What Altitude?

65olschool

SOH-CM-2022
In the time frame of ww2, what altitude do people associate with low level, medium level and high level.

I like to use up to 5000 for low level, 5000 to 20000 for medium and 20000 and above for high level.

What are your thoughts
 
Depends on what you are talking about and what period of the war or what front. It's all relative.
 
Depends on what you are talking about and what period of the war or what front. It's all relative.
Hmm ok, I was thinking of Western Europe, 1943-45 period but I didn't know that the terms low , medium and high meant different actual values depending on time frame and theatre or am i not understanding what you mean?
 
No I was just referring to what you might read about operations during the war, a lot of times they say things like "low level raid" or "medium altitude" or "high altitude" bombing
 
Then for my 2 cents worth, I would say it depends on
The time of day or night and weather
Aircraft type
Mission and target type
Likely opposition

IMHO, I would say TAF/Intruder missions all end up low for the actual attack. Fast 1 or 2 engine type fighter or fighter- bombers.
4 Engine bombers normally as high as they can, day or night! want to avoid flak and at least force enemy fighters as high as they can, Stirling bombers always suffered from their relatively low ceiling.
 
Thanks Mongoose, using your examples what actual values would they be though, that's the question I was asking.
I was just wanting a ball park figures so I could have a clearer understanding
 
Hmm ok, I was thinking of Western Europe, 1943-45 period but I didn't know that the terms low , medium and high meant different actual values depending on time frame and theatre or am i not understanding what you mean?
I am not aware of any official definition of specific altitudes for the terms "high," "medium," and "low." For western Europe 43-45, one might say low altitude is below 10-12 thousand feet, medium below 20-25 thousand feet, and high being anything above 20-25 thousand feet. Here you would see the ground pounders at low altitudes, medium bombers and RAF bomber command raids at night being in the medium altitude band, and US strategic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft operating in the high altitude band. But bring the time frame back to 1940, or any time on the eastern front, and hardly anything is going on above 20,000ft, so high, medium, and low might mean something different there.
 
I am not aware of any official definition of specific altitudes for the terms "high," "medium," and "low." For western Europe 43-45, one might say low altitude is below 10-12 thousand feet, medium below 20-25 thousand feet, and high being anything above 20-25 thousand feet. Here you would see the ground pounders at low altitudes, medium bombers and RAF bomber command raids at night being in the medium altitude band, and US strategic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft operating in the high altitude band. But bring the time frame back to 1940, or any time on the eastern front, and hardly anything is going on above 20,000ft, so high, medium, and low might mean something different there.
Thanks mate, that gives me a picture in my head I was looking for
 
My thoughts on each classification has mostly to do with the effective altitude of the various AAA systems. WW2 planners made their mission profile decisions giving serious regard to the altitudes and aircraft type that would best deal with the conditions at the target.
 
My thoughts on each classification has mostly to do with the effective altitude of the various AAA systems. WW2 planners made their mission profile decisions giving serious regard to the altitudes and aircraft type that would best deal with the conditions at the target.
Cheers for the input
 
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