Glossary

Excerpts from the manuscript  “Wild Bill Crump”, written by S.E Crump and (c) J.W.CRUMP & S.E.CRUMP.

ABORT- Return to base without completing a mission, caused by mechanical, poor weather or other problems.

AIRDROME (A/D)- Airfield.

AMMO- Ammunition.

ANGELS- Altitude in multiples of thousands of feet, i.e Angels15 = 15,000 ft.

API- Armour piercing incendiary. A type of .50 calibre machine gun ammunition whose projectile ignited a small pellet in the base on impact, causing a flash enabling the pilot to see where his bullets were hitting.

BANDIT- An aircraft identified as hostile

BARREL ROLL- A manoeuvre in which an airplane rolls around its axis while it spirals around its original flight path.

BATMAN- Personal orderly/valet for officers in the British Army and Royal Air Force.

BLACKOUT- The extinguishing or screening of all lights, especially as a precaution against air raids.

BLISTER HANGAR- Temporary corrugated steel sheet hangar in a semicircular shape open at one or both ends.

BOGIE- An unidentified aircraft

BOUNCE- To attack, usually from above with speed and altitude advantage.

BREAK- Sudden violent turn, into an attacking force or away from a pursuing enemy force.

BRIEFING- Detailed instructions given to pilots before take off.

CEILING- Height above the earth’s surface of the lowest layer of cloud.

CHAFF- Thin steel sheet/foil dropped to confuse German early warning equipment

CLAIMS- Scoring against enemy aircraft i.e. 6-2-1 = 6 destroyed 2 probables 1 damaged.

COLGATE- Call sign for type 16 control missions flown under radar observation from England.

COMBAT BOX- A defensive formation used by bombers of the 8^th Air force, flown in close formation and with Squadrons placed in high, middle and low formations to allow for maximum defensive firepower.

COMBAT WING (C.W.)- A formation of two or more Bomb Groups

COMPRESSIBILITY- A condition caused by excessive dive speed in an aircraft, resulting in mild to severe buffeting, and in some cases to control surfaces locking. Sometimes causing structural damage or failure.

CONTRAIL- Condensation trail, a visible white cloud like streak trailing behind aircraft at high altitude.

C RATIONS- Canned food such as stew and beans etc, generally issued in the field and where possible heated in boiling water.

DECK- Extremely low flying altitude, tree top or lower.

DEAD STICK LANDING- A landing without engine power.

DEBRIEFING- Information gathering by intelligence officers from pilots after returning from a mission. The pilot’s observations of enemy defences, combat activity and target details were then summarised in an intelligence report submitted to headquarters.

DEFLECTION- Aerial gunnery technique of aiming ahead of a target to compensate for the time required for bullets to reach a target.

DOG FIGHT- An aerial battle between aircraft.

DROP TANK- Jettisonable auxiliary fuel tank fixed beneath an aircraft’s wings, also referred to by the codename `BABIES`.

EAGLE SQUADRON- An R.A.F. Squadron formed from American civilian volunteers prior to the United States entry in to the war.

ECHELON- A formation of several aircraft all on the same side of the leader, evenly stepped back and down, used when each aircraft has to peel off, either to attack a ground target or to enter a traffic pattern for landing.

ELEMENT- Basic two plane fighter formation comprising element leader and wingman.

ESSING- Making a series of turns resembling the letter `S`, used while taxiing because the aircraft’s nose obstructed forward vision. Also used on escort duty, to maintain a fighter aircraft’s position in relation to a slower flying bomber aircraft.

E.T.O.- European theatre of operations.

FEATHER- To feather an engine, rotation of the propeller blades until they are edge-on to the slipstream, to reduce drag.

FIELD ORDER- Identification of a mission with regard to purpose, role and time.

FIGHTER SWEEP- A fighter mission to a designated area, without a specific target.

FIGHTER WING (F.W.)- Administrative division controlling several Fighter Groups

FLAK- Corruption of a German term (FLug-Abwer-Kanone) to identify anti aircraft fire, categorized as light, medium and heavy in intensity and calibre.

FLIGHT- A four aircraft formation consisting of two elements, also the organizational set up within the squadron, normally consisting of four flights.

FULL BORE- At full speed and power.

`G`- The force of gravity, three G’s being 3 x the force of gravity.

GAGGLE- An assembly of aircraft flying together without organisation or cohesion.

G.P.- General purpose bombs ranging from 100-1,000 lbs.

GROUP- Administrative and tactical organization made up of three Squadrons led by a Group commander.

GROUND ECHELON- Group’s non-flying personnel, administrative, maintenance and support.

GROUND EXEC- Officer serving as second in command to Group commander responsible for ground echelon.

GRUPPE- Basic Luftwaffe administration and combat unit roughly equivalent to a USAAF squadron.

HARDSTAND- Concrete pad used for individual aircraft parking and maintenance.

H2X- Downward looking radar to aid navigation

I.P.- Initial point, identifiable landmark about 20 miles from the target at which point the bombers had to fly straight and level with their bomb doors open, with no evasive action taken to the target.

JINK or JINKING- Making quick, uncoordinated manoeuvres to throw off the aim of a pursuing aircraft.

K.I.A.- Killed in action.

KILL- Slang for a confirmed victory or a destroyed enemy aircraft, not necessarily resulting in the enemy pilots death.

LAND FALL- Crossing from sea to land.

LUFBERY- A tight circle used as a defensive measure, Originally conceived by WW1 flying ace Raoul Lufbery.

LUFTWAFFE- German Air Force.

MACR- Missing aircrew report.

MAGNETO- Device used to produce an ignition spark in aircraft engines, sometimes referred to as a `Mag`.

MESS HALL- Eating facility, also referred to as a chow hall.

M.E.W.- Microwave early warning, Radar (radio detection and ranging).

MILK RUN- Slang for an easy or frequently repeated mission.

M.P.- Military Police.

M/Y- Marshalling yard.

N.A.A.F.I- Naval Army and Air Force Institute, a British non profit making association for military welfare.

NCO- Non commissioned officer.

NISSEN HUT- A pre fabricated sheet steel building resembling a long half cylinder, similar to a Quonset hut.

NUTHOUSE- Call sign for type 16 control missions flown under radar observation from England.

N.Y.R. – Not yet returned.

PFF – Path finder force, specially equipped B-17’s with ball turrets replaced with retractable randoms housin electronic equipment, these planes flew in the lead, all other bombers dropped their loads on the target when they did.

P.O.W.- Prisoner of war.

PROP WASH- Turbulent air behind an aircraft caused by a combination of propeller and wing tip vortex.

P.S.P.- Pierced steel planking, interlocking steel runway matting, called Summerfield track by British.

PX- Post Exchange, a retail store on a military base.

RADAR – Radio detection and ranging.

R.A.F.- Royal Air Force, the world’s first constituted air force.

RAMROD- Escort and protection of bombers, primary objective to destroy target.

RED LINE- The Red line on an air speed indicator instrument that marked the maximum safe air speed limit.

RENDEZVOUS (R/V)- A planned joining of forces, fighters and bombers, at a specific time and place.

RODEO- Offensive fighter sweep without bombers, intended to force the enemy into a fight.

RHUBARB- Harassing operations flown at low level against ground targets and low flying aircraft.

RPM- Revolutions per minute.

R&R- Rest and recuperation, from combat operations.

R.T.- Radiotelephone, two way radio contact between aircraft.

S-2.- A squadron level intelligence section.

SCRUBB- To cancel a mission.

SLOW ROLL- A roll around the longitudinal axis of an aircraft, keeping the axis in line with a fixed point in the sky.

SNAP ROLL- A violent rolling movement of the aircraft, often the result of a high speed stall. Usually results in a spinning manoeuvre from which the aircraft can be recovered.

SPLIT S- A manoeuvre in which the aircraft reverses direction by half rolling to an inverted position, then diving vertically towards the ground and levelling off in the opposite direction.

STAFFEL- A squadron in the Luftwaffe, but much smaller than a USAAF squadron.

STAND DOWN- To go off duty, or as an organization not be available for duty.

SWEEP- Seeking out and destroying enemy aircraft in an allotted area.

TANNOY- Public address system, used at most military bases in the U.K.

TAXI- To move an aircraft from point to point on the ground under its own power.

TORQUE- Force that causes a twisting or turning tendency in an internal combustion engine, i.e. on take off, an aircraft has a tendency to turn left when full power has been applied, a right rudder force being required to keep the aircraft rolling in a straight line.

TRACER- Projectiles with a magnesium core, which gave a visible bright trajectory when fired, allowing the path of the projectile to be followed visibly, also often placed in ammo trays to indicate when a pilot was down to his last fifty rounds.

USAAF- United States Army Air Force.

VEE FORMATION- A formation in which equal numbers of aircraft fly on both sides of the leader, forming a V shape, seldom used tactically.

VERTIGO- Dizziness, or the sensation experienced by a pilot that an aircraft is turning or whirling around. Occurs mostly while flying on instruments, or in close formation in clouds.

WAAC- Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (U.S.)

WAAF- Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (U.K.)

WINGMAN- Second aircraft and pilot in a two ship formation.

WRACK IN- Sudden steep turn.

ZIPPO- Make of cigarette lighter.