aircraft. Fortunately for the Allies, the vortex gun was never put into practice.
The wind cannon was designed to shoot a powerful jet of compressed air, as effective as a small shell, against enemy aircraft. As you can see from this picture it was an odd looking device. In tests, such a blast could break a 25mm wooden board from over 600 feet away. However, the potential effect on a fast moving aircraft would obviously be very different than against a fixed target, so as intriguing as the wind cannon was, it was unlikely to have produced the desired results. Even so, a cannon was set up on at one on the Elbe bridges in the closing stages of the war, but didn’t succeed in bringing down any hostile planes.
The sound cannon was supposed to turn explosions of oxygen and methane into noise that could kill. A very high amplitude sound beam would be emitted at pressures exceeding 1000 milibars from a distance of around 150 feet, which would be fatal to a human exposed to it for thirty seconds. At a greater distance, a soldier would still suffer great pain and be seriously incapacitated for a considerable time afterwards. The sound weapon wasn’t used in combat or tested on people but it is thought that lab animals may have been used. Another acoustic device, which was said to resemble a large cannon, supposedly sent out a sonic boom shock wave with enough force to bring down a large bomber.
All of these "wonder weapons" are confirmed fact; if you'd like to chek out various myths (including Nazi UFO Flying Saucer program), then there are plenty of sites to help you along. In our future articles we will touch on fantastic "secret" weapons of the Communist block and, pehaps, some spy technology.
Making all sci-fi punks in the world "feel lucky", since 2008
(for other weekly "Biscotti" issues - see our main page and monthly archives)
COMMENTS:
20 Comments:
Dirk said...
Nice reading again! A small addition to your information, the "strange prototype" plane with the front and rear propellor is a Dornier Pfeil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Do_335
while planned, V-1s were never air-launched from planes.
Germany did lead in the developement of radio-guided stand-off weaponry with the HS-239 anti shipping missile ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_Hs_293 ) and the less successful Mistel combos ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistel )
I can't find any info on a USS Essex being destroyed. The aircraft carrier I found on Wikipedia was decomissioned after the war, and used later during the Cuban middle crisis.
Nice post! Although one of the shown short-wing planes is a japanese Yokosuka Ōka Modell 11 plane. This kamikaze-plane should have been carried by a bomber to the target. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY-7
fantastic post. i was at the german industrial museum in munich the other day and saw a lot of the aviation stuff you mention - amazing how advanced they were back then. spotted you on the searchles portal. so many thanks for sharing
The german word for "curved" means "gebogen" or technicaly more fitting to the curved MP44 "gekrümmter Lauf".
The second aircraft in the side comparsion to the V-1 is not a Baka, but a Fieseler Fi103R Reichenberg. It is a german suicide plane based on the more common Fi103 (V-1), following on reports of sucesses about the japanese kamikazes, but it was used only for training. About 175 Fi103R have been build until the program was cancelled in Fall of 1944.
Not only the MiG-15 is based upon the Focke-Wulf Ta183, but also its american counterpart the F-86 Sabre. Because of this similarty pilots of both side during the Korea War had their trouble to identify friend and foe.
The pictures of the E100 are false. It was never completed. Only one chassis was partially built and it was captured before completion. It was later scraped by the Brits.
Maus (and especially the larger design study at Krupp) put me in mind of Keith Laumer's Bolos (Gigantic cybernetic... well, tanks, but writ Colossally, Titanically *hyooge*.
Intersting article ; you could also have mentioned the (unproperly called) "V3", a very long supergun similar to the one planned by Saddam Hussein during the 90's.
While the Ar-234 was used as a bomber, it was more often put to use as a reconnaissance aircraft. In fact, one of them buzzed some of the Normandy beaches on D-day.
It should be said that super-large tanks were a BAD idea. Hitler had been in the trenches in World War I, and he personally demanded that large tanks be designed. He even took personal control, by radio, of the first combat mission of a new-model big tank. The mission was a disaster.
Aside from sinking into swamps, not going between obstacles, and the like, they had a more basic disadvantage that they could never be plentiful. The American light tanks weren't exactly unstoppable, but like the jeep, they were plentiful, and that mattered.
The IR baffles on German submarines were introduced when Allied planes started sinking Nazi boats at night. The Germans had developed IR vision equipment and figured the enemy had done the same and were using it to find the subs. However, the Allies "knew" IR vision equipment was impossible.
The actual situation was that the Allies had developed airborne microwave radar, which the Germans "knew" was impossible.
So why the fcuk they didn't win the freaking war?!! Looks like the US stole most of their technology to develop what we know as US advanced army. Maybe that's why US goes into war every time, to steal something!
The Germans actually relied on a lot of captured Jewish scientists to come up with they're scientific breakthroughs in Aviation and Rockets. I believe the flying wing and swept wing concepts were originally pioneered by them. The Americans took a lot of the captured Jewish & German Scientists/German Weaponry back to the US to further the development as did Russia. The F-111 and F-14 are two examples of this as are the early Mig's for Russia, the single mid mounted jet engine was also a Messerschmidt concept from memory. Germany in reality lost the war because of Hitler's Ego causing him to make a number of emotional strategic errors, bottom line. I believe Jet fighters were originally held back by German High Ranking officials and quite possibly, Hitler. If these developments had been funding boosted pre-/early WW2...the outcome may have been very, very different and we could all be talking German right now.
Pretty pictures, yes, but rather gullible writing.
The German navigation beacons could certainly be said to be forerunners of GPS... in the same sense that fire can be thought of as the forerunner of lasers.
I don't know what the picture at the bottom is, but it reminds me of a church in a an earlier era prison, where the "solitary" prisoners were made to/allowed to go to church, but never permitted to even see each other, yet alone come into contact with each other (security guard in front, church organist on the left).
This must be in church in some high security prison. Prisoners are guided to church hall individually and seated in seperate chambers, so they can't contact with each other, and all they can see is preist in front. If i remember correctly, this was first used in New Zealand.
the left worker-on-a-scaffolding picture looks a lot like south korea to me. while in germany, scaffoldings almost always stand on the ground (for a famous exception, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/klaus-ottes/2991170356/ the (cologne cathedral)), are anchored in the walls, have walking boards that safely rest on the scaffolding's bars, have a handrail, and even a rim shelf (to make it less likely for a worker to slip their foot under the rail and fall from under the handrail). nothing of that applies to korean scaffolds: they are often hung from the top of the walls that are being built, often with thin wires; the boards are shifted around on the struts to wherever they are needed, and are in no way fixed. rails are unheard of. one false move and world population decreases by one. i have seen workers standing on the 30cm x 30cm top of a steel column that ended in thin air tens of meters above the ground, waiting for the crane operator to move a multi-ton I beam towards him so he can grab its end and nudge it into position. scary. no saftey ropes, nothing. an accidental swallow could have knocked off the guy with ease.
Montsnmags and Jealousy are right. This is a church in a prison - unfortunately Iscanned it a while ago and can't remember if it's american or french. Must be during the 50's.
The Disney cloned animation left out the Winnie The Pooh steal from Dumbo of the Pink Elephants On Parade used for Heffalumps. No big deal - just sayin'.
The last photo showing a prison chapel was not first used in New Zealand as suggested. There is one very similar to this (without the tops, and standing room for one person in each compartment - at least 6 rows of over 10 compartments one in front of the other) in the Port Arthur Penitentiary ruins in Tasmania, Australia, in use when New Zealand was first settled by the English - the prison in Port Arthur was for English criminals.
Moving large pieces of furniture into the narrow houses in Amsterdam is frequently done by hauling them up via the protuberance at the top front of the houses, built into them for that very purpose. You can see them on some of the photos.
Another incredibly skinny house on Place Kleber in Strasbourg, France, a little gem that tourists seem to overlook. It is 26 m deep, 6 floors high, and approxiamtely 2.5 m wide. The owner also has a smoke shop downstairs. (Scroll to the bottom of the page):
Great Designs! I love the Kitchen interior shot in Japan.
I remember eating in a restaurant in Lyon about 10 years ago called Traboule. ( Traboules are tunnels between buildings that were used to transport silk up from the river to the shops are warehouses in the 13th century- only wide enoughfor men to carry the bolts of silk on their shoulders.)
The restaurant was built into one of the traboules in central Lyon- a row of 2-person tables along one wall, kitchen in the back. Very intimate, and like all restaurants in Lyon, great food!
I couldn't find a reference online, so it may not exist anymore. I can't imagine that they could have made a decent living in such a small place. Not much turnover on four tables.
The first building you show ("unknown location") is here: http://tinyurl.com/cvprku . The neighborhood in Tokyo is called Sangenjaya, and the building is owned by a ramen shop.
The reason old amsterdam houses are so thin is not because of a lack of space like you write. In fact the correct reason is in the 16th and 17th century the ammount of tax you pay was measured by the width of your house on streetside. So people tried to build the houses as thin as possible to avoid paying large amounts of money.
Pittsburgh has a skinny building, 5 feet 2 inches wide.
In 1903, the City of Pittsburgh confiscated 30 feet of throughway to widen Diamond Way into what is now Forbes Avenue. Given that the standard parcel was 36 feet wide, there wasn't much left and most property owners sold off the remaining fragments to the city to become wider sidewalks.
In 1907, banking magnate Andrew Mellon purchased the 6 foot wide parcel of land, hoping the city would widen the street further and offer him a profit on his investment. In any case, the City wasn't buying and in 1918 he sold the parcel to Louis Hendel who built a three story building on the parcel. He may have been trying to take advantage of a quirk in the tax structure that assessed undeveloped property at a higher rate but most people think he built to spite the city.
Nearly a century later, the city changed its mind. Wanting to redevelop the Fifth-Forbes corridor, Mayor Tom Murphy threatened to seize the property using eminent domain and hand it over to developers. That plan collapsed (as did the one after that) so the building lives on.
I agree with Atty Finch; 23 Wall Street is essential to any such survey. An old joke cites it as the tallest buikding in the world because it has the most "stories".
There is another one in Valencia, Spain. Just 1m wide. They say is one of the marrowest of europe. It is the red one: http://www.vhfdx.net/photos/foto.php?File=valencia4.jpg&Lan=S
World War One, France: a radiographer wearing protective clothing and headpiece. Photograph by H. J. Hickman, ca. 1918. Credit: Wellcome Library, London
Paul: the "radiofrigo" is a keeper. Gorgeous; merci.
I always forget, somehow, that you younger guys missed out on so much cool stuff. The '60s and early '70s were amazing in terms of sound equipment. In the '50s the hippest thing going were tiny "portable hi-fi's" that only played 45 rpm discs, which had a 2-inch hole in the center. There were competing ideas about whether it was better to have an enormous spindle or just little plastic (or much hipper, metal) inserts that snapped in and had a standard spindle-sized hole in the center.
In the '60s you could get STEREO!! players that had 45, 33, and 78 rpm speed choices, and some even had 16 rpm gearing as an option. This meant you could play standard 33 1/3 rpm albums at 78 and produce chipmunk noises, or play them at 16 for the Quaalude effect. Hours of fun.
And I well remember discovering "massagers" in about '68 or so, to my wife's delight.
I think part of our modern problems stem from the unfulfilled promises of mid-century design. The World's Fair imagery was so wonderful, yet so far from what could really be engineered for consumers, that the gap between marketing and product grew too wide for trust.
The zoomy 60's "telecom room" -- what was with the "Time Tunnel" aesthetic? (groovy rounded control panels set in a cavernous darkness)
The Soviet phones -- Yum! "Da, tovarich! - The Party will reach out and touch you!"
Soviet stuff is so cool because of the USSR's Russian heritage and closed system - giantism and science joined to weird copycat and original engineering.
I wonder if you have ever come across a radial layout on an instrument panel? It seems that grid layout rules even in times when other geometric or unusual layouts would fit the style. I would love to see some examples of radial or other exotic layouts. got any?
Man I miss the hell out of Tokyo. Got to spend three amazing months living there - want to go back so badly. I love where I'm living now, but it's still not Tokyo.
I know five or six people who lived in Japan short term and long term. All had "futuristic" visions of Japan before coming and none of them were excited after they left. On the contrary. The common (and informed) opinion is that Japan is not fit for Westerners to live in, except perhaps for people running from something, or those just plain weird. This is substantiated by many people, including Japanese expats.
One exception was an American friend who was part of a popular band and spent seven years in Tokyo. Though the rich can have a great time anywhere.
The opinions of short term visitors are mostly irrelevant as to the reality of the place visited, and unlike many longer term visitors who stay in Japan to teach English and have other adventures, a veritable "Japanophile" friend of mine finally moved to Tokyo some years ago. Everything had to be Japanese, including wife and children.
It took a couple of months for reality to sink in, working at a high position in a Japanese company in Tokyo. He comes back a couple of times a year and at first we thought he was exaggerating out of disillusionment but now, we believe him as many people who lived there long term, including Japanese, substantiate his claims.
Can't go into details because he does business there (though Japanese business partners agree with his assessment, another Asian company told him he will destroy his life living in Japan) but he's writing a book about his experiences, substantiated by MANY people. As most people are averse to negativity and might not buy the book it might be turned into a website for all to access. I'll post whenever a book or site comes out
Hey these are some seriously pro shots you got in Tokyo. I was wondering if you could help me out a bit: I will be going to Tokyo this summer for over two weeks as the designated trip photographer (with a group of six). Any pointers you could give me on shooting in Japan? Especially on night photo's that would be great. Thanks!
Dang! Those are some really incredible shots! Great stuff, very beautiful, very Blade Runner. I'm definitely going to have to get out to Tokyo at some point to check it all out first hand!
Hi all, I am the photographer, thanks for all the positive comments, I am so glad that other people like my viewpoints too!
@Anonymous - an analog large format camera, a Sinar P2 8x10
@Anonymous - I find your observations interesting, but I think: I am disillusioned by my moneyjob as well sometime, it doesn't matter what country you're in, right? What I found most fascinating about Tokyo was, that there where more than 30 Million People literally stacked upon each other, but still everything worked smooth. You have a very efficient public transport, millions of opportunities to choose from in terms of leisure time amusements and you always felt save, in every part of the town! That for me is a role model for the future of urbanisation!
@Natan: Tokyo has a very short blue hour, I could only get 2-4 shots a night. But the light you get between sunset and total darkness is a total blast. You definetely have to bring a tripod, since long exposures need a steady foundation. Check the thousands of observation decks. Some have open Air, so you don't need to shoot through glass. For example the mori tower, which despite the 1000yen charge should not be missed! And always know in advance where to shot in the evening or at night, by intensive scouting. Have fun!
>@Anonymous - I find your >observations interesting, but I >think: I am disillusioned by my >moneyjob as well sometime, it >doesn't matter what country >you're in, right?
Wrong. Do some research on corporate life in a large Japanese company. And I don't mean Toyota or Honda.
When womens' opinions are ignored because of their sex or when a person's opinion is ignored because the other person is older by a couple of months that's a sign of a rotten culture. These are just two small examples.
>What I found most fascinating >about Tokyo was, that there where >ore than 30 Million People >literally stacked upon each >other, but still everything >worked smooth.
Yes, but definitely not everything. Have you taken a look at their food supply? That's just one example.
>You have a very efficient public >transport, millions of
Yes.
>opportunities to choose from in >terms of leisure time amusements >and you always felt save, in >every part of the town!
"Leisure", from dreary, depressing and suppressed lives, with spouses living in different cities.
>That for me is a role model for >the future of urbanisation!
Aspects of it, yes.
It's the non-Japanese that have lived there for many years that have the informed opinion, that's for sure.
Every person fawning over what a wonderful country Japan is has no idea what they are talking about. There's much more to Japan than the shining lights of a small part of Tokyo.
This is from someone who has a long held interest in Japan and knows various people who have spent years living in Japan, and whose claims are corroborated by many informed others.
Though it's good people are open minded enough to appreciate other cultures. However, a critical eye is necessary.
I can also back up a few of your claims about life in Japan. It's not all shiny-shiny as people make it out to be. I've been over there twice and have a friend who's been living there for some time.
I think you're playing up a few things to be a bit more centralized to a specific person's environment in some regards, but it's the culture shock more than it is the actual issue.
I think the biggest social issues Japan still hasn't worked out are women and the elderly in modern society. But it's up to those people feeling neglected to actually do something with their lives rather than complain. They may be spurned from their jobs with nothing to do, but that shouldn't stop them from NOT doing anything at all with their lives.
I won't speak on behalf of Japanese women, but the Japanese elderly are viewed in such a negative light, possibly, due to generational guilt over WWII.
If they're feeling stepped on by "The Man", they need to learn some self-initiative and get out there and do it themselves.
As to "food supply" I don't know what you're referring to. I found the food to be pretty dang precise and well prepared at all times I went out to eat. I mean, this is a whole culture that prides itself enough on it's own food to have TV shows of people eating their food. Where fish is thrown out when it's a day old.
Some of the better dishes I've had were ones prepared in small dining establishments where the only "name" was the lead menu item. I had a fantastic tempura udon in a small village in Akita in the back end of a grocery store.
I do agree that Japan is so much more than what people see in Tokyo. I don't recommend it as a long term destination for many of the above suggested reasons, and additionally, I have seen this "burnout" take it's toll on my expat friend who was very much a Japanophile in college.
For him the burnout was more of a sociological one than it was a business world one.
i get shades of that myself sometimes. Japan exists in many ways, as a hyper-over-exaggerated version of the US life in my eyes. It's like America, but not, and the ways that it is, are so grossly over-exaggerated from what we have in the US.
Osaka is more Blade Runner - a mix of future and grit. Tokyo is hypermodern - It feels ot me like information has taken shape an is flowing everywhere.
I have been living in Seoul South Korea for a few months now and I have had several "Blade Runner" city moments. It is especially so when it is raining in the evening while walking through crowded neon lit streets.
Wow.. Amazing photos. They represent exactly what I love about Tokyo... Good job. I also love the quote... The future began in Japan a long time ago... . will
A brilliant series of photos. You large format landscapes of Tokyo really are excellent. One of my friends who used to live here in Tokyo shot a lot of large format at night and had amazing results. I only shoot up to medium format when I use film, but seeing your photos tempts me to dabble in large format.
I hate to say this, but the Hotelicopter has to be a fake. The main basis for this is that the 'photos' in the 'photo gallery' aren't photos at all, they're CGI pictures. Look at the lack of texture. If they'd have called them CGI 'artists' impressions', then there might be some credence in the story (though it still seems kinda impossible), but calling computer generated pictures 'photos of a successful test flight' really jumps the shark for me.
When I was growing up in the 70's, our nearby park near Los Angeles installed the "Giganta" robot slide. Very popular; it wasn't just fun to climb inside of...many an intrepid explorer climbed up the outside as well and would slide down the tops of the arms (very safe!)
"24. Wolf, threatening to sing (don't let him!) in playground in Tomsk"
It is not so much a playground element, but rather a statue to a cartoon character. In the cartoon, the wolf was led covertly to a house to eat and drink, as a return gesture for the wolves previous actiones which led to the dog's being accepted back to the household after it had been kicked out for gross negligence.
having eaten and drunk a lot, whiule hidden under the table at a marriage party, the wolf said "And now I shall sing", and thus revealed its presence, to the dismay of the dog and those in the room.
there was one of those big robot things in my local playground. wonderful structure, but they boarded up the head bit when i was young to keep kids from getting stuck/doing drugs up there and eventually tore the whole thing down. now the park is "safe," and i have to say, much less awesome.
umm...you cant actually train fleas. they are all GLUED to said chariots and such. QI recently covered this topic on BBC one and its torture from the fleas point of view. so yeah, flea circus = glued fleas
OTOH, fleas lack both a central nervous system and sentience, and are thus unable to feel pain or suffer. It's like arguing that a bacteria suffers when we take an antibiotic...
Going through your fascinating post I couldn't help but think of the movie "Jurassic Park" and the scene in which park developer, John Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough, decries the breakdown of the park, dinosaurs running amok, his grandchildren unaccounted for, his incredulity at why things were going so bad, when it was after all only a giant flea circus like the one he had as a boy.
Wonderful article! I was fortunate to see the Flea Circus at the Tivoli Gardens in 1962. The fleas lived in a box and were brought out for the show. They were then attached to the little vehicles during the show. We could not see the fleas, only the little vehicles which magically moved along on the platform.
The wife presented the show to the audience, while the husband would go out to neighboring farms to find the fleas. He would feed them by rolling up his sleeve and give them a meal on his arm!
After they divorced, the wife no longer continued the flea circus. She converted the performing space at the Tivoli to a "Mouse House" which consisted of a small village of buildings such as a school, several stores, homes and police station, etc. which were empty and the mice ran around, in and out of these small buildings.
I brought my family to the Tivoli in 1978 and found the Mouse House after looking for the flea circus which was no more. There was a small set of bleachers where the audience could sit and watch this performance. It was a hilarious show watching the constant scouring around of the little mice., in and out of the buildings. I and my children were rolling with laughter.
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Nice reading again!
A small addition to your information, the "strange prototype" plane with the front and rear propellor is a Dornier Pfeil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Do_335
while planned, V-1s were never air-launched from planes.
Germany did lead in the developement of radio-guided stand-off weaponry with the HS-239 anti shipping missile ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_Hs_293 ) and the less successful Mistel combos ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistel )
I can't find any info on a USS Essex being destroyed. The aircraft carrier I found on Wikipedia was decomissioned after the war, and used later during the Cuban middle crisis.
Dirk, thank you, post updated
Casey, you're right, USS Essex was hit, but not destroyed, here is a photo of a hit: link
Nice post! Although one of the shown short-wing planes is a japanese Yokosuka Ōka Modell 11 plane.
This kamikaze-plane should have been carried by a bomber to the target.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY-7
The WunderWaffe 2 looks like a complete crap shoot.
fantastic post. i was at the german industrial museum in munich the other day and saw a lot of the aviation stuff you mention - amazing how advanced they were back then. spotted you on the searchles portal. so many thanks for sharing
Very nice post, thanks
The german word for "curved" means "gebogen" or technicaly more fitting to the curved MP44 "gekrümmter Lauf".
The second aircraft in the side comparsion to the V-1 is not a Baka, but a Fieseler Fi103R Reichenberg. It is a german suicide plane based on the more common Fi103 (V-1), following on reports of sucesses about the japanese kamikazes, but it was used only for training. About 175 Fi103R have been build until the program was cancelled in Fall of 1944.
Not only the MiG-15 is based upon the Focke-Wulf Ta183, but also its american counterpart the F-86 Sabre. Because of this similarty pilots of both side during the Korea War had their trouble to identify friend and foe.
K.
The pictures of the E100 are false. It was never completed. Only one chassis was partially built and it was captured before completion. It was later scraped by the Brits.
Maus (and especially the larger design study at Krupp) put me in mind of Keith Laumer's Bolos (Gigantic cybernetic... well, tanks, but writ Colossally, Titanically *hyooge*.
Intersting article ; you could also have mentioned the (unproperly called) "V3", a very long supergun similar to the one planned by Saddam Hussein during the 90's.
http://www.route-3945.com/modulosite2/fiche.php?id_bouton=1507&id=221&fr=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon#Mimoyecques_site
Paul - great tip, thanks
Herbicide - I remember reading Bolo stories. Somebody would have to make a movie based on these designs.
While the Ar-234 was used as a bomber, it was more often put to use as a reconnaissance aircraft. In fact, one of them buzzed some of the Normandy beaches on D-day.
It should be said that super-large tanks were a BAD idea. Hitler had been in the trenches in World War I, and he personally demanded that large tanks be designed. He even took personal control, by radio, of the first combat mission of a new-model big tank. The mission was a disaster.
Aside from sinking into swamps, not going between obstacles, and the like, they had a more basic disadvantage that they could never be plentiful. The American light tanks weren't exactly unstoppable, but like the jeep, they were plentiful, and that mattered.
Aren't those paintings from My Tank is Fight?
It's definitely cool if any of this super-weaponry stuff interests the reader: http://www.amazon.ca/My-Tank-Fight-Zack-Parsons/dp/0806527587
The IR baffles on German submarines were introduced when Allied planes started sinking Nazi boats at night. The Germans had developed IR vision equipment and figured the enemy had done the same and were using it to find the subs. However, the Allies "knew" IR vision equipment was impossible.
The actual situation was that the Allies had developed airborne microwave radar, which the Germans "knew" was impossible.
So why the fcuk they didn't win the freaking war?!! Looks like the US stole most of their technology to develop what we know as US advanced army.
Maybe that's why US goes into war every time, to steal something!
Anonymous, er..one of you :)
The Germans actually relied on a lot of captured Jewish scientists to come up with they're scientific breakthroughs in Aviation and Rockets.
I believe the flying wing and swept wing concepts were originally pioneered by them. The Americans took a lot of the captured Jewish & German Scientists/German Weaponry back to the US to further the development as did Russia.
The F-111 and F-14 are two examples of this as are the early Mig's for Russia, the single mid mounted jet engine was also a Messerschmidt concept from memory.
Germany in reality lost the war because of Hitler's Ego causing him to make a number of emotional strategic errors, bottom line. I believe Jet fighters were originally held back by German High Ranking officials and quite possibly, Hitler. If these developments had been funding boosted pre-/early WW2...the outcome may have been very, very different and we could all be talking German right now.
Pretty pictures, yes, but rather gullible writing.
The German navigation beacons could certainly be said to be forerunners of GPS... in the same sense that fire can be thought of as the forerunner of lasers.
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