Tidalwave & Taranto

[JDK]

In this ( http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=32391 ) thread, Dan said:

... Personally, I'm a sucker for Dugan's classic Ploesti: The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943. I think I read it for the first time at around age 12 or so and have probably re-read it twenty times since then.

I've read about the raids concerning Taranto, Schweinfurt, Amiens, dambusters, you name it. Nothing really compares to Operation Tidalwave. I think General Brereton's pre-raid comment really sums it up:

If you do your job right, it is worth it, even if you lose every plane...

in response to my query of that remark, Dan said:

I don't think making comparisons is helpful to any of the people who planned and those others who executed those raids. Certainly Taranto is as worthy of the quote you mention, and the miracle that they got away with the incredibly light losses shouldn't detract from the vision and guts of the raid nor its strategic importance.

In my haste to post I failed to elaborate on exactly which points I feel Taranto contrasts with Tidalwave. "Vision", "guts", and "strategic importance" are certainly not among them.

WIXers are an intelligent lot and require neither James nor me to form their opinions for them. I feel strongly that those who choose to research both Taranto and Tidalwave will discover more contrast than comparison between the two endeavors.

I admit I'm a bit puzzled - first I don't quite get what Dan's driving at with his latter remark - I accept the first may be misinterpreted as 'in haste' and I'm wondering at the statement that anyone is aiming to 'form' others opinions.

Certainly I'm here to have my views changed and informed by others - based on their insights, knowledge and evidence I don't have. Likewise I hope to inform those who want to learn, from the bits I've leaned myself over the years.

On that basis, I've done a bit more reading on both operations, since these posts, and my original view stands - more - I think there's stuff worth being discussed here on WIX.

Dan, can you clarify? I'm interested in a further discussion - obviously of a constructive and collaborative nature, and I'm suspicious I may be misreading or misunderstanding your intent.

Regards,