Bombers of World War II

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WAR

Detailed Cutaways

Full Color Illustrations

Action Photographs Specification Boxes

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Edited by David Donald

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ARCHBISHOP MITTY LIBRARY

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Archbishop Mttty High School Library 5000 MJtty Way

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EWORLD WAR II

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EWORLD WAR II Edited by David Donald

Metro Books Archbishop NWtty High School Library 5000 Mftty Way

San Jose, CA< 95129

Metro Books An

imprint of Friedman/Fairfax Publishers

Copyright

Copyright

© ©

1998 Orbis Publishing Ltd 1998 Aerospace Publishing

This material was previously published in 1990 as part of the reference set Airplane.

All rights reserved.

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mi

Contents Junkers Ju 88

7

Tupolev Tu-2 Curtis

16

SB2C Helldiver

25

Boeing B29 Superfortress

31

Douglas A-26 Invader

39

Fairey Swordfish

46

Douglas SBD Dauntless

.53

Lockheed Hudson

60

Avro Lancaster

68

Heinkel He 111

76

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79

84

Short Sunderland

92

Vickers Wellington

100

G4M

'Betty'

108

De Havilland Mosquito

114

Bristol Blenheim

123

Petljakow Pe-2

133

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

141

Handley Page Halifax

149

Avro Anson

157

Focke Wulf Condor

165

B-24 Liberator

173

F4U Corsair

183

Index

191

Mitsubishi

^0.

Junkers Ju 88 With the possible exception of the Mosquito, the Ju 88 was the most versatile combat aircraft of all time. Designed as a specialised high-speed bomber, it proved ideally suited to virtually every other kind of combat mission, and more were built than all other Luftwaffe bombers combined.

With the exception

of close dogtighting,

it

is difficult

to think of

duty of the World War II era for which the Ju 88 was not adapted. The original missions were level- and dive-bombing, but to these were added long-range escort, night -righting, in-

any

military'

truding, tank-busting, anti ship attack. destruction of Allied maritime aircraft,

anti-submarine warfare, supply dropping, towing, training,

gated skin and produced numerous smooth-skinned prototypes. In the first three months of 1936 two proposals were submitted, in Inform of the Ju 85 with a twin-finned tail and the Ju 88 with a single rudder well aft of the elevators. Competition came from the Henschel Hs 127 and Messerschmitt Bf 162 (the latter being falsely publicised in 1940 as a major Luftwaffe type, the 'Jaguar') which were elimt

transport, reconnaissance, torpedo dropping, close support, path-

inated by late 1937 for various reasons.

and pilotless (missile) attack. Direct developments were the Ju 188 andju 388 (the Ju 288 was a completely new design). Today's industry may wistfully note that the number of Ju 88 prototypes and development aircraft exceeded 100, which is about 10 times the total production run of some modern aircraft. Versatility was the last dung considered at the start of the programme. Indeed, in 1935 the RLM (German air ministry) doubted the practicality of a Kumptzcrstbrer (war destroyer) able to fly bomber, bomber-destroyer and reconnaissance missions. It issued a replacement requirement for a simple Schnellbomber (fast bomber) to fly at 500 km/h (311 mph) and carry a bombload of up to 800 kg (1,765 lb). Junkers went flat-out to win, even hiring two designers who had pioneered advanced stressed-skin structures in the USA, despite the fact that the company had already moved on from corru-

The Ju 88 VI (prototype 1) was flown by chief test pilot Kindermann on 21 December 1936 with registration D-AQKN. Flying was based at Dessau but no announcement was made and the type remained unknown to British intelligence, as did the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in 1939. The Ju 88 VI crashed at the start of its high-speed testing, but not before it had shown the design to be thoroughly sound with promising performance. The Ju 88 V2 retained DB 6()0Aa engines with distinctive annular cooling radiators, but the Ju 88 V3 switched to Junkers' own Jumo 211A and had full military equipment

finding

One of the most numerous versions, and the basis for many others, the Ju 88A-4 four-seat bomber introduced the long-span wing and also an induction cooling-duct fairing under the engines; these Ju 88A-4s were pictured with lll/LG 1 in mid-1942. Lehrgeschwader 1 (instructional group 1) was based in the Mediterranean.

Junkers Ju 88

i

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B^ ***»sass^[ :!__J55b5 ^jF^~ ,.""_1 Stooks of corn in the Field below are hard to explain in this picture of the Ju 88 V1 (first prototype) because its flying career extended only from December 1936 until the following Spring! Note the swivelling cine camera in the position reserved for the upper rear gun and the separate oil coolers under the DB 600s. with a raised cabin roof, dorsal machine-gun, fixed gun firing ahead

Swinging the compass of what is believed to have been the first Ju 88A-1 produced at Bernburg; the date was probably June 1939. Note the tall single-leg main gears with large tyres, three-bladed VDM propellers and short-span wings with ailerons extending to the tips. Colours were black-green and very pale blue. solidity (large

chord) which increased further with the introduction of

aimed by a sight in a chin blister. The Ju 88 V4 introduced the familiar four-seat crew compartment with a large 'insect-eye' nose glazed with 20 flat panes and 15. Last of the pure protoa ventral gondola with an aft-firing types was the Ju 88 V5 (D-ATYU) shaped for minimum drag and flown in April 1938. On 9 March 1939 it set a startling world 1000-km (621-mile) circuit record with 2000-kg (4,409-lb) load at 517 km/h (321.25 mph). The Ju 88 was thereby revealed to the world, and incidentally credit for its design was heaped entirely upon chief designer Ernst Zindel; the Americans were not mentioned. The Ju 88 V6, flown in June 1938, introduced one of the type's distinctive features. Previous prototypes had had American-style twinoleo main gear units with electric retraction, but the Ju 88 V6 introduced a bold gear with tall single legs in which shocks were absorbed by a Ringfeder (ring spring) assembly of high-tensile steel rings with tapered profiles which expanded radially under compressive loads, bounce being prevented by the friction as the rings pushed their way apart. Retraction was hydraulic, the wheels rotating 90° to lie flat in the rear of the nacelles. Thus, though the wheels

more powerful Jumo 213 and BMW 801 engines. From the start the blades were fully feathering and fitted with alcohol de-icing. The annular radiators used on all liquid-cooled Ju 88s were particularly neat. Usually the top centre matrix was the oil cooler, and airflow was controlled by annular gills. As in many German aircraft of the period, the engines were hung on two giant Elektron (magnesium alloy) forging beams with lower compression braces, all picking up on four rubber-damped mounts on the firewall at the leading edge. The nacelles were thus unusually long, the Ju 88 becoming universally known as die Dreifinger (the three-finger).

were made much

became slimmer and drag was reduced. The landing gear later needed patient refinement, but by 1940 was an outstanding piece of

was formed by patented 'double-wing' slotted surfaces drooped as flaps for landing. The outer sections also served as ailerons, and like the other control surfaces were fabric-covered. The wing had hot-air de-icing, while in most versions the forward-mounted tailplane had

engineering.

pulsating pneumatic de-icers.

Later pre-war prototypes introduced large slatted dive brakes under the outer wings and four bomb-carriers under the inner wings, each stressed for an SC500 (500-kg/l,102-lb) bomb but normally

The crew compartment was typically Germanic, and while British propaganda claimed the four men were grouped together to bolster their morale, in fact the arrangement was in many ways cramped and inefficient. The pilot sat high on the left with a stick having a twopronged aileron wheel, and in dive-bombing he did the sighting through a sight swung down from the roof, the usual angle being 60°. Level bombing was carried out with a sight in the nose by the bombaimer low on the right, who in some versions sat higher and doubled as second pilot. Behind on the left was the engineer who manned the upper rear armament, while alongside him on the right was the radio (later also radar) operator who looked after the lower rear gun. The pilot, engineer and lower rear gun position were armoured. It was clear as early as 1938 that the Ju 88 was potentially a great aircraft, far in advance of the Dornier Do 17 or Heinkel He 111, and plans for production were widespread. Dessau, the HQ, played little part in production, fuselages being assigned to Aschersleben, wings to Halberstadt, tails to Leopoldshall and assembly and test to Bernburg. Other giant plants brought into the programme included Arado at Brandenburg-Neuendorf, Dornier at Wismar, Heinkel at Oranienburg, Henschel at Berlin-Schonefeld and Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. By 1944 many other plants were contributing parts or complete air-

and internal

bomb

load of 500

kg (1,102

lb)

MG

from

larger, with low-pressure tyres able to operate

mud and sand at weights double that of the Ju 88 VI,

the nacelle

SC100 (100-kg/220-lb) weapons when the enlarged pair of was loaded to its limit of 28 SC50 (50-kg/110-lb) bombs. This total load of 1800 kg (3,968 lb) was impressive enough, but testing at Dessau and Tarnewitz cleared the pre-production Ju 88A-0 for limited to

internal bays

overload missions with four external SC500s, increasing total

bomb

2400 kg (5,291 lb). At the same time, the Ju 88's capabilities were leading to problems which included wing-spar failure, main-leg failure and other faults caused by overloading. All were cured, but the service-test Erprobungskommando 88 crews had many 'hairy' incidents in the Spring of 1939 whilst testing the Ju 88A-0 batch under operational conditions, and even the production Ju 88A-1 which reached the Luftwaffe in August 1939 had to be flown careload to

fully,

with aerobatics prohibited.

The engine

of the Ju 88A-1

was the 895-kW

(1,200-hp)

Jumo

211B-1, one of the classic Junkers series of inverted- Vee 12-cylinder units with direct fuel injection. In several early prototypes

and Ju drove a four-bladed propeller, but the production standard propellers on almost all subsequent versions had three blades of high 88A-0s,

it

the

Limited fuel capacity all Luftwaffe aircraft, the Ju 88 was designed for use in warfare where ranges were moderate. Normal fuel capacity was thus only 1677 litres (369 Imp gal) in tanks between the spars inboard and outboard of the engines, though the capacious bomb bays

Like almost

tactical

were plumbed

in

many

versions, including

tanks bringing the total up to 3575

litres

most bombers,

(786.4 Imp

gal).

had considerable dihedral from the roots and the entire

for extra

The wings

trailing

edge

craft, including

ATG at Leipzig-Mockau, Siebel at Halle and factories

Czechoslovakia and France. In 1939, however, production was slow to build up even to one Ju 88 a week, and I/KG 25 had a mix of Ju 88A-1 and Ju 88A-0 bombers when war began. On 22 September 1939 the Gruppe was redesignated I/KG 30, and for the rest of the war KG 30 was a famed exponent of Ju 88 bombers. Its first major mission came four days later against the British Home Fleet, which escaped major damage largely because SC500 bombs failed to detonate. On 9 October the first two Ju 88A-ls were shot down, one of them being the aircraft of the Gruppenkommandeur This was the first of numerous losses to RAF fighters which by September 1940 had led to the inefficient lash-up of no fewer than four separate 15s in the upper rear position, all aimed individually by hand through separate ball/socket mountings, and all with 75-round magazines changed after 3 3/i-seconds' firing! in

.

MG

—

An

early Ju 88A runs up its engines on a grass strip. As a bomber the type could carry a useful load at good speed. This example has large bombs suspended from pylons under the inner wings.

There were at least 40 different armament schemes for Ju 88s, but most later bombers (except the Ju 88S) used the light and fast-firing 7.92-mm (0.31-in) MG 81, often in pairs, combined with 13-mm (0.51-in)

MG 131s.

Sub-types of A-series bombers are listed in the variants box, but all from mid-1940 were based on the long-span Ju 88A-4 which had better handling, no structural limitations and more powerful Jumo 211J engines. The new wing had inset ailerons which were metalskinned. More than half the total production of Ju 88s was made up of A-series variants, which were later used for every conceivable kind of duty including training, glider towing, freight and passenger transport (including bulky items attached to the Dobbas welded-tube

Junkers Ju 88

a

Beautifully restored at RAF St Athan, this Ju 88R-1 is one of only three known Ju 88s in existence. It owes its survival to the remarkable fact that its crew from NJC 3 agreed to defect, and on 9 May 1943 flew to Dyce (Aberdeen). This photograph was taken a day or two later at Farnborough, the radar having been removed.

interface carried

between the inboard wing racks) and conversion

into various Mistel (mistletoe) pilotless missiles.

more capacious and seemingly more streamlined crew compartment. The proposal began in 1936 but was

The Ju 88B

series featured a

held back by various factors including delays with engines, and

ulti-

mately led to the Ju 188 with long-span, pointed wings, a dorsal turret and enlarged tail. The Ju 88C was another early proposal, this time for a Zerstorer (heavy fighter). This too was delayed, but at about the time war began the Ju 88 V7 prototype was crudely modiFF and three 17s firing ahead through the fied with a 20-mm nose, as the Ju 88C-1. Though there was no official requirement, Junkers was allowed to convert a few Ju 88A-ls into Ju 88C-2s in 1940 with unglazed noses with the same guns, plus 10 SC50s in the rear bomb bay (the forward bay being occupied by a fuel tank). Subsequent RAF raids led to a sudden need by mid-1940 for nightfighters, and eventually over 3,200 C-series aircraft were delivered

MG

MG

Junkers Ju 88 variants lour seat bombers Ju 88A-1 had a span ol 18 37 m (60 ft 3'/i in), two 895-kW Jumo211B-1 engines. Ju 88A-2 had 211G-1 engines. RATO units, Ju 88A-3 was a dual trainer, Ju 88A-4 had a span of 20 m (65 ft 71? in), 1000-kW (1.340-hp) Jumo 211J or J-2. Ju 88A-5 was as A-4 but with earlier B or G engines, Ju 88A-6 was as the Ju 88A-5 with targe

Ju 88A series: (1,200-hp)

conversion

1

balloon fender and cable cutter, Ju 88A-6/U was modified without fender but three seats. Hohentwiel radar, 21 1J engines and drop tanks. Ju 88A-7 was as the Ju 88A-5 with 211H engines and dual pilot controls, Ju 88A-8 was a three-seater with 21 1 F engines and cable cutters, Ju 88A-9 was a tropical Ju 88A-1 with sand filters, survival gear, sunblinds. etc Ju 88A-10 was a tropical Ju 88A-5. Ju ,

88A-11 was

a tropical Ju 88A 4 Ju 88A-12 was a Ju 88A-4 trainer conversion without armament, gondola or dive brakes: Ju 88A-13 was a close-support Ju 88A-4 with extra armour, 16 forward-firing guns and fragmentation bombs, Ju 88A-14 was an improved Ju 88A-4 with many small changes, often 20-mm cannon firing against ships from front of gondola, Ju 88A-15 had three seats, wooden bomb-bay extension, total 3000-kg (6.614-lb) internal bombload, Ju 88A-16 was a dual unarmed Ju 88A-14, Ju 88A-17 was a Ju 88A-4 torpedo conversion with two LT F5b torpedoes and equipment fairing beside nose Ju 88B series: four-seat bombers with enlarged streamlined crew compartment, various BMWengined prototypes leading to Ju 188. 10 Ju 88B-0 used as operational reconnaissance aircraft Ju 88C series: three-seat heavy or night fighters Ju 88C-1 based on Ju 88A-1 with forward-firing 20-mm MG FF and three 7 92-mm (0 31-in) MG 17, Ju 88C-2 was the same but had a new unglazed nose, Ju 88C-3 had 801 engines but engines reserved for Fw 190s. Ju 88C-4 was a new-build (not conversion) night-fighter based on Ju 88A-4 with two extra FF in offset gondola and provision for 12 MG 81 in underwing pods. Ju 88C-5 had 1268-kW (1.700 hp) 801D-2 engines, Ju-88C-6 was the ma|or variant with 21 1J engines, various guns, Ju 88C-6b had radar and new HF radio, Ju 88C-6c SN-2 radar and other sensors later, some with 211TK turbocharged engines, later schrage Musik upward-firing guns. Ju 88C-7a had forward bomb bay with two MG FF instead of bombs Ju 88C-7b was as Ju 88C-7a but with external bomb racks, Ju 88C-7c had engines, MG 151 nose

BMW

MG

BMW

BMW

gun(s)

Ju 88D series:

four-seat reconnaissance aircraft Ju 88D-0 had Jumo 211B-1, large camera installations, no external bomb racks, Ju 88D-1 not built, Ju 88D-2 had 211B. 211G or 211H. external bombs or drop tanks. Ju 88D-3 was a tropical Ju 88D-1. Ju 88D-4 was a tropical Ju 88D-2. Ju 88D-5 standardised on triple fan of cameras Ju 88G series: night-fighters Ju 88G-1 was based on Ju 88C-6c but tail of Ju 188, 801D engines, four ventral 151, SN-2 radar and other sensors (see large three-view drawing) which increased crew work-load later demanding a fourth man, Ju 88G-2/3/5 not built; Ju 88G-4 had small changes, Ju 88G-6a had 801G engines, usually rear-warning SN-2 aerial and (like many Ju 88G 1 and Ju 88G-4) schrage Musik guns. Ju 88G-6b had FuG 350 Naxos Z in cockpit roof. Ju 88G-6c had 1306-kW (1,750-hp) Jumo 213A engines, schrage Musik moved to immediately behind cockpit, Ju 88G-7 had high-blown 213E engines with very broad propeller blades, Ju 88G-7a had canted SN-2 array, Ju 88G-7b had SN-3 or FuG 218 Neptun radar, Ju 88G-7c had FuG 240 Berlin centimetric radar and speed of 674 km/h (402 mph) Ju 88H series: long-fuselage long-range versions Ju 88H-1 was a three-seat reconnaissance machine; Ju 88H-2 was a three-seat Zerstorer with six forward-firing 151, Ju 88H-3 was a further stretch with 1671-kW (2.240-hp) Jumo 213A-12 engines for ultra-long-range reconnaissance, Ju 88H-4 was as Ju 88H-3 plus large surveillance nose radar and two drop tanks, lower component of

BMW

MG

BMW

MG

Fuhrungsmaschine

Ju 88P series:

Ju 88P-1 was a two- or three-seater, based on Ju 88A-4, with KwK 39) aimed by pilot using MG 81 for sighting, with hand loading Ju 88P-2 had twin BK 3,7 in large gondola, Ju 88P-3 was as Ju Ju 88P-4 had a single BK 5

anti-tank aircraft

7 5-cm PaK 40 gun (prototype had for two shots on each firing pass.

88P-2 but more armour, Ju 88S series: high speed three-seat bomber, based on Ju 88A-4 but gondola deleted, smooth nose and more power Ju 88S-0 had 801D engines, single 13-mm (0 51-in) dorsal gun, bombload only 14 SD65 (65-kg/143-lb) bombs in forward bay. Ju 88S-1 had 801Gs, GM-1 boost system, could carry two SD1000 externally, Ju 88S-2 had turbocharged 801TJ engines, giant wooden bomb bay as on Ju 88A-15, Ju 88S-3 had 1671-kW (2.240-hp) Jumo 213A engines with GM-1 Ju 88T series: three-seat reconnaissance variant of Ju 88S: Ju 88T-1 based on Ju 88S-1 with both bomb bays occupied by fuel or GM-1 tanks; Ju 88T-3 based on Ju 88S-3, and capable of 660 km/h (410 mph) without drop tanks

BMW

10

BMW BMW

The prototype Mistel pilotless missile project comprised this manned Ju 88A-4 linked to a Bf 109F-4. The principle of all Mistels was that the fighter was supported at its centre of gravity, the light tail strut falling back on a rear-fuselage crutch at the moment of release. Later all struts were thicker.

almost exclusively for this role. The chief versions were the Ju 88C-6b and Ju 88C-6c, which had Jumo engines and from late 1942 had Lichtenstein BC or Lichtenstein C-l radar, or (early 1944) Lich-

many other sensors such as FuG 227 Flensburg which homed in on RAF 'Monica' tail-warning radars (installed to protect the heavy bombers!) and FuG 350 Naxos Z which homed-in on the ITS radars. From 1943 the schrage Musik Qazz) upward-firing armament was being used against RAF heavies by night, with devastating results. By late 1941 the 151 had largely replaced the old FF in the 20-mm calibre, and there were many armament schemes, the usual schrage Musik installation comprising two 151s at an inclination of 70°. tenstein

SN-2

radar, plus

MG

MG

MG

Heavy and night-fighter variants The

88D was a family of standard long-range reconnaissance in some versions fitted with wing bomb racks, and which like

Ju

aircraft,

5 8

Schrage Musik upward-firing MG 151 cannon can be seen amidships on this Ju 88G-6b night-fighter serving with l/NJG 101 at Ingolstadt in late 1944. In the nose is the SN-2 radar array, at the tail is the SN-2 rearwarning aerial (not always fitted), and the bump on the cockpit is the fairing over the FuG 350 Naxos Z.

This fast Ju 88S-1 three-seat finished in standard 1944 night camouflage and

bomber was

operated from Dedelsdorf

in the

months of the war on lone missions against Britain and the Channel ports with l/KG 66. S-1s flew Y-Ger.it (radio beam) pathfinder missions at the end of final

the Steinbock reprisal raids

against English

Junkers Ju 88G-1 cutaway drawing key Instrument panel Armour-glass windscreen

3 FuG 227 Flensburg' radar receiver antenna 4 Starboard aileron

23 24 25 26 27

5 Aileron control runs 6 Starboard flaps

cylinder 28 Control runs

7 Flap-fairing strip

29 Pilot s armoured seat 30 Sliding window section 31 Headrest 32 Jettisonabie canopy roof

1

Starboard navigation

2

Wmgtip profile

light

8 Wing nbs 9 Starboard outer fuel tank (91 lmpgaL415litre capacity)

10 Fuelfillercap 11 Leading edge structure 12 Annular exhaust slot 13 Cylinder head fainngs 14 Adjustable nacelie nose ring

Twelve-blade cooling fan 16 Propeller boss 17 Variable-pitch VS 111 1

wooden propeller Leading-edge radar array 19 FuG 220 Lichtenstem SN-2 1

intercept radararray

20 Nose cone 21 Forward armoured bulkhead 22 Gyrocompass

Folding seat Control column

Rudder pedal

t-

(105 Imp gal/480 litre

section

33 Gun restraint 34 Wireless operator

capacity)

47 Fuselage

gunner's seat 35 Rhemmetall Borsig 131 machine gun (13-mm

MG

calibre

I

36 Radio equipment IFuGIOP HF FuG16ZYVHF.FuG25 IFFI

37 Ammunition box (500 rounds of 13-mm) 38 FuG 220 Lichtenstem SN-2 indicator box 39 F uG 227 Flensburg indicator box 40 Control linkage 41 Bulkhead 42 Armoured gun mount 43 Aerial post traverse check 44 Fuelfillercap 45 Whipaenal 46 Forward fuselage fuel tank

horizontal

construction |omt

48 Bulkhead

6""

Elevator balance

68 Aerial 69 Starboard elevator 70 Elevator tab 71

Tailfm forward spar/

72 73 74 75 76

Tailfm structure

fuselage attachment

Rudder actuator Rudder post Rudder mass balance Rudder upper hinge

cities.

I

In the spring of 1944

Specification Junkers Ju 88G-1 Type: three-seat night-fighter Powerplant: two 1268-kW (1,700-hp)

BMW 801D-2

14-

cylmder radials

Performance: maximum speed 573 km/h (356 mph) maximum

with SN-2 but no upward-firing guns,

endurance on

8840

m

internal fuel

(29.000

(typical)

loaded 13095 kg (28,870 (32,385 lb)

Dimensions:span 20

m (47

ft

2

Armament: cannon

in

9081 kg (20,020 lb); normal overload 14690 kg

lb),

m (65

ft 8'/? in),

m (54 V-: in), 54.5 m (586 63 sq 16.5

hours; service ceiling

ft)

Weights: empty

radar) 14.54

4%

ft 7'/2 in);

height 4 85

m (15

aerials)

ft 11 in);

wing area

ft)

aircraft illustrated, four

ventral

length (excluding

SN-2

(including

RAF heavy

bombers were being hacked down in droves. The cause was

20-mm

MG

151

compartment each with 200 rounds

ascribed to concentrations of flak (AAA), and the bombers continued to cruise through the German sky like so many lighthouses, emitting up to three sets of radar signals, whilst so blind underneath that there was not so much as a porthole, let alone a gun. The fact that most of the losses were due to nightfighters emerged gradually, and it was near the end of the war before it was belatedly realised that many of these formated under the bomber and fired upwards in a perfect nodeflection shot. The most

formidable night-fighter was almost unknown until, by a fantastic piece of luck, the crew of4R+UR, a Ju 88G-1 of 7/NJG 2, became hopelessly lost on the night of 12/13 July 1944. They had been looking for minelaying Stirlings

and had suffered

compass

failure.

Eventually they a radio beacon which seemed in the right direction, found an airfield and landed. They had brought the vital SN-2 radar and FuG 227 Flensburg to RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk.

homed on

Unfortunately their aircraft did not have upward-firing guns but

MG

151 cannon in the just four ventral box. The Hirschgeweih (stag's antlers) aerials of the SN-2 can be seen on the nose (a very few expert pilots had them on the rear fuselage). Wing dipole aerials received emissions from RAF Monica tail-warning radars and fed them to the Flensburg direction finder. The only things lacking were schrage

Musik guns and Naxos homing on H2 S.

Aed* FreGWbtL

for

13

10:

Junkers Ju 88 On

the

same day

that the

Finns changed sides (4 September 1944), the Free French formed the Groupe FFI Dor, reconditioning at Toulouse every Ju 88 it could find, and using them against pockets of German resistance.

^rsiiitf

s

£k sggwmffife,

This Ju 88A-14 carried the skeleton hand emblem worn by Bf 110s of l/ZG 1 (heavy fighter Wing 1), and is believed to have been on the strength of Stab/ II ZG 1, based at Mamaia, Romania, in the spring of 1944. The basically similar Ju 88A-4 simultaneously equipped three bomber squadrons of the Royal

Romanian

other glazed-nose Ju 88s served with several satellite air forces including those of Romania and Hungary. In letter sequence the next family

is

the Ju 88G, though chronologically this did not

By

emerge

until

time the overburdened C-series night-fighters heavy casualties caused by deterioration in lowspeed handling, and a Ju 88R-2 (described later) was modified with the large tail of the Ju 188, becoming the Ju 88 V58. The completely 151s, two staggered at —3° revised armament comprised six nose-down angle in the right-hand side of the nose and the other four angled down at -5° in a box under the left-hand side of the belly. A single MG 131 was provided for upper rear defence. In the production G-series the two right-hand side guns were removed, as they blinded the pilot, and most used the ventral tray plus two upward-firing 151s. The long endurance, tremendous performance and wealth of electronic devices made the G-series extremely formidable aircraft which wrought terrible execution on RAF heavies and would have posed a very serious threat had they appeared earlier in the war. As it was, they were available in numbers only from mid-1944, by which time output was falling, and only about 800 could be completed by the final collapse. Final versions had liquid-cooled engines and advanced centimetric radars. mid-1943.

were

this

suffering

MG

MG

The Ju 88H

family

was

initially

ultra-long-range reconnaissance

aircraft with the fuselage stretched to

17.647

m (57 3% in). The Ju ft

88H-1 had Hohentwiel radar, while the Ju 88H-2 had a devastating battery of six 151s for use against aircraft or ships far out in the Atlantic. The Ju 88H-4 was further stretched to 20.38 m (66 ft 10^2 in) but found use only as the radar-equipped lower component of the Fuhrungsmachine (guiding machine) long-range pathfinder which had an extra main gear and a doppelreiter (overwing-tanked) Fw 190 A-8 riding on top as escort! Only a few dozen were delivered of the various P-series Ju 88s

MG

First of the radar-equipped night-fighter versions, the Ju 88C-6b was powered by 999-kW (1,340-hp) Jumo 211J engines and fitted with FuG 202 Lichtenstein BC radar. The radar receiver aerials were on the wings, and this Ju 88C-6b also has wing dipoles further back for FuG

227 Flensburg which homed-in on 14

RAF tail-warning

radars.

air force.

with anti-tank or anti-bomber guns. Related to these

was

a test air-

the Ju 88N or Ju 88Nbwe, with Professor Dornberger's sixbarrel launcher of 21-cm or 28-cm (8.27-in or 11.02-in) rocket shells. craft,

BMW

The

Ju 88R-1 was a Ju 88C-6b night-fighter powered by engines, while the Ju 88R-2 had 801Ds. This series produced in parallel with the C-series from early 1943 until about

BMW

801MA was

when it was replaced by the G-series. stemmed from Ju 88 prototype V93 of late 1942, which resulted from the urgent need to make the basic bomber a year later,

The

S-series

faster, to restore a

good chance of returning from a daylight mission.

The Ju 88 V93 was powered by BMW 801D engines and given a smooth glazed nose for minimum drag, the underwing carriers being removed. Most production versions had engines giving even greater power at high altitude, and the ventral gondola and most armour was removed to increase performance further. Speed reached about 612 km/h (380 mph) with either the BMW or Jumo engines, still slower than the later G-series night-fighters. Parallel reconnaissance aircraft were of the T-series, not built in quantity.

Not included

in

the variants

list,

the Mistel missiles

were

(usually

war- weary) Ju 88s rebuilt as pilotless missiles, with the nose replaced by an extremely large warhead, usually a 3800-kg (8,380-lb) hollow-charge device with a long stand-off fuse. The aircraft were flown to their targets by a pilot in a Bf 109 or Fw 190 carried above the Ju 88 on struts with a release system operated from the fighter cockpit. By 1945 Ju 88G-10s and Ju 88H-4s were being turned into Mistel aircraft on the assembly

line,

never

flying as ordinary aircraft.

Including

them

duction

usually calculated to be 14,780, including 104 prototypes.

is

in

the 355 'fighters' built in 1945, the total Ju 88 pro-

Opposite: A Ju 88 crewman strolls from his aircraft after 'another successful mission', according to the propaganda. The yellow spinners denote the Eastern Front.

The Ju 88P series was uniformly clumsy, sluggish and vulnerable, though the aircraft were well protected against ground fire. This example was a Ju 88P-3, with two BK 3, 7 (Flak 38) high-velocity guns of37-mm calibre housed in a large ventral box, with the guns offset to the left. Similar aircraft were used against bombers.

V

jmH

RJW?P

Tupolev Tu-2 Hammer of the Red Air Force Not many great

aircraft have been created in prison, but with the incentive of an early release before them Andrei Tupolev's out-of-favour design team achieved just that, creating the Tu-2 bomber for Stalin's air force. Intended as an aircraft 'to beat the Ju-88', Tupolev's aircraft appeared in even more versions than its diverse Junkers rival. Despite its complicated design, which slowed production dramatically, the Tu-2 was enthusiastically received by those Russian units lucky enough to obtain some. By the war's end it was one of the most effective warplanes available to the Soviet forces, and one of the most varied aircraft families in history.

Born on 10 September 1899,

Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev was

not one of those viewed as a threat to Stalin himself, and

December 1972.

suggested that the widespread arrests of designers were

the dean of Soviet aircraft until his death on 23

His

OKB

(experimental aircraft bureau) produced a greater diver-

most of them organisation anywhere. sity of aircraft,

large, than

any other single design

He used to laugh off the dark period where,

along with

many thou-

sands of other important Russians, he was flung into prison. He it 'breathing filtered air', and he clearly never wished to rock the boat or suggest that his incarceration had been either unjust or, in a wider context, a mistake. It so happened that while 'inside' he produced one of the finest tactical attack aircraft of all time, but there is no doubt that the fact that its designer was behind bars severely delayed the programme. There is every reason to believe that had he remained at liberty Tupolev could have produced the Tu-2 much more quickly; and there is abundant evidence to show that it would have reached the hands of the front-line regiments a full two years earlier, in 1942 instead of 1944. Unlike that of many other imprisoned Soviet designers, there was never any suggestion of a fault in any of Tupolev's work; instead he fell a victim to the Stalinist terror of the middle to late 1930s. He was called

WS

This aircraft, the ANT-58, was the first of the entire Tu-2 series. After various delays, mainly ascribed (by Tupolev) to the engines, it made a very successful maiden flight on 29 January 1941. Note the Ju 88-type dive brakes under the wings, and the unbroken ventral line of the rear fuselage.

16

increase efficiency, or

happened was

make

it

has been order to

in

work harder. What actually were arrested, their work halted Only then was it realised that some

the victims

that the designers

and the programmes disrupted. planning ought to be done to put those arrested back to use, and in Tupolev's case it took years. In Tupolev's case the charge with which he was accused was that he had 'secretively, and treasonably, given the design of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 to the Germans'. As Tupolev had never been in possession of this design it is difficult to see how such a lunatic charge could be sustained, but it was not a time for reasoned argument (another designer, K. A. Kalinin, was charged with spying for Germany in a way that was demonstrably impossible, yet he was executed). Tupolev was arrested from his Moscow flat in October possible that in his case the 'evidence' was laid by a political because since 1931 Tupolev had been chief engineer of the GUAP, the state aviation industry, and in those days anyone who stuck his head up above the general level was in dire danger of get-

1936.

It is

rival,

ting

it

struck

off.

This ANT-60, one of the 103V pre-production aircraft flown in 1942, has the taller fins of the production machine, and very nearly the definitive nose glazing and defensive armament, but it retains the dive brakes and original wingtips. The smooth engine cowlings were retained on early production aircraft.

This Tu-2S

one of the wartime and shown in markings of the summer or autumn. Curiously, is

aircraft delivered in 1944

both profiles show the definitive engine cowl with small blisters for the valve gear covers, and non-standard dorsal gun positions.

Another wartime Tu-2S, with typical hand-painted individual

number and a

tail

stripe of the

standard diagonal form, possibly indicating a regiment on the Kalinin front. The three rear portholes on each side were replaced at about the end of the war by a single large window, and there were other minor changes.

Tupolev was taken to the Lyubyanka prison, immediately behind HQ of what had been the (Hi IV, was at the time the NKVD and

the

then became the

KGB. He was

but never had even a 'show

trial',

put through various interrogations,

and eventually was joined

in his cell

and a drawing board. He was simply commanded to debomber better than the Junkers Ju 88 (which first flew on 21 December 1936). As he was in prison, Tupolev knew little about the German aircraft, and in any case he made little progress, though after being moved to Butyrkii prison in 1937 he did begin a design. Its OKB number, ANT-58, happened by chance to be the same as that of his cell in Butyrkii, which he thought a good omen. Eventually, after an 18-month delay, the NKVD began to get organised. By 1938 they had set up a series of special design brigades within TsKB-29, the aircraft designers' prison named for Menzhinskii, previous head of the OGPU. To head the teams other designers were arrested. Two were Tupolev's chief assistants: Petlyakov was sent to KB-100, and told to design Samolyet (aircraft) 100, which eventually led to the Pe-2. Myasischev was sent to KB-102 and eventually produced the DVB-102. Tupolev was sent to run KB-103 and create Samolyet 103, another name for the ANT-58. By mid-1938 Tupolev had a full team working under him, all behind bars, and was able to make real progress.

by

his wife

sign a high-speed

what was wanted was the best possible twin-engine tactiand as it had to beat the Ju 88 it had to be capable of dive-bombing. Other duties, such as torpedo-attack, reconnaissance, shturmovik (armoured attack), and other duties would follow Clearly,

cal attack aircraft,

due course. Tupolev had already gained tremendous experience modern stressed-skin structures, though thanks to the prison system he was cut off from Petlyakov his expert on wing design except via a communication system which involved so many security checks that an answer to a question took a month. In the event he designed the ANT-58 with the team around him, and they became resigned to gross inefficiency in getting models made or tunnel-tested by people sometimes miles away and outside their control. in

with

,

,

Tu-2 forerunners and rivals Tupolev's big production programme had been the SB-2 (ANT-40), with a span of about 20 m (65 ft 7% in), two 559-kW (750hp) engines and weight of some 6000 kg (13,228 lb). Petlyakov was working on an aircraft of slightly smaller dimensions, 746-kW (1,000hp) engines and a weight of over 7000 kg (15,432 lb); Myasischev's no. 102 was bigger, spanning about 25 m (82 ft), with 149171864-kW (2,000/2,500-hp) engines and a weight of nearly 18000 kg (39,6831b). Tupolev's obvious slot was between Petlyakov and Myasischev, with a span of some 19 m (62 ft 4 in), 1044-kW (1,400hp) engines and a weight of 11000 kg (24,250 lb). Thanks to good engines of 1044 kW (1,400 hp), with more power in prospect, it was possible to design for performance well above that of the Ju 88. The design of Aircraft 103, the ANT-58, was finally approved on 1 March 1940, just before the end of the Winter War with Finland. Construction of a prototype was authorised, and this was built at remarkable speed by the KB-103 experimental shops, being com-

Biggest and heaviest of the whole series, the Tu-8 (ANT-69) was an outstanding long-range bomber. One of the long-nose long-span family, it introduced new defensive armament with five of the new B-20 cannon and large rear aiming ports. Versions with AM-42 liquid-cooled and ACh-39BF diesel engines never

even

flew.

17

Tupolev Tu-2S cutaway drawing key

Tupolev Tu-2 pleted except for engines on 3 October of the struction

was managed by

S. P.

Korolyev

same

(later the

Detachable wingtip Starboard navigation light Corrugated inner skin (upper and lower) Starboard aileron (outer

year. Con-

mastermind

section)

Oil radiator Oil cooler intake

Detachable cowling panels 32 AV-5-157Athree-bladed variable-pitch metal 31

propeller

Wing construction

behind the gigantic ICBM and space launcher programmes) and R. L. Bartini, the former Italian Communist who once had his own OKB. There was nothing radical about the design, which was a clean mid-wing machine with a capacious bomb bay beneath the wing. The

29 30

Skin-strengthening stringers

33 Carburettor air intake 34 Low-drag cowling ring 35 Cooling louvres

49 Control column 50 Rudder pedals Four-panel access hatch 52 Nose side glazing 53 Optically-flat aiming panels 54 Port propeller spinner 55 ShvetsovM-82FN(ASh82FN) 14-cylinder two-row radial air-cooled engine 56 Exhaust pipe cluster 57 Quick-release cowling 51

clips

multi-spar wing comprised a centre section and outer panels,

58 Ejector exhaust pipe 59 Oil cooler intake 60 55-lb(25-kg) fragmentation

distinct taper, the outer panels having slatted dive

61

all with brakes like those of the Ju 88 with electric screwjack drive. The pilot sat on the centreline with completely glazed surrounds as on the Avro Lancaster, but with an optical sight for two 20-mm Sh VAK cannon firing forward from the wing roots. Behind the pilot sat the navigator, facing forward at a small chart table, who could squeeze past the pilot to the prone position in the semi-glazed nose for level bombing. Separated from the forward crew was the radio operator behind the wing, who was provided with twin 7.62-mm (0.3-in) ShKAS machine-guns aimed manually to the rear, and a second pair of ShKAS guns in a ventral position aimed via a periscope system. The 1044-kW (1,400hp) engines, massive Mikulin AM-37 Vee-12s, were beautifully cowled with radiators below them but with their oil coolers in the wings. The split flaps, landing gear and bomb doors were all hydraulic; the tail had twin fins; and other features included constantspeed propellers and self-sealing tanks for over 2000 kg (4,409 lb) of fuel. Gross weight was 10992 kg (24,233 lb).

62

absorber scissors

7

Light

bomb or rocket-

launching attachments (five per side) Twin landing lights 8 9 Starboard aileron (inboard section)

10 Rear spar

Aircraft 103

11

Painted dark green, with white undersides, Aircraft 103 awaited

engines until 1941, but finally got into the air on 29 January in the hands of M. A. Nyukhtikov (not, as often reported, M. P. Vasyakin), its

accompanied by leading engineer V. A. Miruts. The aircraft proved to be outstanding in all respects, and factory tests at GAZ-156 (the Moscow airfield and factory assigned to TsKB-29) were completed on 28 April. Nil (national state) testing began in June, the month of the German invasion. Later TsKB-29 was evacuated to GAZ-166 at Omsk, but while on a return trip to GAZ-156 in late 1941 Aircraft 103 suffered a fire in the right engine, Nyukhtikov baling out but engineer Akopyan's parachute catching fatally on the tail. On 18 May 1941 Nyukhtikov and Miruts took off in Aircraft 103U {ulushchyennyi, or improved), the ANT-59. This had a longer rear fuselage with a fourth

crew member

to fire a single ventral

ShKAS,

behind the pilot and aimed twin ShKAS guns to back up the pair fired by the radio operator. Among the many other changes were larger fins and rudders, larger propellers with while the navigator faced

ram-jet inlets

in

aft

the spinners, and racks for 10 RS-82 rockets under

was recommended for immediate made a big contribution to the war prolonged design stage, but it was further delayed by the

the wings. This first-class aircraft series production, and might have

despite the

Omsk and, even more, by the unreliability of the AM-37. Tupolev studied the AM-39F of 1394 kW (1,870 hp), but finally decided a better bet was Shvetsov's superb M-82 (later styled evacuation to

Towards the end of the war several Tu-2s were modified on the production line as Tu-2Sh fShturmovik, armoured attack) aircraft, in various forms. This picture has always been identified as one of these aircraft, but looks more like the RShR with a single 57-mm anti-tank gun. All these machines were two-seaters.

18

-

'

•

bombs Port mamwheel Mamwheel shock-

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Outboard

fuel tank set Inboard fuel tank set Mam spar

Landing Nacelle

flap

assembly

aft fairing

Mamwheel doors Mamwheel well Spar carry-through Mamwheel brake cble

20 Mamwheel oleo 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Mamwheel retraction scissors Fireproof bulkhead Oil tank

Engine bearers Exhaust stub Exhaust collector ring Fire-suppression bottle Radiator outlet shutter

Sukhoi's UTB, also commonly called UTB-2, was a crew trainer based on a simplified and lightened Tu-2 airframe but

with much less powerful engines. Roughly 100 of the 500plus built were assigned to the newly reconstituted Polish air force, one being shown in standard post-war dark green and natural metal finish.

63 Mamwheel doors 64 Exhaust gill 65 Centre-hinged main bomb bay doors 66 Forward bomb shackle 67 Single2.205-lb(1000-kg)

GPbomb

68 Access panel 69 Starboard mamwheel 70 71

Mamwheel fork bomb bay bulkhead

Aft

72 Radio operator s position 73 Dorsal glazing 74 Dorsal 12 7-mm UBT machine-gun 75 Fuselage construction 76 ControlcaWe shroud 77 Stubaenal 78 Ventralgunner'scouch 79 Aft crew entry hatch 80 Ventral gunner s aiming periscope

Pilot

Press Limited

Tupolev Tu-2 In 1949-50 a

about

number, probably

of regular Tu-2S bombers were transferred to China to form the nucleus of the People's Republic's offensive 100,

air power. Nearly all these aircraft (at least 75) saw action in the Korean War, though they were not used to great effect

and several were shot down.

ASh-82) radial, initially rated at 1104 kW (1,480 hp). Despite the need to produce 1,500 new drawings in most adverse circumstances, the task was done and the aircraft back in the air on 1

November

Next came the Aircraft 103V production prototype, flown by Vasyakin on 15 December 1941 and as far as possible simplified to ease mass production. Development continued during early 1942 on the Aircraft 103S (seriinyi, or series production), the ANT-61, though one questions whether or not the many changes were really worth a delay of two more years before large numbers of aircraft available.

The 1268-kW

(1,700-hp)

ASh-82FNV was

bay, size.

became heavy-calibre UBTs, the vertical tails were again made taller, and the lower rear gunner was given three portholes on each side. By this time a major production scheme was being worked out, and in early November 1942 the first three aircraft were sent to the Kalinin Front, where the 3rd Air Army went into raptures and asked for more.

most

of their airborne time at

full

Many

small modifications

still

crept

in,

such as slimmer cowlings

with 28 small valve-gear blisters, single rear side portholes, and

many

variations

in

the engine air inlets, exhaust and

oil

coolers.

Further delays were caused by the stopping of production at

GAZ-166 and the concentration of assembly back at GAZ-156, and it was spring 191 before the Tu-2 was making itself felt against the enemy. Only 1.111 were received by front-line units by the end of the war in Europe, though production continued to 1948 with 2,527 delivered, excluding the mass of variants listed separately. 1

generally considered that Aircraft 100716,

the line from the

(no. 100308,

were

first

far

front-line aircraft spent

Maximum bombload was 3000 kg (6,614 lb), all in the main the largest bomb being the FAB-1000 of 1000-kg (2,205-lb)

throttle.

with

all

It is

most Soviet

movable

fitted

injection carburettors allowing prolonged negative g, the

guns

and his team were released from made a big difference to the efficiency of the programme. Tupolev was awarded his first Stalin Prize in June 1943. The production Tu-2 had different propellers, no rocket rails, simpler nose glazing, detachable wingtips and many further revisions to the armour and auxiliary systems. The forward-firing cannon were not only retained but often put to good use, and many was the German fighter bounced from astern by a Tu-2, which like 'Tu' designation, the designer

detention, which

1941.

Costly delays

were

the designation Tu-2 being bestowed in January 1943. So brilliantly were the Tu-2s performing that as well as being allowed to use the

first Aircraft 103S from consecutive) was the

some way down though numbers

true production machine,

An

early series aircraft, this

Tu-2S is one of a small number with extended engine air inlet ducts above the cowlings. It also has an early form of engine exhaust system, similar to that on the Lavochkin La-5 fighter and without single projecting pipes

on each side. Note the slightly extended chord of the outer ailerons.

The ANT-63P carried service designation Tu-1, an odd number, because it was a fighter. Based on the ANT-68, it had even more powerful 1454-kW (1,950-hp) AM-43V engines driving four-bladed propellers and despite devastating armament reached 641 km/h (398 mph). was too late for the war and remained a prototype.

It

.

Tupolev Tu-2 variants built

ANT-58: original prototype FB Samolyet 103. Tu-58 bombardirovshchik. or

ANT-63:

also called

II

i,,,

II

Tu 2SDB

h

ill,

.'.pi

Tu-2R, Tu-2F and Tu-6

froi i

AM-37

engines, crew 635 km/h (395 mph)

sDeed

of three

Tu-2T with

i

ANT-59: improved prototype Samolyet 103U at first with

main gears with

ANT 64

new

othei

engines, later with ASh-82 many other changes ANT-60: simplified production also called Samolyet 103V ANT-61: initial production mod.

Aith

!F|

sir

navigati

iphl

with

Tu-2 Paravan:

h

mi.

mi m.

i|

Tu-2RShR:

,i

II.

with

103S. UBT movable guns ASh-82FNV engines, other chaix

l.iiiii'

HShR

I

i

UTB:

.

Willi

i

called

ANT 6b Tu 2DB

removal of dive brakes

Tu-2/18/11:

ANT-61: Tu-2S mainstream aircraft

ANT-61

pro

2,527 Tu-2M modified proto

total :

high-lift

protl

with in

ip

numt"

ill

1

ANT-67:

Tu-2Dtu,t with

\

fairings,

engineer L L Kerber on 18 July

iirfi

i

with

>"

imi

two 20 mm ShVAK, two n NS-3.' and two 45-mm NS-45 Tu-2K ..It tot two Is

with ejectioi

Tu-XG: designation from $ ying bullq

GA2-67b

series aircraft

ll

'

k\A

II

900 hp g

ling

.

span

[his axi i'

.

i

llit-

-'Hi 'hi

'"iiih.'i

ulln.

.mi

variants

i.

in

last lha h mi but neithei up

ANT-62T ir\

ANT-63P: Tu-1

the odd

because the type wms

lew

nl

. i

I'll.

using

kW

foui bladed

mi

i

|llh".

load

i

-it

nun

li

l.inii'i

h82FN

i

it.

il

il

.

1947

numbei being

tiotit. atong-i three-seat escort with piou-nm im radai In 10 ANT -681 but with 1454

.mii. nnr ol

piopelleis

i

i'

mgines driving

used as

,lb|

ANT-69: Tu-8

SCOI id

Tu-2N: one

long rang I

and

Imphl B0 kg

ard-

firing a

m

23-mm VYa-23 guns in ventral flown by A D. Perelyet and

lerie

turboch irged engine

deliver

version flown 1944. extensive .«• dispensing 300 c

and two

imbei

y

1 :

four-bladed paddle propellers (son steel blades) ANT-62: Tu-2D uLilim or long totally redesigned forward fuselage span outer wings with great tankage, wide-span tail and othei this strategic bomber version han nose with much more room for the n.t. to sit comfortably ahead of the CO which housed two pilots side-bv (72 ft 4VS ml, gross weioi 22 06 (29,409 lb), speed at height 531 i (330 mphl Tu-2/104: first radar-equipped all-weather interceptor in Soviet Union, new forward fuselage, with pilot and radar operate .

bi

nol long span

Tu-2SH

1

long rangi

Irom and

1417-kW (1.900-hp) ASh-83 engm,

welded hollow

to

Iim

new

i

detoir.ivi' .iiin.inn hi aiiIi Iai' ih-w

B-20 cannon and n s used on Tu bo and ru-86 Hi', i'inl'1'i

il

Piral

latei

Pli

i

solid'

flying

Rolls-Royce Nene 1 turboiet pod under forward fusel mii bomb bay. comprehensive irted

in

come into its own as a bomber until 1944, from 1941 action in every Soviet campaign, including operations in Manchuria against the Japanese Kwantung army in 1945. Though

ANT-88 Tu-10

-ocond-cjeneiation

'

lirfra

bomber -ame

Tu-2s

it

did not

saw

21

I

Tupolev Tu-2 Specification

Tupolev Tu-2S Type: medium bomber Powerplant: two 1380-kW

(1,850-hp)

Shvetsov ASh-82FN 14-cylinder

radial

piston engines

Performance: maximum speed altitudes; service ceiling 9.5

bombload, 1400

km

at

full

(31,170

550 km/h (342 mph) at medium range with 2500-kg (5,511-lb)

load ft);

km

Weights: empty

(870 miles (1943 production) 7474 kg (16,477

lb);

11360 kg (25,044 lb) Dimensions: span 18.86 m (61 ft IOV2 in); length 13.8 2 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in); wing area 48.8 m (525 sq ft)

maximum

m

Armament: two 20-mm ShVAK

(45

ft

3V3

loaded in);

height

cannon in wing roots with 100 rounds each, three single 12.7-mm (0.5-in) UBT guns, each with 250 rounds maximum aimed by three aft crew-members; normal maximum bombload 3000-kg (6,614-lb)

22

with provision for 4000 kg (8,818

lb)

as overload

'It handled like a fighter, and with bombs gone it could turn with the best of them. Praise indeed from a former Tu-2S '

an aircraft which proved popular with air and ground crew alike. Effective defensive armament, the ability to absorb a great deal of punishment and a high degree pilot for

of agility for a medium bomber ensured the type's continued success during World War II.

The Tu-2S

illustrated

incorporates rocker arm blisters on the engine cowlings, enlarged carburettor intakes, and shortened exhausts. Postwar, development continued to exploit the basic design in several forms.

23

"& v

SB2C

Curtiss

Helldiver

For a carrier-based aircraft of its day the Helldiver was a very big machine. Packed with new technology and advanced features it was intended by Curtiss to be a major wartime project. However to those who flew it, the SB2C became known as the 'Son of a Bitch 2nd Class'. Plagued with structural faults and immature design it never succeeded the earlier SBD and while its military career continued through sheer numbers alone, frequent modifications really never overcame its inherent failings. Curtiss SB2C, one of the few members of the long and proud The series of Curtiss dive-bombers to bear the

name

Helldiver

(offi-

was intended to be a great war-winner to replace the ancient SBD. Unlike the Douglas product, created by Ed Heinemann working under John K. Northrop, the marvellous new Curtiss had a mighty new two-row engine, an internal weapon bay and a mass of fuel and new equipment all packaged into a tight space. After Pearl Harbor it became the focus of a gigantic nationwide production programme intended to blast the Japanese from the Pacific. The only thing wrong was the aircraft itself. To a man, the US Navy cially

or unofficially),

preferred the old

SBD, which

simply kept on

in

the forefront of the

battle.

Curtiss <>i World War II was the and it is doubtful if two less-successful aircraft have ever been built in numbers. This experience played a major part in the decline of the once pre-eminent names of Curtiss and Wright in the immediate post-war era, and this was allowed to happen by the US Army and US Navy customers. In fact the Seamew was designed by a team under the famed chief engineer, Don R. Berlin, while the SB2C was the creation of a newly formed group under Raymond C. Blaylock. As its designation reveals, the SB2C was planned as a scout bomber, for operation from US Navy carriers. The 1938 specification was extremely comprehensive and allowed little room for manoeuvre The type had to be a

The other mass-produced navy

S03C Seamew,

.

A

SB2C-3 Helldiver banks hard over a carrier in the Pacific. The aircraft has entered the landing pattern and has its hook down ready for the trap. The aircraft on the deck are Grumman TBF Avengers and F6F Hellcats which fought alongside the Helldiver Curtiss

during the fiercest fighting of the Pacific war.

stressed skin cantilevei monoplane, and the wing had to be raised from the low position in order to allow the accommodation <>l an in

weapon bay beneath

it. This bay did not have to accommodate have tOtakea454-kg(l,(M)0-lb) bomb and a wide range of other stores, and he closed by hydraulically-operated bomb doors. There had to be tandem accommodation for a crew of two, a large amount of fuel (various ranges and mission radii were speciticed) and comprehensive radio and other gear including a hefty camera in the rear cockpit. The structure had to be stressed for dive-bombing, and the aircraft had to be carrier-compatible, with folding wings, catapult hooks and an arrester hook. The specified engine was the Wright R-2600 14-cylinder Cyclone. Not unnaturally the prototype XSB2C-1 came out looking rather like its rival, the Brewster XSB2A-1 Buccaneer; and, if such a thing were possible, the latter was an even poorer aircraft than the Curtiss. In fact the US Navy had such faith in the Buffalo-based company that it placed a firm order for 200 SB2C-ls before the prototype made its first flight on 18 December 1940. The single prototype, BuNo. 1758, had been ordered on 15 May 1939, and the big production order came on 29 November 1940. Thus, as 1941 dawned Curtiss had a single shiny prototype which occasionally flew, on the strength of which 14,000 workers were being hired for a vast new plant rapidly taking shape at Columbus, Ohio (later NAA and today

ternal a

torpedo, but

it

did

Rockwell). Plans were already afoot for two further giant production

Canadian Car & Foundry at Fort William and FairMontreal. Curtiss announced that 'The Helldiver is the world's most efficient dive-bomber; it carries twice the bomb load, has double the fire-power, is at least 100 mph faster,

programmes,

at

child Aircraft at Longueil,

BLACK

Curtiss

SB2C

Helldiver July and August 1943 the US national insignia was outlined with a red border, but so great was the output by this time that it went on thousands of aircraft. In

One was this SB2C-1, which by November 1943 was aboard USS Bunker Hill with squadron VB-17, on attacks against Rabaul.

P^SI This SB2C-3 is seen in mid-war camouflage, not unlike today's low-visibility fighter colour It was on the strength of VB-3, operating in support of the Iwo Jima landings with Task Force 58 from the carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) in

schemes.

February

APG-4

Underwing APS-4) radar is

1945.

(not

fitted.

remains in flight 4¥z hours longer and can operate 600 miles further away from its base than any type now in use. We will build 1,000 or more, at the rate of 80 a month.' Such confidence overlooked the fact that the SB2C was riddled with problems. Some were the normal ones of immaturity, affecting almost all the functioning items and particularly the R-2600-8 engine and 3.66-m (12-ft) Curtiss Electric three-blade propeller. More serious were the deeper faults of the aircraft itself, which resulted in structural weaknesses, generally poor handling, shockingly inadequate stability (especially in yaw and pitch) and unacceptable stall characteristics. Yet the strange thing is that the first prototype looked almost the same as all the production machines. Even the fact that the tail had to be enlarged was not immediately obvious. Features of the XSB2C-1 included a large wing with all its taper on the trailing edge. On the trailing edge were large flaps split into lower and upper portions, again divided into inboard and outboard sections on the manually folded outer wings. In normal flight the upper flap sections were hydraulically locked to form the upper surface of the wing, the lower part functioning as a normal split flap. For divebombing the upper flaps were unlocked by moving the selector lever to a different position, the hydraulic jacks then opening both flaps fully above and below. This held the dive to 354 km/h (220 mph) but buffeted the

so violently that the

tail

pilot

feared structural failure

(which often did occur, though not necessarily from the buffet). ailerons,

which

in

most versions had greater chord than the

were unusual in having aluminium

The

flaps,

open by a cable connection to the landing gears, so that at low speeds in the traffic pattern the handling, especially lateral control,

pulled

was almost acceptable. The US Navy 1944 the British rejected years of improvement. in

it

did pass the sluggish ailerons,

out of hand, and that

was

after four

Prototype crash BuNo. 1758 crashed

quite early, on 8 February on the approach. Like many aircraft of its day the SB2C suffered violent changes in trim with application of flap, dive brakes, gear down or changes in engine power. In the case of this aircraft the forces needed on the stick were at the limit of what most pilots could apply, and very high friction in the con-

Unfortunately,

1941, the cause being engine failure

trol circuits did

when

not help, so

it

was

small

wonder that

the engine cut. But with a gigantic production

control was lost programme fast

taking shape Curtiss simply had to carry on with flight test, so 1758

had to be urgently 26

rebuilt.

cent larger and

m

(1 ft)

longer, the

numerous shapes

tail

areas almost 30 per

subtly altered.

led to the expensive addition of an autopilot.

The poor

Thanks

stability

combat reports from Europe the fuel tanks in the fuselage and inner wings were made of the self-sealing type, local armour was added and the forward-firing armament changed from two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns above the cowling to four of these guns in the wings. The rear cockpit was redesigned with improved collapsible decking to improve the field of fire of the observer's single 12.7-mm (0.5-in) gun. Later this gun was replaced by observer armament of twin 7.62-mm (0.3-in) guns, each with no less than 2,000 rounds, with traverse round the mounting ring effected by an hydraulic motor. Wing racks were added for bombs of up to 147-kg (325-lb) depth-bomb size. These and other changes did not all come in at once but most had at least been agreed on paper by the time the prototype resumed flight testing on 20 October 1941. So enormous was the production scheme that, coming on top of dozens of others throughout North America, it fell seriously behind. to

December 1941, but by this was even being assembled. Worse, on

Curtiss had agreed to begin deliveries in

time no production machine

December 1941 the sole prototype broke up in the air while on dive-bombing tests, pilot B. T. Hulse managing to escape by parachute. By this time further changes had been demanded, and another 900 Helldivers had been ordered for the US Army Air Force as A-25 Shrikes, with carrier gear deleted, pneumatic tailwheels and 21

skin above and fabric below. In line

with the ailerons on the leading edge were large slats which were

but

lage being about 0.305

Almost every part was changed, the fuse-

The XSB2C-1 prototype (no. 1758) is seen during flight tests, wearing one of the many pre-war US Navy colour schemes and pre-war national insignia. Design problems were to delay service entry until late 1943.

Best of the Helldivers, the SB2C-5 continued in US Navy Reserve service throughout the 1940s. This SB2C-5 is pictured whilst on strength of an Illinois reserve unit at NAS Glenview in the summer of 1948. Note the ft.uneless canopy over the

pilot's cockpit variant.

on

this late

This Helldiver, built as an SB2C-5, was one of a batch supplied to the Thai air force in the early 1950s. It was operating from Bangkok in 1955. Some Thai Helldivers were supported by spares from French SB2Cs left in Indo-China after the Dien Bien Phu debacle in 1954.

many other changes. Everyone worked round

the clock to try to

speed the programme, and eventually the first SB2C-1 was completed at Port Columbus in June 1942. The US Navy did not fail to notice that 10 days earlier the fai better Grumman TBF Avenger had gone into action, though its design was begun almost two years later than the bug-ridden

SB2C.

Disappointing results Urgent testing of the

first six

production machines revealed that

many respects they were worse

than the prototype, the great

in

in-

weight (empty weight rose from 3230 kg/7,122 lb to some lb) without change in the engine resulting in an aircraft described at NAS Anacostia as 'extremely sluggish'. But by this time the trickle of production machines was fast building up, and to avoid political scandals some had to be delivered, so US Navy attack squadron VS-9 began to equip with SB2C-ls in December 1942. In fact political scandals had to be accepted; this was wartime, and there seemed to be so many poor or late programmes that the Trumcrease

action

still

painted olive-drab.

The SB2C-1C

in-

use appears to have been made of this. The major to replace the four wing guns by two 20-mm cannon, each with 400 rounds loaded from above the wing. Immediately ahead of the magazines were extra 170-litre (37.4-Imp gal) auxiliary tanks, and at full load the SB2C-1C, the first model to go into action, was inferior in many performance respects to the old SBD, which was far nicer to fly, and safer. truss, but

little

SB2C-1C change was

in

4636 kg/10,220

man Committee on

Program was set up to examine what was going on. This committee finally compiled a damning report on the SB2C, and among other things managed to divert the A-25s to other customers, though many did briefly wear US

Army

where many saw

troduced several armament improvements, including the option of removing the bomb doors and carrying a torpedo on an external

the National Defense

colours.

Subsequently production of the SB2C progressed through the many variants listed separately. Only the original order for 200 applied to the SB2C-1 model, and all of these were retained in the USA for training purposes. The SB2C-1A, which appeared in 1943, was the non-navalised A-25A after transfer to the US Marine Corps,

The lone XSB2C-2, no. 00005, was the only Helldiver seaplane. A conversion of the fifth production SB2C-1 with twin Edo floats and a ventral fin, it flew in September 1942 but never led to a combat-ready machine, the 287 planned production SB2C-2s (nos 03862/04148) being cancelled before any had flown.

Rabaul strike The ing

first

from

action

was flown by a bomber squadron, VB-17, operatHill. The SB2Cs flew the second strike

USS Bunker

November 1943 against the big Japanese base at They were painted in the sea blue and white scheme then common, though by this time aircraft on the line were

mounted on Rabaul,

11

New

Guinea.

being finished figure

in

gloss Midnight Blue, usually with a bold white three-

Modex number on

A welcome

small

the nose.

improvement

in

performance resulted

in

the

SB2C-3 from fitting the more powerful R-2600-20 engine, its extra power being absorbed by an improved Curtiss Electric propeller with four blades and fitted with root cuffs. Towards the end of the war it became common to omit the spinner, though this was often done at unit level. Certainly by 1944, when the SB2C-3 appeared, the Helldiver was well established in service, and at least was becoming operationally

effective, though crashes, inflight break-ups and carrier landing accidents continued at the very top of the 'league

A

line-up of

US Army RA-25A

Helldivers, either serving as utility

hacks and for target towing or abandoned to the elements. Note the crudely overpainted insignia, the camouflaged rudder (possibly a replacement part) and the 'BOX' chalked on the cowlings of several aircraft in the line. Prefix

'/?'

meant

'Restricted'.

Curtiss

SB2C

Helldriver With 'S2C-5' stencilled on its this SB2C-5 was one of the

fin,

first

combat aircraft

to

be

supplied to the post-war Italian Marinavia, serving with 86

Gruppo Antisom fantisommergibli, which means anti-submarine). The 86 unit badge appears on the fin. The tailwheel mount is unusual, and

no hook

To everyone in the US Navy this aircraft was The Beast, though gradually pilots who became experienced on it came to think table'.

this appellation unfair.

Like most wartime programmes, production became a flood after of the tougher fighting had been done, and the SB2C-4, which

most

summer 1944, was the most numerous version of pilot's viewpoint the chief new feature of this model

did not appear until all.

From

the

upper and lower wing flaps were perforated, looking This had virtually no effect on their drag in dive-bombing but did slightly reduce the tremendous tail buffet, which many pilots claimed affected their ability to see the target and aim the dive! Operational effectiveness was considerably increased in this version

was

that both

like a sieve.

by strengthening the wing and providing for the carriage of either two drop tanks, two 227-kg (500-lb) bombs or eight 127-mm (5-in) rockets.

End of the The

final

line

production Helldiver was the SB2C-5, with slightly

in-

creasd internal fuel capacity (an extra 132 litres/29 Imp gal). As listed under Variants, most of the Columbus versions had more or less built by the two Canadian companies. was only too keenly aware of the indifferent qualities of the SB2C, and many years after the war the company president, Guy Vaughan, said it was 'one of the biggest of the wartime crosses we had to bear'. Don Berlin left the company in 1942 to join Fisher Body,

exact counterparts Curtiss

and Blaylock, possibly working with director of engineering G. A. Page Jr, designed the much better-looking SB3C and corresponding US Army A-40. A single-seater, the SB3C was expected to reach 571 km/h (355 mph) even carrying two torpedoes or a heavy internal bomb load, powered by an R-3350; but the two SB3C prototypes

were

cancelled.

After the war Helldivers did not vanish overnight. flying with the

US Navy Reserves and

A few continued

with various test units

until at

used to tow targets. Others were operated in the attack role by the French Aeronavale, the navies of Italy and Portugal and the air forces of Greece and Thailand. French Helldivers played a significant role in the war in Indo-China, which did not collapse until 1954. One cannot blame the SB2C for that. least 1947, often being

JW117 was the Helldiver Mk I used for the ground and air photography sessions at the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, England, in October 1944. Much of its air evaluation was handled by famed test pilot Lieutenant-Commander E. M. 'Winkle' Brown, RN. His opinion was adverse.

28

Curtiss

is fitted.

SB2C-4 Helldiver cutaway drawing key

Curtiss Electric four-bladed constant-speed propeller

29 Rocket projectiles (4. 5-in/ 1 1 43-cm)

Spinner

30 Starboard leading edge slat

Propeller

hub mechanism

Spinner backplate Propeller reduction

gearbox Carburettor intake Intake ducting 8 Warm air filters 9 Engine cowling nng 10 Oil cooler intake 11 Engine cowlings 12 Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone 14 radial engine 13 Cooling air exit louvres 14 Exhaust collector 15 Exhaust pipe fairing 16 Oil cooler 17 Engine accessories 18 Hydraulic pressure

accumulator 19 Boarding step 20 Cabin combustion heater 21 Engine oil tank (25 US gal/ 94 6 litre capacity) 22 Engine bearer struts 23 Hydraulic fluid tank 24 Fireproof engine compartment bulkhead 25 Aerial mast 26 Starboard wing fold hinges 27 Wing fold hydraulic |ack

28 Gun camera

57 Jury strut 58 Wing folded position 59 Fixed bridge section

between cockpits

(open) 31

Slat roller tracks

60 Fuel tank

32 33 34 35 36

Slat operating cables

61

37 38

Starboard navigation

Formation

light

light

Starboard aileron Aileron aluminium top skins Aileron control mechanism Starboard dive brake (open position)

39 Windshield 40 Bullet proof internal windscreen 41

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

52 53 54 55 56

Reflector gunsight Instrument panel shroud Cockpit coaming De-icing fluid tank Instrument panel Pilot's pull-out chart board Rudder pedals Control column Cockpit floor level Engine throttle controls Pilot's seat

Oxygen bottle Safety harness

Armoured seat back Headrest Pilot's sliding cockpit

canopy cover

Fuselage

filler

cap

fuel tank (110

US

2

66

Sliding

canopy

rail

67 Aerial lead-in 68 Radio equipment bay

69 Life raft stowage 70 APG-4 low-level bombing radar

Gunner's forward sliding canopy cover 72 Gun mounting ring 73 Gunner's seat 74 Footrests 75 Ammunition boxes 71

76 Armour plate 77 Wind deflector 78 Twin0.3-in(7.62-mm)

machine-guns

79 Retractable turtle decking 80 Gun rest mounting 81 Folding side panels 82 Upper formation light

83 84 85 86 87

Fin root

fillet

Starboard tailplane Deck handling handhold Fabric-covered elevator

Remote compass

92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101

102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

Fabric skin covering Trim tab Balance tab

Elevator trim tab Elevator construction Tailplane construction Tailplane spar root fixing Deck arrester hook Arrester hook damper Tail navigation light

Tailwheel leg strut Solid tyre taifwheel

28

129 130 Rocket projectiles 1 1 43-cm)

Gunner's

Wing

floor level

root trailing

edge

Rear spar centre section fixing

Wing walkway

113 Port upper surface

flap dive

brake 114 Rear spar hinge joint

115 Split trailing edge 116 Balance tab

117 Aileron hinge control 118 Aileron trim tab

119 Lower surface

flaps

fabric

Wing tip construction

Droptank(58USgal/219 5 litre

skinning

120 Wing rib construction 121

(4 5

132 Wing fold joint line 133 Main undercarriage leg fairing doors 134 Drag strut 135 Port mainwheel 136 Shock absorber leg strut 137 20-mm wing cannon 138 Cannon barrel fairing 139 Undercarriage leg pivot mounting 140 Wing fold spar hinge loint 141 Cannon ammunition box 142 Auxiliary fuel tank (45 US gal 170 lure capacity) 143 Fuelfillercap 144 Centre section fuel tank (105 US gal/397 5 litre

90 Sternpost 91 Rudder construction

Tailfin

1

Tailplane control cables Lifting bar

transmitter construction 89 Aerial cable

88

125 126 127

undercarriage operationl Slatnblets Slat operating cables Mam spar Leading edge nose ribs 500-lb (226 8-kg) bomb

131

110 Aft end of bomb bay

1 1

122 Port navigation light 123 Pitottube 1 24 Automatic leading edge slat (opens with

Leg fairing Rear fuselage frames

fillet

111

3

i

capacityl

)

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver variants XSB2C-1: single prototype (BuNo 1758) with R-2600-8. several limes rebuilt or modified first production version, total 200. first block to receive the now 1 940 scheme of Assigned Serial Numbers (0000 1 '00200) SB2C-1A: designation applied to A-2SA subsequently used again for 4 1 ex-USAAF SB2C-1:

A-25A for US Marine Corps A 25AShrlk»: US Army version of SB2C-! with various changes, total 900. of which 4 1 to US Marine Corps. 270 to US Navy and 1 to R AAF SBF- 1 Fairchild-built SB2C- 1 total 50 SBW-1: CCF-built SB2C-1 total 38 SBW- 1 B CCF -built Lond-Lease aircraft of SB2C- 1 C standard for the UK. total 28 of which 26 delivered (see next entry) H.lldiv.r Mk Fleet Air Arm SBW- 1 B. 26 delivered as J W1 00/ 1 25. most to No 820 Sqn but rejected for operational use SB2C-1C: first version with 20-mm wing guns. total 778 XSB2C-2: single aircraft (00005) tested September 1942withtwin Edofloats. intended :

,

.

:

I

:

1

as reconnaissance bomber SB2C-3: improved model with 1 .900-hp (1417kW) R-2600-20. four-blade propeller and fitted

1

with APG--1

1

li

system

(also retrofitted to

total 1.1

12

SBF-3:

fairchild-built

SBW-3:

m. my other vei

SB2C

3; totdl

150

CCF-built SB2C-3. total 4 1

SB2C-3E: SB2C-3 aircraft fitted with APS-4 3-cm radar, over 180 SB2C-4: wing hardpoints for two 500-lb (227 bombs or eight 5-in 1 27-mm) rockets.

kg)

(

I"

H

.i.iIi'iUmiiii ll.ip

changes;

total

III, 'I'l.lt,

|'

|.

I

2.045

SB2C-4E: SB2C-4 i.i.i.

nul,

aircraft fitted

with APS-4

ii

SBF-4E:

fairchild-built

SB2C-4E.

SBW 4E: CCF-built SB2C-4L SB2C-S

nii|ii,,\c,,l.

in

100 270

total

total

.

ih.

and other minor changes total 970 from February 945 (BuNo 83 28 onwards) and internal fuel

,

1

.'

',011, .in,

1

i>lli
SBW-5: CCF-built SB2C-5. total 85. 165 cancelled XSB2C-6: two SB2C-3S (BuNos 1 8620/1 862 1 completely rebuilt as longer aircraft with increased fuel capacity and 2. 00-hp 1 566-kW) 1

Pratt

(

& Whitnoy R-2800-2B Double Wasp

engines

capacity)

145 Front spar 'fuselage attachment |oint 146 Main undercarriage wheel well

147 Retractable catapult strop 148 Approach light 149 Bomb doors (open) 150 Bomb door hydraulic jack 151 Displacement gear jack 152 H-type bomb displacement

arm 1

53

1

.000-lb (453 6-kg)

bomb

29

__

..

^ 224558

-r

-r

O

k

'

Superfortress No

other aircraft ever combined so many technological advances as the B-29. Designed for a specific strategic task, it later spawned the double-deck Stratocruiser airliner, the KC-97 tanker/transport and laid the foundations for the super-successful Boeing airliner series. It also provided the Soviet Union with the starting block for the entire Tupolev heavy aircraft lineage. is probable that a detailed analysis of the Soviet 'Blackjack' swing-wing bomber of the 1980s would unearth design features that can be traced right back to the B-29. And the Boeing B-29

It

more than three years before the USA entered World War II, in October 1938. In one of his last acts before he was killed in a crash at Burbank the US Army Air Corps Chief of Staff, General Oscar Westover, had officially established a requirement for a new super-bomber to succeed the Boeing B-17, at a time when the B-17 itself was being denied funds by the Congress. Despite a totally negative reaction from the War Department, procurement chief General Oliver Echols never gave up in his fight to keep the super-bomber alive, and it had the backing of 'Hap' Arnold, Westover's successor. The bomber was to be pressurised to fly Superfortress was started

Dave's Dream was built as B-29-40-MO 44-27354, but it is pictured here with Major W. P. Swancutt in command, heading for Bikini Atoll on 1 July 1946, where the modified aircraft dropped the first post-war nuclear weapon. The 509th Composite Group named the aircraft for

bombardier Dave Semple, killed

in

a B-29.

very fast at high altitude: the figures for speed (628 km/h; 390 mph), range (8582 km; 5,333 miles) and military load were staggering. At the Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle there was, at least, experience of large pressurised aircraft, unlike all other companies, but

seemed no way to reconcile the conflicting factors. For most of 1939 the answer seemed to be to fit Pratt & Whitney's slim sleevevalve liquid-cooled engines inside the wing, but newly hired George Schairer soon pointed out that as the biggest drag item was the wing, the best course was to make the wing as small as possible and not try to put engines inside it. (Thus began a basic philosophy which saw sharp contrast between the Boeing B-47 and the British V-bombers, and has continued to today's Boeing Models 757 and 767.) How does one pressurise a fuselage containing enormous bomb doors? The answer here was to make the colossal bomb bays unpressurised and link the front and rear pressure cabins by a sealed tunnel. Chief engineer Wellwood Beall was first to crawl through the mock-up tunthere

nel in January 1940.

By March 1940

the

demands had increased,

including 7258 kg

31

Boeing B-29 Superfortress Boeing B-29 Superfortress cutaway drawing key bombs for short-range

powered

and far more protection including armour and self-sealing tanks. Weight had already leapt in stages from 21773 to 38556 kg (48,000 to 85,000 lb), and with the fresh demands the design finally rounded out 2 at a daunting 54432 kg (120,000 lb). With just 161.55 m (1,739 sq ft) 2 of wing, the wing loading was going to be 336.9 kg/m (69 lb/sq ft), about double the figure universally taken in 1940 as the desirable limit. Test pilot Eddie Allen was happy that the Boeing Model 345 would be flyable (just) if it had the biggest and most powerful high-lift flaps ever thought of, to reduce take-off and landing speeds to about 257 km/h (160 mph), which was about double the equivalent speed of such familiar machines as the B-17 and Supermarine Spitfire. (16,000

lb)

of

missions,

turrets,

1

Temperature probe

2

Nose glazing

3 Optically panel

USAAC

5 Windscreen panels

11

strut

15 16 17 18 19

22

mechanisms from freezing at far over 9145 m (30,000 ft), which Boeing was confident the aircraft could reach. The intense wing loading was all against the designers, but using four monster Wright R-3350 Duplex Cyclones each with not one but two of General Electric's best turbochargers and driving 5.05-m (16-ft 7-in) Hamilton Standard four-blade propellers, the propulsion was equal to the task. Behind the nose section were two giant bomb bays, from which an electric sequencing system released bombs alternately from front and rear to preserve the centre of gravity position. Between the two bays was a ring forming the structural heart of the aircraft and integral with the main wing box, the strongest aircraft part built up to that time. On the wing were four monster nacelles, which Schairer showed to have less drag than engines buried in a bigger wing. After four main gears had been studied, a way was found to fold simple two-wheel gears into the inboard nacelles. Fowler flaps were screwed out electrically to add 21 per cent to area of the wing, fight2 ing a wing loading which by September 1940 reached 351.1 kg/m 2 (71.9 lb/sq ft) and climbed to a frightening 396 kg/m (81.1 lb/sq ft) by the time of the first combat mission. Behind the wing the rear pressure cabin had three sighting stations linked to two upper and two lower turrets, each with twin ,

12.7-mm

(0.5-in)

machine-guns. The electric

fire

control

Pilot's seat

12 Side console panel 13 Cockpit heating duct 14 Nose undercarriage leg

21

As the the BEF was rescued from the beaches at Dunkirk the new bomber was designated the B-29, and in August the US Army Air Corps provided funds for two (later three) prototypes. Work was rushed ahead, but nobody knew how to stop guns and propeller

bomb aiming

6 Forward gunsight 7 Bombardier's seat 8 Pilot's instrument console 9 Control column 10 Co-pilot's seat

20

Funds from

flat

4 Bombsight

23 24 25

Steering control

Twin nosewheels Retraction struts

Nosewheel doors Underfloor control cable runs

back armour engineer s station Forward upper gun turret. four0.5-in (12.7-mm) machine-guns. 500 rpg Radio operator's station Charitable Navigator's instrument Pilot's

Flight

rack

26 Fire extinguisher bottle 27 Forward lower gun turret.

two0

5-in(12

7-mm)

machine-guns, 500 rpg 28 Ventral aerial 29 Navigator's seat 30 Hydraulic system servicing point

Access ladder 32 Forward cabin 31

rear

pressure bulkhead

33 Armoured bulkhead 34 Pressurised tunnel connecting front and

rear

cabins

35 Astrodome observation hatch

36 Forward bomb racks 37 Bomb hoisting winches 38 Catwalk

was

One

of very few surviving pictures of 'parasiting', this photograph was taken during trials in 1949-51 to see if a bomber really could tow fighters over long ranges. ETB-29A-60 44-62093 was much modified for Project Tom Tom, towing F-84D-1 Thunderjets 48-641 and 48-661. Another B-29 carried the XF-85 Goblin.

Boeing B-29 variants XB-29: Boeing Model 345 prototypes 141-002. 41-003 and 41-183351 YB-29: service-test aircraft with armament (41-36954/36967). total 14 B-29: mam production by BW (Boeing Wichita), BA (Bell Airplane) and MO IMartin Omaha) total 1 620 BW. 357 BA and 204 MO B-29A: span 43 36 m (142 ft 3 in). R-3350-57 or -59 engines, and four-gun forward upper turret built at Boeing Renton IBN), total 1,119 F-13A: conversions as strategic reconnaissance aircraft with large camera installations and long-range tanks, total 117

RB-29A: redesignation in 1948 of F-13A TB-29A: conversions as crew trainers ETB-29A: TB-29A modified for parasite attachments

of F-84 jet fighters at wingtips (44-62093) turret, built by Bell (BAl. total 311

B-29B: R-3350-51 engines, defensive armament removed except tail EB-29B: conversion to launch XF-85 Goblin parasite jet from trapeze B-29D: ex-XB-44. later became B-50

(44-84111)

!

«

XB-29E: conversion B-29F:

H

to test different electronic defensive fire-control Arctic conversions of six aircraft

XB-29G: conversion (44-84043) to test experimental turboiets in pod extended below bomb bay XB-29H: conversion of B-29A for different defensive armament YB-29 J: conversions (sixl to test commercial R-3350 powerplants RB-29J: conversions (two YB-29J) as multi-sensor reconnaissance aircraft; also called FB-29J YKB-29J: conversions (two YB-29J) for tests of Boeing Flying Boom inflight-refuelling system CB-29K: conversion to military cargo aircraft B-29L: original designation of B-29MR KB-29M: ma|or programme of rebuilds as inflight-refuelling tankers 192) with British looped hose

MtO

method

B-29MR:

ft conversions (74) as receivers to

link

with inflight-refuelling hose

KB-29P: maior programme of conversions (116) as inflight-refuelling tankers with Flying Boom YKB-29T: single conversion of KB-29M (45-21734) as triple-point tanker DB-29: various conversions as drone and target directors GB-29: conversions to launch the XS-1. X-1. X-2 and X-3 supersonic research aircraft

for

SAC

86,

ex-US AAF B-29As were supplied to the RAF to meet the UK's long-range bombing Eighty-eight

requirements of the 1950s; the were known as 'Washingtons'. An aircraft of No.

aircraft

90 Sqn based at Marham, Norfolk, is shown. This squadron won the Sassoon and Laurence Minot trophies for visual

bombing and gunnery,

in 1952.

,o^

83

77

,^5K"L7v.

*"1»°

**^H* 100

115

61

Flap

rib

construction

62 Inboard nacelle tail fairing 63 Life raft stowage 64 Wing panel centreline joint 65 Wing/fuselage attachment

mainframes

1.333-US gal (5046

valve

aerials

46

litres)

69 Cabin heater 70 Pressunsation control

43 Starboard main undercarriage wheel bay 44 Wing inboard fuel tanks. 1. 41 5-US gal (5356 litres) 45 Starboard inner engine

Fuselage framing 72 Rear bomb bay. 4x200071

Ib

bombs shown

73 Bomb rack 74 Access door 75 Rear cabin front pressure bulkhead 76 Radio aerial mast 77 Uppergun turret sighting

nacelle Intercooler exhaust flap

47 Engmecoolingairoutlet flaps

48 Eng'ne cowling panels

hatch

78 Uppergunner'sseat 79 Remote gun controller 80 Radio and electronics racks 81 Uppergunturret.two0.5in (1 2.7-mm) machineguns. 500 rpg 82 Rear pressure bulkhead 83 Fin root fillet 84 Starboard tailplane 85 Starboard elevator 86 Leading edge de-icing

.127

101

icingboot Tailplane construction

102 Fm/tailplane attachment joints

103

66 Pressunsation ducting 67 Heat exchanger 68 Centre section fuel tank.

39 Bomb rack mounting beam 40 Pressurised tunnel internal crawlway 41 D/Floopaenal 42 Radio communications

100 Tailplane leading edge de-

boots

Tail turret ammunition boxes 104 Retractable tail bumper 105 Oxygen bottles 106 APU fuel tank 107 Rear ventral turret, two 0.5-in (1 2 7-mm) machineguns. 500 rpg 108 Auxiliary power unit (APU) 109 Oblique camera 1 10 Vertical camera 111 Crew entry door 112 Batteries 113 Pressure bulkhead access door 1 14 Crew rest bunks 115 Toilet 116 Radio communications

tuning units

117 Remote gunsight 118 Gun aiming blister 119 Gunner's seat, port and starboard

120 Voltage regulator 121 Bomb door hydraulic lacks 122 Rear bomb bay doors 123 Port Fowler flap 124 Flap shroud ribs 125 Rearspar 126 Outer wing panel joint 127 Aileron tab 128 Fabric covered aileron construction

129 Wing tip fairing 130 Port navigation

128

1-29: conversions to remotely piloted target vehicles 29: conversions as ASR (air/sea rescue) platforms with British airborne lifeboat -29: weather reconnaissance aircraft with various air sampling systems 1-39: conversion of YB-29 with four Allison V-3420 double liquid-cooled engines 3-44: conversion with 2238-kW (3.000-hpi Wasp Major R-4360-33 engines, became B-29D IB-1: conversions (fourl for US Navy patrol duty, later rebuilt as P2B-1S radar picket IAEW) forms and P2B-2S carrier aircraft for D-558-II Skyrocket, with one transferred to NACA for research 50A: f -eduction version of B-29D with new wing material, tall vertical tail and reversible propellers,

129

'-50B: conversions as strategic reconnaissance ks; total

definitive

Mr turret

bladed constant-speed propellors. 16 ft 7 in diameter

of next-generation

bomber with frameless

etc. total

50 nose. 2650-litre 1583-lmp

gal)

1-50D: conversion to launch vehicles in Bell XB-63 Rascal programme I-50D: conversion as prototype of later tankers -50D: conversions (11) as unarmed crew trainers 3-50D: conversions (36I as weather reconnaissance platforms I-50E: conversions of RB-50B with new sensors, total 14 50F: conversions la different 14) with SHORAN navigation radar ;-50G: conversions 1151 with air/ground mapping radar, new navaids and B-50D-type nose -50H: new-build programme of unarmed crew trainers, total 24 3-50H: weather conversion of TB-50H I-50J: maior conversion programme for inflight-refuelling tankers with flight refuelling A-12B hose im unit at wmgtips and in rear fuselage, plus extra tankage and new observation stations, rebuilds by yes Aircraft which then added 2631-kg 15.800-lb) thrust General Electric J47-23 booster jet pods ter the outer wings, conversions of all RB-50E, RB-50F and RB-50G plus seven B-50D aircraft I-50K: conversions to KB-50J standard of all TB-50Hs

hub pitch change

mechanism

underwing tanks, new forward

222

Propeller

Starboard outer engine nacelle 52 Exhaust stub 53 Wing outboard fuel tanks. 1.320 US gal (4991 litres) 51

maximum internal fuel load 9363-US gal

including

bomb bay 54 Wing bottom skin stringers 55 Leading edge de-icing boots 56 Starboard navigation light 57 Fabric-covered aileron 58 Aileron tab 59 Flap guide rails 60 Starboard Fowler-type flap ferry tanks

stringers ribs

Front spar

Mam undercarriage leg strut

49 Hamilton Standard 4-

with 2650-litre (583-lmp gall underwing

44

I-50C: olanned prototype 54: not completed

SOD:

aircraft

Outer wing panel

141

130

50A: conversions (11) as crew trainers SOB: increased gross weight and modified systems, total 45 -50B: conversion to test tandem ('bicycle') landing gear for B-47

Wing

132 133 134 135

Leading edge nose ribs Leading edge de-icing boots 136 Port wing fuel tank bays 137 Engine nacelle firewall 138 Nacelle construction 1 39 Engine mounting frame 140 Twinmainwheels

"

al79

light

131

87 Tailfin construction 88 HF aerial cable 89 Fin tip fairing 90 Fabric covered rudder construction 91 Ruddertab 92 Pressurised

tail

gunners

compartment 93 Armoured glass window panels

94 Tail gun camera 95 20-mm cannon. 100 rounds

96 Twin 0-5-in(1 2.7-mm) machine guns. 500 rpg 97 Remotely controlled ball turret

98 Elevator tab 99 Port fabric covered elevator construction

142 Mainwheel leg pivot mounting 143 Port mainwheel bay 144 Hydraulic retraction jack 145 Nacelle tail fairing 146 Self-sealing oil tank. 85 US gal (322 litres)

147 148 149 150 151

Hydraulic reservoir

Mainwheel doors Exhaust stub Exhaust driven turbosupercharger Intercooler

152 Engine cooling air exit flaps 153 Exhaust collector ring 154 Wright Cyclone R-335057A. 18-cylinder. two-row radial engine 155 Engine intake ducting 156 Forward bomb baydoors 157 20x500-lb(227kg)

bombs, maximum bomb load 20.000-lb (9072 kg)

33

1

Allocated to the 500th Bomb Croup of the 73rd Bomb Wing (Very Heavy), 20th Air Force, this B-29 Superfortress operated from the island bases in the Marianas group. Operating by night and at low altitude, the Superfortress fleets dumped tons of incendiaries on the highly combustible cities of Japan, so reducing them to ash.

Specification Boeing B-29 Superfortress Type: 10-seat long-range strategic bomber/reconnaissance aircraft Powerplant: four 1641-kW (2,200-hp) Wright R-3350-23-23A/-41 Cyclone turbocharged

radial piston

Performance: maximum speed 576 km/h speed 370 km/h (230 mph); service

cruising

5230

m

m

(358 mph) at 7620 (25,000 ft), ceiling 9710 (31,850 ft); range

m

(3,250 miles)

Weights: empty 31815 kg (124,000

(70,140

lb);

maximum

take-off

56245 kg

1b)

Dimensions: span 43.05

m

18

engines

m

(141

ft

3

in);

length 30.18

m

(99

ft

in),

height

wing area 161.27 m 2 (1,736 sq ft) Armament: two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns each of four remotely-controlled power-operated turrets, and three 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns or two 12.7-mm (0.5in) guns and one 20-mm cannon in the tail turret, plus a bomb load of up to 9072 kg (20,000 lb)

9.02

(29

ft

7

in);

^^ 1^-—

34

I

—

KlHMIM milUITI

35

Together with Consolidated C-87s and other modified B-24s, the B-29 was pressed into service as a tanker to bring to Chinese B-29 airbases the fuel needed for

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

the missions over Japan.

Many

were permanently modified as tankers, an example being B-29-1-BW 42-6242, one of the first production block, which served with the 486th BG.

normally set so that the top station controlled either or both of the upper turrets, the side stations the lower rear turret, and the bombardier the forward lower turret, but control could be overridden or

switched (because gunners could be knocked out in action). In the extreme tail was another gunner driving a turret with two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns and a 20-mm cannon. In any case, over 2,000 B-29s were to be built before this turret could

come

into production,

because immediately after Pearl Harbor

programme was organised, involving vast new plants across the nation. Major parts were made in over 60 new factories, the enormous nacelles, each as big as a P-47, coming from a new Cleveland facility operated by the Fisher Body Division of General Motors. Final assembly was organised at three of the a colossal manufacturing

world's largest buildings, Boeing at Wichita, Martin at Bell at Marietta (today the

same

building houses the

Omaha and Lockheed-

Georgia Company). Later yet another line was set up at Boeing Renton. All this had been organised before the olive-drab XB-29 (41002) had even flown, but from the first flight, on 21 September 1942 (initially

using three-blade propellers),

going to be a winner.

It

it

was

clear that the

B-29 was

could so easily have been what test pilots

then called 'a dog'; and one of the firms delegated to build B-29s was convinced Boeing's figures were far too optimistic and that the whole programme was a giant mistake. What made the B-29, by 1942 named Superfortress, now vitally important was that it was obviously going to be the only aircraft with the range to attack Japan. To say that the good results of ship 41-002 were a relief would be an understatement. Far more money (three billion dollars) had been invested in the B-29 programme long before its wheels left the ground than in any other project in the history of any nation. At the same time the technical snags were severe, and multiplied. Many, such as powerplant fires and runaway propellers, were highly dangerous, and three months into the flight programme the prototypes had logged just 31 of the 180 hours scheduled. Even when the Superfortresses trickled and then poured off the lines, they were so complex that nobody in uniform fully understood

The very first Superfortress was XB-29 no. 41-002, design of which took place in 1939-40, ready for a first flight on 21 September 1942. Olive-drab and grey, it had three-blade propellers, no defensive turret system and numerous details which were later altered, yet the basic airframe was almost identical to production B-29s.

them. All went to a modification centre at Salina, Kansas, where over 9,900 faults in the first 175, urgently needed for the new 20th Bomb Wing, were bulldozed right by a task force of 600 men in 'The Battle of Kansas'. Sheer manpower and the USA's mighty industrial power forced the obstacles out of the way, and the B-29s not only began racking up the hours but their baffled crews gradually learned how to manage them, how to fly straight and level in a goldfish bowl without continuously using instruments, and above all how to get something faintly resembling the published range with heavy bombloads. Air miles per pound of fuel were improved by exactly 100 per cent between January and March 1944. And the complex systems grew reliable in the ultra-cold of 10060 m (33,000 ft). On 5 June 1944 the first combat mission was flown from Kharagpur, India, to Bangkok; the worst problem was an unexpected tropical storm. On 15 June the first of the raids on Japan was mounted, from Chengtu (one of many newly bulldozed B-29 strips in China) to the Yawata steel works. The specially created 20th Air Force grew in muscle, and in October 1944 the first B-29s arrived on newly laid runways on the Marianas islands of Tinian, Saipan and Guam, just taken from the enemy. Swiftly the numbers grew as the mighty plants back home poured out B-29s and B-29As with 0.3 m (12 in) more span and the four-gun front turret, while Bell added 311 B-29Bs with all armament stripped except that in the tail, making a considerable difference in reduced weight and complexity. The B-29B was made possible by the patchy fighter opposition, and many Superfortresses were similarly stripped

~

36

_

the

field.

winds. This policy, totally at variance with the idea of high-altitude day formations, resulted in the greatest firestorms the world has ever seen, and the biggest casualties ever caused by air attack. They were far greater than the 75,000 of Hiroshima, hit by the 20-kiloton 'Little Boy' atom bomb dropped on 6 August 1945 from Colonel Paul Tibbetts' B-29 Enola Gay, or the 35,000 of Nagasaki hit by the 20kiloton 'Fat Man' dropped on 9 August from Bock's Car. The war ended five days later.

Many

i

in

Moreover, the commander of the XXI Bomber Command, MajorGene ral Curtis LeMay, boldly decided to bomb Tokyo by night from low level, with a full load of incendiaries. There were many reasons for this, but the chief ones were that it promised much greater bombloads and the elimination of bombing errors attributable to Jetstream

modifications

Only by the incredibly bold decision to go into the biggest multicompany production programme ever organised long before the first flight, did the B-29 manage to make so large a contribution to World War II. By VJ Day more than 2,000 were actually with combat crews, and though 5,000-plus were cancelled days later the manufacturing programme was slowed progressively, and did not close until May 1946, by which time 3,960 B-29s had been built. Hundreds were modified for different tasks, and many were launched on new careers as air/sea rescue aircraft, turbojet test-beds or tankers, which kept them busy for another decade or more. Back in 1942 Boeing had begun to work on the Model 367 transport version with a much larger upper lobe to a 'double bubble' fuselage, the first XC-97 flying on 15 November 1944. Various improved bomber versions were cancelled but the B-29D, with new engines, was continued and

With almost 4,000 examples to the B-29 was used in the post-war era for countless tasks, some of which may never get on the published record. B-29A-70-BN 44-62260 flew on clandestine missions over

draw from,

Manchuria in the Korean War.

A

last

year of the

feature of the B-29's gun the use of

armament was

remotely-controlled turrets, periscopically sighted by gunners located within the fuselage. The aircraft illustrated, carrying BTO (bombing through overcast) radar, was based on Tinian for the final heavy raids on

Japan

in 1945.

became the B-50. A B-29A (42-093845) was flown with the 28-cylmder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engine in early 1944 as the XB-44, and the 2238-kW (3,000-hp) engine made such a difference that other changes were made, including a wing made of 75ST aluminium alloy

much greater strength

with 295 kg (650 lb) less weight, and a There were many systems changes, and the propellers were made reversible. The new bomber, the B-29D, went into production at Renton in July 1945. Manufacture continued, at a reduced pace, with the changed designation B-50. The first production B-50A finally emerged in June 1947, and Boeing built 79, followed by 45 strengthened B-50Bs (all but one being rebuilt as unarmed RB-50B reconnaissance aircraft with 2650-litre (583-Imp gal) underwing tanks), 222 of the definitive B-50D and finally 24 TB-50H crew trainers. giving

taller vertical tail.

hundreds of B-29s kept flying, almost all modified for different roles but including 88 ordinary B-29 bombers handed to the RAF and used as the Boeing Washington by Bomber Command's Nos 15, 35, 44, 57, 90, 115, 149 and 207 Squadrons. In the USAF the jet-assisted KB-50J went on tanking until the last pair were struck off charge in Vietnam in 1963. But this is not really the end of the story. Back in 1943 Josef Stalin began a major campaign to get B-29s. He never succeeded, and work began on a Soviet copy, though smaller and without the complex armament. Then out of the blue, on 29 July 1944, a B-29 made an emergency landing in the Soviet Union near In the 1950s

Two more arrived later (one of them was the General H. H. Arnold Special, the 175th to be built and

Vladivostok after bombing Japan.

Though three RAF Meteors had been refuelled by a triple-point KB-29 years earlier, this test near Eglin AFB was the first by a triple-point KB-50D, in 1956. Aircraft 48-123, formerly a B-50D-105, was later boosted with underwing jet pods to become a KB-50J. The receiver aircraft were F-100Cs of TAC from Foster AFB.

picked out on the Wichita

"This first

is

by the

USAAF chief of staff, who

said

want as soon as you can build it; it will complete our Group"), and within weeks they were all being carefully

the one

Bomb

line

I

taken apart. In an operation without parallel, the Russian technicians studied every part of the B-29 to the extent of preparing their own production drawings, establishing material specifications, manufac-

The vast Tupolev bureau finally went into production, trying to short-cut some areas by buying tyres and brakes in the USA. These purchases did not sucturing tolerances and production procedures.

make the US government believe the previously rumours of what the Soviets were doing. First the Tupolev bureau built much simpler aircraft, the bigbodied Tu-70 and Tu-75 transports, both of which incorporated the complete wing and many other parts of the 'captured' B-29s. The Tu-70 flew on 27 November 1946. On Aviation Day, 3 August 1947, three Soviet copies of the B-29, designated Tu-4 by the VVS (air force), thundered over Moscow. They were followed by over 300 others. Like the B-29 four years earlier, the Tu-4 test programme in 1947-9 was marked by plenty of problems, but the Tu-4 eventually matured and not only comprised the core of a formidable nuclear strike force but, to a far greater extent than the B-29 itself, led to versions of much greater power and capability including the Tu-80 and Tu-85 which represented the all-time pinnacle of piston-engine bomber development to the traditional formula. Very considerable amounts of B-29 technology were carried straight across to the Tu-88 (Tu-16 'Badger') and Tu-95 (Tu-20'Bear'), and small features ceed, but they did incredible

can no doubt be distinguished

in

today's

Tu-22M

'Backfire'.

Externally indistinguishable from the B-29, the Tupolev Tu-4 made its public debut at the 1947 Soviet Aviation Day held at Tushino, Moscow. This photograph of the original aircraft was taken in 1983 at Monino, which was closed to the public shortly afterwards.

37

Heinkel

He 115

Within a few months of its first flight in 1938, the He 115 had captured eight world speed records. Its remarkable performance, for a seaplane of the day, made it an obvious candidate for Hitler's newly-founded Luftwaffe Seeflieger and a year later the aircraft went to war as a torpedo bomber. Rapidly overtaken by progress, perhaps the He 115's greatest claim to fame is that it managed to serve with Germany, Britain and neutral Sweden.

World War

was the

which twin-float seaplanes played a significant part. Of dozens of types used, the biggest and most powerful seaplane used in quantity was the Heinkel He 115. What makes its story even more fascinating is that it saw service not II

Germany but RAF.

only with British

This

is

last conflict in

also with

Norway, Sweden, Finland and the

despite the fact that the

He

115 was, like

many

con-

Though designed as a wartorpedo and bombing missions,

temporaries, obsolescent from the start. plane to

fly

not only patrol but also

was always too slow and ill-defended to have any chance against fighters. This was far from obvious when the requirement for a new See-Mehrzweckeflugzeug was issued in July 1935. In early 1938 prototypes of the He 115 proved superior to the rival Ha 140, and Heinkel was awarded the first of several production contracts. These were ultimately to total 138 aircraft, of which 76 were built by the 115

Flugzeugbau 'Weser'.

The He

115

VI made

August 1937. A conventional had a slim fuselage, mid-mounted

its first flight in

all-metal stressed-skin machine,

it

wing with a rectangular centre-section and sharply tapered outer 132K engines (derived from the Pratt & Whitney Hornet) each rated at 715 kW (960 hp), and singlestep floats each attached by tandem struts and multiple bracing wires. The wings had simple slotted flaps, the tailplane was fixed and there were large trim tabs on all control surfaces. The fuselage was arranged to accommodate a crew of three. The pilot's cockpit was above the wing leading edge, covered by a sliding canopy. In the glazed nose was a seat for the observer who also had a bombsight and, in an upper cupola, an 15 machine-gun. Above the trailing 15 edge was the cockpit for the radio operator, who also had an for upper rear defence. The fuselage beneath the wing was designed as an internal weapons bay, able to accommodate an 800-kg (1,763lb) torpedo or three SC250 1250-kg (550-lb) bombs. panels, braced tailplane, twin

BMW

MG

MG

Displaying the distinctive wing shape of the earlier Heinkel 70, a Heinkel He 115B taxis in Norwegian waters. Despite a certain amount of obsolescence, the type proved to be particularly tough, especially in rough seas, and was also able to sustain a great deal of combat damage. Water and flight handling were excellent, as was its speed.

Heinkel He 115

The first prototype flew in August 1938, and to publicise the type was later prepared with a streamlined nosecone and additional fuel for recordbreaking. In this configuration it established several float seaplane records for speed with load over various distances on 20 March 1938.

Altogether the

He

115

showed

itself to

be extremely strong, to

handle well and to have no significant shortcomings. In

by which time the 115 had been picked

March

1938,

for the Luftwaffe Seeflieger,

the prototype was modified with streamlined fairings over the nose and dorsal cockpits and given greater fuel capacity, and used to gain world records for speed with load, covering closed circuits of up to 2000 km (1,242 miles) with payloads up to 2000 kg (4,410 lb) at an average speed of 328 km/h (203 mph). By this time two further prototypes had flown, the V3 being almost representative of the production aircraft The outer wings had more taper on the leading edge and less on the trailing edge, the nose was lengthened and made more streamlined with a gun cupola on the nose, and the pilot's cockpit was joined to that of the radio operator by a continuous 'greenhouse'. The radio operator was provided with a simple control column and pedals with which it was hoped he could bring the aircraft back should the pilot be incapacitated. In 1938 two export orders were received: six He 115s for Norway and 12 for Sweden. These were built almost to the same standard as the He 115A-1 which went into production for the Luftwaffe in January 1939. The A-l closely resembled the V3 prototype, with the addition of underwing racks for two further SC250 bombs. Delivery to the first Kustenfliegerstaffel, 1/KiiFlGr 106, began with the outbreak of war, but Heinkel's Marienehe plant terminated production at the 62nd aircraft at the start of 1940. This total comprised 10 preproduction A-Os, 18 export aircraft (called A-2s and differing in radio, guns and other equipment) and 34 A-l and A-3 seaplanes for the Luftwaffe. The A-3s had improved radio and weapon-release equipment. All subsequent production was handled by 'Weser' at Einswarden, starting with 10 B-Os with increased fuel capacity. By 1940 the B-l was in production, with various Rtistsatze (conversion kits) for bombing, minelaying (for example), carrying two 500-kg (1,100-lb) bombs, LMAIII mines or a single monster LMB III of 920-kg (2,028lb) or photo-reconnaissance. The last 18 B-series were completed as B-2s with reinforced floats fitted with steel skate-like runners for operation from ice or compacted snow. This was oftert to prove a considerable operational advantage, though pilots had to devise a mild rocking technique, by opening and closing the throttles, to unstick the floats if they were frozen in. .

The V1's record-breaking flight led to the First export order from Norway, which purchased six for the Marinens Flyvevaben. Three of these He 115A-2s were successful in escaping to Britain after the invasion, together with one captured German aircraft. They were converted for clandestine operations for the RAF.

Production by 'Weser' was completed with various sub-types of He 115C. This basically resembled the B-series but introduced heavier armament. It had been apparent for some time that two 15s was not adequate defensive firepower for a large aircraft with a

MG

km/h (167 mph). In early 1940 the V5 prototype was tested with a 20-mm FF cannon aimed by hand from the nose, and one might have thought this, plus a similar cannon aimed by the radio operator, could have provided the answer. What actually happened was that the He 115C-1 went into production with cruising speed of about 270

MG

MG

MG

151715 fixed under the nose to fire ahead, and two 17 machine-guns were added in the engine nacelles firing directly to the rear. The forward-firing gun was a high-velocity weapon with excellent ballistics, but to be effective the big floatplane had to be flown

an

like a fighter. It

was

virtually useless for defence.

guns, these could not be aimed at

As for the aft-firing

and (assuming an attacking fighter knew of their presence) were relatively easy to evade. The C-2 had the ice/snow skids, the C-3 was a specialised minelayer, and the C-4 was an Arctic-equipped torpedo carrier with no forwardfiring

all,

armament.

Up-gunning

in

wartime

During their active careers,

were almost

all

fitted

with the

in

1942, surviving

He

115s of

all

kinds

MG 81Z twin machine-gun package in

MG

15 in the radio operator's cockpit. This was a neater and very much faster-firing installation which did go some way to improving defensive firepower. Some aircraft, and possibly most, 151/20 under the nose, in a were retrofitted with a powerful prominent box which also housed the ammunition. The gun was carried on the left side and caused a noticeable nose-down pull to the left 15 was retained. when fired. The original nose place of the

MG

MG

In late 1939, Heinkel stopped production of the He 115, all the tooling being moved to Einswarden for the 'Weser' Flugzeugbau factory. The new production model was the He 115B, incorporating greater structural strength and more fuel. This is a He 115B-1 on pre-delivery trials in

early 1940.

— An He

115B-2 of l./KUFIGr 406, operating in Norway. During winter a white distemper was applied to the normal splinter

scheme to camouflage the aircraft in snow conditions. Note the ship

kill

marks on the

fin.

K6+PH' was an He

115C-1

serving with 1./KuFIGr 406 during 1942, when the unit was involved in attacking convoys taking equipment from Britain to the Soviet Union via the North Cape route.

i-4

He

115C-1 of 3./KuFIGr 106 (code M2) shows the original 15-mm installation in the nose. Night minelaying operations were undertaken by the He 115 in British waters, and for this reason they were hastily applied with black paint to mask the light grey

This

MG

151

cannon

undersides, national insignia and white code

There was one attempt

,'

4

letter.

to increase flight performance,

which had

progressively deteriorated as a result of the increased weight of fuel, weapons and equipment of successive versions. In 1939 Heinkel had

proposed an improved He 115 fitted with much more powerful engines, and this materialised in 1940 when an ex-Luftwaffe aircraft was returned to Marienehe and considerably modified. The structure was locally strengthened to accept bigger engines and increased gross weights, and two 1194-kW (1,600-hp) 801A 14-cylinder

•

'

-• -

~^^^

Mia

BMW

radial

engines were installed

of the early four, with a in

in installations

generally similar to those

'

—7

'

Do 217E. The fuselage was rearranged for a crew of 20-mm MG 151 under the left side of the nose, an MG 81

the nose cupola and

MG 81Z twin machine-guns in both the rear

Maximum speed was increased from about 295 to 380 km/h (183 to 236 mph), despite the increase in weight to 12640 kg (27,865 lb), but only the one aircraft was ever converted. Known as the He 115D-0, it later served with the Ktisdorsal and ventral positions.

tenfiiegerstaffel.

Sturdy build From

the start the He 115 had a good reputation for strength, reand all-round capability. They were intensively used by both the Luftwaffe and Norwegian naval air service during the invasion of Norway in April/May 1940. At the end of this conflict one Norwegian aircraft was flown to Finland, where it was repaired and put into active service with the Ilmavoimat, where in 1943 it was joined by two He 115Cs supplied from Germany. Three Norwegian He 115A-2s and a captured B-l were flown to Scotland, where they received RAF serial numbers BV184-187. All continued flying until there were destroyed or the spares ran out. All were modified, the liability

The He 115C-1 replaced the B on the production line during 1940, this adding a fixed 15-mm cannon under the nose and rearward- firing MG 17 machine-guns in the rear of the engine nacelle. During 1942-43, the 15-mm cannon was replaced by a 20-mm MG 151 in a bathtub fairing, as seen here. 41

r

HI

Heinkel He 115 Apart from Norway, the only other export order for the He 1 15 came from Sweden, which

purchased 12 He 115A-2s. These were used for coastal maritime reconnaissance, serving with F2 Roslagens Flygflottilj.

li i

i

I

3

1

:

most obvious changes being replacement of the long 'glasshouse' by metal panels and fitting of British armament. Aircraft 185 and 187 were modified for clandestine operations, one startling change being the addition of four Browning machine-guns firing ahead from the leading edge of the wings, plus four more firing to the rear. In October 1941 BV185 was flown round via Gibraltar to Malta, where it enjoyed a charmed life in Luftwaffe markings, making numerous missions to North Africa by night and by day inserting and picking up Allied agents. On one occasion it landed in Tripoli harbour in broad daylight, took on board two agents and returned to Malta. Eventually it was destroyed at Malta by bombing. Meanwhile 187, the former Luftwaffe B-l, flew several long missions between Woodhaven, on the Firth of Tay, and points in Norway. Eventually it was decided that these missions posed too great a risk, mainly from destruction by RAF fighters.

Twilight misions Luftwaffe

He

115s had carried out minelaying operations from the

the start of the war, and from 1942 surviving examples were

all

northern Norway for operations against Allied convoys. The most important and most successful missions were against the

grouped

in

convoy PQ17 in July 1942. Eight He 115C-ls of the KuFlGr 406 made torpedo attacks on 2 July, the Staffelkapitan being shot down but rescued, with his crew, by another 115 which alighted on the stormy sea. On 4 July aircraft of KuFlGr 906 disabled one ship, and subsequently aircraft of both units played a part in hunting down and sinking 23 of the 36 vessels that had comprised the convoy. A few 115s lingered on into mid-1944, but they saw little action. ill-fated

Heinkel He 1

7

9-mm MG

1 1

5B cutaway drawing key

15 machine-

gun 2 Gunsights 3 Ikana nose mounting 4 Cartridge collector chute 5 Nose ring

6 Entry/escape hatch 7 Nose glazing 8 Bomb/torpedo-sight 9 Selector panel 10 Handhold 1 Bombardier's kneeling-pad 12 Ventral glazing 13 Bombardier's/navigator's hinged seat 14 Duplicate throttle controls 15 Duplicate control column 16 Instrument panel 1

Nose compartment windscreen

18 Fixed glazing 19 Electrics panel 20 Batteries 21 Cockpit/nose access

22 Smoke floats 23 Weapons bay forward doors Fuselage frame

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Windscreen

31

Starboard nacelle

Cockpit floor Rudder pedals Throttles Control column

Instrument panel oil

tank

location

32 Engine bearer supports 33 Cooling gills 132K 34 Starboard nine-cylinder radial engine 35 Nacelle nose ring 36 Propeller hub 37 Spinner 38 VDM three-bladed metal propeller of 10 83 ft (3 30-ml diameter 39 Nacelle hinged access/ maintenance panels 40 Leading-edge hinged

BMW

41

Shortly before the planned invasion of Norway and Denmark, 'Weser' Flugzeugbau received instructions to prepare the aircraft for operations from snow and ice. Additional strengthening to the planing bottom and a steel skid was added, the resultant aircraft being designated He 115B-2, 18 of which were built.

access/servicing panel Starboard outer main fuel tank

42 Leading-edge tank (provision)

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Wing

structure Front spar Starboard navigation light Starboard outer rib Aileron outer hinge

Starboard aileron Aileron tabs Rear spar Aileron tab hinge fairing Control linkage Flap outer section Aileron profile

52 53 54 55 Starboard flap 56 Canopy hinged section 57 Fixed section 58 Cockpit rear-sliding canopy 59 Pilot's seat 60 Leading-edge inboard hinged access/servicing 61

panel Front spar carry-through

62 63 64 65 66 67

Fuselage/spar Front spar

mam

frame

Port inner main fuel tank

cap Fuselage centre bay Wireless installation Filler

210

3 5

This Heinkel He 115B-1 was in service with the first Stafiel of Kusternfliegergruppe 406 (1./ KOFIGr 406), based at Sorreisa near Tromso in northern Norway. Along with the aircraft of KOFIGr 906 the staffel took part in the attacks on the ill-fated convoy PQ 17 (indeed, it was the Heinkels of KOFIGr 406 which made the first attack on the convoy, losing the Staffelkapitan's aircraft in the process). By late 1942, l./KOFIGr 406 was the only He 115 unit in the Arctic, remaining on torpedo-attack duties until at least May 1944.

68 Aerial mast 69 Dorsal identification light 70 Rear spar carry-through 71 Wireless operator's position

72 Flare stowage 73 Pistol flare port 74 Wireless operator/ gunner's swivel seat

75 Cockpit coaming 76 Canopy fixed section 77 Gunner's hinged canopy section

207 Explosive charge 208 Needle/contact

mechanism 209 Balance magnet 210 Jettisonable aft casing 211

212 213 214 215 216 217

Parachute (foldedl Acoustic mine Explosive charge Detonator Bracing straps Battery Trembler/contact

mechanism 218 Hydrophone

102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Starboard elevator tab

attachment Rudder upper hinge

Aerial

Tailfm structure Front spar

Rudder mass balances Starboard tailplane lower brace strut

109 Port tailplane aft attachment 110 Rudder tab hinge fairing 111 Rudder 112 Rudder tab upper section Rudder tab lower section 114 Elevator tab 1 1 Port elevator upper mass balance 116 Tab hinge fairing 1

1

17 Port elevator 118 Elevator outer hinge Port elevator lower mass 1 19 1

78 Dorsal 7.9-mm MG 15 machine-gun 79 Ammunition magazine stowage (1.500 rounds) 80 Cockpit warm air 81 Wing upper surface walkway 82 Rescue dinghy stowage 83 Port flap inner section 84 Trailing-edge flap

91

Control runs

92 93 94 95

Compass

balance

installation aft

frame

Port tailplane forward

attachment

96 Tailfm leading edge 97 Starboard tailplane 98 Starboard elevator mass balances

99 Tailplane spar 100 Aerial 101

tailplane

lower brace

strut

Stringers

Fuselage

120 Port

Elevator outer hinge

137 Outer rib 138 Wing structure 139 Front spar 140 Pitot head 141

fairings

124 Fuselage aft mam frame 125 Ventral skinning 126 Wing construction breakpoint 127 Rib strap |Oint 128 Port flap outer section

leading

43 Port

section 144 Float sternpost

145 146 147 148 149 150 151

float aft

Mooring

bollard

Spar section Ladder/float attachment Port outer main fuel tank Filler

cap

Float aft strut/nacelle

attachment Weapons bay rear section doors

152 Float aft brace/fuselage frame attachment 153 Float front brace/fuselage frame attachment 154 Port engine nacelle 155 Leading-edge hinged access/maintenance platform

156 Leading-edge tank (provision)

157 Float aft brace 158 Brace/strut attachment fairing

159 Support frame 160 Float decking 161

181

Float fixed keel

162 Watertight compartments

Front brace/strut

attachment

edge

142 Landing lamp

121 Tailplane front spar

122 Mooring attachment 123 8race strut/fuselage

Wing

180 Propeller warning panel

182 183 184 185 186

fairing

Float front support strut Float front brace

Step Strut fairing intake

Nacelle hinged access/ servicing platform 187 Platform support stays 188 Nacelle nose ring 189 Spinner 190 Three bladed VDM metal propeller

191

Handling grip

192 Ventral fixed skids (ice/ snow landings) 193 Inner support members 194 Starboard float strut/brace 195 196 197 198 199

200

attachment fairing Mooring bollards Planing bottom

Bombsight Bulkheads

fairing

Watertight compartment Cork-filled

nose section

201 Mooring ring/steel hawser 202 Reinforced nosecap 203 LTF 5/6 torpedo

204 Magnetic mine 205 Anti-rolling horns 206 Detonator

43

Specification

Heinkel

He115B

1

Type: coastal reconnaissance and torpedo bomber floatplane Powerplant: two 645-kW (856-hp) BMW 321 N cylinder radial piston engines Performance: maximum speed 355 km/h (220 mph) at 3400 m (11,155 ft): cruising

mum

speed 295 km/h (183 mph); service

range 3350

km

(2,082

Weights: empty 5300 (22,928

m

(21 ft

8

m

(18,045

ft);

maxi-

kg (11,684

1b);

maximum

take-off weight

10400 kg

gun, plus a

m

(72

ft

2

in);

length 17.30

m

(56

ft

9

in);

height

in

Armament: one

44

5500

lb)

Dimensions: span 22.00 6.60

ceiling

m

fixed forward-firing

maximum bomb

and one

rear-firing

load of 1250 kg (2,756

lb)

7.62-mm machine

with the 1938 He 115A-1, the following year's model B-1 fuel capacity increased by 65 per cent. This resultant increase in could, in turn, be traded for a larger bomb load, and soon after

By comparison had a

range the outbreak of war

mines

in British

to carry this

He

115s

found themselves dropping magnetic first German aircraft adapted

waters, these being the

weapon.

45

Swordf ish:

Fairey

Taranto Tinf isher Archaic in appearance even when it first flew, the venerable Swordfish survived as an anachronism throughout World War II, outlived its replacement and destroyed a greater tonnage of enemy shipping than any other Allied torpedo bomber. It was best known for the courageous attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto. the Fairey Aviation Company's origins of the Swordfish The privately-sponsored tender to Air Ministry Specification S.9/30, lay in

which called for a torpedo-carrying fleet spotter in the early 1930s. I prototype, powered by a 474-kW (635-hp) Bristol Pegasus IIM nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, was flown on 21 March 1933 but was soon shown to be underpowered and directionally unstable, being destroyed after failure to recover from a spin

The TSR

some

six

months

later.

was drafted and Fairey produced A the TSR II with lengthened fuselage, revised tail unit and an uprated revised Specification, S. 15/33,

Pegasus IIIM3 developing 578

kW

(775

lip).

Its

structure

was

wheel landing gear capable of replacement by twin single-step Fairey floats. With a maximum sea-level speed of 235 km/h (146 mph) and first flown on 17 largely of fabric-covered metal with split-axle

exceeded the specified performance demands and three prototype development aircraft, named Swordfish, were ordered to meet Specification S. 38/34; the third aircraft was completed as a floatplane, making its first flight on 10 November

m 1939,

The

first

production order for 86 aircraft was placed

in

1935 and

were made the following February to No. 823 Squadron, which embarked in HMS Glorious later that year, replacing Shark Mk lis. The standard three-seat production aircraft had a maximum speed of 222 km/h (138 mph) and was easily capable of lifting a standard 457-mm (18-in) 73Tkg (1,610-lb) torpedo from initial

deliveries

the decks of

all

figuration being

British carriers with

879

km

full

load, its

range

in this

con-

(546 miles).

Further orders continued with Fairey

until,

by the outbreak of war

Originally referred to as the Fairey TSR 2, the prototype Swordfish, K4190, was designed and built to Specification S.15/33 and carried the Fairey works no. F2038 in small characters aft of the service serial number on the rear fuselage.

46

Mk

I

floatplanes

wheel landing gear in 13 squadrons, of which eight were at sea in the carriers HMS Ark Royal, Argus. Courageous, Eagle. Furious. Glorious and Hermes. Swordfish were in action from the earliest days of the war and it sion, as well as serving with

was from

by Lieutenant Commander W.M.L. Brown Warspite during the Battle of Narvik on 13 April 1940 that

a floatplane flown

HMS

was used

to direct the fire of the battleship's guns, resulting in the

German destroyers, one of which was finished bomb from Brown's aircraft; he also sank with bombs the

destruction of seven off

by a

German submarine V-64 In 1940, as

April 1934, this aircraft

1934.

689 Swordfish

aircraft had been completed or were were serving with Nos 701, 702 and 705 Catapult Flights of the Fleet Air Arm, being embarked in most of the Royal Navy's battleships, battle-cruisers and cruisers in commisa total of

on order.

in

Herjangsfjord.

production of the Fairey Fulmar fleet fighter increased

[ayes factory, responsibility for the Swordfish was taken over entirely by Blackburn Aircraft Limited at Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire, the first aircraft being completed on 29 December. After 300 Mk Is had been delivered in nine months, Blackburn production switched to the Mk II with strengthened lower wing, with metal skin to permit the carriage of eight rocket projectiles. The provision for interchangeability of wheel and float landing gear was discarded after at Fairey's

1

formation of early Swordfish Mk Is in November 1938 from the third production batches; these aircraft had provision for interchangeable wheel and float undercarriage. The aircraft shown here were clearly squadron aircraft, although probably not embarked in a carrier (note absence of fuselage chevron).

A

second and

Blackburn-built Swordfish Mk II, HS275, of No. 1 Naval Air Gunnery School, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, 1943. By this stage in the

war most Swordfish had acquired a wide variety of camouflage

schemes, that shown here being fairly commonplace.

A Swordfish Mk

I, K5972, of the Fairey-built production batch in the markings of No. 823

initial

Sqn, embarked in 1936.

The

fin

in

HMS Glorious

stripes identify

the Flight aircraft.

termination of the

Mk

I

o

production.

Mk Is continued in service throughout 1940, Lieutenant

Commander Brown who

services for

HMS

bria' against

the Italian fleet on 9 July.

Warspite's main

and once again it was provided excellent spotting

armament

in

the 'Action off Cala-

two with bombs and two with bombs and flares) led by Lieutenant Commander John Hale, achieving almost total tactical surprise, the Swordfish crews attacked at low level, sinking the new 35,000-ton battleship Littorio at her moorings, and crippling the

battleships Conte di

Cavour and Caio

Later that year, however, the brilliantly-executed attack on the Taranto harbour on 11 November constituted the pin-

power in the two Swordfish

cruiser and a destroyer. At a single stroke Italy's naval

Mediterranean was reduced by (Williamson himself being shot

a half, at a cost of

down and taken

script to this attack lay in the fact that the

Taranto attack

two older

Duilio, as well as a heavy

Rome was

recalled to

prisoner).

A

post-

Japanese naval attache

Tokyo and became

the architect

of-

in

the

fame was forever to stand. Following remarkable feat of low-level reconnaissance by a Maryland crew which disclosed a concentration of Italian naval vessels in the port, it

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor one year later. Thereafter, and for many months to come, Fleet Air Arm Swordfish, based on Malta, became the scourge of Axis shipping in the Mediterranean, between them sinking more than a million and a half tons of German and Italian ships during 1941-3. Among their other

was decided

widely varying tasks

Italian fleet in

nacle on which the Swordfish's a

to launch a night strike by the Swordfish of Nos 813, and 824 Squadrons from HMS Illustrious (Rear Admiral Lumley Lyster, himself an experienced naval pilot who had served at Taranto during World War I). Led by Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Williamson, the first wave of 12 aircraft (six with torpedoes, four with bombs and two with bombs and flares) was launched 10 minutes before a second wave of nine aircraft (five with torpedoes, 815, 819

in that theatre were minelaying, fleet reconnaissance, gunnery spotting, coastal bombing attacks and even

agent-dropping.

One Swordfish is recorded as having flown

12 mine-

laying sorties in a single 24-hour period.

A Swordfish Mk typical

II

of the main Blackburn-built production batch.

smoke float under the starboard wing, of the many carrier-based 'Stringbags'.

Carrying a

this aircraft

was

47

»>

L

Fairey Swordfish: Taranto Tinfisher

The

final

version

was the

Mk IV,

retrospectively modified

Mk lis

and Mk Ills with a rudimentary cockpit enclosure, and this version continued in service until the end of the war in Europe. A small number of Swordfish was sent to Canada for operational and training pur-

some serving with No. 1 Naval Air Gunnery School at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The last Mk III (NS204) was completed at Sherburn on 18 August 1944, and it was a Swordfish that flew the Fleet Air Arm's last operational sortie by a biplane on 28 June 1945. By 1967 only six complete Swordfish, of the 2,396 production aircraft built, were known to survive: of these, one (LS326, once registered G-AJVH) has remained in flying condition and still makes frequent visits to air displays throughout Britain with the Royal Navy's Historic Flight, based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. poses,

Mk I (P4084) with float undercarriage being launched from a slipway. These aircraft were widely used aboard Royal Navy ships during World War II for reconnaissance and gunnery spotting duties.

Super wartime photo of a Swordfish

The most famous of all Swordfish pilots now joins the story. Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde, a peacetime Imperial Airways pilot from Ireland, and who now commanded a Swordfish squadron aboard HMS Victorious, led a torpedo attack by nine aircraft on the German battleship Bismarck at large in the Atlantic on 26 May 1941 as she made her way towards Brest. The attack resulted in at least one vital hit, which crippled the vessel's steering mechanism, thereby allowing the British fleet to catch and sink her. Esmonde was awarded the DSO for his part in the operation, and he now joined HMS Ark Royal in the Mediterranean; however, when the carrier was torpedoed he managed to fly off all his Swordfish and

make By

for Gibraltar before the ship sank.

Esmonde was

stationed

in

1942 the worst British fears were realised when the German ships evaded all patrols and reached the eastern end of the Channel before being spotted. Esmonde's six Swordfish were thus the only aircraft readily available for an initial strike. Flying from Manston, the Swordfish crews missed their fighter rendezvous but pressed home their attack in the face of overwhelming enemy fighter and flak defences. Esmonde, in a Swordfish Mk II (W5984), was himself one of the first to be shot down by a Focke-Wulf Fw 190, followed by all five of his fellow pilots; none of their torpedoes found its mark. Of the 18 crew members only five survived to be rescued from the sea and all received the DSO or CGM. Esmonde was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Meanwhile efforts had been made to speed a replacement for the now-famous old 'Stringbag' biplane. The Fairey Albacore had been in production for some months but never lived up to its modest expectations (800 were produced, but manufacture stopped in 1943, while that of the Swordfish continued for a further year). The Fairey Barracuda (a Merlin-powered monoplane) for all its grotesque appearance might have had a distinguished career had it not been severely delayed after the abandoning of its original Rolls-Royce Exe engine.

Later Blackfish was, Blackburn continued to produce Swordfish Mk lis (known locally as 'Blackfish') until 1944, completing the last of 1,080 examples on 22 February that year. Production then switched to the Mk III, which was fitted with a large ASV scanner between the landing gear legs, thereby preventing carriage of the torpedo; when employed on anti-shipping torpedo strikes it was normal practice for one Mk III to assume the search role, while Mk lis in the strike unit carried bombs and torpedoes. Swordfish were widely used aboard the relatively small escort carriers which were hurriedly introduced

As

convoy

duties, particularly in the

Rudder structure Rudder upper hinge

7

Tail

navigation

light

8 Elevator structure 9 Fixed tab 10 Elevator balance 11 Elevator hinge 12 Starboard tailplane 13 Tailplane struts 1 Lasnmg down shackle 15 Trestling toot 1

wedge

Rudder lower hinge

18 Tailplane ad|ustment screw 1 Elevator control cable

20 External bracing wires 21

Elevator fixed tab

22

Tailfin structure

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Bracing wire attachment Aerial stub

Bracing wires Port elevator Port tailplane Tailplane support struts Dinghy external release

cord

30 Tailwheel oleo shock absorber 31

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40

Non-retractable Dunlop tailwheel

Fuselage framework Arrester hook housing Control cable fairleads Dorsal decking

Rod

aerial

Lewis gun stowage trough Aerial Flexible

0.303-m (7 7-mm) Lewis machine gun Fairey high-speed flexible

gun mounting Type 0-3 compass mounting points 42 Aft cockpit coaming 43 Aft cockpit 44 Lewis drum magazine stowage 45 Radio installation 46 Ballast weights 41

47 Arrester hook pivot 48 Fuselage lower longeron 49 Arrester hook (part extended)

50 Aileron hinge 51

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

Fixed tab Starboard upper aileron Rear spar

Wing

ribs

Starboard formation light Starboard navigation light Aileron connect strut Interplane struts

Bracing wires

60 Starboard lower 61

62 63 64 65 66

aileron

Aileron hinge Aileron balance Rear spar

Wing

ribs

Aileron outer hinge

Deck-handling/lashmg grips

67 Front spar 68 Interplane strut attachments 69 Wing internal diagonal bracing wires

70

48

II

3 Diagonal brace 4 External bracing wires 5 Rudder hinge 6 Elevator control horn

it

North Atlantic in the mid-war years, their normal complement of six Swordfish and six Grumman Martlet fighters being permanently ranged on their steeply pitching decks at the mercy of the elements. for

1

2

16 Rear

Kent, commanding No. 825 Squadron, deployed to counter any attempt by the German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau to break out of Brest and escape up the English Channel to Germany. On 12 February the end of the year

Fairey Swordfish

cutaway drawing key:

Flying wires

71

Wing

skinning

72 Additional support wire (fitted when underwing stores carnedl

73 Wing fold hinge 74 Inboard interplane struts 75 Stub plane end rib 76 Wing locking handle 77 Stub plane structure

78 Intake slot 79 Side window 80 Catapult spool 81 Drag struts 82 Cockpit sloping

floor

1

1

An

enclosed-cockpit, BlackburnSwordfish Mk II of No. 1 Naval Air Gunnery School, built

in 1944. Although a feature more usually associated with later Swordfish versions, the

Canada,

cockpit canopy on this aircraft would have been added as part of the winterising modifications available in 1944.

RAF squadrons to Swordfish on a regular basis were Nos 119 and 202. Painted The only two

fly

black overall and carrying ASV radar and 113-kg (250-lb) bombs, the Swordfish Mk Ills of No. 119

Sqn

(NF410,

shown

here,

was

based at Knocke/Le

120 Front spar

Zoute, Belgium, early in 1945) were used against enemy E- and R-boats operating off the Dutch

1

coast. 92 Upper wing aerial mast 93 Pilot's headrest 94 Pilot's seat and harness 95 Bulkhead 96 Vickers gun fairing 97 Fuelgravity tank(12 5 Imp

83 Fixed0 303-m(7,7-mm) Vickers gun (deleted from

some aircraft) 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

Case ejection chute Access panel Camera mounting bracket Sliding bomb-aiming hatch

91

Inter-cockpit fairing

Zip inspection flap

Fuselage upper longeron Centre cockpit

gal/57

litre

capacity)

98 Windscreen 99 Handholds 100 Flap control handwheel and rocking head assembly 101

Wing centre section

02 Dinghy release cord handle 103 Identification light Centre section pyramid 1 04 strut attachment Diagonal strengthened 1 05 106 Dinghy inflation cylinder 1

1

07 Type C dinghy stowage well

108 Aileron control linkage Trailing edge rib sections 1 09 1 1 Rear spar 1 1 Wing nb stations 1 1 2 Aileron connect strut Port upper aileron 1 3 114 Fixed tab

2

122 123 124 125 1 26 127 128 129

Nose

ribs

Interplane struts Pilot

head

Bracing wires Flying wires Port lower mamplane

Landing lamp

Underwmg bomb shackles Underwmg strengthening plate

130 Rocket-launching

rails

Four60-lb(27-g)antishipping rocket projectiles 132 Three-blade fixed-pitch Fairey- Reed metal 131

propeller

133 Spinner 134 Townend ring 135 Bristol Pegasus IIIM3 Mk 30I radial engine 136 Cowling clips

(or

137 Engine mounting ring 38 Engine support bearers 139 Firewall bulkhead 140 Engine controls 141 Oil tank immersion heater socket 142 Filler cap 143 Oiltank(13 75lmpgal/62 5 1

litre

capacity)

144 Centre section pyramid struts

1

1

15 Aileron hinge

116 Port formation 1 1

light

17 Wing skinning 18 Port navigation

119 Leading-edge

light

slot

145 External torpedo sight bars 146 Fuel filler cap 147 Mainfueltank(155lmpgal/

705 litre capacity) 148 Vickers gun trough 149 Fuselage forward frame 150 Oil cooler 151

Fuel

filter

152 Stub phne/fuselage attachment 153 Fuel feed lines Dinghy immersion switch 1 54 155 Exhaust Port Dunlop mainwheel 1 56 157 Jacking foot 158 1,610-lb(730-kg)18-in (45 7-cm) torpedo 1 1

59 Access/servicing footholds 60 Torpedo forward crutch

Radius rod fairing 162 Undercarriage axle tube 161

fairing 1

63 Undercarriage oleo

li

fairing

164 Starboard mainwheel 165 Hub cover 166 Underwmg bombs 167 Underwmg outboard shackles

168 Depth-charge 169 250-lb (113-kg) bomb 170 Anti-shipping flares

Fairey Swordfish

L.

Although fairly anonymous in being bare of serial number, Royal Navy ship and squadron markings, this Sword fish is shown in a colour scheme typical of around 1940-1 (the period of the Battle of Taranto) and is carrying a standard naval 457-mm (18-in) torpedo. The horizontal bar suspended from the top wing centre section, visible in the front view, is the aim-off sight, used for attacks on ships, and the emergency dinghy stowage was located in the top wing immediately outboard of the wingfold; the rear Lewis gun is shown in the stowed position.

Specification Fairey Swordfish Mk II Type: two/three-seat deck-landing

or float-equipped torpedo-carrying naval

aircraft

Powerplant: one 560-kW (750-hp) Bristol Pegasus 30 radial Performance: maximum speed 222 km/h (138 mph); climb

piston engine

1525 m seconds; service ceiling 3260 m (10,700 ft); range without weapons 1658 km (1,030 miles), with torpedo 885 km (550 miles) Weights: empty 2359 kg (5,200 lb); maximum take-off 4196 kg (9,250 lb) Dimensions: span 13.92 m (45 ft 6 in); length 11.12 m (36 ft 4 in); height 2 3.93 m (12 ft 10 in); wing area 56.39 m (607 sq ft) Armament: one fixed forward-firing 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Vickers machine-gun and one flexible 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Vickers 'K' or Browning machine-gun in (5,000

ft) in

to

10 minutes

one 457-mm (18-in) 731-kg (1,610-lb) torpedo, bombs under the fuselage, or up to eight (60-lb) rockets or four 113-kg (250-lb) bombs under

rear cockpit, plus provision for

or 681-kg (1,500-lb)

76.2-mm

mine

(3-m) 27-kg

or

wings

Fairey Swordfish variants Fairey TSR I: one prototype to Specification S 9/30, Pegasus HM of 474 kW (635 hp). crashed from spin and destroyed Fairey TSR II: one prototype (K4190I to Specification S 15/33, Pegasus IIIM3 of 578 kW 1775 hp). first flight 17 April 1934 Fairey Swordfish Mk I: to Specification S. 38/34, and powered by Pegasus IIIM3 of 515 kW (690 hpi (three prototypes, K5660-K5662, K5662 being completed as floatplane) Fairey Swordfish Mk I: Fairey production 1935-40. with Pegasus IIIM3, all convertible to floatplanes. K,L and P serials (689 built) Fairey Swordfish Mk I: Blackburn production 1940-1; aircraft as Fairey-built Mk Is; V serials 1300 built]

Mk

Blackburn production 1941-4. with Pegasus 30 of 560 kW 1750 hpl, wheel W. DK, HS. LS, NE and NF serials (1.080 built, some Mk IV with enclosed cockpit) Fairey Swordfish III: Blackburn production 1944, with Pegasus 30; wheel landing geai ASV radar (most aircraft with provision for rocket projectiles), FF, NF. NR and NS serials 1327 built. many converted to Swordfish Mk IV with enclosed cockpit) Fairey Swordfish IV: conversions f'om Mks and III with enclosed cockpit

Fairey Swordfish

II:

landing gear only and metal-covered lower wings. later

converted to Swordfish

Mk Mk

II

51

#.

f-»-a-

J

****&«*

**v

»J.

3^1

I

%)iw

jMK7

Douglas

SBD Dauntless

The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific and set the seal on Japan's fate. Architect of this victory was the reliable, if unspectacular, Douglas Dauntless, which gave the American carriers the striking power they so desperately needed. Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomber turned the The the Battle of Midway on 4 June 1942.

at

the size of their success

may

To

the

tide of

war

men

involved, not have been immediately evident:

had a low power-to-weight ratio, burdening it with only climbing and manoeuvring characteristics; and their arming fair systems malfunctioned, at times pitching their centreline-mounted their aircraft

227-kg (500-lb) bombs uselessly into the sea. Launched from Admiral Chester Nimitz's carrier groups to seek out those of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, they were running out of fuel, running out of daylight, and stretched to the limits of range and endurance when they came upon the enemy fleet and attacked. Lieutenant Commander C. Wade McClusky, Commander Max Leslie and the other Dauntless fliers from squadrons VS-5 and VB-3 on USS Yorktown, VS-6 and VB-6 on USS Enterprise, and VS-8 and VB-8 on USS Hornet lost 40 of their 128 dive-bombers swarming down from the late-afternoon sun to strike the Kaga, Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu, but when they sent all four Japanese earners to the bottom of the sea they reversed the trend of the Pacific conflict. Few other aircraft types, perhaps none but the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, can lay claim to having so altered history as the Dauntless dive-bomber, 5,936 of which were produced before die end of World War II. The Dauntless owes its origins to the low-wing, two-seat tandem Northrop BT-1 dive-bomber of 1938, and to the superb design work of Jack Northrop and of the mild-tempered but brilliant Edward H. Heinemann. When the El Segundo, California, manufacturer became a division of Douglas Aircraft with Jack Northrop's January 1938 departure, a development of the BT-1, known as the XBT-2, was being tested but seemed to offer only limited potential. Heinemann's design team reworked the sole XBT-2 (BuAer No. 0627), powering it with the 746-kW (1,000-hp) Wright XR-1830-32 engine which would become the world-famous Cyclone, driving a three-bladed propeller. The tail of the aircraft was redesigned following extensive wind tunnel tests, and the XBT-2 was redesigned XSBD-1.

Accepted by the US Navy in February 1939, while parallel work was under way on the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, the SBD was to become the standard by which all other carrierborne dive-bombers ('scout SBD-1 Dauntless (BuAer No. 1597), the second machine in the initial production run, shows the unexciting markings worn by US Marine Corps aircraft before America's entry into World War II. Fuselage coding '2-MB-1' identifies this craft as belonging to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, apparently at Quantico, Virginia, in about August 1940.

bombers' in the jargon of the time) would be judged. On 8 April 1939, Douglas received an order for 57 SBD-1 and 87 SBD-2 airplanes. The SBD-1, with the definitive fin and rudder shape for the Dauntless type, was armed with two forward-firing 7.62-mm (0.3-in) guns in the engine cowling and a single 7.62-mm (0.3-in) gun for the radio operator/gunner, who sat with Ins back to the pilot. Not yet fully cleared for carrier operations, the SBD-1 was earmarked instead for the US Marine Corps and was delivered between April 1939 and June 1940. The SBD-2 model, which differed in having self-sealing rubber-lined metal fuel tanks and two additional 246-litre (65-US gal) tanks in the outer wing panels, went to US Navy squadrons between November 1940 and May 1941. The fall of France, punctuated by the scream of descending Stukas, impressed the Washington authorities with the value of the dive-bomber (although the US Congress's Truman Committee in 1941 recommended against procuring such aircraft) and a further 174 Dauntlesses were ordered as the SBD-3. The SBD-3 variant had a second 7.62-mm (0.3-in) gun for the rear crewmen, improved armour and electrical system, and bladder-type self-sealing fuel tanks. By now the familiar Dauntless shape was established: the not ungraceful machine had a maximum speed of 406 km/h (252 mph) in level flight, going up to 444 km/h (276 mph) in a dive, a range of 1971 km (1,225 miles) with or 2205 km (1,370 miles) without a bombload, and a service ceiling of 8260 m (27,100 ft). US Marine Corps Dauntlesses were destroyed on the ground during the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. During the Battle of Coral Sea on 7 May 1942, the airwaves were cluttered with radio transmissions and anxious crewmen aboard the USS Lexington and Yorktown could not tell how the battle was going until a clear voice blasted through: 'Scratch one flat-top! Dixon to carrier. Scratch one flat-top!' Lieutenant Commander Robert E. Dixon,

Bombing Two (VB-2), was reporting the sinking of crew after a 30-minute battle at the cost of only three US aircraft, a triumph for the SBD-2 and SBD-3 models of the Dauntless, to be exceeded only during the pivotal Midway battle a few weeks later. In the US Army Air Forces, where it was officially given the name Banshee but still called Dauntless, this aircraft type seemed un-

commander

of

the Japanese carrier Shoho with 545 of her

An

early production Douglas SBD-3 sporting an overall light grey colour scheme. Sarcastically nicknamed 'Speedy Three', this workhorse was at the forefront of operations in the Pacific until 1942.

53

Douglas

SBD

Dauntless

glamorous from the beginning. In January 1941, the

USAAF

had

placed an order for 78 A-24s similar to the US Navy's SBD-3 but for the deletion of carrier landing equipment. In addition, 90 SBD-3s

US Navy contract were modified to land-based standard and USAAF as the SBD-3A (A for Army). Eventually, USAAF ordered 100 A-24As identical to the SBD-4, and 615

from a

delivered to the the

A-24Bs equivalent

to the

SBD-5

but manufactured at the Douglas

Oklahoma. Although A-24s served with the 27th Bombardment Group at New Guinea and with the 531st Fighter Bomber Squadron at Makin, USAAF pilots found themselves unable to outmanoeuvre aggressive Japanese fighters. Where the rear-seat gunner had been highly effective in the US Navy machine (one US Navy crew actually shot down seven Mitsubishi Zeros in two days) he was less potent aboard the A-24. Casualties were so high that the A-24 was quickly withdrawn from front-line service. Since US Navy pilots at Coral Sea and Midway had demonstrated the ability to handle themselves against the Zero, the US Army's less satisfactory performance with the Dauntless is usually attributed to the inexperience and lesser esprit de corps of its flight crews. plant in Tulsa,

Carrier air group

A carrier air group prised

two squadrons

of fighters

US Navy carrier usually com-

(Grumman F4F

Wildcats, or later

Hellcats),

By late in the war, the Dauntless was supplanted in the divebomber role by the more advanced Curtiss Sc2C Helldiver, though troublesome aircraft never won the recognition accorded the Douglas project. The Dauntless was relegated to less glamorous anti-submarime patrol and close air support duties. The SBD also served with no less than 20 US Marine Corps squadrons. Many hundreds of SBDs were retrofitted with Westinghouse ASB radar. this

Several ex-USAAF Douglas A-24s were operated by the Mexican air force as late as 1959. Illustrated is an A-24B, which found its way on to the Mexican civil register in 1957.

54

USAAF Douglas A-24s line of El were to follow.

Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless cutaway drawing key Aerial stub

Rudder balance Rudder upper hinge Rudder frame Rudder tab Rudder lower hinge structure Port elevator 9 Port tailplane 10 Tailfin root fillet Tailfin

aboard a typical

one of torpedo-bombers (Douglas TBD Devastators, later Grumman TBF Avengers) and two Dauntless squadrons, one in the bombing role and one for the scout mission. These were designated VB and VS squadrons respectively. The scouting mission had been conceived before it was clear that American carriers would have the protection of radar, which they enjoyed from the outset of the conflict while Japanese carriers did not. In practice, there was little distinction and scouting pilots trained and prepared for divebombing missions just as their colleagues in the VB squadrons did. The next model of the Dauntless was the SBD-4, delivered between October 1942 and April 1943. The SBD-4 had improved radio navigation aids, an electric fuel pump, and an improved Hamilton Standard Hydromatic constant speed, full-feathering propeller. A total of 780 was built before production at El Segundo shifted to the SBD-5, powered by an improved R-1820-60 engine delivering 895 kW (1,200 hp); 2,965 examples of this variant were produced between February 1943 and April 1944, one of which became the XSBD-6 with installation of a 1007-kW (1,350-hp) Wright R-1820-66, the 'ultimate' Cyclone. Some 450 SBD-6s were built.

F6F

by the deletion of the deck landing hook, the land-based were delivered from the US Navy production Segundo between June and October 1941. Further orders

Identifiable

8

1

Frame

12 Fuselage frame/tailfm pick-

up 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Tailplane spar attachment Tailplane structure Elevator torque tube Tail navigation light Elevator tab hinge fairing Elevator hinge Elevator tab 20 Elevator frame 21 Elevator outer hinge 22 Tailplane forward spar 23 Fixed tailwheel (pneumatic tyre on A-24 versions) 24 Arresting hook uplock

25 Fuselage frame 26 Lift point

27 Arresting hook (extended) 28 Tie-down ring 29 Arresting hook pivot 30 Control cables 31

32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Fuselage structure Bulkhead Section light Radio bay Radio bay access door

Wmgroot fairing frame Stringers Life-raft cylindrical

stowage (access door port side)

39 Dorsal armament stowage 40 Hinged doors 41 Aerial

42 Twin0.30-m(7 62-mm) Browning machine-guns

43 Gunner's face armour 44 Canopy aft sliding section (open)

45 Gun mounting 46 Ammunition feed 47 Canopy aft sliding section (closed)

48 Ammunition box 49 Oxygen cylinder 50 Oxygen rebreather 51 Oxygen spare cylinder 52 53 54 55 56 57

Entry hand/foothold Aft cockpit floor Radio controls Gunner's position

Gun mounting Canopy fixed centre section

58 Wind deflector 59 Armoured centre bulkhead 60 Angled support frame 61 Gunner's emergency flight 62 63 64 65

66 67 68 69 70

controls Control direct linkage Hydraulics controls Entry hand/foothold Oxygen rebreather

Map case seat and harness Back armour Pilot's

Catapult headrest

Canopy forward sliding section

71

Compass

72 Perforated dive flap 73 Aerial mast

i

5

1

A-24 Dauntless, serial number 42-54543, of France 's Goupe de

Chasse-Bombardement 1/18 'Vendee', located at Vannes in about November 1944. The exUSAAF Dauntlesses flown by Free French pilots performed a variety of roles but, like their New Zealand counterparts, were introduced too late in the war to be especially effective as front-line

dive-bombers.

Port formation light Port navigation light

87 Armoured inner panel 88 Instrument panel shroud 89 Two0 50-m(12 7-mm) machine-guns 90 Control column

Pitothead

91

Fixed wing slots skinning

92 93 94 95

74 75 76 77 78 79 80

Aileron tab Port aileron Aileron tab control linkage

81

Wing

82 Underwing ASB radar

antenna

83

(retrofit)

Port outer

wing

fuel tank

(55 US gal/208 litre capacity)

84 Aileron control rod 85 Telescopic sight 86 Windscreen

Switch panel Instrument panel Case election chute Ammunition box Engine bearer upper attachment

96 Armoured deflection plate 97 Machine-gun barrel

100 Exhaust slot 101

Oil cooler

102 103 104 105 106 107

Cooling gills Exhaust manifold Engine cowling ring Machine-gun troughs Carburettor air intake duct

Wright R- 1820-52 Cyclone radial engine

108 Three-blade propeller 109 Spinner

1 1

Bomb displacement crutch (in-flight position)

16 Hydraulics vent 117 Case election chute outlet 118 Engine bearer lower 1

attachment

9 Starboard mamwheel well 120 Wingroot walkway

1 1

121

Starboard/inner wing fuel tank (75 US gal/284 litre capacity)

1

122 Centre-section dive

shrouds 98 Engine bearers

10 Propeller hub 1 1 Port mamwheel 112 Oil cooler intake 113 Exhaust outlet

99

114 Engine bearers

123 Wing outer section attachment plate fairing 124 Starboard outer wing fuel

Oil

tank

flap

(lower)

125 126

138 Fixed wing slots 139 Wing loading-odgo 140 Undorwmg radar antonna

tank (55 US gal/208 litre capacity) Mamwheel leg pivot Mamwheel leg door actuation

(retrofit)

141

127 Wing nose ribs 128 Multi-spar wing structure 129 Wing ribs 130 Stiff oners 131

132 133 134 135

Perforated dive flaps Aileron inner hinge

Starboard aileron framo Aileron outer hinge Starboard navigation light Starboard formation light 1 36

142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149

Underwing stores pylon 1001b (45 4-kg) bomb

Mamwheel log door mamwheel Mamwheel axle Mamwhoolleg

Starboard

Bombdisplacement crutch 600-lb (226 8-kg) bomb Aluminium drop tank (58 US gal/2 19.5 litre capacity 150 Underwing shackles/fuel line

137 Wingtip structure

Pilot

Press Limited

Douglas

SBD

Dauntless

Specification

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Type: two-seat carrier-based scout bomber and dive-bomber Powerplant: one 895-kW (1,200-hp) Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone radial

Performance: maximum speed 406 km/h initial

air-cooled

piston engine

climb rate 518

m

(1,700

ft)

(252 mph) at 3050 per minute; service ceiling 7955

range 1794 km (1,115 miles) on a bombing mission or 2519 scouting mission

km

m m

(10,000

ft);

(26,100 ft); (1,565 miles) on a

Weights: empty 2963 kg (6,533 lb); maximum take-off 4854 kg (10,700 lb) Dimensions: span 12.66 m (41 ft 6V2 in); length 10.09 m (33 ft VA in); height wing area 30.194 m 2 (325.0 sq ft) Armament: two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) fixed machine-guns in the nose and two 7.62-mm (0.3-in) trainable machine-guns in the rear crewman's position, plus up to 726 kg (1,600 lb) of bombs under the fuselage and 295 kg (650 lb) of bombs under the wings

4.14

56

m

(13

ft

7

in);

The Dauntless depicted here is an SBD-3 of 'Scouting Forty One', VS-41, aboard the carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. The yellow border around the national insignia, similar to that of British Commonwealth air forces, was an aid to recognition in that theatre.

JC_

Airbrakes extended, this Dauntless is in classic dive-bomber pose. Early SBDs could carry a 545-kg (1,200-lb) bomb load but by the end of the

war and the coming of the SBD-5 model

this

had increased.

Flottille

4B, with A-24s and SBD-3s at Agadir, Morocco

autumn

of 1944. Dauntlesses

went

France against retreating German forces and fought

The

UK obtained nine SBD-5 aircraft and

named them Dauntless

DB.Mk I. A machine which had been a top performer in 1940 was, the time British test pilots flew

and slow. British

it

in

by

1944, regarded as underpowered

found the Dauntless fatiguing, noisy and draughty. There was never to be general agreement about the pilots also

type's vulnerability to fighters, the Pacific

war

indicating that

it

was

RAF test pilots being persuaded that it was. machines were evaluated extensively but it was too late for the Dauntless to have an operational career in British service. not unduly vulnerable,

The

British

the

in

dwindling

VE-Day. Though production of the type ended on 22 1944, French SBDs were used at the fighter school at Meknes

numbers July

in

into operation in metropolitan

until

as aerobatic trainers until 1953.

American service, where the A-24 was redesignated F-24 in QF-24A drone and its QF-24B controller aircraft (both rebuilds with 1948 serial numbers) kept the Dauntless type in In

1947, an unpiloted

service until 1950.

The pilot of an SBD-6 Dauntless found himself sitting high up front machine of all-metal construction with fabric-covered control low-mounted wing had a rectangular centre section with outer panels tapering in chord and thickness to detachable wing tips. The 'Swiss cheese' pierced flaps and dive-brakes, above and below the trailing edge of the outer wings and below the trailing edge only of the centre section beneath the fuselage, together with the 'multi-cellular' construction of the wing itself, were in a

surfaces. His cantilever,

Foreign users In July 1943, No. 25 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force received 18 SBD-3s from US Marine Corps inventory. Later to receive 27 SBD-4s and 23 SBD-5s, the RNZAF squadron fought at

Bougainville. Another foreign user of the Dauntless was France, which equipped two units of the Free French Navy, Flottille 3B and

hallmarks of the design's indebtedness to Jack Northrop.

The

oval

58

»JL-

SBD-3 Dauntless Six', VB-6,

of 'Scouting

aboard the

carrier

USS Enterprise (CV-6) in about March 1942. A few months later, these dive

bombers would sink

four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway and reverse the tide of the Pacific war.

SBD-Dauntless, BuAer No. 36897 (NZ5049), nicknamed 'Winni-Pu-IW, was one of a batch supplied to No. 25 Sqn of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. By the time these late

model Dauntlesses went

into

service at Bougainville in early 1944, they were no longer considered first-line performers.

machine generally handled well duralumin monocoque fuselage was built in four sections, and the crew was housed beneath a continuous transparent canopy with a bullet-proof windshield and armour plate. A swinging bomb cradle with a

maximum

capacity of 454 kg (1,000

the fuselage and a

bomb

lb)

was centred beneath

rack was mounted under each outer-wing

section. it a forgiving machine of few had a troublesome tendency to stall in tight turns. On dive-bombing missions, the pilot approached his target at 4570 to 6095 m (15,000 to 20,000 ft), took position almost directly overhead, pulled up the nose, and deployed upper and lower dive flaps. He then 'rolled in', the Dauntless accelerating less rapidly than might be expected while plummetting at over 70°. Using the Mk VIII reflector sight which, from the SBD-5 model on, had replaced the earlier extended telescope, which had a tendency to fog over in a dive as a result of temperature changes, the pilot aimed his bomb load literally by pointing his aircraft at the target. His bomb release was a red button marked 'B' on the top of the stick and he could drop his ordnance singly or in salvo. US Navy legend has it that pilots were prone to 'target fascination', which could lull them into failing to pull out of the dive in time. With its bomb load gone, the Dauntless pulled out quite handily, with an easy motion on the stick. The

Flying the Dauntless, pilots found

vices, although

it

of VMS-3, US Marine Corps, high over the Atlantic. The dark grey and off-white colour scheme was adopted for Atlantic theatre operations in early 1944.

A

formation of Douglas

SBDSs

in normal flight and the pilot's visiboth when level and when descending for a was excellent, tricky landing on a carrier deck. Few aircraft were tougher or more reliable, the Dauntless often coming home with severe battle bility

damage. A few A-24B Dauntlesses found their way, post-war, into the hands of the Mexican air force, which was apparently the last user of this type, employing it until 1959. Today, a beautifully preserved Dauntless is in the US Marine Corps Museum at Quantico, Virginia, and the sole remaining flyable machine is with the Confederate Air Fnrrp 3t Hnrlingpn Tpvas

Douglas

SBD

Dauntless variants

XSBD-1: conversion of Northrop XBT-2, Bureau of Aeronautics number (BuAer No 0627; total SBD-1: initial production version, BuAer Nos 1596/1631 and 1735/1755; total 57 SBD-1 P: eight conversions to reconnaissance )

I

role

SBD

2: improved armour, self-sealing tanks,

BuAer Nos 2102/2188;

87 SBD-2P: 14 conversions to reconnaissance role SBD-3: improved production version; BuAer Nos 4518/4691, 03185/03384 and 06492/06701; total

total

584

SBD-3A:

from US Navy contract as A-24 SBD-3P: 43 conversions to reconnaissance role and 24-V SBD-4: production aircraft, improved propeller and electrical systems, BuAer Nos 06702/ 06991 and 10317/10806; total 780 SBD-5: production aircraft, R-l 820-60 engine, BuAer Nos 10807/10956, 10957/11066, 28059/ 28829. 28831/29213, 35922/36421, 36433/ 36932 and 54050/54599, total 2,965 SBD-5A: aircraft from USAAF contract, aircraft

diverted to

USAAF

intended for US Army as A-24B but US Navy, BuAer Nos 09693/

originally

delivered to

09752,

total

XSBD-6: 28830;

60

prototype for SBD-6, BuAer

total

SBD-6:

No

1

production version, R-1820-66, one converted from SBD-5 (BuAer No. 35950), final

BuAer Nos 54600/55049; total 450 A-24: originally designated SBD-3A, delivered to USAAF, serial numbers 41-15746/15823 and other,

42-6682/6771;

total 168 A-24A: USAAF version of SBD-4, serials 426772/6831 and 42-60772/60881, total 170 A-24B: USAAF version of SBD-5. serials 4254285/54899, total 615

RA-24A:

redesignation after 1942, to indicate

obsolescence

RA-24B:

redesignation after 1942. to indicate

obsolescence

F-24A: redesignation F-24B: redesignation O.F-24A: total

1947 1947

rebuild as target drone, serial 48-44,

1

QF-24B: serial

after after

rebuild as

48-45, total

drone controller

aircraft,

1

of the Royal Navy at RAE Farnborough in about October 1944 for very belated flight tests comparing it with the Curtiss Helldiver and Vultee Vengeance. Why RAF and Royal Navy pilots were testing the Dauntless at this late stage in the war is unclear. They found it pleasant to fly but not breathtaking in performance, and it never saw combat wearing British

SBD-5 or Dauntless Mk I (JS997)

roundels.

59

Lockheed Hudson family The introduction of the small Lockheed airliners in the mid-1 930s pulled the company back from the brink of penury, and set the Burbank-based manufacturer on the road to recovery. When war came, the shortage of patrol bombers and fast transports immediately became apparent and Lockheed grasped the opportunity with both hands. 1932 the Lockheed company was on the brink of financial discompany's assets at a mere $129,961 and putting it up tor sale. While founder Allan Loughead sought cash to buy his old concern, broker and banker Robert Ellsworth Gross snapped up the almost defunct aviation company for a fabled $40,000. Like many other entrepreneurs, Gross knew little of the intimate aspects of aeronautical engineering, but possessed a sound business mind and a growing fascination with the new wave of commercial air transports that daily plied the US domestic air space. With well measured consideration Gross predicted that the company's future lay not in the production of mailplanes, or even in the military field, but in the development of fast and relatively small commuter and feederliner aircraft with an eventual eye to challenging the dominance of the new Boeing and Douglas aircraft. Gross brought with him Hall Hibbard, a young Massachusetts Institute of Technology aeronautical engineer, who, with Lloyd Stearman, started to work on various designs that might be able to gain an entry into a difficult and demanding market, but it was Gross who steered the project on to the lines of a small, all-metal, twinengine commercial transport. The design team was joined by George Prudden and James Gerschler, and later by C. L. 'Kelly' Johnson, who gave an early display of his brilliance by solving the wind-tunnel asymmetry problems of the new Lockheed design, now

By

aster, with the federal receiver valuing the

known

Model L-10. Lockheed Model L-10 Electra took place on 23 February 1934. It was a beautiful little twin-engine aircraft, reas the

Roll-out for the

60

splendent in glistening polished natural aluminium. Power came from two 336-kW (450-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB radials, cabin and crew seats numbered 12, empty weight was 2928 kg (6,454 lb), and the gross weight was 4672 kg (10,300 lb). Tests gave a maximum speed of 325 km/h (202 mph), and a spanking maximum continuous cruising speed of 306 km/h (190 mph). After exhaustive tests the protoype L-10 Electra was flown by Marshall Headle to Mines Field, Los Angeles, for FAA certification which was granted a few weeks later. On the return to Burbank a heart-stopping incident took place. Up to the time of the L-10's first flight Lockheed had gone into debt for $139,404 for its development, and as its priceless prototype, newly certificated, made its approach all attempts by the crew to lower one of the main wheels ended in stubborn failure: only a skilfully-handled one-wheel landing at nearby Union Air Terminal by pilot Headle, with minimal damage to the Electra, prevented a major lay-off of the work force and the renewal of financial straits. There the matter rested. Sales of the Model L-10 Electra rocketed, with examples going to Mid-Continent Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Cia Nacional Cubana, Pan American Airways,

PanairdoBrasil, Braniff Airways, National Airlines, British Airways,

Lockheed A-29 in US Army Air Force colours of early 1942. Initially all 800 A-29 and A-29A aircraft were allocated to the RAF under LendLease, but with the crisis taking place in the Pacific and the Far East a large number were repossessed and pressed into service with the USAAF: some were used as crew trainers, and others as bombers and maritime patrol aircraft, one being the first USAAF aircraft to sink a U-boat

in

World War

II.

Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, Chicago and Southern, LAV (Venezuela), LOT (Poland), LARES (Romania), AEROPUT (Yugo-

LAN-Chile, and to a host of private buyers including Amelia

slavia),

Earhart.

An L-10 Electra was the seventh Lockheed aircraft successfully to the Atlantic Ocean when Dick Merill and John Lambie flew NR16055 on a round-trip to London to collect photos of King George VI's coronation in 1937. Also that year, somewhere in the Pacific fly

ocean wastes between Lae, New Guinea and Howland Island, aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her navigator disappeared for ever during a record attempt in their L-10 Electra. A total of 149 L-lOs was built and delivered between 29 June 1934 and 18 July 1941, and many saw military service in the RCAF and Argentine navy, and with the US Army, US Navy and US Coast Guard designated as C-36, C-37, R20 and R30 sub-types.

Bigger and better The

Model L-12 Electra Junior was taken into the air for time by Marshall Headle at 1212 on 27 June 1936, exactly on the scheduled time. By now business was booming, with Lockheed the

interim

first

worth of orders in the previous year. Price-tagged $40,000 the Model L-12, with six-seat capacity, was aimed

getting $2 million at

A Dutch KLM Model

14 Super Electra over Rotterdam shows the distinctive lines that were to be carried over into the Hudson progeny. Featuring all-metal construction, Fowler flaps and two 611-kW (820-hp) Wright GR-1820-G3B radials, the Model 14 first flew on 29 July 1937, and was later sold to a number of commercial concerns. In such an aircraft Howard Hughes made his great round-the-world record bid.

The ultimate military development of Lockheeds's twin family was the PV-2 Harpoon, which featured underwing racks for rockets and five 12.7-mm (0.5-in) machine-guns in the nose.

commuter markets, and in fact was a scaled-down version of its predecessor with two Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB radials. Grossing 3924 kg (8,650 lb), the Electra Junior's top speed was 362 km/h (225 mph) and service ceiling 6800 m (22,300 ft). Its performance and handling qualities exceeded those of the majority of contemporary fighters, and it became another good seller. Several records fell to the Model L-12, including a new route average of 388 km/h (210 mph) by test pilot E. C. McLead, despite four fuel stops, from Amsterdam to India on a delivery flight of a L-12 for the Maharaja of Jodhpur. A total of 130 Model L-12s was built before work stopped in mid-1942. Incorporating many of the latest aviation developments, the larger and more powerful Lockheed Model L-14 Super Electra took to the air for the first time on 29 June 1937. New features on this 14-seat aircraft included use of 24SRT duralumin, high-speed aerofoil (NACA 23018 and 23009 at root and tip respectively), single main spar, and high wing loading, massive Lockheed-Fowler flaps, and two of the latest Wright Cyclone engines, the GR-1820-G3B. With squarely at the business and

an empty weight of 4854 kg (10,700 lb) and a gross of 7938 kg (17,500

Lockheed Model

18 Lodestar, one of 625 sold, showing the raised designed to eliminate turbulence. Flown by Marshall Headle on 2 February 1940, the Model 18 served with a number of airlines, including Mid Continent (which ordered three at $90,000 apiece before the first had been built), Regie Air Afrique and Netherlands East

tailplane

Indies.

61

Ventura Mh II of No. 21 Sqn, RAF, operating from Methwold airfield, Norfolk, under No. 2 (Bomber) Croup. RAF Venturas entered service in November 1942, and one of their first large missions was that against the Philips concern at Eindhoven on 6 December 1942. The spring and summer of 1943 saw Nos 21, 464 and 487 Sqns operating the Ventura over enemy-held France, Belgium and Holland, often at considerable loss.

the new L-14 had a top speed of 414 km/h (257 mph): its cruising speed was some 48 km/h (30 mph) faster than that of any other commercial transport in the United States and, at a cruise speed of 381 km/h (237 mph), the Super Electra cut the West Coast-New York flight time of the Douglas DC-3 by four hours. Such was the reputation of the company that even before roll-out over 30 L-14s were on the order book, and the aircraft itself was soon to justify all expectations. Millionaire Howard Hughes purchased a Model L-14, and increased tankage from the normal 3438 to 6980 litres (644 to 1,844 US gal) for a round-the-world record attempt. Departing from New York on 10 July 1938, Hughes and his crew flew via Paris, Moscow, Yakutsk, Fairbanks and Minneapolis to land at Floyd Bennett Field lb),

after a

23670-km (14,709-mile)

flight

achieved within the time of

three days, 17 hours, 14 minutes and 10 seconds.

L-14s are

remembered today

The

as the progenitors of what

Model was to be

112

one of Lockheed's most successful warplanes. Licence production of the L-14 in Japan amounted to 64 by Tachikawa and 55 by Kawasaki.

Enter the Hudson To

in April 1938 came the British Purchasing search of good-quality American aircraft to bolster the strength of the Royal Air Force in its preparation for an inevitable war: the mission had $25 million with which to acquire its finds. At that time Lockheed engaged only 2,000 workers, and had eschewed

the United States

Commission

in

the design of military types in

in

favour of the commercial market. But

10 days of frantic labour the concern had cobbled together some-

thing that might

whet the appetites of the commission: this was mockup of a Model L-14 provided with bomb-

nothing other than a

bay, bomb-aimer's panel and nose glazing, and provision for various

armaments. The

British, with a

need

for a

medium-range maritime

bomber for North Sea operations with RAF Coastal Command, were impressed. At the invitation of Sir Henry Self, the patrol

contracts director at the Air Ministry

in

London, Courtlandt Gross

(brother of Robert Gross) travelled to the

UK

with Carl Squier, C.

Robert Proctor and R. A. van Hake for consultations. The initial order for 175 Model B14s, now known as the Hudson, was signed on 23 June 1938, with provision of up to a maximum of 250 by December 1939: it was the largest military order gained by a US company to date. The first Hudson Mk I bomber took to the air on 10 December 1938, with the company, now numbering a work force of L. Johnson,

in US Naval Reserve markings, with upper twin Colt 12.7-mm (0.5-in) machine-guns in the nose. The first of 69 delivered in 1944 went into service in March, with squadrons seeing action over the Kuriles. Production was eventually dropped in favour of the superlative P2V Neptune.

•

Pilot

Press

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon

62

Wartime-vintage Lockheed Venturas were converted in many instances to luxury executive-type aircraft in the years of peace, smart twin, N5390N, is a Howard Aero Super Ventura.

Lockheed Hudson 1

Starboard navigation/ identification lights

2 Starboard wingtip 3 De-icing slots

4

Internal

vanes

5 Aileron internal mass balance 6 Starboard aileron 7 Aileron tab

8 Tab mechanism 9 Control cables Wing main spar structure 1 De-tcmg tubes 2 Leading-edge de-icing boot 3 Main

wing

rib

Mk cutaway drawing key I

38 Starboard engine oil Unk 39 Fixed forward-firing 303 in (7 7-mml Browning machine-guns (two) 40 Carburettor intake 41 Wright R-1820-G102A radial

42 43 44 45

engine

Starboard nacelle

Cowling nose ring Three-blade propeller Spinner

stations

4 Wing skinning

133 Tailwheel shock-absorber leg

34 Tailplane support bulkhead 135 Warmairconduit 1

136 137 138 139 140

Bulkhead cover plate Control pulleyquadrant Turret mechanism/support Aft flare tube Toilet location

166 167 168 169 170

actuating cylinder

171 Port wing forward fuel tank 172 Control servos 173 Undercarriage retraction

141

Step 142 Entry door (jettisonable dinghy housing) 143 Ammunition feed/

cylinder

magazine

(optional)

Cabin entry walkway (port) Ventral camera port Ventral gun well Bomb-doors operating

quadrant

150 Bomb-bay rear well 151

152 153 154 155

46 Nose compartment cold air 47 Machine gun muzzles 48 Nose structure 49 Roof glazing 50 Window frames 51 Nose cone 52 Navigator's side windows 53 Compass 54 Navigator's table 55 Navigator's (sliding) seat 56 Bomb-aimer's flat panels 57 Bomb-aimer s prone 58 15 16 17 18 19

Flap control cbles Flap tracks Flap cables/pulleys

Track fairings Port flap (extended)

20 Aenalmast D/F loop fairing 22 Supported structure 23 Aenal lead-in 24 Cockpit cold air 25 Flight deck sun-blind frames 26 Windscreen wiper motor 27 Jettisonable canopy hatch 28 Console light 29 Windscreen wipers 21

panel

Adjustable quarterlight 32 Windscreen frame support

member 33 External gunsight 34 Second-pilot's (back-up) control column (cantilevered)

35 Central instrument console 36 Starboard nose compartment entry tunnel 37 Bulkhead

balance 156 Port wingtip structure

157 Port navigation/ identification lights

81 Astrograph table/supply locker

82 Wing

panel

60 Forward flare chute 61 Bombsigbt support 62 Nose frames 63 Nose compartment warm air

64 Windscreen de-icing tank 65 Machinegunammunition magazine 66 Rudder pedal assembly 67 Pilot's control column 68 Pilot's seat 69 Pilot's radio control boxes 70 Forwrd (canted) fuselage 71

72 73 74 75 76 77

frame Frame/wing pick-up Hydraulics reservoir Wireless-operator's table Wireless-operator's seat Transmitter Receiver Main spar centre-section carry-through

78 Spar, frame attachment 79 Wireless bay racks 80 Cabin cold air

flaps actuating

cylinder

83 Smoke-float stowage rack 84 Port cabin windows 85 Beam machine-gun positions (field modification)

86 Gun support frame 87 Starboard cabin windows 88 AstrodromelMkllland

59 Navigator's instrument

30 Second-pilot's jump seat 31

position Bomb selector switch

Port flap section Flap track fairings Aileron tab Port aileron Aileron internal mass

retrofit)

89 Fuselage frames 90 Stringers 91 Flare stowage racks 92 Parachute stowage 93 Aft fuselage bulkhead 94 Aerials 95 Boulton Paul dorsal turret 96 Turret support canted frame 97 Turret ring 98 Dorsal cut-out former 99 Bulkhead 100 Rear bulkhead tailplane 101

128 Port rudder structure 129 Port end plane 130 Rudder lower balance Fixed tailwheel 132 Port tailplane structure 131

158 Internal vanes 159 Wing slots 160 Wing structure 161 Main spar 162 Nose ribs 163 Port wing leading-edge deicingboot

181

Battery

182 Smoke floats 183 Propeller anti-icing tank (fuselage)

184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191

192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199

Engine bearer ring Cowling nose ring Spinner Three-blade propeller Strboard mamwheel Pitothead Oil cooler intake

Exhaust louvres Landing gear fulcrum Drag strut Exhaust stub Side strut

Mamwheel oleo leg Torque Port

links

mamwheel

Axle hub

200 Towing lug 201

164 Ribassembly 165 Mamwheel recess

Featuring a luxury custom-fitted interior,

74 Undercarriage support' attachment strut 175 Port engine oil tank bay 176 Engine support frame 177 Carburettor anti-icing tank 178 Engine bearer assembly 179 Bomb-bay forward wall 180 Carburettor intake 1

144 Dinghy release cylinder/ hand lever 145 Tunnel (ventral) gun station

146 147 148 149

Port nacelle fairing

Rear spar wing |Oin Main spar wing |Oin Port wing aft fuel tank Fuselage bomb-bay

Undercarriage door

202 Float marker 203 250-lb 1 3 5-kg) A/S bomb (

new

1

fuselage contours and a

totally new nose section, this beautifully finished ex-US Navy illustrates one of several executive conversions of the type.

PV-1

support surface control linkage

Tail

102 Starboard tailplane 103 Twm0 303-m(7 7-mm| machine-guns 104 Rudder control quadrant 105 Cable linkage 106 De-icingtube 107 Starboard end plane 1 08 Tailfin de-icing boot 109 Tailfin skinning 110 Rudder tab actuator 111 Aerial attachment

63

Lockheed PV-1 of the

US

Navy's VB-135 operating over the Pacific area in 1944. Powered by twin 1491-kW (2,000hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31 radials, the first PV-ls entered service with Navy squadron VP-82 to replace the PBO-1

(Hudsons) in December 1942. Approximately 1,600 PV-ls were procured by the US Navy. The

much

cleaner Martin turret

helped boost the PV-1's

maximum speed (312

mph)

at 4200

to 502 km/h (13,800 ft).

m

was seen off Norway during the Altmark incident and the subsequent German invasion of Scandinavia, and over the Channel during the Dunkirk evacuations, in addition to patrol work over the western approaches and the North Sea. During 1941 RAF and RCAF Hudsons, operating from the UK, Iceland and Newfoundland, conducted a difficult war against the U-Boat menace: on 27 August 1941 a Hudson of No. 269 Squadron from Kaldadarnes forced the crew of the U-570 to surrender after repeated attacks. Use of the Hudson was not limited to the RAF and RCAF, and in early 1942 US Army A-28s and A-29s, and US Navy PBO-ls did much work along the eastern seaboard of the United States, while in the Far East those of Nos 1 and 8 Squadrons, RAAF fought well against great odds during the Japanese invasions of Malaya, Java and Burma. Six primary marks of Hudson, engaged in maritime and transport work, emanated from Lockheed's 2,941 examples made up to June 1943 when production ceased, seeing service on all Anglo-American war fronts. action

built to a US Army Air Corps contract of investigate high-altitude flight. Modified from a Model 12, its circular-section fuselage was stressed up to 0.69 bars (10 psi) pressure differential. It was the First aircraft to feature a pressure cabin and engine-driven turbo-superchargers, and flew for the first time on

The Lockheed XC-35 was

1936, to

7

May

1937.

7,000, hard at tional

work

to

fill

the orders which rose

in

value with addi-

orders for P-38s and B-34s to an impressive $65 million. first Hudson Mk Is reached the UK on 15

Arriving by sea, the

February 1939. The type was powered by two 820-kW (1,100-hp) Wright GR-1820-G102A Cyclones with two-speed Hamilton propellers. For reconnaissance duties the Hudson Mk I carried an F.24 camera, assorted flares and a bombload of up to 499 kg (1,100 lb) comprising either four 114-kg (250-lb) GP, SAP or AS, or 10 50-kg (110-lb)

VIIc

anti-submarine bombs; an overload of 12 51-kg (112-lb)

AS bombs

could not be

could be carried, but

fully

in this

event the

Mk

bomb doors

closed. Modified with extra items at the Lockheed-

Hudson

Mk Is and Mk

Vega subsidiary at Speke

(Liverpool), the

lis (the latter differing in

the installation of Hamilton Standard

first

Type

611A-12/3E50-253 constant-speed propellers) were delivered to Wing Commander E. A. Hodgson's No. 224 Squadron at Leuchars, Scotland, in August 1939. Although less manoeuvrable than the lighter Avro Anson, the Hudson was considered by the squadron to be eminently suitable for its patrols over the North Sea as far as Norway, the Skaggerak and the German Bight. Cruising at 610 m (2,000 ft) at 306 km/h (190 mph), a fuel consumption of 323 litres (71 Imp Gal) per hour gave the Hudson an endurance of over six hours with 20 per cent reserves and a 917-km (570-mile) radius of action. Armament was light initially, and the twin 7.7-mm (0.303-in) nose guns, beam guns and the Boulton Paul Type 'C Mk II turret were retrofitted during the autumn of 1939 and the spring of 1940. With the outbreak of war the Hudsons of RAF Coastal Command were among the first RAF aircraft to go into action, and the first combat with a German aircraft was recorded on 4 September 1939, when No. 224 Squadron's T-Tommy (N7214), captained by Flying Officer H. D. Green, engaged a Dornier Do 18 over the Dogger Bank. In addition to No. 224 Squadron, Nos 206, 269, 233, 320 and 220 Squadrons were equipped with Hudsons during 1939-40. Much

A pair of Hudsons

from No. 269 Sqn, RAF Coastal Command, on a typical low-level patrol from their base at Wick in Scotland. For much of the war the squadron flew from Iceland and Greenland on U-boat

patrol.

64

The Model 18 progeny A direct development of the LT4 series,

the Lockheed L-18 Lodeon 21 September 1939: the fuselage had been stretched by 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in), and to minimise tail flutter the elevator was raised slightly. By the end of 1940 some 54 of the 17-seat Model 18s had been sold to such varied customers as Mid Continent (first to buy the $90,000 aircraft), Regie Air Afrique and the Netherlands East Indies, BOAC and South African Airways. During World War II the Model 18 series was adopted by the US Army and the US Navy as a transport: US Army versions included the C-56 (in models up to C-56E), C-57 and C-57B, C-59, C-60 and C-60A, C-66 and C-lll, all of which featured differences either in engines, seating or ancillary equipment. Naval versions included the R50 (in models up to R50-6), while the RAF used Lodestar Mks I, IA and II models. star first flew

In

tion

response to a request from the British, Vega Aircraft Corporadeveloped a military version of the Model L-18 series which was

After World

War

II

many

Venturas remained in service around the world. This former

GR.Mk V of the Royal Canadian Air Force

was replaced by

MR.Mk

a

but went on into the 1950s as a target tug at Sea Island, Vancouver. The orange/black livery was called 'Oxydol special' after a popular

Lancaster

10,

brand of soap powder.

By far the most important of the post-war users of the Ventura was the South African Air Force, which gathered its own survivors (including this GR.Mk V) and many former B-34s and PV-ls to serve as ocean patrol and medium bomber aircraft until 1958.

Shackletons arrived in No. 6472 served with No.

17

Sqn.

employed by the RAF as the Ventura, by the US Army Air Force as the B-34 and B-37, and by the US Navy as the FV-1 patrol bomber. All were powered by two 1492-kW (2,000-hp) Fratt & Whitney R-2800-31 radials, with the exception of the RAF's Ventura Mk I which had Pratt & Whitney R-2800-S1A4G engines, and the few B-37s which featured Wright R-26(X)-13s. The first Ventura Mk I flew on 31 July 1941 and, together with the up-rated versions, entered service with No. 2 (Bomber)

1942.

On

Mk II and Mk IIA

Group

daylight missions over France and the

Low

in

November

the Luftwaffe, and losses to flak and

were con-

fighters

Countries the

Ventura fared badly against the dangerous Focke-Wulf

Fw 190As of

Lockheed twin-engine variants Lockheed Model

L 10 Electra: all-metal, twin-engine 10-seat L-10 introduced into commercial service in 1934, 149 aircraft built.

Lockheed Model L-10A had two 298 -kW (400-hpl Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Juniors, Lockheed Model L-10B two 313 kW (420 hp) Wright Whirlwinds, Model L-10C two 336-kW (450-hpl Wasp SCIs, and Model L-10E two 336-kW (450-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engines, in service with US Army, US Navy and US Coast Guard as the C-36/C-37,

R20

and

R30

A Lockheed PV-1 Ventura seen on Bougainville in the Solomons during January 1944. The Ventura was widely used for coastal patrols in the Pacific campaign. This was equivalent to the RAF's Ventura GR.Mk V. Approximately 1,600 had been delivered to the US Navy by May 1944, with a further 875 shared between the RAF and USAAF.

Above:

Venturas of the Royal New Zealand Air Force featured prominently in campaigns in the south-west Pacific, in the Solomons and against Japanese bastions at Rabaul and Kavieng. These PV-1s, three of 388 procured under Lend-Lease, flew as the Ventura GR.Mk V with the RNZAF in the Solomons during 1943-44. The nearest aircraft is NZ4534, coded ZX-D. They are demonstrating single-engine flight.

(1,200-hpl Wright R-1820-87 Cyclones, and designated the PBO-1 by US Navy, the A-29A had a convertible troop-transport interior, and the A-29B was a photographicsurvey version, the AT-18 and AT-18A were

gunnery and navigation

trainers respectively

Lockheed Model 414 Hudson Mk IV: two Pratt & Whitney R-1820-SC3G Twin Wasp engines, primarily for RAAF service, but a few to the RAF, no ventral gun position. US Army designation was A-28 (two R-1830-45S),

Hudson Mk IVA in RAAF service Lockheed Model 414 Hudson Mk V: two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC34G engines with becoming

respectively

Lockheed Model L-12 Electra Junior:

the the

enemy

During the summer of 1943 the type was withdrawn from No. 2 Group, its place being taken by North American Mitchells and Douglas Boston Mk IIIA bombers. The B-34s of the USAAF saw little action, while the B-37 (Ventura Mk III) saw none at all. In the Solomons and South Pacific area Ventura Mk IVs and GR.Mk Vs of the RNZAF saw considerable action against the Japanese bastions at Kavieng and Rabaul, and proved their worth. The last-mentioned sistently high.

introduced in 1936 with six-seat capacity for business use, with two Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB Wasp Juniors as the Model L-12A, 130 built, service with the US Navy as JO-1 and JJO-2 sub-types, and with the US Army as the C-40, C-40A and ex-civil UC-40D; military nose-wheel trainers (one each) as the XJO-3 (US Navy) and C-40B (US Army), eight out of 13 Model 212 military trainers delivered to Royal Netherlands Indies Air Division in Java in 1942. other variants were the Model L-12B with 328-kW 1440-hp) Wright R-975-E3d radials, and the Model 12-25 with 336-kW (450-hp) Wasp Junior SB3 radials

Lockheed Model

L-14 Super Electra: in 1937 with 12-seat capacity for commercial duties, with two 559-kW (750-hp) Pratt & Whitney Hornets (Model L-14H) or various models of Wright Cyclones (Model L-14W and Model L-14N. the latter only for introduced

private owners), typical late-production L-14 had 14-seat configuration with two Wright

Hamilton Type 6227A-0 propellers, and the ventral

gun position

Lockheed Model 414 Hudson Mk VI: two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-67s. US Army designation A-28A Lockheed Model L-18 Lodestar: direct development of the Model L-14, with crew of three and 14 passengers, powerplant comprised Pratt & Whitney S1E-3G Hornets, or Pratt & Whitney SC-3G Twin Wasps, or S4C-4G Twin Wasps, or Wright GR-1820G102As, or GR-1820-202AS or GR-1820G205As, naval transport versions designated R50-1, RSO-4, R50-5 and R50-6. US Army versions were the C-56, C-57. C-59, C-60 and C-66, RAF versions were the Lodestar Mks I, IA and II Kawasaki Ki-56 (Army Type 1 Transport): the Japanese produced tne Lockheed L-14WG3 under licence, and with refinements, two 708-kW (950-hpl Army 99 service with the

(Naka)ima Ha-25) engines, in 1940. 121 built

in

GR-1820-G3B engines, became the progenitor

JAAF

of the military

Hudson, A-28. A-29 and PBO-1 series, impressed Model L-14Ws were designated C-111. while Japanese production produced the Army Type LO Transport

Lockheed B-34 (Model

37):

Lockheed Model 14B Hudson

bomber developed from the Model 18 series RAF specification, and designated the Ventura Mk in RAF servii - (Model 3721); two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-S1A4G

Mk

I:

general-purpose patrol bomber with two 745-kW (1.000-hp) Wright GR-1820-G102A engines with two-speed Hamilton-Standard propellers, in service with RAF Coastal Command in mid-1939 II: as Lockheed Model 414 Hudson Mk but with Hamilton Standard 611A-12/3 constant-speed propellers, standard armament included twin 7 7-mm (0 303-in) forward-firing machine-guns, two beam guns and twinMk II dorsal gunned Boulton Paul Type

Mk

I

C

turret, pilot

and

fuel tank

armour

Lockheed Model 414 Hudson

Mk

III:

two

Wright GR-1820-G205A Cyclones each rated 895-kW (1.200-hp) and Hamilton-Standard hydromatic propellers defined this prolific version which introduced a ventral gun position Hudson Mk IIIA (US Army designation A-29) powered by two 895-kW

at

military patrol

to

I

engines rated

at

Mk

II

1379

kW

(1.850-hp), the

(Model 37 27) was powered by two R 2800-31 engines. RAF also used the Ventura Mk IIA (Model 37-127) and Ventura GR.Mk V, US Army designations were B-34 and B-37. with definitive maritime version, the PV-1 (Model 237) (alias Ventura GR Mk V). serving in the US Navy Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon (Model 15):

Ventura

of US Navy's PV-1, with completely redesigned airframe, two 1492-kW (2,000-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31 engines, produced or converted in addition.)! PV-2C, PV-2D and PV-2T sub-types

development

Lockheed PV-3 Harpoon: designation 27 Ventura Mk Ms retained by US Navy

of

65

-C-

Lockheed Hudson family marks were known in the US Navy as PV-ls, of which 1,800 were built. Carrying a crew of four or five, the PV-1 weighed in at 9161 kg (20,197 lb) empty and 14097 kg (31,077 lb) gross, and was capable of a maximum speed of 502 km/h (312 mph) at 4205 m (13,800 ft). Armament consisted of two forward-firing 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns, two more guns of the same calibre in a Martin CE250 dorsal turret, and two 7.62-mm (0.3-in) guns in the ventral position; up to four 454-kg (1,000-lb) bombs could be stowed internally, with another two under the wings, while an alternative was a single Model 13 Mk II torpedo. US Navy PV-ls operated from Aleutian bases during 1943-45 in all weathers on anti-shipping strikes and attacks on the Japanese bases at Paramushiro and Shimushu, and fought off frequent aggressive attacks by the Mitsubishi A6M3 Reisens of the 13th Koku Kantai (Air Fleet) which defended the area. The PV-1 more than compensated for the relatively poor showing by the Ventura in Europe, and performed useful service in all sectors of the Pacific.

The final version of this long and successful series of the Lockheed little Model L-10 in 1934 was the PV-2 Har-

twins that had started the

poon maritime patrol bomber. In this model the fuselage and tail unit were redesigned, and the wing span increased from 19.96 m (65 ft 6 in) to 22.86 m (75 ft). The first flight of the PV-2 took place on 3

December 1943, the first aircraft being delivered to US Navy squadin March 1944 for action from Aleutian bases. Wing flexing problems added to production difficulties, but the PV-2 saw out the war and continued to serve in naval reserve wings for many years rons

afterwards.

Specification

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon Type: four/five-seat patrol bomber Powerplant: two 1491-kW (2,000-hp)

Wasp

Pratt

& Whitney

R-2800-31 Double

18-cylinder radials

Performance: maximum speed

(clean) 454 km/h (282 mph) at medium (23,900 ft); range (with outer-wing tanks available, after curing major sealing problem) 2880 km (1,790 miles) Weights: empty 9538 kg (21,028 lb); maximum 16330 kg (36,000 lb) Dimensions: span 22.84 (74 ft 11 in); length 15.86 (52 ft OVj in); height ? 3.63 (11 ft 10 in); wing area 63.77 (686 sq ft) Armament: internal day for bombload of 1814 kg (4,000 lb), plus underwmg racks for two 454-kg (1,000-lb) bombs, depth charges or other stores, or (as illustrated) eight HVAR (high-velocity aircraft rockets) in addition to drop tanks altitude; service ceiling

7285

m

m

m

m

m

This Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon served at the end of World

War

II

with

US Navy squadron VPB-142 in the Marianas Islands. It was one of the original and most common variant with a forward-firing armament of guns, two high in the nose and three below; later the number was increased to eight. In fact, hardly any of the PV-2 was identical with the corresponding parts of any PV-1, the unchanged portions being confined to small portions of the fuselage, inboard wing ribs and the cowlings (but not the nacelles). Another item common to some PV-ls was the type of Martin dorsal turret, but the lower rear guns were changed to the same 12.7-mm (0.5-in) calibre as used elsewhere. five

66

67

Avro Lancaster: Belligerent

Bomber

The backbone of the RAF's bombing effort, the Lancaster came to represent the might of bombing power in World War II. A classic case of turning a sow's ear into a silk purse, the Lancaster emerged from the unpopular Manchester to become the best allround bomber of the war, with a combat record to prove it. and by Britain's greatest bomber of World War The Lancaster, the most important instrument of 'Bertie' Harris's policy of II

far

mass

night attacks on

German

cities,

came about

outstanding structural design of the staff of A. V. derton, Manchester, on a quite different try Specification P. 13/36 called for a

bomber

new

solely through the

Roe

Ltd, at Chad-

of 1936. Air Minis-

tactical

medium bomber

more powerful than the Vickers Wellington and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, able to carry a heavy load of bombs or two torpedoes, or a heavy overload of fuel. It was to have a small wing, and to use catapulting to take-off at maximum weight. Two very powerful engines were suggested, rather than four of the 597/746-kW (800/ 1,000-hp) size then becoming available. One of the many designs submitted was the Avro 679 Manchester. Powered by two 1306-kW (1,750-hp) Rolls-Royce Vultures, it was a neat mid- wing monoplane of modern stressed-skin construction. Avro had never built an airframe of this type, nor anything remotely approaching the Type 679 in weight and power. It first flew on 25 July 1939 from Ringway (now Manchester Airport) and though it suffered from directional instability (a third fin being added) and severe lack of power by the engines, it had some fine qualities. It was improved by adding to the outer wings to increase span from 24.43 m (80 ft 2 in) to 27.46 (90 ft 1 in), whereupon it became delightful to fly. Unquestionably it was the best of all the new British bombers in overall design, for it was simple, easy to make and a welcome relief to the ground crews by comparison with the tricky and inaccessible machines from other factories. In November 1940 No. 207 Sqn of Bomber Command was equipped with the Man-

m

At first known as the Manchester Mk HI, and retaining the original Manchester Mk I tail unit, the first prototype Lancaster (BT308) flew on 9 January 1941. The Lancaster would never have happened had not a Merlin 'power egg' capable of just being bolted on without further design work already been developed for the Beaufighter Mk II.

.

68

"*** .

!** *g*r

-*•?• :

***C

-,

Chester I, but suffered terribly from poor engine performance and shocking engine reliability. One unit, No. 97 Sqn, was grounded so often that it was nicknamed 'the 97th Foot'. Something had to be done quickly. Manchesters were pouring off the lines at

Avro and

at

Metropolitan- Vickers. Rolls-Royce managed

to test the Vulture at over 1492

spare the effort needed to

kW (2,000 hp), but knew

make

the engine reliable.

it

could not

Avro began

Manchester II with two Napier Sabres or, better still, two Bristol Centaurus radials; but the dynamic boss of Rolls-Royce, E.H. (later Lord) Hives, was not having that. He went to the Air Ministry and outlined a scheme for a Manchester III with four Merlins. The Merlin X had just been designed for the Beaufighter in the form of a self-contained unit that could be bolted on and coupled up without the need for any design effort by Avro beyond increasing yet again the span of the outer wings. Avro said it could do this, and under chief designer Roy Chadwick the Manchester III was created in three weeks in late 1940. A Manchester (BT308) was taken off the production line and completed with the longer outer wings and four underslung engines. It was flown by Capt. H.A. 'Sam' Brown at Ringway on 9 January 1941. By this time the four-engined machine, the Type 683, had been renamed Lancaster I. In parallel Chadwick schemed a high-wing transport version, the Type 685 York, but little effort was allowed to be spared for the York for two years. Meanwhile another Manchester (DG595) was completed as the second Lancaster prototype with numerous modifications, including a tail with taller fins and rudders and no central fin, an improved mid-upper turret and refined airstudies of the

A row of small windows can be seen on

the batch of 300 Lancaster

Mk

by Armstrong Whitworth with Hercules XVI engines. These aircraft had bulged bomb bays and originally the FN.64 ventral turret (the only turret to be really needed, and it was removed). The Mk II had good performance but high fuel consumption. lis built

The

serial

ED912/G means a

special aircraft which

must be

kept under armed guard when on the ground. It was one of the Mk III (Special) aircraft modified to drop the spinning-drum Upkeep device for destroying the German dams, and taken into action by No. 617 Sqn under Wing

Commander Guy Gibson on May 1943.

the

HK793 was a B.I built by VickersArmstrong at Castle Bromwich, with the deep bomb bay of the Mk II. It is seen at the war's end as a Gee-H equipped lead aircraft

night of 17/18

(yellow

fin stripes) with No. 149 (East India) Squadron. Gee, the RAF area-coverage navaid, was made more precise by the added H interrogation system.

frame with 'productionised' detail assemblies. Flight trials with the first Lancaster had gone with extraordinary smoothness; handling was superb, and performance was better even than predicted values - Chadwick was unable to account for the remarkably good figures turned in by the new four-engined machine. As early as 27 January, only 18 days from first flight, the first prototype was delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, where it received the best assessment ever awarded a new aircraft, beginning: 'This aeroplane is eminently suitable for operational service. Production of the Lancaster was ordered forthwith, starting with completion as Lancasters of the Manchesters already on the assembly line. '

Further revamps Chadwick was still not satisfied, and sent a team of draughtsmen from Chadderton to the flight sheds at Woodford where Avro bombers were actually assembled. Numerous further changes were made to improve systems, armour protection and many other details, Chadwick telling each worker: 'Imagine that six months hence you might have the job of repairing or overhauling this machine'. The changes made it more difficult to turn almost-finished Manchesters into Lancasters, but 243 Lancasters built by Avro and 57 by Metro vick started life as the twin-engined bombers. They were distinguished from true Lancasters by a row of small shallow

w indows along each side of the fuselage.

The

production Lancaster was L7527, flown on 31 October

first

1941 with

854-kW

955-kW

(1,280-hp) Merlin

XX

engines

in

place of the

Xs used previously, but somewhat slower because the gross weight had grown from 22680 to 27216 kg (50,000 to 60,0001b). The mid-upper turret had a different appearance (1,145-hp) Merlin

surrounding aerodynamic fairing incorporating a 'taboo which rode rollers which kept the twin guns at high angles when fore and aft to avoid firing at parts of the aircraft. Magazines in the mid-fuselage housed 2,000 rounds for this turret and 10,000 for the new Frazer-Nash FN. 30 rear turret, less rounded than the FN. 20 of the Manchester (almost the same as that of the Whitley V). Early Lancasters also retained the Manchester's FN.21A two-gun ventral turret, but this was rarely used and soon discarded. (Who was to know that in 1943-5, in the Lancaster's hour of need when dozens were being shot down each night by Junkers Ju 88s and Messerschmitt Bf HOGs, that this would be the only turret that could have done any good?) Production got into its stride in early 1942, with the formation of a

because of

a

track' along

By

the time production started the Lancaster had the tail of the Mk IA with wide-span tailplane carrying taller fins and rudders, and no central fin. The fuselage was at first that of the Manchester, with a row of small side windows, which are visible on this 1942 trio with No. 207 Sqn (ex-Manchesters).

Manchester

69

Avro Lancaster An

early 1943 picture

shows

Lancaster Mk Ills pouring off the line atA.V. Roe Ltd at Woodford. No fewer than 2, 774 of this mark

came

off this

one assembly

line,

of a total output of 7,374. Later in 1943 the wide-chord propeller became standard, bomber crews calling these noticeably improved aircraft 'paddle steamers'.

10 Fire extinguisher 11 Parachute emergency exit 12 F-24 camera 13 Glycol tank/step 14 Ventilator fairing 1 Bomb-bay doors forward actuating jacks

16 Bomb-bay doors forward 1

actuating lacks Control linkage

18 Rudder pedals 19 Instrument panel

20 Windscreen sprays 21 Windscreen 22 Dimmer switches 23 Flight-engineer's folding seat

24 Flight-engineer's control

Lancaster Production Group including A.V. Roe at Chadderton, Woodford, vast new shadow factories at Yeadon (today's Leeds/ Bradford Airport) and Langar, Nottinghamshire; Metro vick at Trafford Park, Manchester; Austin Motors at Longbridge, Bimiingham; Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry (later at Bitteswell also); and Vickers-Armstrong at Castle Bromwich and Hawarden (Chester). This group grew to number over 131,000 including subcontractors, and built up output until in August 1944 it delivered 293 new aircraft plus the equivalent of dozens more in spares and repaired aircraft. The total was further swelled by Victory Aircraft of Toronto, a Crown company responsible to the Canadian Minister of Munitions and Supply. The Canadian aircraft was called Lancaster X (Mk 10 post-war) and took its Merlin engines off the newly set-up Packard Motors (USA) production line. The RAF got a Lancaster in September 1941 when BT308 was lent to No. 44 (Rhodesia) Sqn at Waddington for trials. No. 44, a Handley Page Hampden unit, became the first squadron equipped with the new bomber in early 1942, having received the first machine on Christmas Eve. Next it was the turn of No. 97 Sqn, henceforth no longer the butt of jokes from other squadrons. The first operation, by No. 44 Squadron, was the laying of mines in the Heligoland Bight on the night of 3 March 1942. The first bombing raid came on 10 March, when two aircraft from No. 44 Squadron each took 2291 kg (5,050 lb) of incendiaries to Essen. The total was to grow to 618350 tonnes (608,612 long tons).

panel

25 Pilot's seat 26 Flight-deck floor level 27 Elevator and rudder control rods (underfloorl

Electronic fit News of the Lancaster

burst on the world after a daring - and - daylight raid by 12 aircraft on 17 April 1942. The bombers were drawn from Nos 44 and 97 Sqns, and they flew right across Germany at low level to drop a few bombs on the MAN factory making diesel engines at Augsburg. The reason for this extraordinary mission, which cost seven aircraft and won Squadron Leader J. D. Nettle ton a well-earned VC, was never explained, and it was never repeated. Thereafter the Lancaster settled down to rather

silly

patient slogging night after night in ever-larger forces

niques improved

mapping radar

(aircraft

tech-

the time. Soon Lancasters were carrying

in a large blister

well as the vital

Gee-H

all

whose

where the

Gee navaid and, by 1944,

H2S

ventral guns had been, as

the even

more accurate aid

thus equipped had two horizontal yellow bands on

used by Pathfinder and target-marking aircraft. A few Lancasters on special target-marking missions carried the Oboe their fins),

Avro Lancaster Mk

III

cutaway drawing key temperature

Two0.303-in(7.7-mm Browning machine-guns

7

Frazer-Nash poweroperated nose turret

8 Pitothead 9 Bomb-aimer's chest support

Nose

blister

External

air

thermometer

Bomb-aimer's panel (optically flat)

Bomb-aimer's control panel Side windows

70

i.

1

1

The

fastest

and

1

1

1

highest-flying

wartime Lanes were the handful of Mk VI conversions (this is ND673) with two-stage Merlin 85s or 87s in Lincoln-type cowls with curved radiators. This example served with No. 635 Sqn as a special Pathfinder (note striped fins). Removing the front and

mid-upper turrets would have helped all Lancasters.

KB861 was one of a batch of 300 Lancaster Mk Xs by Victory Aircraft of Toronto, with Packard engines and the

aircraft built as

Martin 250-CE23 electrically driven mid-upper turret with 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns (this turret was further forward than the British FN. mid-uppers). This Mk X was with RCAF No. 431 Sqn, beside the LNER at Croft Spa. 28 Tnm tab control cables 29 Main floor/bomb-bay

49 Aerial mast 50 Starboard inboard engine

89

nacelle

support longeron

Spinner

30

Fire extinguisher

51

31

Wireless installation

52 Three-blade deHavilland constant-speed propellers 53 Oil cooler intake 54 Oil cooler radiator 55 Carburettor air intake 56 Radiator shutter 57 Engine bearer frame 58 Exhaust flame-damper shroud

32 Navigator's seat 33 Canopy rear/down-view blister

34 Pilot's head armour 35 Cockpit canopy emergency escape hatch 36 D/Floop 37 Aenal mast support 38 Electrical services panel 39 Navigator's compartment

ldil

turret

ammunition box

130 Fin construction

90 Ammunition feed track 91 Emergency (ditching) exit 92 Flame floats stowage 93 Sea markers stowage

131

94 Roof light 95 Dorsal turret fairing 96 Frazer-Nash power-

1

97

operated dorsal

turret

Two

7-mm)

303-in

(7

Browning machine-guns 98 Turret mounting ring

99

Turret

mechanism

132 133 34 1

35

136 137 138 139 140

1

74 Aileron control rod

Rudder balance weights Port rudder frame Rudder trim tab Rudder tab balance weight Rudder tab actuating rod Rudder horn balance

175 Port outer (No 3)fu«lttnl

Trim tab actuating |ack Tailplane construction

179 Engine sub-frame

Elevator torque tube Tailplane carry-through 141 Non-rectractable tailwheel 142 Elsan closet

(114 gal/518 1

litres)

76 Outboard engine support

frame/rear spar pick-up 177 Fuel booster pump 178 Fire extinguisher IHl)

hll,T,,,|l

Outboard engine oil tank 182 Firewall/bulkhead 181

100 Ammunition track cover plate

window

117

40 Navigator's desk 4 Aircraft and radio compass receiver

42 Wireless-operator's desk 43 Wireless-operator's seat 44 Wireless-operator's

compartment window

183 Carburettor air intake 184 Outboard engine support frame 185 Port mainwheel 186 Undercarriage oleo struts 187 Flame-damper shroud 188 Outboard engine support

frame/mam spar 189 Undercarriage

pick-up

retraction

jacks 1

90 Oleo

191

strut

attachment pin

Undercarriage support

beam

(light-alloy casting)

192 Centre-section outer

rib/

undercarriage support 1

93 Location

of port

intermediate (No 2) fuel tank (383 gal/1 741 litres)

194 Mainwheel well

First-aid

1

Starboard tailplane

1

1 1

HF 75

aerial

Split trailing-edge flap

(outboard section)

76 Emergency (ditching) exit 77 Crash axe stowage 78 Fire extinguisher 79 Hydraulic reservoir 80 Signal/flare pistol stowage 81 Parachute stowage box/ 185 '

65 66 67 68 69 70

Wingtip skinning Starboard navigation light Starboard formation light Aileron hinge fairings Wing rear spar

82 83 84 85 86 87

Starboard aileron

Aileron balance tab 72 Balance tab control rod 73 Aileron trim tab

7

© Pilot Press Limiter

1

88

spar step Rear spar carry-through Bunk backrest Rear spar fuselage frame

Emergency packs Roof light Dinghy manual release cable (dinghy stowage in starboard wingroot) Mid-gunner's parachute

stowage

pack

109

112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

Rudder control

lever

Starboard tailfin Rudder balance weights Starboard rudder Rudder datum hinge

Rudder tab actuating rod Rudder tab

155 1 56 157 158 159 1

60

161

Starboard elevator Elevator balance tab

162

Roof light Tail main frame 122 Parachute stowage 123 Fire extinguisher 124 Tail turret entry door 125 Frazer-Nash poweroperated tail turret 126 Four 303-in (7 7-mm) Browning machine-guns 127 Cartridge case election chutes 1 28 Rear navigation light 129 Elevator trim tab

163 164

121

Flap operating tube Flap toggle links Flap tube connecting

195 Emergency retraction link

Rear spar Split trailing-edge flap

(inboard section) Split trailing-edge flap (outboard section) Aileron control lever Aileron trim tab control cable linkage Aileron trim tab Aileron balance tab control rod Aileron balance tab Aileron hinge fairings Port aileron

165 166 167 168 Portwingtip 169 Port formation light 170 Port navigation light 1

7

Retractable landing lights (port

wing

only)

172 Cable cutters 173 Fuel vent pipe

air

valve 196 Retraction cylinder 1

attachment 97 Port inner (No (580 gal/2637

1 )

fuel tank

litres)

98 Oxygen bottle stowage 199 Rest bunk 1

200 201

Mam

spar

Hinged inboard leading-

edge 202 Cabin heater installation 203 Air intake 204 Inboard engine support frame 205 Inboard engine oil tank 206 Carburettor intake anti-ice guard

207 Port inner nacelle 208 Flame-damper shroud 209 Detachable cowling panels 210 8omb shackles 21

Bomb-bay doors

(open)

212 8000-lb (3632-kq) bomb

71

_—

Specification Avro Lancaster

I

Type: seven-seat heavy bomber Powerplant: four 955-kW (1,280-hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, (1.460-hp) Merlin 22 or 1223-kW (1,640-hp) Merlin 24 inverted

or

1089

kW

inline piston

engines (275 mph) at 4570 m (15,000 ft); speed 322 km/h (200 mph) at 4570 m (15,000 ft), service ceiling 5790 m (19,000 ft); range 4072 km (2,530 miles) with 3175-kg (7,000-lb) payload Weights: empty 16783 kg (37,000 lb); maximum take-off 30845 kg (68,000 lb) Dimensions: span 31.09 m (102 ft in); length 21.18 m (69 ft 6 in), height 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in); wing area 120.49 m 2 (1,297 sq ft) Armament: (early production model) nine 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Browning machine-guns (one in FN. 64 ventral, two each in FN. 5 nose and FN. 50 dorsal, and four in FN. 20 tail turrets), plus up to 9979 kg (22,000 lb) of bombs

Performance: maximum speed 442 km/h

cruising

is typical of the many which served RAF the nightly offensive against the Reich. Standard camouflage of dark green/dark earth upper surfaces and black undersides was virtually fleet-wide. The 'EM' code denoted No. 207 Squadron, which gained fame in November 1940 as the first Manchester squadron. Lancasters arrived in March 1942, and served with the unit until it re-equipped with Lincolns in August 1949. Thereafter Washingtons, Canberras and Valiants were its equipment, before suffering the ignominy of being resurrected as the Southern Communications Squadron. During its wartime career, the squadron earned seven DSOs, 115 DFCs and 92 DFMs. Its most famous action occurred on 17 October 1942 when, during a low-level attack on le Creusot, one of the squadron's Lancasters shot down two Arado Ar 196 floatplanes and damaged a third while limping along on three engines.

This Lancaster B.Mk I Bomber Command on

73

Heaviest bomb ever dropped in anger was the 9979-kg (22,000-lb) Grand Slam, which fell faster than sound and shook its targets apart by earthquake waves. To carry it the B.I (Special) had to be partly stripped. Most retained regular bomber (Night) colours, but this aircraft, with No. 617 Sqn 's C Flight (code YZ) had this

unusual scheme.

Shown

in Tiger Force colours, the B.VII saw operational service during the war only in that force, this example being with No. 9 Sqn, which with No. 617 Sqn was then at Salbani, India. The B. VII(FE) (FE= Far East) had the

Martin mid-upper

turret,

but this

particular aircraft has the Bristol B.17 with twin 20-mm guns, a la Lincoln.

navaid,

where errors were measured

in feet,

but

Oboe was used

mainly by de Havilland Mosquitoes. Dozens of Lancasters carried special communications gear in the first ECM (electronic countermeasures) and ECCM (electronic counter-countermeasures), such as the 'Airborne Cigar' radio jammer carried by No. 101 Sqn whose Lancasters had two large radio masts on top and another projecting down under the nose.

Like most of the best aircraft, most Lancasters looked almost

Apart from special weapon and electronic fits, in production machines was the Mk II, which had Bristol Hercules sleeve-valve radial engines. Avro built two (DR810 and 812) and then Armstrong Whit worth a batch of 300, used mainly by Canadian crews. It had a better take-off and climb, but though faster low down than the Merlin Lancaster it lost at altitude and also had a slightly lighter fuel consumption. Another feature of the Mk II was its bulged bomb bay, terminating at the rear in an improved FN. 64 A ventral turret. Thanks to the original 1936 Specification calling for torpedoes, the Lancaster inherited from the Manchester a gigantic and unobstructed bomb bay. After some strengthening this was used to carry the heaviest and bulkiest bombs used in World War II, including the regular 1814-kg (4,000-lb) 'cookie' (the usual weapon, carried surrounded by a dozen or more cases of incendiaries), the double-length 3629-kg (8,000-lb) bomb and the rare 5443-kg (12,000-lb) size; the 5443-kg (12,000-lb) Tallboy deep-penetration streamlined bomb designed by B.N. (later Sir Barnes) Wallis at Vickers, and used to sink Tirpitz; the even bigger 9979-kg (22,000-lb) Grand Slam, which reidentical to the first.

4s

the only real difference

flying.

quired substantial aircraft modifications resulting

Mk

I

(Special);

in

the designation

and the special weapon designed by Wallis to breach

German dams.

Gibson's historic mission The Dambusters' mission is perhaps the most famous RAF. Thanks again to the fertile brain

the history of the

exploit in of Wallis,

SW244, a Metrovick-built B.I, was one of two Lancasters converted with a saddle tank above the fuselage, raising fuel capacity from 2,158 to 3,360 Imp gal. The idea was to meet the range demands of Tiger Force in the Far East in 1945, but inflight-refuelling was eventually judged a better answer. VJ-Day came before such ranges were needed.

74

was well suited for civil test The first such aircraft was G-AGJI, a converted Lancaster B.Mk I handed over to BOAC's Development Flight in January 1944. With faired-over nose and tail turret positions, it was extensively used for engine and equipment trials. a world-proved airframe, the Lancaster

was launched in which large drum-like bombs were each weighing 4196 kg (9,250 lb) and fitting on trunnions built into Special Lancasters with a cut-away underside. The bomb was spun by an hydraulic motor at 500 rpm and released at exactly 402 km/h (250 mph) at 18.3 m (60 ft) between 366 and 411 m (400 and 450 yards) from the dam being attacked. Such tight limits, especially on a heavily defended target surrounded by mountains, meant special crews and Wing Commander Guy Gibson was detailed to form No. 617 Sqn for the task, accomplished on 21 March 1943. The Dambusters' aircraft were called Mk III (Special). The Mk III was basically a Mk I with Packard engines and a modified nose. Had the war continued a few months longer, it would have out-numbered the Mk I: final totals were 3,440 Mk I and 3,020 Mk III. The Mk III had the V-1650-1 (Merlin 28) at first. This overheated, but the Packard Merlins 39 and 224 were as good as Rolls-Royce Merlins. From late 1943 the broad paddle-blade propeller became common, with better take-off and climb. Another addition was the Monica radar at the tail to warn of Luftwaffe night-fighters; not until a Ju 88 nightfighter was captured was it realised that this defence aid was in fact a deathtrap, the night-fighters homing in on its emissions! Most rear turrets eventually had plain apertures cut in the Perspex, despite Project 'Upkeep'

built,

RF310 was one of the last Bills delivered from Armstrong Whitworth at Coventry. After the war it was converted as an ASR.III (1948 designation, ASR.3) with an airborne lifeboat. Main contractor for this conversion, which involved a total gutting and re-equipping of the interior,

was Cunliffe-Owen

Aircraft at

Southampton.

RF325 was the last Lancaster in service with the RAF, being withdrawn in October 1956 in the

markings

illustrated.

penultimate aircraft

The

in

a batch of

by Armstrong Whitworth, it was converted as an ASR.3 and then rebuilt in about 1949 as a CR.3 maritime B.I lis built

reconnaissance aircraft for the MR School at St Mawgan.

One of the last Lancasters in use anywhere, this was built as PA342, one of 500 B.ls by VickersArmstrong at Chester. Rebuilt as it was handed to the Armee de VAir and passed to the

a B.I(FE),

whom it served Papeete and Noumea with Flottille 24F. Another 24F aircraft, a Mk VII, is preserved at East Aeronavale, with at

Kirkby.

view aft. By late 1944 the Lancaster VII American Martin electrically driven mid-upper turret, further forward than the original turret and with two hard-hitting 12.7-mm (0.5-in) Brownings (also fitted to 50 late Mk III aircraft). Two of these guns were also fitted to the roomy new rear turret (made by Rose Bros of Gainsborough), which came into wide use from 1944 and greatly improved rear defence, by 1945 guided by AGLT (auto gun-laying turret) radar. The Lancaster IV was later to enter service as the Lincoln, but a bitter cold, to give the best

came

into production with the

Mk VI, received little publicity. Built as Mk Is Mk Ills, the small number of this high-performance mark were re-

related machine, the

or

engined with the two-stage supercharged Merlin 85/87 in the circular cowling (with curved ventral radiator) that became familiar in the Lincoln and Shackleton. With four-bladed paddle propellers, the

Mk

VI had a tremendous performance, especially as armament was removed except for the tail turret, one being logged at 555 km/h (345

mph)

ECM

August 1943. These machines were used to carry special and ECCM for the Pathfinder Force, operated by Nos 7 and

in

635 Sqns.

(ED888, a veteran of more than 140 trips Nos 103 and 576 Sqns from Elsham Wolds) had thoughtlessly been scrapped in 1947. The last Lancaster operators were the Canadian Armed Forces, which used the 10-MK until 1964, and the that the true record holder

with

French Aeronavale, which kindly let the UK have its last Lancaster from its operational locale in the Pacific (Papeete and the New Hebrides). This aircraft has been maintained in airworthy condition, and so too has ex-RAF PA474, which is now painted in the markings of the aircraft used by Squadron Leader Nettleton in the Augsburg raid.

Avro Lancaster variants Avro Type 683 Manchester

III: Lancaster prototypes, in essence Manchester with extendedspan wings and four 854-kW (1,145-hp) Merlin Xs (total 2 - BT308 and DG595) Avro Lancaster I: production version of the Type 683. with 955-kW (1.280-hp) Merlin XXs, 1089-kW (1.460-hp) Merlin 22s or 1223-kW (1,640-hp) Merlin 24s (total 3.440) Avro Lancaster I (Special): Mk modified to carry stores in excess of 5443 kg (12,000 lb), with radar and much other equipment removed (all conversions) I

Avro Lancaster l(FE): variant for service in the Far East (all conversions) Avro Lancaster PR.l: post-war aerial survey version (all conversions) Avro Lancaster II: version re-engined with 1231-kW (1,650-hp) Bristol Hercules VI or 1294-kW hp) Hercules XVI radial engines and incorporating many improvements (total 302 including two

wartime marks were the Mks I(FE) and VII(FE), for Far East service with Tiger Force against Japan. These had special tropical and overseas equipment and were normally painted black below but white above. The FE Lancasters were the subject of various studies aimed at increasing range. Two aircraft (HK541 and SW244) w ere tested with grotesque 5455-litre (1,200-Imp gal) saddle tanks on top of the fuselage, but the final choice was inflightrefuelling. The war ended before the FE Lancasters got into action. The last Lancaster delivered was a Mk I (TW910), from Armstrong Whitworth, delivered on 2 February 1946. Total of all marks was

Avro Lancaster

7,377.

Avro Lancaster 10-MP: Avro Lancaster 10-MR:

The

(1,735-

prototypes)

last

r

III:

improved production version with 1089-kW (1.460-hp) or 1223-kW (1,640-hp) inline engines (total 3,020)

Packard Merlin 28, 38 or 224

Avro Lancaster III (Special): Dambuster' version (all conversions) Avro Lancaster ASR.3: air-sea rescue version produced by Cunliffe-Owen including a

Avro Avro Avro Avro Avro

and 7 from

with special equipment, (all conversions) version of the ASR 3 (all conversions) MR. 3: redesignated version of the GR.3 (all conversions) IV: prototype of the Avro Lincoln to Specification B 14/43 V: prototype of the Avro Lincoln II VI: powered by 1313-kW (1,760-hp) Merlin 87s (total 9, all conversions: 2 from Mk Is

ifeboat Airborne

I

Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster

Mk

Mk

IIA,

and Merlin 224 engines

GR.3: maritime-reconnaissance

Ills)

Avro Lancaster

VII: fitted with Martin dorsal turret, Rose tail turret, special equipment and Packard (total 180) Avro Lancaster VII(FE): tropicalised version for service in the Far East (all conversions) Avro Lancaster X: production by Victory Aircraft in Canada with Packard engines (total 430) Avro Lancaster 10-AR: aerial reconnaissance version of the Lancaster 10-P with special provision for operations over the Arctic (total 3, all conversions) Avro Lancaster 10-BR: bomber-reconnaissance version (total 13, all conversions) Avro Lancaster 10-DR: drone-carrying version (total 2), both conversions

engines,

all

produced by Austin Motors

Lancaster 10-MR re-designated maritime-reconnaissance version of the

Mk

X

(total

more than

70,

all

conversions)

Soldiering on There were numerous oddball modifications during the war, as well as important post-war rebuilds. JB456 w-as fitted with the excellent Bristol B.17 dorsal turret with two 20-mm cannon that later became standard on the Lincoln. LL780 and RF268 had a sighting position in the tail controlling two 20-mm twin-cannon barbettes above and below. This work was aimed partly at perfecting the armament of the Windsor and Lincoln. The first post-war variant was the ASR.3 used by Coastal Command with an airborne lifeboat carried under the fuselage in a conversion by Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft. The GR.3 was a maritime reconnaissance version, later restyled MR. 3. The PR.l was a Bomber Command aircraft used for mapping and survey, with turrets removed; they completed detailed maps of most of West, Central and East Africa in 1946-52. The last Bomber Command Lancaster in service was a PR.l, PA427, struck off in December 1953. The last in the RAF was MR. 3 (RF325), which after a ceremony at St Mawgan on 15 October 1956 was flown to Wroughton and scrapped. The RAF Museum has R5868, with 137 missions and thought to be top-scorer in numbers of missions. But later it was discovered

Avro Lancaster 10-P: photo-reconnaissance version (total 11. all conversions) Avro Lancaster 10-SR: air-sea rescue version (total 8, all conversions) Avro Civil Lancaster 10: mailplane conversion for Trans-Canada Airlines (total

The post-war

5, all

conversions)

RCAF retained RAF-integ rated serial numbers,

though

this Lancaster B.10 has its serial (BK959) on the fins. Used for maritime patrol, this example has black rubber de-icer boots on all leading

edges, and red-painted spinners and wingtips. AF was the post-war code of No. 404 Sqn, which converted to Neptunes in 1951.

75

Heinkel

He 111

Although a 1934 design, the Heinkel He 111 not only provided the muscle of Germany's 'strategic' bombing force at the beginning of World War II but, with surprisingly little alteration to the basic aircraft, came to constitute its backbone until Hitler's eventual defeat in 1945.

Designed under the leadership of Siegfried and Walter Giinter in

KG

response to demands at the time of the Luftwaffe's secret birth for a fast commercial transport capable of minimum adaptation for

were

the bombing role, the

version of the retaining

He

111

was

in effect a

twin-engined, scaled-up

He 70 Blitz that had entered Lufthansa service in 1934,

its elliptical

wing and

B.M.W. VI 6,OZ

tail

surfaces.

Powered by 448-kW

prototype was flown at Marienehe by Gerhard Nitschke on 25 February 1935, being followed by the second less than three weeks later. The third prototype, forerunner of the He 111A series bomber version, snowed itself to possess a performance better than many then-current (600-hp)

engines, the

first

fighters.

As

six

commercial

He

lllC-Os entered service as 10-seat airliners

with Lufthansa during 1936, the

first

of 10 military

He

lllA-Os were

being evaluated at Rechlin but, owing to inadequate engine power when carrying a warload, were summarily rejected, all 10 aircraft being sold to China.

power shortage, Heinkel produced He 111B-0 series was powered by 746-kW (1,000-hp) Daimler-Benz DB 600A engines. Anticipating the problem of

the

He

111B, of which the pre-production

Despite a considerable weight increase this version returned a top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph). By the end of 1936 the first production He lllB-ls with 656-kW (880-hp) DB 600C engines appeared and, following successful trials, joined l./KG 154 (later renamed KG 157),

76

152,

KG

155,

KG

253,

KG 257 and KG 355.

Thirty

He

lllB-ls

bomber force of K/88 of the War. The He U1B-2 was pro-

also shipped to Spain to provide the

Legion Condor fighting in the Civil duced in 1937 with 709-kW (950-hp) DB 603CG engines. Few examples of the He 111D-0 and D-l, with 709-kW (950-hp)

DB 600Ga engines,

were built as a result of a shortage of this engine, 1938 production switched to the He 111E with 746-kW (1,000hp) Junkers Jumo 211A-ls. Some 200 of these aircraft were produced, and they proved capable of lifting a 2000-kW (4,409-lb) bombload - roughly similar to that of the RAF's much slower Armstrong

and

in

Whitworth Whitley III heavy bomber. Meanwhile efforts had been made to simplify the He Ill's wing structure for ease of production, and a new planform with straight leading and trailing edges had appeared on the seventh prototype. This wing was introduced into production with the He 111F, which emerged from the shops of Heinkel's new showpiece factory at Oranienburg in 1938; powered by 821-kW (1,100-hp) Jumo 211A-3s, 24 He lllF-ls were sold to Turkey, while the Luftwaffe's version was the F-4. The He 111G series comprised nine examples, of which five (powered variously by B.M.W.132Dc and B.M.W.132H-1 radials

SC 500 (500-kg/1, 102-1 b) bomb on an airfield at the Eastern Front during the summer of 1941, with a Heinkel He 111H-6 of Kampfgeschwader 55 in the background. The He 111 provided the Luftwaffe's main heavy bomber strength for much of World War II.

Armourers handling an

Two examples of the Gunter brothers' design art in flight during tests from the Heinkel works. Escorting this He 111P is an He 100 single-seat fighter, a type which was produced in only small numbers and which was never deployed to an operational squadron.

Above:

and

DB 600G inlines) were delivered to Lufthansa and the remainder

Turkey as He HlG-5s. Produced simultaneously with the series, the He 111J series was developed as a torpedoearning version, of which about 90 were produced, but in fact went

to

He 111G

served as a normal bomber with the Kriegsmarine-allocated KGr 806 in 1939. Hitherto all He Ills had featured a conventional 'stepped' windscreen profile but, following the appearance of the eighth prototype in January 1938, the He HIP adopted the smooth nose profile with extensive glazing that so characterised the aircraft thereafter. This design incorporated a nose gun mounted hinge-up windscreen to improve the pilot's view during landing. The He 111P series entered production before the end of 1938, the type offset to port,

and a small

KG

157 in the following April. Although this series was intended as an interim version pending arrival of the He 111H, it survived in Luftwaffe service long after the outbreak of war in 1939.

joining

prototype of the He 111 was the He 111a (later styled the He 111V1) flown by Gerhard Nitschke at Marienehe on 24 February 1934 and VI 6.0Z engines. Although built as a powered by 492-kW (660-hp) bomber, British intelligence authorities persisted in believing it to be First

BMW

a high-speed commercial aircraft.

Owing to units

(KG

the lack of suitable airfields, only three

4,

KG

26 and

KGr

100) operated in the

He

Ill-equipped

Norwegian cam-

pared with 349

Geschwader deploying in readiness for the German attack in the West, which opened on 10 May 1940. Four days later 100 Heinkels of KG 54 attacked Rotterdam - now known to have occurred owing to the fact that a recall message was not received by many of the bombers, whose radio operators were already manning their front guns; as it was 57 aircraft dropped 97 tons of bombs in the

series aircraft.

centre of the

the eve of

the beginning of the Battle of Britain the He 111H had almost entirely replaced the He HIP series (although most staff crews still

Devastation of Poland By September that year the He 111H was well established with operational units, the Luftwaffe deploying 400 such aircraft comHe HIP series, 38 He HIE series and 21 He 11U Of this total of 808 aircraft, 705 were serviceable on Germany's attack on Poland. In that fateful campaign the

Heinkels of

KG 1, KG 4, KG 26, KG 27, KG

53,

KG 152 and II/LG1

constant action, starting with raids far beyond the front line, but as the Poles fell back towards Warsaw, were launching devastat-

were

in

ing raids

on the Polish

capital.

paign, the other

city, killing

814 Dutch

civilians.

By

flew the older aircraft, and Stoeckl,

commanding

it

KG 55,

Wallop on 14 August 1940).

was in an He HIP was shot down and

From

the outset the

that

Oberst Alois near Middle

killed

He

111H, with

its

77

HeinkelHeHI He 111 V10: prototype He 111 E (D-ALEQ) from modified D-0 with Jumo 211A-1 He 111E-0: pre-production aircraft, 1700-kg (3,748-lb) bombload; all-up weight 10315 kg (22.7401b)

He 111E-1: (4,409-lb)

(23.754

production bombers, 2000-kg all-up weight 10775 kg

bombload;

lb)

He 111a (He 111 V1): 448-kW (600-hp) B.M

W

1st

prototype, two OZ with two-

VI6,

tug

He 111 VII: prototype He 111F with straighttapered wing. Jumo 211A-3 He 111F-0: pre-production aircraft, all-up weight 11000 kg (24,250 Ibl He 111F-1: 24 aircraft sold to Turkey in 1938 He 111F-4: 40 aircraft for Luftwaffe with E-4

He 111H-10: H-6 development with 20-mm gun removed from gondola to nose; Kuto-Nase

bladed propellers He 111 V2: 2nd prototype (D-ALIX), reduced trailing-edge curvature He 111 V3: 3rd prototype (D-ALES); span reduced to 22 .61 m (74 fi 1% in) He 111 V4: 34th prototype (D-AHA01. 10-passenger airliner, three-bladed

(D-ABYE, -AMES, -AQUY, -AQYF, -ATYL, -AXAV); two delivered to

six aircraft

Kommando Rowehi

for clandestine

reconnaissance

He111A-1:

111

V7: prototype with

straight tapered

He111G-01:

also

termed

BMWVI 6.0Zu.

AEQU), He 111G-02:

AYKI); passed

also termed to DLH

He 111G-3: two

aircraft,

He

111 V12 (Dpassed to DLH He 111 V13 (D

V14

(D-ACBSI with

BMW 132Dc and V15 (D-ADCF) with BMW 132H-1 both passed DLH and to

,

re-

He 111L He 111G-4: also termed He 111 V16 (DASAR). DB 600G, used by Milch as personal styled

propellers

He 111C-0:

He

10 aircraft based on V3, reacted by Luftwaffe and sold to China He 111 V5: DB 600A, all-up weight 8600 kg (18,959 Ibl He 111B-0: pre-production version accepted by Luftwaffe, one aircraft with Jumo 210Ga He 111B-1: production bombers, early aircraft with DB.600Aa, later DB 600C; all-up weight 9323 kg (20,536 lb), maximum bombload 1500 kg (3,307 1b) He 111B-2: supercharged DB 600CG engines, all-up weight 10000 kg (22,046 lb)

transport

He 111G-5:

four aircraft with DB 600Ga engines, sold to Turkey modified from B-2 airframe with He 111 V9: DB 600Ga, became He 111D prototype with

20 H-14/R2S were glider tugs He 111H-16: standard' bomber, H-16/R1 had

MG

H-16/R2 was glider tug rigid boom. H-16/R3 was pathfinder with reduced bombload

electric dorsal turret,

to V8,

factory production, in

DB601A-1, maximum speed 398 km/h (247 mphl He 111P-2: as P-l but with FuG 10 radio He 111P-3: P-ls and P-2s modified as dualcontrol trainers He 111P-4: provision for additional defensive armament, extra internal fuel, external

bombload He 111P-6: introduced DB 601N engines,

with

He 111H-18:

pathfinder similar to

He

111H-16/R3 with special flame-damped exhausts

He 111H-20: H-20/R1

was

built as glider tug/transport, paratrooper with |ump hatch;

H-20/R2 was freighter/tug with 30-mm gun electric dorsal turret; H-20/R3 modified as bomber. H-20/R4 modified as bomber with

20 50-kg introduced

in

bombs maximum

external load of

(110-lb)

reverted to internal bombload, P-6/R2 was later conversion to glider tug, others transferred to Hungary He 111 V19: prototype (D-AUKY), Jumo 211

He111H-21:

Jumo

engines

He 111H-23:

He 111H-0:

213 engines He 111 V32: single H-6 modified with turbocharged DB 601 U engines as prototype for proposed He 11 IB high-altitude bomber. He 111R-1 and R-2 were proposed but not built He 111Z-1: two He 111 composited with fifth engine added, glider tug, all-up weight 28500 kg (62,831 Ibl

pre-production batch similar to P-2 (FuG10) but with Jumo 211 He 111H-1: production version of H-0 He 111H-2: as H-1 but with Jumo 211A-3

engines

He 111H-3:

but later 21 IF small

DB

stepped cockpit profile He 111P-0: pre-production batch similar

nacelles

introduced anti-shipping role with 20-mm gun in gondola, Jumo

211D-1 engines

He 111H-4:

early aircraft 1

engines

had

Jumo

211D-1,

of production to shortage of DB

213,

speed 480 km/h (298 mphl, bombload 3000 kg (6.614 lb), all-up weight increased to 16000 kg (35.275

lb).

He 111Z-2:

Rustsatzas

for

He 111H-20

similar to H-20/R1 with

long-range

Jumo

bomber proiect similar Hs283A missiles

to Z-1 intended to carry four

He 111Z-3: proposed version range reconnaissance

number

abandoned due

211F-2

bombers only He 111 V8: modified B-0 (D-AQUO) with

aircraft.

600CG, external bombload only He 111 J-1: 90 producion aircraft intended as

forward-firing

aircraft,

Jumo

He

torpedo-bombers but several served as

111 JO: pre-production

wing radiators He 111D-0: pre-production batch with DB 600Ga and radiators moved to engine

He 111D-1:

balloon cable-cutters,

1 1 1 H-1 1 : fully enclosed dorsal gun position with increased armament and armour; H-11/R1 had twin 81 guns in beam positions, H-11/R2 was glider tug He 111H-12: ventral gondola omitted to allow carriage of Hs 293A missiles, FuG 230b and FuG 203b radio equipment He 111H-14: pathfinder development of H-10;

He111P-1:

wing

included all previous modifications and provision for two 765-kg (l.686-lb) LT5b torpedoes and increased defensive armament; Jumo 211F-1. He 111H-7 and H-9 were similar but with minor equipment

internal fuel tanks

following J-1

111 variants

He 111H-6:

changes He 111H-8: H-3 and H-5 airframes with balloon cable-fender and cutters; H-8/R2 had fenders removed and was modified as glider

He

He

provision for 2500-kg (5,511-lb) bombloads, all-up weight increased to 14055 kg (30,982 lb)

He 111E-3: minor internal alterations, internal bombload only He 111E-4: half bombload carried externally He 111E-5: as E-4 but introduced extra

bombload arrangement

Displaying three white bars on the rudder for fighter escort identification during the Battle of Britain, this He 111H-2 of the Geschwaderstab, KG 55 'Legion Condor' with additional nose and ventral MG 15 guns, was based at Lille-Nord, Belgium, in 1940.

He 111H-5:

of Z-1 for long-

engines He 111 V6: prototype (D-AXOHI from modified B-0 with Jumo 610Ga

bombs were carried externally, this being a 1000-kg (2,204-lb) weapon. The aircraft is operating on the Eastern Front in January 1943, and has a soluble white distemper applied over the standard camouflage for winter operations. Large

J

A

5

1

1

licence-

(CASA-)

built

He

111H-16ofAla 94, Spanish Ejercito del Aire, in the late 1950s. The splinter camouflage scheme remained much the same as had been current during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39.

Among

the small number of German bombers flown by the Slovakian air force was this He 111H-3 (possibly licence-built in

Romania by

the Fabrica de Avione SET of Bucharest), based at Trencin early in 1943.

Heinkel He 111H-3 cutaway drawing key

63 Remotely-controlled 7 9-mm MG 7 machine gun in tail cone (fitted to 1

Starboard navigation 2 Starboard aileron 1

light

3 Wing ribs 4 Forward spar 5 Rear spar 6 Aileron tab

25 26 27 28 29 30

Repeater conn Bomb aimer s folding seat Control column Throttles Pilot's seat Retractable auxiliary

7 Starboard flap

windscreen

8 Fuel tank access panel 9 Wing centre section/outer

pilot's

panel break line 10 Inboard fuel tank (154 Imp gal/700 litre capacity) position

between

nacelle

and fuselage 1

12 13 14 15

mechanism D-1 12-

cylinder mverted-vee liquid-cooled engine

17 Exhaust manifold 18 Nose-mounted 7 9-mm 1 5 machine gun 19 Ikana ball-and-socket gun

MG

(offset to

starboard!

8omb sight housing (offset to starboard)

21

Starboard

position) Sliding entry panel

stowage) 35 Fuselage windows (blanked)

Supercharger air intake Three-blade VDM airscrew Airscrew pitch-change

mounting

use when

32 Forward fuselage bulkhead 33 Double-frame station 34 Port ESAC bomb bay

Oil cooler air intake

Jumo 211

(tor

m elevated

(vertical

Oil tank cooling louvres

16 Junkers

20

3

seat

36 Central gangway between

bomb bays 37 Double-frame station 38 Direction finder 39 Dorsal gunner's (forwardl sliding canopy 40 Dorsal 7 9-mm MG 15 machine gun 41

47 Unarmoured bulkhead 48 Rear fuselage access cutout 49 Port 7 9 mm beam MG machine gun 50 Dinghy stowage 51

some aircraft

Starboard tailplane

64 65 66 67 68 69 70

Aerial

71

1

Fuselage frames

52 Stringers

53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

Starboard elevator Tailfin forward spar

only)

Rear navigation

light

Elevator tab Elevator structure Elevator hinge line Tailplane front spar Semi-retractable tailwheel

Tailwheel shock-absorber Tail surface control linkage 72 Fuselage/tailfm frame 73 ControTpulley

Tailfin structure

Rudder balance Tailfin rear

spar/rudder post

Rudder construction 61 Rudder tab 62 Tab actuator (starboard

74 Push-pull control rods

79 Ventral bath entry hatch

75 Master compass 76 Observation window

80 Ventral gunner's pad

MG

77 Glazed observation

window 78 Ventral

MG

1

in floor

aft firing 7

9-mm

5 machine gun

in tail

of Sterbebetf ('Deathbed') bath

85 Ann

vibration engine

mount 86

Oil

tank

87 Engine bearer 88 Exhaust flame-damper shroud 89 Radiator air intake 90 Radiator bath 91

92 93 94 9b

surface)

horizontal

Forward-firing 20 imiii (Oerlikon) FF cannon (for anti-shipping operations) 82 Rear spar carry through 83 Forward spar carry-through 84 Oil cooler

81

fairing

Port mamwheel Mamwheel leg

Retraction

mechanism

Mamwheel

door (outer)

Multi-screw wing attachment

96

Trailing-aenal tube (to starboard of ventral bath) 97 Rear spar attachment 98 Port outboard fuel tank (220

Dorsal gunner's cradle seat

42 FuG 10 radio equipment 43 Fuselage window 44 Armoured bulkhead (8-mm) 45 Aerial mast 46 Bomb flares

Imp gal/ 000 litre 99 Flap control rod 1

mamwheel

22 Rudder pedals 23 Bomb aimer's horizontal pad 24 Additional 7 9-mm MG-15 machine-gun (fitted by forward maintenance units)

Pilot

Press Limited

capacity)

HeinkelHe111

Though

to

some

extent

superseded by the H-series, the Heinkel He 111P continued in widespread service well into the war. This P-2 of

Kampfggeschwader 55 flew from Villacoublay, France during the

autumn of 1940 on night raids over Britain and displays the Geschwaderstab marking on the nose; crudely applied mottled

camouflage has obscured Geschwaderzeichen and fin swastika.

435-km/h (270-mph) top speed, proved a difficult aircraft to shoot down (compared with the Dornier Do 17), and showed itself capable of weathering heavy battle damage. The 17 Gruppen flying the He 111H during the battle operated an average strength of about 500 aircraft (compared with He HIP series aircraft, of which some 40 served in the reconnaissance role with the Auffklarungsgruppen), losing some 246 of their number in air combat in the course of the four-month battle. Among the outstanding attacks by He Ills were those by KG 55 on the Bristol aircraft factory on 25 September, and the same unit's devastating raid on Supermarine's factory at Southampton the following day. The majority of the He HlHs employed during the Battle of Britain were He HlH-ls, -2s, -3s, and -4s, the latter two initially powered by 821-kW (1,100-hp) Jumo 211D engines. Perhaps the main significance of their losses lay in their five-man crews, whereas the other bombers, the Junkers Ju 88 and Do 17, were crewed by only four.

from Bardufoss and Banak in northern Norway against the North Cape convoys from June 1942 onwards and participating in the virtual annihilation of the convoy PQ 17. The He 111H-7 and He 111H-9 designations covered minor equipaircraft

alterations in the He 111H-6, while the He 111H-8 featured an outsize balloon fender designed to deflect barrage balloon cables to

ment

were found to be of little use so survivlllH-8s were later converted to glider tugs, as He U1H-8/

cutters in the wing tips; these ing

He

R2s.

The He 111H-10 was similar to the He 111H-6 but included a 20-mm

MG FF cannon in the ventral gondola and Kuto-Nase cable cutters in the wings.

Varied roles Following the successful use of

The next variant to join the Kampfgechwader was the He 111H-5, which incorporated additional fuel tanks in place of the wing bomb cells, and featured two external racks each capable of lifting a 1000-kg (2,205-lb) bomb; its maximum all-up weight was increased to 14055 kg (30,985 lb). He lllH-5s were widely used during the

as pathfinders by

He

KGr

development

of

He 1UH-16/R3 and He U1H-18 being specially fitted with FuG Samos, Peil-GV, APZ5 and FuG Korfu radio equipment for the task; He 1UH-I4s were flown on operations the aircraft, the

Heavy He 111H-5

He UlHs

100, this role featured prominentlv in subsequent

111H-14,

winter Blitz of 1940-1, these aircraft carrying the majority of the

by Sonderkommando Rastedter of KG 40 in 1944. As the He 111 was joined by such later bombers as the Heinkel He 177 Greif, Dornier Do 217 and others, it underwent parallel development as a transport; the He 111H-20/R1 was fitted out to accommodate 16 paratroops and the He 1UH-20/R2 was equipped as

heavy bombs and parachute mines

a freight-carrying glider tug. Nevertheless,

paign.

The He 111H-5

to

fall

on British cities

in that

cam-

could also carry a single 1800-kg (3,968-lb)

bomb externally. The He 111H-6 came

most widely-used of all He Ills, entering production at the end of 1940. With provision to carry a pair of 765-kg (1,687-lb) LT F5b torpedoes, this version was armed with six 7.92-mm (0.31-in) MG 15 machine-guns and a forward-firing to be the

20-mm cannon, and some aircraft featured a remotely-operated grein the extreme tail. Despite its torpedo-carrying most He lllH-6s were used as ordinary bombers, the first fly torpedo-equipped He lllH-6s being I/KG 26, flying these

nade launcher ability,

unit to

Serving with the Legion Condor's bomber element, Kampfgruppe 88, during the Spanish Civil War in 1937, this He 111B-1 carried a variety of individual markings, including the name Holzauge (literally 'Wooden Eye') and a black scottie-dog on the fin.

iaaffs

80

bomber versions conwhere the He

tinued to serve, particularly on the Eastern Front

111H-20/R3 with a 2000-kg (4,410-lb) bombload and the He 111H-20/R4, carrying 20 50-kg (110-lb) fragmentation bombs, operated by night. Perhaps the most outstanding, albeit forlorn, of all operations by the He 111H bombers and transports was that in support of the Wehrmacht's attempt to relive the Germany 6th Army at Stalingrad between November 1942 and February 1943. As the entire available force of Junkers Ju 52/3m transports was inadequate for the supply task, He 111 bombers of KG 27, KG 55 and I/KG 100 joined KGrzb V 5 and KGrzb V 20 (flying an assortment of He HID, F, P and H trans111E-1 whose maximum bombload (carried had been increased to 2000 kg (4,410 lb); this version eventually equipped all four bomber Staffeln of Kampfgruppe 88 of the Legion Condor in Spain during 1938.

A Jumo-powered He internally)

One

of a

number

of glider-

He

towing sub-variants was the 111H-8/R2, the aircraft

shown

to Schleppgruppe 4 Pskov-South on the

belonging

based

at

Eastern Front early in 1942. Glider operations were for the most part confined to delivering troops and equipment to the front, rather than airborne assault.

One of the last surviving operational He 111s was this He 111H-20 of I Gruppe, Kampfggeschwader 4 'General Wever', based at DresdenKlotzsche in April 1945 for supply-dropping missions to isolated

Wehrmacht

ports) and

units.

embarked on the job

bombers were

occasionally able

armour as it tightened its grip on the city, bad weather severely hampered the supply operations, and by the end of the Stalingrad campaign the Luftwaffe had lost 165 He Ills, a sacrifice from which the Kampfgeschwader never fully recovered. to attack the Russian

Last ditch measures The Heinkel He 111 also underwent two of what were unquestionably the

most bizarre

periments.

bomb

all

the Luftwaffe's wartime operational ex-

The first involved the carriage of a

(the V-l)

1943, about 20

designated

of

under one wing. Following

He

lllH-6s,

He

He UlH-22s) were

July 1944. Within six

weeks

The other experiment

of Hying in food and ammunition to

the beleaguered army. Although the

Fieseler

trials at

111H-I6s and

He

Fe 103

flying-

Peenemiinde lllH-21s

(all

in

re-

modified and delivered to III/KG 3 in

this unit,

based

in

the Netherlands, had

ordinary five-engined

span of 35.20 serschmitt

m

tended target

cities.

The Heinkel He 111H-6 was the most widely-used version of the and is pictured here carrying a pair of practice torpedoes on fuselage PVC racks. Among the operational units to employ torpedocarrying He 111s was KG 26, based in Norway for attacks on the Allied

aircraft

Murmansk-bound convoys.

fifth

111 resulted in the extra-

(Z

denoting Zwilling,

He

Ills by

engine.

The

means

of a

or twin),

new wing

resulting aircraft, with a

m

(115 ft 6 in), was intended to tow the huge Mes321 Gigant glider or three Gotha Go 242 gliders at

Me

225 km/h (140 mph) cessful, and the

He

at

4000

m

(13,125

ft).

Trials

proved

fairly

suc-

111Z-1 served with Grossraumlastenseglerkom-

mando

2 based at Obertraubling in 1943 for supply missions on the Eastern Front. The He 111Z-2, which is not thought to have been flown operationally, was equipped to carry four Henschel Hs 293A rocket bombs over long distances, and the projected He 111Z-3 was to have been a long-range reconnaissance version. The He 111Z had a crew of seven, of which four members (including the pilot) were located in the port fuselage, the others in the starboard fuselage.

launched 300 flying-bombs against London, 90 against Southampton

and 20 against Gloucester, the tactics being to approach the British shoreline at low level to escape radar detection before the aircraft climbed to about 450 (1,475 ft) to release the weapon and then dived to make good their escape. Belie ving this campaign to have achieved worthwhile results, the Luftwaffe equipped all three Gruppen of KG 53 with about 100 He lllH-22s and, based in western Germany, these joined the assault on the UK in December, one raid being launched against far-distant Manchester on Christmas Eve. In the seven months of operations the four Gruppen launched 1,200 flying-bombs but lost 77 aircraft; moreover, not more than 20 per cent of the bombs reached their in-

111Z

achieved by joining together two centre-section carrying a

He

involving the

He

Outstanding

among

the

final

the attack on Poltava airfield

in

operations by

He

111

bombers was

the Soviet Union on the night of 21-22

June 1944. The previous day 114 USAAF Boeing B-17s and their escorting North American P-51s had flown to the USSR after bombing Berlin. Heinkel He Ills of KG 4, KG 27, KG 53 and KG 55 caught the Americans unawares and, by the light of flares, the bombers destroyed 43 B-17s and 15 P-51s on the ground. He 111 transports equipped Transportgruppe 30 at the end of 1944, these aircraft dropping paratroops behind the American lines at the beginning of the Ardennes campaign By the end of the war the aircraft was being used solely in the transport role, flown by KG 4, TGr 30 and Schleppgruppe 1 in the last days of the Third Reich. Total He 111 production exceeded 7,300 aircraft. .

The Heinkel He

MG

131 heavy machine-gun 111H-11 with 13-mm (0.51-in) the extreme nose and five 250-kg (550-lb) bombs on a special rackplate under the fuselage; this version also featured considerably increased armour protection, some of which could be jettisoned in the interests of speed in an emergency.

in

81

fc.

Heinkel He 111 Specification

Heinkel He 111H-16 Type: five-seat medium night bomber/pathfinder and glider tug Powerplant: two 1006-kW (1,350-hp) Junkers Jumo 211F-2 inline

piston

engines (270 mph) at 600 m (19,685 ft); 8500 m (27,890 ft); normal range 1950 km (1,212 miles Weights: empty 8680 kg (19,136 lb); maximum take-off 14000 kg (30,864 lb)

Performance: maximum speed 435 km/h

service ceiling

Dimensions: span 22.60 m (74 ft 1% in); length 16.40 m (53 ft 9V2 in); 2 height 4.00 m (13 ft VA in); wing area 86.50 m (931.1 sq ft) Armament: one 20-mm MG FF cannon, one 13-mm (0.51-in) MG 131 and up to

seven 7.92-mm

(0.31-in)

MG

15 and

2000-kg (4,409-lb)

bomb

internally, or eight

250-kg (551-kg)

MG

carried externally

bombs

81 machine-guns, plus one and one 500-kg (1,102-lb) bomb

all

internally

The aircraft depicted here, Wkr Nr 3340, 'Yellow B' of the 9th Staffel,

Kampfggeschwader 53 is shown with the

Legion Condor

escort identity wing bars carried during the big Luftwaffe daylight raids on London during Sunday 15 September 1940 - the climax of the Battle of Britain. The three white panels have always been said to indicate the III Cruppe of a Geschwader, although so many

anomalies exist as to throw doubt on this assumption. This aircraft was in fact damaged in action on that day and force landed at Armentiers with two wounded

crew members; recent computerised research suggests that it was probably attacked by Spitfires of No. 66 (Fighter) Sqn. 82

!(ffe

83

ft

Savoia-Marchetti

S.M.79 The fast and rugged S.M. 79, while never fully escaping from its airliner looks, was one of the Italian air force's most potent wartime aircraft, taking a high toll on Allied shipping in the Mediterranean.

As

the seeds of the Axis partnership

were being sown

in

Europe,

and Germany's Lufthansa was being presented with dual-role bomber-transports for commercial operation, a similar philosophy

was being pursued,

albeit with less malice aforethought, in the other

When

Alessandro Marchetti proposed a cleaned-up,

dictatorship.

high-speed, eight-passenger development of his S.M. 81 early

in

forthcoming prestigious 'MacRobertson' race from England to Australia, it was immediately clear that in such an aircraft lay the basis of an efficient heavy 1934,

ostensibly

to

participate

in

the

bomber. In the

event the commercial S.M.79P (I-MAGO) was not com-

pleted in time for the great race, being flown at Cameri airport

in

October 1934, powered by three 455-kW (610-hp) Piaggio P. IX Stella RC.2 nine-cylinder radials. Deprived of the possible laurels of the 1934 race, I-MAGO went on to demonstrate its potential in a record-breaking flight from Milan to Rome in June 1935 and, soon afterwards, with three

560-kW (750-hp)

Alfa

Romeo

125 RC.35

engines, established world records over 1000-km (621-mile) and

2000-km

(1,243-mile) closed circuits with various loads; the follow-

582-kW (780-hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 engines, I-MAGO raised its own record for carrying 2000 kg (4,409 lb) over 1000 km (621 miles) to 420 km/h (261 mph).

ing year, with

Development

of the

commercial S.M.79 was now simultaneously

pursued along several paths: the S.M.79C (C for Corsa, or race), the S.M.79T (T for Transatlantica) and the twin-engine S.M.79B. Eleven S.M.79Ts with additional fuel for prestigious transatlantic flights and five racing S.M.79Cs were built, all with 746-kW (1,000hp) Piaggio P. XI RC.40 radials. Among the outstanding achieve-

ments of these

fine aircraft

was

their gaining of the first three places

the 1937 Istres-Damascus-Paris race, in which they beat the 'MacRobertson' race winner, the D.H.88 Comet G-ACSS, into fourth place. Early in 1938 three S.M. 79s were flown from Rome to Rio de Janeiro, covering the 9842 km (6,116 miles) at an average speed of 404 km/h (251 mph). Further world speed-distance-payload records fell to S.M. 79s in 1938. Development of the S.M.79B as a commercial aircraft was shortlived, principally on account of the supposed public prejudice against twin engines on the grounds of safety. However, after the prototype S.M.79B flew in 1936 with two 768-kW (1,030-hp) Fiat A.80 radials, it became clear that the twin-engine layout was still being looked on with favour by some foreign air forces, and Savoia-Marchetti eventually sold four military examples to Iraq in 1938 (all of which were destroyed during the anti-British rebellion of 1941), and three to Brazil. Romania, on the other hand, adopted the S.M.79B on a much larger scale, purchasing 24 in 1938 with 746-kW (1,000-hp) Gnome-Rhone Mistral Major radials, followed later by 24 more powered by 910-kW (1,220-hp) Junkers Jumo 211Da inline engines. Romania also negotiated to build the aircraft under licence (as the S.M.79-JR) at the Bucharest plant of Industria Aeronautica Romana, in

these aircraft later serving as

medium bombers

forces on the Russian front in large earlier

S.M.79Bs were relegated

numbers

with the Romanian in

1942, while the

to transport duties.

The

IAR-built

m

S.M.79-JR had a top speed of 445 km/h (277 mph) at 5000 (16,405 ft), time to 3000 (9,845 ft) was 8 minutes 40 seconds, and the service ceiling was 7400 (24,280 ft).

m

m

October 1940, these aircraft of the 229 a Squadriglia are regular bombers. The S.M.79 took part in the assault on France, that against Greece and against the British in the Western Desert.

Seen

in

The S.M. 79 performed a number of outstanding flights before the war, this S.M.79C (l-BIMU) being flown into third place in the 1937 Istres-Damascus-Paris race by Colonel Attilio Biseo and Lieutenant Bruno Mussolini at an average speed of 343 km/h (213 mph).

The

first

of four S.M. 79B twin-

engined

aircraft purchased by Iraq in 1938; at that time they represented equipment that was far superior to anything

deployed by the Middle East.

Such was the early recognition of military potential in the S.M. 79 second prototype was completed in 1935 as a bomber. Construction was largely of wood, the three-spar low wing being built as a single unit with only IV2 of dihedral. The big fuselage was a welded that the

steel-tube structure, the forward part being duralumin- and ply-

wood-covered, and the rear section covered with ply and fabric. Two pilots were normally accommodated, and a single fixed forward-firing machine-gun (initially 7.7 mm/0.303 in, but later 12.7mm/0.5-in) was located over the cockpit. The bomb-bay, offset slightly to starboard, occupied the mid-fuselage, and aft of it was a ventral fairing containing the bomb aimer's station and a rear-firing gunner with 7.7-mm (0.303-in), later 12.7-mm (0.5-in) BredaSAFAT machine-gun. Another machine-gun position was located at the rear of the prominent dorsal hump (which gave the S.M. 79 its service nickname 'il Gobbo', or the hunchback), and a single 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-gun in the rear fuselage could be swung from side to side to fire through beam hatches. From the outset the Regia Aeronautica test pilots expressed enthusiasm for the S.M. 79, and production orders were placed before the end of 1935. Early aircraft, S.M.79-Is, with three 582-kW (780hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 radials, entered service with the 8° and 111 Stormi Bombardamento Veloce (fast bomber groups) in 1936. In 1937 these units were sent to Spain to serve with the Aviacion del Tercio, flying during the Spanish Civil War as the 27° and 28° Gruppi ('Falchi delle Baleari', 'Hawks of Balearics', based in the Balearic Islands), and the 29° and 30° Gruppi ('Sparvieri', or 'Sparrows').

RAF in

the

These

units, together with two of S.M. 81s, flew 5,318 sorties, dropped 12040 tonnes (11,850 tons) of bombs and scored 224 direct hits on government vessels. At the end of the Civil War the new Spanish government took over 80 S.M. 79s and these came to provide a major portion of the Spanish air force's bombing arm for many years to come.

Racing into service Meanwhile the introduction of the S.M. 79 (now

officially

named

the Sparviero) into service with the Regia Aeronautica had gone

ahead at full speed. By the beginning of World War II some 11 stormi, each of four squadriglie (squadrons), were deployed with a total of 389 aircraft in Italy, Albania and in the Aegean. However, it was in a new role that the S.M. 79 was being examined. Given the geographical location in the Mediterranean, Italy had for some years worked to gain a justified reputation in torpedo warfare and technology, and in 1937 had conducted trials at Gorizia with an S.M. 79 carrying a single torpedo. Although these trials showed great promise, it was decided to pursue a dual torpedo installation, at the same time fitting

more powerful 128 RC.18

engines,

initially

the

642-kW (860-hp)

Alfa

Romeo

producing the prototype S.M. 84) and later the 746-kW (1,000-hp) Piaggio P.XI RC.40 radial. In the latter configuration the aircraft entered production as the S.M. 79-11, starting delivery to the Regia Aeronautica in 1940; later sub-variants were (this

powered by 1007-kW (1,350-hp) Alia Romeo 135 RC.32 18-cylinder radials, and also 746-kW (1,000-hp) Fiat A.80 RC.41 engines.

A crew disembark An S.M. 79

waits for a mission while armourers prepare bombs, which are yet to have fins attached. The Sparviero had an unusual bomb-bay arrangement as it was offset to starboard within the fuselage.

their aircraft, displaying Italian flying gear of the early war period. Also displayed is the sliding hatch for the upper gun, and the hump that gave the S.M. 79 its 'II Gobbo' (the hunchback)

nickname.

85

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79

Alfa Romeo-powered S.M.79 serving with the Gruppo Aerosiluranti 'Buscaglia of the '

Aviazione Nazionale Republicana in northern Italy

in

1944 after the Italian capitulation.

Displaying the Nationalist markings of the Spanish Civil War, this S.M.79 belonged to the 52" Squadriglia of the XXVII Gruppo, dubbed the 'Falchi delle Baleari' and flying from Pa I ma, Majorca in May 1938.

When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940,

the Regia Aero-

nautica possessed 14 S.M.79 stormi with 575 aircraft: three stormi (the 9°, 12° and 46°) were deployed in Italy, four (the 10°, 14°, 15° and 33°) in Libya, five (the 11", 30°, 34°, 36° and 41°) in Sicily, and two (the 8° and 32°) in Sardinia. The 9° and 46° Stormi took part in the

campaign against metropolitan France, while the S.M.79s of the 10°, 13° and 33° Stormi (of the Aeronautica della Libia) operated

brief

against French forces in Tunisia.

When the Greek campaign broke out four squadriglie of S.M.79s based in Albania were joined by aircraft of the Aerosiluranti (torpedo-bombing arm) deployed in the Aegean. In the 11-day campaign against Yugoslavia in April 1941, 30 S.M.79-Is of the Regia Aeronautical 92° Gruppo and 281'' Squadriglia were opposed by 42 similar aircraft of the Yugoslav 7th Bombing Wing and 81st Independent Bombing Group, survivors of an order for 45 aircraft placed with Italy in 1939. During the operations against Crete, S.M.79s of the Aerosiluranti were in constant action against British and Greek shipping in the eastern Mediterranean.

1

were shot down and the remainder captured more or less intact; one of these later carried RAF markings (HK848) to join four others flown to the Middle East (AX702-705) by escaping Yugoslav pilots. The Sparviero's outstanding role in the Mediterranean was in maritime operations, both as a bomber and in the torpedo attack role. During the early months of the war, attacks were carried out against Malta and shipping in the Sicilian narrows by aircraft of the 30° Stormo and the 279 a Squadriglia, later joined by the 10° Stormo. When the Allies sailed the famous Malta convoy of August 1942 (Operation Pedestal), the Regia Aeronautica and Aerosiluranti deployed 74 torpedo and bomber S.M.79-IIs, of which 50 belonged British air raids at Addis Ababa, three

Stormo at Villacidro, Sardinia, 10 for the 105 a Squadriglia at a Decimomannu, Sardinia, and 14 to the 132 Squadriglia on Pantelleria. From the moment the convoy of 14 merchantmen with heavy naval escort came within range, these S.M. 79s (with a number of to the 32°

Fighting in Africa In the Western Desert Marshal Graziani's land forces were in the main ill-served by the Regia Aeronautica, the Italian pilots bestowing unwarranted respect on the hotch-potch of RAF forces available in Egypt. A total of four stormi with 125 S.M.79s was available, based at Castel Benito, Bir el Bhera, Benina and El Adem; yet few effective raids were flown, very small numbers of Sparvieri attacking targets at Halfaya, Mersa Matruh, Sidi Barrani and Solium with heavy escorts of Fiat CR.42s. A number of combats were fought with RAF Gloster Gladiators, but few S.H.79s were lost in the air. The main attrition resulted from unservicability, and this was difficult to rectify at the end of a long supply route for spares, with the result that many Italian aircraft were destroyed or captured on the ground when General Wa veil's forces advanced. During the campaigns in East Africa, 12 S.M.79-Is of the 44° Gruppo were reinforced by 16 more aircraft flown from Libya, but in the final loss of Italian territories about six were lost on the ground in

A

torpedo-bomber S.M. 79-11 of the 278* Squadriglia, 13? Gruppo

Autonomo Aerosiluranti, based at Sicily during

the spring of 1942,

wears one of the most widely adopted camouflage schemes.

86

«Hj

r

"

1

Bearing scarcely any

resemblance

to the original

Savoia-Marchetti design, the Romanian lAR-built S.M.79-JR featured German engines, modified nose, cockpit, rear fuselage and tail unit; this example served with the 3rd Air Corps in 1943 on the Eastern Front.

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79II with Piaggio P. XI engines serving with the Lebanese air force in 1956. The all-white paint (rather than any sort of

scheme

camouflage) was adopted

to

emphasise Lebanese nonintervention policies with

neighbouring

S.M.79-1

cutaway drawing key

44 Fixed (12

forward-firing

56 Central

5-m

7-mm) Breda- SAFAT

1

Starboard pitot tube

2 Starboard navigation light

24 2b 26 2/

5 Starboard aileron

Starboard

mamwheel

Ventral landing lamp Undercarriage cylinders

Nose compartment access panel

7 Flap linkage 8 Starboard slotted flap

28 Intake 29 Centre engine oil tank 30 Undercarriage warning

9 Starboard outer fuel capacity 33 Imp gal

31

Fire extinguisher

32 33 34 3b 36 3/ 38

Instrument panel Control column Rudder pedals

6 Aileron control rods

(150 litres) 10 Flap rod 1 1

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Wing

skinning

Leading-edge slot Starboard engine nacelle Propeller Exhaust collector nng Three-bladed propeller

Spinner Engine cowling ring Alfa

Romeo

126

radial

engine

20 Exhaust

horns

tank,

Main

45 46 47 48 49 50

fuel filter

Flap control linkage Oil cooler intakes

Front spar/fuselage frame pick-up Pilot's seat 40 Central control console 41 Pilot's seat 42 Windscreen panels 43 Roof panels

57 Oxygen cylinder 58 Crew compartment

Dorsal fairing frame

Ammunition tank

Link collector box Radio transmitter /receiver Radio operator's position Main spar carry-through 51 Central forward fuel tank. capacity 46 Imp gal

(210

(200

litres!

litres)

aft fuel tank, capacity

Imp gal (505 litres) 54 Main spar /fuselage frame 111

109

pick-up 55 Rear spar /fuselage frame pick-up

108

39

Engine bearers 22 Firewall bulkhead 23 Oil filter 21

87

entry

steps

59 Flight mechanic's seat 60 Bulkhead partition 61 Ammunition tanks 62 Link collector box 63 Radio operator's seat 64 Fixed window 65 Flexible link chute 66 Dorsal blister

52 Port forward fuel tank. capacity 44 Imp gal 53 Port

aft fuel tank,

capacity 128 Imp gal (580 litres)

machine-gun

3 Three-spar wing structure 4 Aileron mass balance

Israel.

|f

-^Cff<^

\&^5Ǥ

Jl^-"-^^^S8^

-~^ *Tn^r

^^03 "^S*r5e3^5fr>Tr15

,

'»

a

^f

""

1

Tailplane brace strut Rudder tab control link Port elevator Elevator balance 121 Tailplane structure 122 Non-retracting tailwheel 123 Tailwheel steering

117 118 119 120

*99

T^r 8?! 81

Bomb-aimer's rudder handwheel

control

mechanism

82 Starboard side windows (three)

section

86 87 88 89 90

67 Dorsal glazing

68 Dorsal flexible 50-in (12.7-mm)8reda-SAFAT machine-gun 69 Gun support bracket 70 Sliding fairing

91

(12. 7-mm)

installation

79 Ventral gondola 80 Jozza bombsight

97 98 99 100

attachment bracket 130 Fuselage lower frame 131 Crew hinged entry door (integral steps)

132 Door

knee

Breda- SAFAT

section Port side

after

(two)

Ammunition feed Waist machine gun Ammunition tank

window frame

\Afcist

102 1 03 104 1 05

111

Elevator control linkage Control rods Fuselage structure Fabric side covering Fin /fuselage attachment Fin spar Starboard tailplane Elevator balance Starboard elevator Fin structure

112 113 114 115 116

Rudder Rudder Rudder Rudder Rudder

06

107 108 109 110

fully

extended

position

134 Wingroot strut 135 Fixed inboard trailing-edge section

136 Rear spar 137 Mamwheel well 138 Rear nacelle fuel tank, capacity 106 Imp gal (480

windows

101

1

Pilot

sliding

machine-gun 96 Gondola hinged

starboard)

Rudder control links Elevator control horn Tailplane inboard end rib Tailplane spar attachment Tailplane lower struts

133 Bomb-aimer's ventral

supports Five

Tailwheel shock absorber

position

Crew entry doorway

93 Flexible link chute 94 Ventral gondola fairing 95 Ventral flexible 50-m

550-lb/250-kg)ortwo 1,100 lb/500 kg) bombs 74 Bomb magazine (offset to

75 Bomb bay doors 76 Fuselage frames 77 Crew entry catwalk 78 OMI vertical camera

skinning

Starboard waist position Waist gun mounting bar Verey cartridge stowage

92 Bomb-aimer's

attachment lugs

73 Twelve 220-lb (100-kg) (alternatives

Plywood dorsal D/Floop

boxes

Bomb bay support frame 72 Bomb vertical stowage 7

bombs

24 125 1 26 127 128 1 29 1

83 Radio receiver 84 Fuel header tank, capacity 8.8 Imp gal (40 litres) 85 Dorsal fairing fixed aft

95

i

=

%/%/

'S t^r^Sfrye^T ^^^ 4tk^

i

Press Limited

(33

upper hinge torque tube frame

litres)

140 Undercarriage retraction strut attachment 141

Retraction |ack

142 Mam spar 143 Undercarriage mounting 144 144 146 147 148 149 150

bracket Nacelle support frame Engine bearer assembly

Engine mounting ring Exhaust collector ring Spinner Three-bladed propeller Exhaust 151 Mamwheel doors 152 Mamwheel oleo legs 153 Port mamwheel 154 Retraction struts 155 Leading-edge slot 1

IJ3

litres)

139 Port outer fuel tank, capacity 33 Imp gal

56 Wooden wing structure

157 Slotted flap Aileron frame 1 58 159 Wng skinning 1 60 Port wmgtip structure Port navigation light

tab

161

lower hinge

162 Port

pitot

tube

87

!

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79

It was as a torpedo-bomber that the Sparviero achieved the greatest success. These attacks continued even after 1943, with aircraft flying with the German-controlled Aviazione Nazionale Republicana.

The S.M.79 was a good bomber when by the time of World War

service, but

nevertheless,

it

appeared

in military largely outclassed; fared well in the early days of the Mediterranean it first

II

was

fighting.

HMS Indomitable,

and Argus. HMS Malaya and Argus were attacked and hit in attacks by the 130° and 132° gruppi flying S.M.79s from Gerbini and Castelvetrano in Sicily; the former Gruppo included pilots such as Cimicchi, Di Bella and Melley whose names, together with Capitano Buscaglia, commanding the 132° Gruppo, became famous throughout Italy. carriers

Victorious

Improved torpedo-bomber of 1943 a new version of the Sparviero, the began appearing in small numbers with torpedo gruppi of

Towards the end S.M. 79-

II,

the Aerosiluranti. This version dispensed with the ventral gondola

and the forward-firing 12.7-mm (0.5-in) machine-gun was replaced by a fixed 20-mm cannon, the latter being fired as a 'Flak deterrent' during torpedo attacks. One of the greatest torpedo exponents of this era was Capitano Faggioni, who commanded a gruppo of S.M.79-IIIs. At the time of the Allied landings in Algeria of November 1942 the Sparviero force was declining, partly through combat losses but also as a result of Allied air attacks on the Italian aircraft industry, which severely restricted the supply of spare engines and other replacements. At that date 10 S.M.79 gruppi remained operational with 153 aircraft, of which only 112 were combat-ready. Eight of these flew Sparviero torpedo aircraft and in an effort to retain some semblance of respectable performance in the face of Allied air superiority in the central Mediterranean, it became customary for the S.M. 79s to carry only one torpedo. Nevertheless, by the eve of the invasion of (the bomb-aimer's position being superfluous)

An unusual view

of Gobbo' in flight, photographed from the upper gun position of another S.M.79. Nestling under the centre-section is a torpedo, ready to be dropped from ultra low-level. '/'/

Luftwaffe units) flew constant attacks and, despite desperate oppo-

from carrierborne fighters, hit with torpedoes and bombs nine merchantmen, two cruisers, a carrier and a destroyer. In the course of the Mediterranean air-sea war Sparvieri were credited with sinksition

HMS Husky, Jaguar, Legion and Southwall, as damaging the battleship HMS Malaya and the

ing the destroyers

well as severely

The first prototype Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79P l-MAGO after the original Piaggio P. IX engines had been replaced by 559-kW (750-hp) Alfa Romeo 125 radials. This photo was probably taken late in 1935.

i

88

,

One

of the five racing S.M.79C aircraft which achieved such success in the Istres-Damascus-Paris race of 1937; the significance of the 1-11 marking denoted the aircraft as being the 11th Italian entry.

A

close-up details the installation of a torpedo under an S.M.79. Although fittings were available for two weapons, performance was so impaired that one was the normal operational load.

of the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, while

some of the others flew

were lying unserviceable on Italian airfields (estimated at around 50) was that for some months, in an effort to gain short bursts of extra speed, S.M.79s had been using a system of ethyl injection into the Alfa Romeo 128 engines (which admittedly increased the speed to well over 480 km/h; 298 mph), and this had taken its toll in worn-out

which they were relegated to transport duties. Faggioni continued to command his gruppo aerosiluranti of S.M.79-IIIs in operations against the Allies, however, one of his outstanding operations being at the head of an attack on shipping at Gibraltar on the night of 4/5 June 1944. He was killed later, leading a strike against shipping at Nettuno. After the war surviving Sparvieri were converted to transports and flew services with the interim Corrieri Aerei Militari before the resumption of formal commercial services. After that a few were employed as target tugs in Italy and three were sold as military

engines.

transports to the Lebanese

Sicily

the Sparviero force had further dwindled to the equivalent of

four fragmented gruppi and

two squadnglie with

than 27 serviceable aircraft.

One

no more many aircraft

a total of

of the reasons that so

At the time of the Italian capitulation 36 serviceable S.M.79s stood on the airfields at Capodichino, Littoria, Pisa and Siena; 21 of those eventually managed to fly south to the Allied lines to form part

in

Luftwaffe markings

Total production of the S

.

air

M

.

force

79

in

1950.

in Italy

between 1934 and 1944 was

1,330.

S.M.79-1

The twin-engined S.M.79B was produced as a cheap version of the basic aircraft to sell for export to Brazil, Iraq and Romania. The British encountered the aircraft during the Iraqi insurrection of 1941 and the Romanians used theirs on the Eastern Front in the same year.

in

bombers of XXVII Gruppo Bombardamento

Terrestre,

Aviacion del Tercio ('Falchi delle Baleari'), during the Spanish Civil War, 1938. The green blotching on sand camouflage of the nearest aircraft contrasts with the aircraft.

brown and sand schemes of the other

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Specification

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79-1 Type: four/five-crew medium bomber/torpedo-bomber Powerplant: three 582-kW (780-hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 cooled

radial piston

9-cylinder

air-

engines

m

Performance: maximum speed 430 km/h (267 mph) at 4000 (13,125 ft); climb to 4000 (13,125 ft) in 13 minutes 15 seconds; service ceiling 6500 (21,325 ft); maximum range at 340 km/h (211 mph) 3300 km (2,050 miles) Weights: empty 6950 kg (15,322 lb); maximum take-off 10730 kg (23,655 lb) Dimensions: span 21.20 m (69 ft 6% in); length 15.60 (51 ft 2 in); height 2 4.60 (15 ft 1 in); wing area 61.70 m (664.2 sq ft) Armament: one fixed 12.7-mm (0.5-in) machine-gun firing forward over cabin roof, guns of the same calibre in dorsal position and in rear of ventral position, one 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-gun for beam defence, plus a maximum bomb-load of five 250-kg (551-lb) bombs or one 45-cm (17.7-in) naval torpedo

m

m

m

m

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 variants S.M.79P: commercial

in

originally

inverted V-12 engines

prototype (l-MAGOl, with Piaggio P. IX Stella RC.2, later with Alfa Romeo 125 RC.35. and Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 engines

S.M.79C:

five racing aircraft.

746-kW

(1,000-

hp) Piaggio P XI RC 40 engines S.M.79T: 11 transatlantic aircraft, plus three S.M.79-1 (BISE, l-BRUN and l-MONI) modified to

S.M.79T standard. Piaggio P

XI

RC.40

engines

S.M.79B: twin-engine variant, 768-kW (1,030-hp) Fiat A 80 RC

prototype with 41 radials, four

similar aircraft to Iraq in 1938. and three to Brazil with 694-kW (930-hp) Alfa Romeo 128

RC.18

Bucharest! aircraft with Junkers

Jumo 211Da

S.M.79-1: military protoype for Regia Aeronautica, Piaggio P. IX Stella RC 2 radials S.M.79-1: production version with Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 radials for Regia Aeronautica and Aerosiluranti, also 45

aircraft to

Yugoslavia, some late-series aircraft with 642-kW (860-hp) Alfa Romeo 128 RC 18 radials, in production 1936-40 S.M. 79-11: production version (bombers and torpedo-bombers! with 746-kW (1.000-hp) Piaggio P XI RC 40 radials. in production

1940-43

S.M. 79-111: (sometimes designated S.579I

radials

S.M.79B: (Romanian) Italian-built with 746-kW (1,000-hp) Gnome-Rhone 24

aircraft

K-14 Mistral Maior radials, and 24 Italian-built aircraft with 910-kW (1,220-hp) Junkers 211 Da inline

engines

S.M.79-JR: (Romanian)

licence-built (by

IAR

production version (bombers and torpedobombers) with increased armament, mosl without ventral gondola, alternative

aircraft

engines were 746-kW (1,000-hp)

RC 41 or 1007-kW RC 32 radials

(1.350-hp) Alfa

A 80 Romeo 135

Fiat

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79-II of a the 205 Squadriglia, displaying the Sorci Verdi (Green Mice) emblem adopted from the prewar S.M. 79 record-breaking Sparviero flight led by Colonel Attilio Biseo. Although early in the war Italian bombers tended to be deployed and operated in

gruppo strength,

battle losses during the final stages of the North African campaign resulted in many such units being disbanded. The 205 a Squadriglia was, however, reformed as an autonomous unit at Milis, Sardinia, on the eve of the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, albeit with only four serviceable Sparvieri.

ta

lift.

91

K

Short Sunderland Developed from the great 'Empire' flying-boats, the Sunderland became a wartime legend as the chief patrol aircraft of the Commonwealth forces. It was tough, reliable and could turn its hand to almost any maritime task, from air-sea rescue to sinking U-boats. The Germans found it a very prickly customer and dubbed it 'The Flying Porcupine'. as the Short S.23 C-class 'Empire' flying-boat marked a startling advance on all previous civil transport aircraft in Imperial Airways, so did its military derivative, the Sunderland,

Just

stressed-skin cantilever

monoplane with

a

greatest attention to the reduction of drag. for the

new RAF machine,

smooth skin and the It was an ideal basis

the S.25.

mark an

equally great advance on marine aircraft in the RAF. Sometimes called The Pig' (not unkindly) by its crews, it was dubbed The Flying Porcupine' by Luftwaffe pilots who tried to

When the last of these well-loved 'boats was retired RAF on 20 May 1959 it had set a record of 21 years' continuous service in the same oceanic duty. On the side, it had attack

it.

from the

performed many other remarkable feats. The Sunderland had its origins in a 1933 Air Ministry specification, R.2/33, calling for a new maritime reconnaissance flying-boat to replace the Short Singapore III biplane then just coming off the production line at the Rochester works of Short Brothers. The same company's chief designer Arthur (later Sir Arthur) Gouge immediately began to prepare a tender to the new requirement. He was already well advanced with planning a new civil transport flying-boat. Almost alone among British designers, Gouge realised that the all-metal stressed-skin monoplanes being built in the USA and Germany were a better species of flying machine, and he designed the S.23 as a

changes Gouge made his submission in 1934, the specified armament being a 37-mm Coventry Ordnance Works gun in a bow cockpit Military

or turret and a single Lewis machine-gun in the extreme tail. Compared with the civil S.23, the military 'boat had a completely new hull of much deeper cross-section, and with a long nose projecting ahead of a flight deck quite near the wing. When construction was well advanced it was decided to alter the armament to a nose turret with one machine-gun and a tail turret with four, a complete reversal of original thoughts on firepower. The shift in centre of gravity could only be countered by moving back the wing or altering the planform so that taper This photograph - enough to quicken the pulse of anyone who remembers the sound of a Sunderland riding on the step at full power was probably taken at Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, in the final year of the war. The aircraft is Z Zebra, a Mk V of No. 201 Sqn, which had previously used code letters ZM.

92

li-

After the start of World War II the patrol flying-boats of RAF Coastal Command were at first painted in this style of marine camouflage, switching to greyI white in 1942.

This Sunderland I served with No. 230 Sqn, which in late 1938 had been the first full RAF Sunderland squadron. In 1940 it moved to the Mediterranean,

N9029 fighting at Crete.

was mainly on the leading edge. The first prototype, K4774. now named Sunderland, was completed with the original wing, basically similar to that of the C-class transport, and flown without armament by J. Lankester Parker from the River Medway on 16 October 1937. After preliminary trials it went back into the factory to have the 'swept-back' wing fitted, flying again on 7

March

1938.

Powered by 753-kW (1,010-hp) Bristol Pegasus XXII engines, more powerful than those of the civil machine, the Sunderland was far more capable than any previous RAF aircraft. Fuel was housed in six vertical drum tanks between the spars with a

Imp gal), later increased to 11602 Imp gal) by four further cells aft of the rear spar. In the original Sunderland I the normal crew was seven, accommodated basically on two decks and with comprehensive capacity of 9206 litres (2,025 litres (2,552

provision for prolonged habitation, with six bunks, galley with

cooking stove, workshops and stowage for a considerable quantity of equipment including four rifles and three spare propeller blades. At the upper level it was possible to walk aft from the two-pilot flight deck past the cubicles of the radio operator (left) and navigator (right) and through the deep front spar into the domain of the flight engineer with extensive instrument panels inside the wing centre section. One could crawl through the rear spar to an aft upper deck filled with reconnaissance flares, smoke and flame floats, marine markers and other pyrotechnics. The main offensive load, comprising up to 907 kg (2,000 lb) of bombs, depth charges, mines or other stores, was hung beneath the centre-section on carriers running on lateral tracks. In combat, large side hatches were opened beneath the wing and the weapons run out under the wings by a drive motor which cut out when the bomb carriages had reached full travel on each side. Defensive armament was concentrated in a Nash and Thompson FN. 13 hydraulic tail turret, with four of the new Browning 0.303-in (7.7-mm) guns. In the bows was an FN. 11 turret with a single VGO (Vickers gas-operated) machine-gun with a winching system for retracting the turret aft so that the big anchor could be passed out through a bow hatch. Despite its great bulk the hull was well shaped, and drag at the nominal 30.5 (100 ft) per second was actually lower than for the much smaller biplane Singapore III. Wing loading was, of course, in the order of twice that common on RAF aircraft of the mid-1930s, but Gouge's patented flaps (which had broad chord and rotated aft about a part-cylindrical upper surface) provided increased area and added 30 per cent to lift co-efficient for landing. Hydrodynamically, a new feature was the bringing of the planing bottom to a vertical knife-edge at the rear (second) step, thereafter sweeping the bottom line smoothly up and back to the tail. Flight-control surfaces were fabric-covered and driven manually, with no servotab assistance, but the Sunderland responded admirably to powerful control demands. A twin-wheel beaching chassis could be attached under the main spar and at the rear of the planing bottom.

IRAF

service began in June 1938 when the second production (L2159) was ferried out to No. 230 Sqn at Seletar, Singapore. About 40 were in service at the outbreak of war, and

Mk

I

by late 1941 the total output of the Mk had risen to 90, of which 15 were built by a second-source supplier, a works set up at the Denny shipyard at Dumbarton and run by Blackburn. From late 1939 until 1942 Sunderlands were camouflaged, though in their harsh environments paint flaked off rapidly. Early home-based units, such as Nos 204, 210 and 228 Sqns, plus No. 10 Sqn of the RAAF which arrived to collect its aircraft and stayed in the UK for the next 62 years, were intensively in action from the first day of the war. Successes against U-boats were at first non-existent, but rescues of torpedoed crews made the headlines, starting on 18 September 1939 when two of No. 228 Sqn's aircraft had the whole crew of 34 from the Kensington Court in hospital an hour after their ship sank off the Scillies. 1

Strengthening the defenses By 1940 Sunderlands were being improved in various ways, notably by the addition of two VGO guns aimed from hatches at the rear of the upper deck on each side, with the front part of each hatch opening into the slipstream to give the gunner a calmer area for aiming. Other changes included the progressive addition of a second gun to the nose turret, replacement of the bracket-type (Hamilton-licence) de Havilland propellers by 3.81(12 ft 6 in) constant-speed propellers with spinners, addition of pulsating rubber-boot de-icers to the wings and tail and, from

m

Mk

October 1941, ASV II radar which covered the upper rear of the hull with matched dipole Yagi aerials in groups of four and

added long dipole-equipped horizontal poles under the outer to give azimuth (homing) guidance. At the 241 km/h (150 mph) speeds which were hardly ever exceeded on patrol, these

wings

kW (1,050 hp) each were deemed of ample power for early Sunderlands, but later the portly 'boats were burdened by tons of extra gear and festooned with radar dipole arrays. This example was the third production Sunderland, L.2160, photographed about June 1938. Four Pegasus XXII engines of 783

m

93

Short Sunderland Another early-war Sunderland

was this Mk II of No. 201 Squadron, one of the first to have both ASV radar and the dorsal turret (which was offset to starboard). By this time the midupper and tail guns were belt-fed Brownings, though the nose guns were usually Vickers. Propellers were fitted with spinners, and the engines had flame-damped exhausts.

Short Sunderland prominent arrays had little effect on performance. In any case, though the defensive armament was actually quite light, and contained no gun greater than rifle calibre, the Sunderland soon gained the great respect of the enemy. On 3 April 1940 a Sunderland off Norway was attacked by six Ju 88s, shot one down, forced another to land immediately, and drove the rest off. Later another was attacked by eight Ju 88s over the Bay of Biscay and shot down three (confirmed by the convoy it

was

Twin Vickers 303-m (7 7-mm) machine guns Bomb aiming window, retractable

III

cutaway drawing key 53 Astrodome observation

40 Navigator's seat 41

hatch

Charitable

42 Forward ASV radar aerial mast

54 Auxiliary Power Unit 55 Forward inner fuel tank, 529-lmp gal (2405-litre) capacity

56 Fold-down, leading-edge maintenance platform 57 Starboard inner engine nacelle

58 Cowling

air

flaps

escorting)

Further development In late 1941 production switched to the Mk II, with Pegasus XVIIIs with two-speed superchargers and, in the last few examples of this mark, improved armament in a twin-Browning nose turret, two more Brownings in an FN. 7 dorsal turret on the right side of the hull at the trailing edge, and four Brownings in an FN.4A tail turret with ammunition doubled to 1,000 rounds per gun. Only 43 of this mark were produced, 15 of them at a third source, the Short & Harland company at Queen's Island, Belfast Oater the home of the parent company). This limited production resulted from the fact that in June 1941 a Mk had begun testing an improved planing bottom, with the Vee-type main step smoothly faired to reduce drag in the air. This hull resulted in the designation Mk III, and it succeeded the Mk II from December 1941. No fewer than 461 were delivered, 35 coming from a fourth assembly shop on Lake Windermere. The Mk III was effectively the standard wartime boat, and its exploits were legion in all theatres. In the Mediterranean, Sunderlands were called upon to undertake many dangerous missions, none worse than the prolonged evacuation from Crete when many trips were made

3 Bomb aimer s station 4 Retractable nose turret 5 Front entry/mooring hatch 6 Mooring cable stowage 7 Hull planing bottom

I

MK

III, ML868 (also shown in a colour fine study of a Blackburn-built with full ASV II radar. It is seen serving with RAF No. 230 Sqn after the unit's return to the Far East in 1944. No. 280 ranged over vast areas of Japanese-occupied South East Asia.

A

profile),

Mk

8 Anchor 9 Parachute stowage 10 Anchor winch 11 Dinghy 12 Front turret rails 13 Cockpit bulkhead 14 Mooring ladder Toilet

1

compartment

door,

starboard side 16 Nose gun turret hydraulic reservoir

17 Instrument panel 18 Windscreens 19 Cockpit roof glazing 20 Overhead control panels 21 Co-pilot's seat

22 23 24 25 26

Signal cartridge rack Pilot's seat Control column Raised cockpit floor level Autopilot controllers

27 Stairway between upper and lower decks 28 Front entry door 29 Fuselage chine member 30 Crew luggage locker 31

Rifle rack

32 Wardroom door 33 Planing bottom hull construction

34 35 36 37 38 39

Wardroom bunks Window panels Folding table

Upper deck floor level Parachute stowage Fire extinguisher

59 Detachable engine

43 Navigator's instrument panel

44

pipe

Flight engineer's aft facing

61

seat

45 Radio operator's station 46 Air intake duct 47 Wing/fuselage attachment mam frames 48 Wing root rib cut-outs 49 Air conditioning plant 50 Engineer's control panels Carburettor de-icing tank 52 D/F loop aerial

51

cowlings

60 Flame suppressor exhaust

fluid

Forward inner fuel tank, 325-lmp gal (1477-litre) capacity

62 Oil coolers 63 Forward outer fuel

tank,

132-lmpgal(600-litre) capacity 64 Starboard wing tip float 65 De Havilland three-bladed.

constant speed propeller. 12ft 9in (3 89 m) diameter

94

lit.

1

1

1

No. 230 Sqn was one of the

Mk

original recipients of the I in 1938, when it was based at Seletar (Singapore). In 1944 it returned to the Far East and operated in the

Burma campaign, with

Mk

Mk Ills

fitted with ASV II radar and painted in Pacific theatre markings. After the war this squadron took part in the British

North Greenland expedition.

66 Propeller hub

pitch

change

mechanism 67 Engine reduction gearbox 68 Bristol Pegasus XVIII. nine cylinder radial engine. 1065 hp 69 Exhaust collector ring 70 Oil filter 71 Oil tank, 32-lmpgal (145litre)

~>l

73 74 75 76 77

capacity

Flame suppressor exhaust pipe Leading edge de-icing Starboard ASV aerial array Starboard navigation light Aileron hinges Starboard aileron

78 Fixed tab 79 Aileron control horns 80 Control cable runs 81 Starboard Gouge-type' trailing-edge flap

82 Flap guide rails 83 Rear outer fuel tank. 147Imp gal (668-litre) capacity 84 Flap |ack 85 Rear inner fuel tank, 111Impgal (505-litre) capacity 86 Pitot tubes 87 Aenal mast 88 Observation window 89 Propellor de-icing Ik. 90 Windscreen de-icing fluid tank

9

Bomb carriage traversing

drive motor 92 Smoke floats and flame floats

93 94 95 96

103 Observation window 104 Fuselage frame Bnd 105

stringer construction ASV II search radar aerial array

106 107 108 109

Leading edge de- icing Starboard tailplane Starboard elevator Fin root attachments

Tailplane control cable runs

Reconnaissance

flares

Turret fairing

Mid-upper gun

turret,

offset to starboard 97 Twin Browning 303-in

(7.7-mm) machine guns 98 Fuselage skin plating 99 Spare propeller blade stowage

100

Fire extinguisher

101

Rear entry door

Mk

10 Fin construction 1 Leading edge de-icing 112 Fin tip construction 113 Fabric covered rudder 1

1

construction

114 Rudder tabs 1 15 Tail gun turret

102 Maintenance platform

stowage

116 Four Browning 303-in (7.7-mm) machine guns 117 Elevator tab 118 Fabric-covered elevator

150 Port 151

Tailplane spar fixing fuselage double frames 22 Tail fuselage fabric draught

121 1

screen 123 Smoke and flame floats 124 Handrail 125 Tail fuselage walkway 126 Reconnaissance flare chute,

stowed

127 Mooring shackle 128 Tow bar 29 Rear beaching trolley 1 30 Camera stowage 131 Dinghy paddles 132 Distress flares 133 Emergency ration

53 54 155 1 56 157 158 159 160 1

1

161

36 Tool locker

137 Bilge keel construction 1 38 Rear fuselage deck level 1 39 Crew rest bunks 140 Trailing-edge wing root fillet

Reconnaissance camera mounting

142 Ditching flare chutes 1 43 Ladder to upper deck level 144 Rear wardroom 145 Twin bunks 1 46 Fuselage bomb door, open 1 47 Retractable bomb carriage 148 Fourl00-lb(45 4-kg)

bombs 1

Leading edge de-icing Port

ASV

radar aerial

construction

166 Landing lamps 167 Leading-edge rib construction 1

68 Diagonal wire-braced wing ribs

134 Dinghy stowage 135 Crew luggage locker

4

construction Aileron tab, fixed Trailing-edge lattice ribs Wing tip construction Port navigation light Rear spar Wing rib construction Front spar

62 Wing-tip float construction 1 63 Float support struts 164 Diagonal wire bracing 165 Wing spar girder

container

1

trailing-

1

1

1

shroud

flap

152 Fabric-covered aileron

construction

119 Port tailplane construction 120 Leading edge de-icing

flap

Port 'Gouge-type'

edge

49 Bomb store and loading room maximum bomb load, 2000 lb (907 kg)

169 Fold down, leading-edge maintenance platform 170 Engine nacelle construction 171 Engine mounting ring 172 Port outer engine nacelle 173 Oil cooler intakes 1 74 Oil coolers 1 75 Exhaust shroud heat exchangers 1 76 Port inner engine nacelle 1 77 Emergency escape hatch 178 Ice chest 179 Drogue container 180 Galley compartments, port and starboard

181 Watertight socket

182

trailing aerial

Mam beaching gear leg strut

183 Twin beaching wheels

95

K

mm

Short Sunderland

This Mk I serving in the hard-worked Royal Australian Air Force No. 10 Sqn, based at Mount Batten (plymouth), was photographed in 1941 with ASV radar fitted. The wartime censor retouched out this highly secret apparatus before releasing the photograph for publication. Note the two hooded open dorsal gun positions.

with as

many

which by

this

armed passengers in addition to the crew, time had grown to 10. A Sunderland made the

as 82

necessary visual reconnaissance of Taranto before the Fleet Air attack of 11 November 1940. Over the Atlantic the Sunderland shared with the Consolidated Catalina the main effort against U-Boats, but when the latter received Metox passive receivers tuned to ASV Mk II they received ample warning of the presence of British aircraft and kills dropped sharply. The RAF response was the new ASV Mk III, operating in the band well below 50 cm and with the aerials neatly faired into blisters under the outer wings. When thus fitted the Sunderland became a Mk IIIA. The U-boat sensors could not pick up this radar, and once again, in early 1943, kills became frequent. The response of the U-Boats was to fit batteries of deadly flak, typically one or two

Arm

final production Sunderland was the Mk V, with American Twin Wasp engines giving more power than the old nine-cylinder Pegasus. This example was serving at the end of the war with No. 4 OTU (Operational Training Unit); its serial number was SZ568. The Mk V was

The

fitted as

standard with

underwing

blisters.

ASV Mk

Vic radar with scanners faired into

Sunderlands were flown by the French Aeronavale until 1960. Flotille 7E inherited a number of aircraft at the end of World War II, but added 19 reconditioned Mk 5s from the RAF in 1951.

37-mm and two quadruple 20-mm, and

fight it out on the heavily against the flying-boat, which needed forward-firing firepower. Curiously, although the surface.

The odds were then

bow was

it, really heavy forward-firing the Sunderland, nor was the Leigh light, although many aircraft received four fixed 0.303-in (7.7mm) Brownings, firing straight ahead, together with a pilot gunsight. The one thing these guns did sometimes succeed in doing was to knock out the U-Boat gunners as they ran from the conning-tower hatch the few metres to their guns.

ideally

arranged for

armament was never

fitted to

Keeping the wolf from the door In addition, heavier lateral armament became common, to combat the more numerous and more heavily armed Luftwaffe long-range fighters. Although the latter's cannon always gave a considerable edge in stand-off range, Sunderlands did at least fit locally contrived installations of single VGOs or Brownings from the escape hatches in the galley compartments Oast but one in the main row of portholes). This became a standard fit in late 1943, at which time Short also added an installation of one or two of the much more effective 0.5-in (12.7-mm) Brownings from upper rear hatches behind the trailing edge. Thus, the number of guns rose in a year from five to 18, believed the greatest number of guns carried by any regular British service aircraft.

equipment by BOAC, the national civil airline, resulted in six Sunderland Ills being stripped of all armament (turrets were replaced by bulbous fairings) and put into joint BOAC/RAF service between Poole and Lagos (West Africa) and Calcutta (India). BOAC In late 1942 severe shortage of

investigated the engine installation and cruising angle of attack

such effect that mean cruising speed, which had seldom bothered the RAF, was improved by more than 40 per cent. Spartan bench seats for seven passengers, the main payload being mail, gradually gave way in the BOAC Hythe class to an excellent airline interior for 24 passengers (16 with sleeping accommodation), plus 2950 kg (6,500 lb) of mail, and the engines were modified to Pegasus 38 (later 48) standard. By 1944 the number of civil Sunderland Ills had grown to 24, and after the war the Hythes, eventually totalling 29, were supplemented by a complete civil rebuild - the S.26 Sandringham - which went into production as a basic war transport for BOAC (as the Plymouth class) and its airlines. to

96

r

77ie 5o
Sqn used

home personnel from wartime

fronts,

the various

and then

to

form

a long-range maritime patrol unit

II

based at Congella, Durban. Dorsal turrets were removed, but

ASV Mk

Vic radar was retained (note underwing radome).

RB0H

I703

This was one of more than 100 Sunderlands from which armament was moved to facilitate operations in the transport role. NZ4103, with individual name 'Mataatua', served in the south-west Pacific theatre with the RNZAF Flying Boat Transport Unit in 1944-46.

These

Mk Ills

were

later

replaced by the GR.5 that equipped Nos 5 and 6 Sqns post-war.

The

increasing

demands made on

the military Sunderland,

especially after the start of warfare in the Pacific, led in 1942 to specification R8/42 for a more powerful long-range flying-boat,

which Short Brothers responded with the Hercules-engined Sunderland IV. This grew so different from the Sunderland, with an improved hull, new tail and completely revised armament, that it was renamed the Seaford I. Surprisingly, this saw only brief post-war service, but formed the basis for the civil Solent. The need for more power remained, and in early 1944 the decision was taken simply to re-engine a Mk III with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90B Twin Wasps, almost the same engine as used in the Catalina and Dakota and many other types and already in widespread RAF service. The 14-cylinder engine conferred a substantial improvement in climb, ceiling and engine-out performance, yet had hardly any effect on range, although cruising speed tended to be slightly higher. Operationally, the US-engined machine had a great advantage in being able to cruise with two engines out on one side, whereas the Sunderland III in this state lost height steadily. (In fairness to Bristol, the Twin Wasp was a larger engine than the ninecylinder Pegasus, and nothing like as powerful as the 343kW/l,800-hp Hercules used in the Seaford.) to

Sunderland coming from Belfast in June 1946, where, as at Dumbarton, dozens of new boats were packed with new military equipment and deliberately sunk shortly after the end of the war. The Sunderland V was subsequently redesignated Sunderland MR.5, as which it remained the standard RAF ocean flying-boat until retirement (appropriately, from Seletar) on 15 May 1959. In post-war years Sunderlands played a very large role in the Berlin Airlift; they were also the only RAF aircraft to be in action throughout the Korean War, flying 13,380 hours in 1,647 sorties. Aircraft of Nos 201 and 230 Sqns provided the entire heavy transport support for the 151-4 British North Greenland Expedition. Others served as close-support bombers in Malaya, and one flew a doctor to HMS Amethyst in the Yangtse river while under fire from Chinese shore artillery. Sunderlands formed an important part of the post-war strength of the RAAF, RNZAF, SAAF and France's Aeronavale. The last was stood down by the RNZAF in 1967, but the surviving 'boat in the RAF Museum came from the Aeronavale in the Pacific. last

This Rochester-built Mk III, JM715, served in 1943 at Wig Bay, became a 1947 emerged as a civil Sandringham 4, ZK-AMH of Tasman Empire. In 1950 it became VH-BRC, 'Beachcomber', ofAnsett, passing on to Captain Charles Blair's Antilles Air Boats, Virgin Islands in 1974 as VPLVE 'Southern Cross'.

Mk 5, and in

The ultimate Mark V After trials in March 1944 the Twin Wasp Sunderland was accepted for production as the Mk V, with de Havilland Hydromatic propellers without spinners. ASV Mk III was fitted as standard, and in the course of 1944 Rochester, Belfast and Dumbarton all switched to the Mk V, respectively building 47, 48 and 60. This version entered service with No. 228 Sqn in February 1945. A further 33 were produced by conversion from Mk IIIAs. In August 1945 large contracts were cancelled, the

Short Sunderland variants Short S.25: prototype (K4774) originally flown with wing similar in plan to civil C-class S.23 and 709-k\V (950-hp) Pegasus X engines Short Sunderland I: four753-k\V (1.010hp) Pegasus XXII. one machine-gun in nose turret and four in tail turret, weapon load 907 kg (2.000 lb) (total 89)

Short Sunderland

II:

four 794-k\V (1.065-hp)

Pegasus XVIII. ASV radar and (in course of production) improved armament (total 43)

Short Sunderland

III: improved planing bottom, progressively other changes including much heavier armament installations and (Mk IIIA) ASV III radar (total 461)

Short Sunderland

IV: four 1268-kW (1.700-hp) Hercules XIX. prototype of Seaford I with 1343-kW (1.800-hp) Hercules 100 Short Sunderland V: four 895-k\V (U00-hp)

& Whitney R-1830-90B Sunderland production 749) Pratt

(total 155) (total

97

—

MB

_

Short Sunderland

Mk III, NJ188, is depicted as it was in its first career when it was WH-C of RAF Coastal Command No. 228 Squadron. No. 228 was one of the original 1938 Sunderland units, and scored the first RAF U-Boat kill in January 1940. It saw extensive service at Gibraltar, Crete, Malta and other Mediterranean areas before returning to the UK via This Blackburn-built

North Africa. During the Cretan evacuation one of its 'boats airlifted out 82 personnel in addition to its crew of 10. This Mk III was replaced in No. 228 Sqn by a Mk V (No. 228 was first to receive this mark) and was then itself turned into a Mk V by fitting Twin Wasp engines. Then it became a Sandringham 5 of BO AC (G-AHZF) and finally was passed to Qantas in July 1951 as VH-EBY!

Specification

Short S.25 Sunderland

III

Type: long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine flying-boat Powerplant: four 794-kW (1,066-hp) Bristol Pegasus XVIII nine-cylinder radial piston

engines

Performance: maximum speed 341 km/h

(212 mph); initial climb rate 241 per minute; service ceiling 4570 m (15,000 ft); range 4828 km (3,000 miles) at 233 km/h (145 mph); endurance 20 hours Weights: empty (typical) 14969 kg (33,000 lb); 26308 kg (58,000 lb) Dimensions: span 34.38 (1 12 ft 9'/ in); length 26.01 (85 ft 4 in); height 2 (1,487 sq ft) (on beaching chassis) 9.79 m (32 ft 2 in); wing area 138.14 Armament: one 0.303-m (7.7-mm) Vickers GO machine-gun in nose turret, two 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Browning machine-guns in mid-upper turret, four

m

(790

ft)

m

m

m

Brownings in tail turret, optional second nose-turret gun, four fixed Brownings firing ahead and twin 0.5-in (12.7-mm) Brownings fired from waist hatches; assorted ordnance to total weight of 2250 kg (4,960 lb) housed in hull and cranked out under wings prior to attack

similar

I

,

• • • • • v>

98

(

•

H©0 Archbishop Mitty High School Library

San Jose,

California

99

Vickers Wellington around Dr Barnes Wallis' revolutionary geodetic-lattice construction, the Wellington was an immensely strong warplane capable of surviving crippling battle damage. It was the Royal Air Force's most advanced bomber at the outbreak of World War II and was in the forefront of the British bomber Built

effort for the first half of the war. a criterion of great aircraft, the Vickers Wellington (or 'Wimpey' as it was universally known) could certainly lay claim to greatness. Conceived in the early 1930s to meet Air Ministry Specification B.9/32 for what was then considered to be a heavy

If

longevity

is

bomber, the design of a twin-engine mid-wing monoplane was tendered by Vickers, using the same patented structure evolved by Barnes Wallis for the private venture being pursued for an earlier requirement which was to become the Wellesley. Comprising a diagonally fabricated lattice of alloy members to provide torsional and bending strength, the structure was fabric covered, thereby keeping airframe weight to a minimum. Wartime experience confirmed the efficacy of the design, severely crippled bombers being brought home from battle by the integrity of their airframe structure. The B.9/32 prototype was first flown on 15 June 1936 and featured a fin similar to that on the Supermarine Stranraer flying-boat. Early plans to power the aircraft with Rolls-Royce Goshawk or Bristol Mercury engines had been abandoned in favour of the Bristol Pegasus radial, and the prototype (K4049) continued to fly until destroyed in an accident in April 1937. In the meantime the Air Ministry had ordered 180 production aircraft in August 1936, and the first of these (L4212) was flown on 23 December 1937 on the power of two Pegasus X radials, thereafter being used as a replacement prototype. The remaining Wellington Mk Is featured 746-kW (1,000-hp) Pegasus XVIII engines.

Considerable redesign had been carried out to develop the Wel-

Mk

much larger vertical tail, the and a Nash and Thompson ventral turret; the tailwheel, previously fixed, was made to retract. The first RAF squadron to receive the new bomber was No. 9 at lington

I,

including the provision of a

use of Vickers gun turrets

in

nose and

Scampton

in October 1938 (moving soon afterwards to Stradishall). Further orders were placed with Vickers at Weybridge, and a new factory at Chester completed preparations for production in 1938. A new version, the Wellington IA, began delivery the following year; in this the unwieldy Vickers turrets were replaced by Nash and Thompson power-operated turrets. By the beginning of the war in September 1939, Nos 9, 37, 75, 99, 115, 149, 214 and 215 Squadrons were flying the Wellington Mk I, and that month Nos 37, 115 and 149 Squadrons started receiving the Wellington Mk IA. To the Wellington fell the honour (shared by Blenheims of Nos 107 and 110 Squadrons) of making the first RAF attack on German targets of the war when 14 Wellington Mk Is of Nos 9 and 149 Squadrons attacked warships at Brunsbuttel; their crews encounted bad weather and heavy flak, and two Wellingtons failed to return. Before the year was out greater misfortune befell the Wellington. On 18 December 24 Wellington Mk Is and Mk IAs of Nos 9, 37 and

With guns no longer fitted, this aged Wellington Mk IA, N2887, underwent conversion as an interim (Mk XV) for second-line duties with RAF Transport Command in 1942. The majority of Wellington Mk transport conversions, however,

100

tail,

became Mk XVIs.

I

Christened Duke of Rutland, this Wellington transport started life as a Mk I and underwent conversion to C. Mk l/Mk IX by removal of gun turrets

and sealing of the Domb

bay;

is

it

depicted

in the

markings of No. 24 Sqn, the RAF's oldest-established communications squadron, based at Northolt.

Mk Xs served with RAF squadrons in the Far

Wellington

two

East, Nos 99 and 215; an example is shown here with the

distinctive two-tone blue theatre markings. They were based in India for long-range bombing raids on Japanese bases in Burma during 1943-44

replaced by Consolidated

until

B-24 Liberators.

149 Squadrons set out on a daylight raid over Wilhelmshaven and the

the winter of 1939-40, production emphasis turned to the Merlin

Roads. Warned of their approach by German radar, Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Bf 110s were awaiting the bombers, and in a long running fight 10 Wellingtons were shot down and three others

delayed: the

Schillig

badly damaged.

The

surviving crews told of

how

the

enemy fighters

attacked from the beam, an area quite inadequately protected by the

The raid on 18 December spelled the end of daybombing by the Wellington, which went on to prove its worth as a night bomber when restrictions on the bombing of German land targets were lifted some weeks later. ventral dustbin gun. light

The next sive

guns

version of the Wellington sought to

weakness, the Wellington in

Mk

remedy the defenbeam

IC appearing with single

the rear fuselage in place of the ventral turret.

teresting in passing to mention that although this turret

(It is in-

was never

again employed, the circular space in the geodetic structure re-

mained in perpetuity, simply covered over with fabric.) The Wellington Mk IC, of which 2,685 were built (including 50 at a new Vickers factory at Squire's Gate, Blackpool), first joined Nos 75, 115 and 148 Squadrons in April 1940, and by the end of the year equipped no fewer than 19 squadrons of RAF Bomber Command. They were also distinguishable by large mainwheels which projected from the engine nacelles

when

Gallantry

itself,

with the result that the Wellington

Mk

II

was considerably

Mk II squadron, No. 12 at Binbrook, did October 1940, followed by No. 142 the next month. A total of 400 Wellington Mk lis was built, and eventually the model served on a total of eight RAF squadrons. 1941 was the year in which deliveries of the Wellington were greatly accelerated, being largely achieved by the appearance of the Wellington Mk III, 1,519 of this version being produced in all three Vickers factories, with a switch to the 1119-kW (1,500-hp) Bristol Hercules XI radial; compared with the 378-km/h (235-mph) top speed of the Wellington Mk IC, the Wellington Mk III could manage 410 km/h (255 mph). It served on a total of 18 squadrons, and in the first of the famous 'thousand-bomber' raids on Cologne of 30 May 1942 no fewer than 599 Wellingtons participated, many of them from not receive

first

Wellington

its aircraft until

operational training units.

The next version of the Wellington to see combat service with Bomber Command was the Wellington Mk IV, in which power switched to the Pratt

& Whitney Twin Wasp;

after conversion of a

Wellington Mk IC to serve as prototype, 25 Chester-built Wellington

retracted.

award

was a Wellington Mk IC of No. 149 Squadron that dropped the RAF's first 1814-kg (4,000-lb) 'blockbuster' bomb during a raid on Emden on 1 April 1941, while a New Zealander, Sergeant J. A. Ward, It

second pilot of a No. 75 Squadron aircraft, won the only Cross to be awarded to a Wellington crew member. During a raid on Miinster the bomber's starboard engine caught fire in an attack by a Bf 110, and Ward climbed on to the wing with a fire extinguisher to prevent the fire from spreading; it eventually burned itself out and the pilot brought the crippled bomber home to base. Another variant of the Wellington that had flown in prototype form (L4250, a converted Mk I) before the war (on 3 March 1939) was the Wellington Mk II with a pair of 854-kW (1,145-hp) Rolls-Royce liquidcooled Merlin X engines. This development was pursued vigorously when it seemed that demand for the Pegasus might outstrip supply, but as the demand for Merlin- powered Fairey Battles, Hawker Hurricanes, Supermarine Spitfires and Fairey Fulmars increased during flying as

Victoria

The Wellington prototype was first flown from Weybridge by Captain Summers on 15 June 1936; it is pictured here about three months later. It was written off in a crash the following April.

J. ('Mutt')

101

Vickers Wellington Specification

Vickers Wellington B.Mk

III

Type: six-crew medium bomber Powerplant: two 1119-kW (1,500-hp)

Bristol

Hercules

XI air-cooled 14-

cylinder radial piston engines

m m

Performance: maximum speed 410 km/h

(12,500 ft); (255 mph) at 3810 (19,000 ft); per minute; service ceiling 5790 range 3540 km (2,200 miles) with 680 kg (1,500 lb) of bombs, or 2478 km (1,540 miles) with 2041 kg (4,500 lb) of bombs Weights: empty 8417 kg (18,556 lb); maximum take-off 13381 kg (29,500 lb) (60 ft 10 in); height Dimensions: span 26.26 m (86 ft 2 in); length 18.54

climb rate 283

initial

m

(930

ft)

m

5.31

m

(17

ft

5

wing area 78.04

in);

m

2

(840.0 sq

ft)

Armament: two 7.7-mm weapons position, (4,000-lb)

(0.303-in) machine-guns in nose turret, four similar and one similar weapon in each rear fuselage beam plus a maximum bombload of 2041 kg (4,500 lb), or one 1814-kg in tail turret,

bomb

Vickers Wellington variants Type 271: B

9/32 first prototype (K4049I with flown 15 June 1936 I: prototype (L4212) with Pegasus X, flown 23 December 1937

Pegasus

X, first

Type 285 Wellington

Mk

Type 290 Wellington Mk I: production, 183 built at Weybndge (180) and Chester (3) with Pegasus XVI

II

,

Vickers turrets and

dustbin'

Type 408 Wellington Mk IA: production, 187 built at Weybndge and Chester with Pegasus XVIII, Nash and Thompson turrets and 'dustbin'

Type 416 Wellington

Mk IC:

Weybndge

(1.052),

2,685

built at

(1,583)

and Blackpool

conversion of

all

bombers

to carry 4,000-lb

(1814-kg) bomb, beam guns (no Type 298 Wellington Mk II:

(L4250) with Merlin X,

production,

Chester covered

Type 423

(50),

first

'dustbin')

prototype flown 3 March

1939

Type 406 Wellington B.Mk

II:

production,

Type 458 Wellington GR.Mk XI: production, 180 built at Weybndge (105) and Blackpool (75), ASV Mk and Hercules VIU/ III

XVI

Type 455 Wellington GR.Mk XII: production, 58 built at Weybndge (50) and and Chester (8). Leigh Light, ASV Mk Hercules VI/XVI; some to France in 1946 Type 466 Wellington GR.Mk XIII: production, 844 built at Weybndge (42) and III

Blackpool (802). Hercules XVI

Type 467 Wellington GR.Mk XIV: production. 841 built at Weybndge (53). Chester (538) and Blackpool (250). Hercules XVI, many supplied to France between April 1944 and July 1945, some sold to France in 1946 Wellington C.Mk XV: service conversion of Wellington Mk lAs to troop transport (originally designated Wellington C.Mk IA)

accommodation for 18 troops Wellington C.Mk XVI: service conversion

Mk

Weybndge with Merlin X Type 299 Wellington Mk III: prototypes.

of Wellington

L4251 with Hercules HEISM. and P9238 with Hercules III

modification as for Wellington

400

built at

Type 417 Wellington B.Mk

III: production. 1,517 built at Chester (737) and Blackpool (780) in 1941-43, fighter-towing experiments by Flight Refuelling Type 410 Wellington IV: prototype

Mk

(R1220) with Pratt

& Whitney Twin Wasp

radials

Type 424 Wellington B.Mk IV: production. 220 built at Chester with Twin Wasps Type 421 Wellington Mk V: first prototype (R3298)with Hercules

III

Type 407 Wellington

Mk V:

second

prototype (R3299) with Hercules VIII VI: prototype (W5795) with Rolls-Royce Merlin (various) Type 442 Wellington B.Mk VI: production, 63 built at Weybndge, Sperry bomb sight,

Type 432 Wellington

Type 449 production,

Mk

Mk

covered Wellington VIG two aircraft to No 109 Sqn

Type 430 Wellington

Mk VII:

prototype (T2545) cancelled. Merlin XX; production of 150 aircraft also cancelled

Type 429 Wellington GR.Mk

VIII:

production, with Pegasus XVIII; 397 built at Weybndge. 58 fitted with Leigh Light, provision to carry AS weapons (some aircraft with provision for torpedoes) Type 437 Wellington IX: one transport

prototype (P2522) converted from Wellington Mk IA; Hercules XVI Type 440 Wellington B.Mk X: production 3.803 built at Chester (2,434) and Blackpool (1.369); Hercules XI/XVI, Type 619 covered post-war conversion to Wellington T.Mk 10; RP468 fitted with tail boom radar as G-ALUH. some sold to France in 1946, six to Royal Hellenic air force in April 1946 Type 454 Wellington XI: prototype IMP502) with ASV Mk II, Hercules VI/XVI; Type 459 covered MP545 with ASV Mk III

Mk

102

(originally

ICs to troop transport

C.Mk Mk XV

designated Wellington

C

Type 487 Wellington T.Mk XVII:

IC);

kits for

service conversion to trainer with Mosquitotype Al radar; Hercules XVII

Type 490 Wellington T.Mk

XVIII: production. 80 built at Blackpool plus conversion of some Wellington Mk Xls. Hercules XVI, Mosquito-type radar-equipped flying classroom' Wellington T.Mk XIX: service conversion from Wellington Mk X to trainer Type 416 Wellington (II): L4250 with experimental installation of 40-mm Vickers gun in dorsal position, Merlin X, also modified with twin fins

Type 418 Wellington OWI.Mk

I:

for mine detonation; Ford power unit Type 419 Wellington OWI.Mk II: conversion of L4356 for mine detonation, Gipsy Six auxiliary power unit Type 435 Wellington Mk IC: conversion of T2977 to mount Turbinate for comparison with

conversion of P2516 auxiliary

Leigh Light

Type 439 Wellington

Mk

experimental installation of in nose, Merlin X

Type 443 Wellington conversion to Hercules

II:

Mk V:

VIII

Z8416 with Vickers gun

40-mm

W5816

with

testbed

Type 445 Wellington (II): Z8570/G as testbed for Whittle W2B/23 |et in tail. Type 470 covered Wellington W5389/G with Whittle W2B |et, and Type 486 covered Wellington W5518 with W2/700 jet Type 478 Wellington Mk X: LN718 with II

II

Hercules 100 as engine testbed with two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops Type 638 Wellington X: NA 857 as engine testbed with Napier Naiads; not completed Wellington III: X3268 with glider-towing clearance for Hadrian, Hotspur and Horsa trial

installation of

Type 602 Wellington X: LN715

'

A

Vickers Wellington

Mk

IC,

R1492, delivered from Vickers Chester factory to an operational training unit in 1941. With the gradual acceleration of deliveries of RAF Bomber Command's new generation of

four-engine heavy bombers then taking effect,

103

dr*

Vickers Wellington

|H

1

i

S®9X

One Is,

of the original production batch of Weybridge-built Wellington L4356, is seen here in the Middle East (probably in 1941) after

Mk

DWI Mk I. The unit, No. 1 General Reconnaissance Unit (a deliberately misleading designation), had been formed on 15 December 1939 in the UK and was sent to Egypt in May 1940 to counter an enemy mine threat to the Suez Canal. conversion to a mine-exploding

-

This Wellington T.Mk X, RP550, was a Blackpool-built aircraft that was flown by No. 20 Maintenance Unit; it served both as a trainer and ferry aircraft for delivery pilots.

aircraft

(comprising 15 Wellington

aircraft).

Fighter combat

was now

Mk VI and 47 Wellington Mk VIA taking place at

all

altitudes attain-

by the Wellington Mk VI and although a small number of these bombers were delivered to a flight of No. 109 Squadron, their use was confined to trials with early 'Oboe' equipment late in 1941. able

Mk

ICs were re-engined and 195 were

built.

These served on Nos

142 and 544 Squadrons as well as the Polish-manned

Nos

300, 301

and 305 Squadrons.

High-altitude

Mk V

Stemming from Specification B. 23/39, which sought to define a high-altitude bomber capable of operations at height beyond the reach of flak and fighters, Vickers produced two prototype Wellington Mk Vs (R3298 and R3299) with a wholly redesigned nose comprising a rudimentary pressurised crew compartment which extended as far aft as the wing leading edge, and which was pressurised by a Rotol

auxiliary

compressor

plant located amidships;

all

arma-

ment was discarded as superfluous, and the pilot was provided with a domed fairing in the upper surface of the fuselage. The first prototype was flown in August 1940 but reached a height of only 9145 m (30,000 ft); even after the extension of the wing span by some 3.66 m (12 ft), the absolute ceiling was no more than 12190 m (40,000

ft).

A

revised specification, 17/40, was' issued but only one

Mk V (W5796) was built. Instead, the Wellington powered by 1194-kW (1,600-hp) Merlin R6SM engines, was proposed, and a prototype (W5795) was followed by 62 production further Wellington

Mk VI,

The final bomber version of the Wellington was the Wellington Mk X, of which a total of 3,804 was built, powered by Hercules XVIII engines. This version served with 20 RAF squadrons in the UK, Middle East and Far East from 1943 onwards, as well as with 25 operational conversion units.

Wellington 1940,

Mk

when they

70 Squadron

at

19 September.

months

ICs had

first

reached North Africa

in

September

replaced Vickers Valentia biplane bombers on No.

Helwan, Egypt,

flying their first raid

Nos 37 and 38 Squadrons

on Benghazi on

arrived from the

UK two

No. 70, formed No. 202 Group. Wellingtons eventually equipped a dozen squadrons in the Mediterranean theatre, participating in the Greek and Iraqi campaigns of 1941, as well as the entire North African campaign, continuing in front-line service until the final weeks of the war. Their last operation was a raid by No. 40 Squadron on Treviso on 13 March 1945. The first Wellingtons in the Far East were the Wellington Mk ICs of No. 215 Squadron, which arrived in India in April 1942 from the UK and was followed by No. 99 Squadron two months later. For many months these two squadrons constituted the sole RAF 'heavy bomber' force in South East Asia, and remained until September 1944 when they were finally replaced by Liberators. later and, with

The Wellington

at sea

As well as the very early daylight attacks on German shipping in its North Sea ports and approaches during the first months of the war, the Wellington was also called on to perform another vital maritime task in January 1940, that of magnetic mine detonation. A Wellington Mk I (the second Chester-built aircraft, L7771) served as prototype of a version that came to be known as the Wellington DWI Mk I (misleadingly denoting 'directional wireless installation'), equipped with a 14.6-m (48-ft) diameter dural hoop energised by a large generator, and a small number of similar aircraft (converted from Wellington Mk Is and Mk IAs) were flown at low level over suspected magnetic mines to detonate them. They remained in use until fairly late in the war.

Next maritime task undertaken by the Wellington was that of minelaying (codenamed 'gardening'), and the Wellington Mk IC followed the Handley Page Hampden in this vital job as the Germans extended their grasp on the northern coastline of Europe. Wellington Mk IA and two Mk ICs seen here early in World War II. The nearest two aircraft display the night black camouflage extended up the fuselage sides, and the furthest features the brown and green

A

extending almost to the base of the fuselage; the centre aircraft has also retained

104

its

underwing roundels.

Equipped with underwing rockets and a Leigh Light (shown here retracted under the rear fuselage), this Wellington Mk XIV carried ASV Mark HI radar under the nose; these anti-submarine Wellingtons served with

It

10

was not

Coastal

the appearance of the Wellington GR.Mk VIII (the VII was a cancelled Merlin-powered bomber) that the

until

Wellington Mk Wellington

Command squadrons.

came

to play a regular part in Coastal

bution to the Battle of the Atlantic.

Command's

contri-

A total of 394 of this version was

produced and, being powered by Pegasus XVIII generally similar to the Wellington

Mk

radials,

it

was

IC, roughly half the total in

being contributed from Wellington Mk IC production lines. The main feature was the installation of ASV Mk II radar with its associated array of dorsal aerials, a radar developed to detect surfaced submarines whose forays in the Atlantic were costing the UK so dearly. The first Wellington GR.Mk VIIIs joined No. 172 Squadron at Chivenor in April 1942, the unit being formed from the Leigh Light Flight. Some of the Wellington GR.Mk VIIIs were also equipped with a retractable Leigh Light fitted in the old 'dustbin' aperture, and on the night of 3/4 June 1942 a No. 172 Squadron Wellington made the first Leigh Light attack on a surfaced U-boat; the first enemy submarine to be despatched in such an attack was sunk on 6 July of that year. Wellington GR.Mk VIIIs equipped eight squadrons. fact

version (without redesignation) for use as radar and navigation train-

and advanced Hying schools until 1953. As the Wellington began its phasing out of Bomber Command's front line and the old Wellington Mk IAs and Mk ICs were replaced by Wellington Mk Ills and Mk Xs at the OCUs, the Wellington Mk Is were converted for use as transports by the RAF. From ad hoc use of the Wellington to move troops (particularly in the Middle Fast) as early as 1941 stemmed a major requirement to modify large numbers ers, remaining in service with operational conversion units

of Wellington

Proliferation of versions

versions

This mark was followed in Coastal Command by the Wellington GR.Mk XI (180 produced at Blackpool), which used a Mk X airframe radials and equipped with ASV Mk II; the XI equipped six squadrons. The Wellington GR.Mk XII (58 built at Chester and Weybridge) was similar but also included a Leigh Light; it served with Nos 36 and 172 Squadrons. Wellington GR.Mk XIII (843 built at Blackpool) featured Hercules XVIIs, ASV Mk III and provision for two 45.7-mm (18-in) torpedoes for daylight maritime duties; it equipped 13 squadrons. The Wellington GR.Mk XIV (841 produced at Blackpool and Chester) was similar to the Wellington GR.Mk XIII but carried the Leigh Light in place of the torpedoes for night patrols; it was flown by 10 squadrons. In the autumn of 1944 some of the Wellington GR.Mk XIs and GR.Mk XIIIs that had been replaced by later versions were modified as night-fighter nav-radar operator trainers, the former redesignated the Wellington T.Mk XVII with Mosquito-style radar and twoseat training provision, and the latter the Wellington T.Mk XVIII redesigned to accommodate four pupils training on the Mosquito radar.

powered by Hercules VI Wellington

.After

the

GR.Mk

war numerous Wellington

Mk X bombers underwent con-

was

removal of

Mk Is as 18-seat troop transports. The majority of concarried out

all

turrets,

'in

the

field',

the modifications including the

oxygen system and bomb gear, and the

in-

rudimentary seating. The resulting aircraft (after discarding the designations Wellington C.Mk IA and C.Mk IC) became the Wellington C.Mk XV and C.Mk XVI, and these served with Nos 24, 99, 162, 196, 232 and 242 Squadrons. At the same time the Wellington underwent clearance trials for towing General Aircraft Hotspur, Airspeed Horsa and Waco Hadrian gliders though, as far as is known, the aircraft was not employed in this role on operations. Another series of trials involved Wellingtons towing Spitfire and Hurricane fighters for possible reinforcement of Malta from Gibraltar, but no detailed account of these trials has ever been made available. Among the large number of experimental tasks undertaken by Wellingtons were the flight testing of armament and engine installation of

to Coastal Command duties in onwards. Five different versions of maritime reconnaissance Wellington were produced, the final version being the GR.Mk XIV. Shown here is a GR.Mk XIV in service with No. 304 (Polish) Sqn.

The Vickers Wellington was transferred

some numbers from

late 1940

105

Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington B.Mk Forward navigation light 2 Two0.303-in(7 7-mm) Browning machine-guns 3 Frazer Nash FN 5 poweroperated nose turret 4 Turret fairing 5 Parachute stowage 6 Bomb-aimer's control

70 71

cutaway drawing key

cable linkage Aileron trim tab Trim cables Aileron control rod joint Fuel lettison pipe Flap operating shaft

72 73 74 75 Flap

links

76 Flaptrailing-edge

panel

7 Nose turret external rotation valve 8 Bomb-aimer's window 9 Bomb-aimer's cushion (hinged entry hatch) 10 Parachute stowage

Rudder control

11

III

69 Aileron trim tab control

1

77 Aileron control rod adjustable joint

78 Dinghy stowage 79 Flotation gear CO? bottles

80 Fuel 81

lines

D/F loop fairing

82 Dorsal identification light 83 Handgrips 84 Oxygen cylinders 85 'Floating'-spar centre-

lever

12 Fuselage forward frame 13 Camera 14 Elevator and aileron control

section carry-through

levers

Starboard elevatoi Elevator trim tab Trim tab control cables Fin geodetic structure (lower section)

120 Fin de-icing overshoe 121 Fin upper section 122 Non-kink de-icing connector hose 123 Rudder mass balance weights 124 Rear navigation/formation lights

125 Rudder combined trim balance tab 126 Rudder post 127 Tab actuating rod 128 Tab control cables 129 Rudder actuating lever 130 Tail turret entry door 131

Frazer

Nash FN. 20A tail

turret

63

Wellington Mk Is of No. 9 (Bomber) Sqn. The first RAF squadron to be equipped with the Wellington, this unit was one of those to suffer heavy losses to enemy fighters in the disastrous daylight raids of the first four months of the war. This picture was taken shortly before the

t^2f||v N^sT^V.

2

^^v \v§s3e2Ss$w

*Ca^

Mk

II;

in

4

conjunction with Vickers' F. 22/39 fighter pro-

40-mm gun was

tested

in

another Wellington

Mk

II.

Testing of experimental engines in the Wellington continued throughout and after the war, and of these the early flights by jet engines were the most noteworthy. In 1942 Vickers were asked to undertake the installation of early Whittle turbojets in Wellingtons for flight trials,

and between 1942 and 1945 some 15 types of engine

were flown in the rear fuselages of a pair of Wellington Mk lis; powered by Merlin 62s and fitted with Wellington Mk VI wings, these Wellingtons made a total of 366 flights at heights up to 10970 m (36,000 ft) and mounted every one of the pioneer British turbojets. Engine testbed work continued after the war, perhaps the most important being that for the Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop, which flew in

Mk X (LN715) in 1948 in preparation for the Vickers 630 Viscount airliner whose prototype flew on 16 July that year. The 'Wimpey' continued to give sterling service as a trainer in the RAF, and the Wellington T.Mk 10 served with air navigation schools until replaced by the Vickers Valetta T.Mk 3, and with No. 201 AFS a Wellington

where

The last WelHercules XVI-powered Wellington Mk X, which left Blackpool on 25 October 1945. In nine years the three Vickers factories had built a grand total of 11,461 Wellingtons the largest number of any bomber ever produced in the UK. it

eventually gave place to the Vickers Varsity.

lington delivered to the

RAF was a

T2501 was a Wellington Mk IC (INF) of a bomber OTU that landed enemy-occupied territory during bombing operations; it was given German markings and underwent evaluation at the experimental station at Rechlin.

>v

"X^lll^^ ^&5Sfc .^\4

stallations. In the former category were the trials with models of Dr Barnes Wallis' 'Highball' and 'Upkeep' spinning bombs that were used to such good effect by Bomber Command. In another series of trials a dorsal turret mounting a 40-mm Vickers gun was tested in a

Wellington

^SVS^ s^

t

outbreak of hostilities.

ject a

^^^^^i

in

6

15 Bomb-bay forward bulkhead (canted) 16 Cockpit bulkhead frame 17 Pilot's seat 18 Control column 19 Nose compartment/cabin step 20 Instrument panel 21 Co-pilot's folding seat 22 Windscreen

23 Hinged cockpit canopy section (ditching)

24 Electrical distributor panel 25 Aerial mast 26 R.3003 controls mounting 27 Tail unit de-icing control unit

28 Armour-plate bulkhead 29 Wireless-operator's seat 30 Wireless-operator's desk 31 Motor generator (wireless installation) and HT battery 32 33 34 35 36

stowage Bomb-bay doors T.R.9F wireless unit crate Aldis signal lamp stowage Navigator's desk Navigational instrument

and map stowage 37 Navigator's seat 38 Folding doors (sound-proof

39

bulkhead) Fire extinguisher (on leading-edge fuselage frame)

40 Flying-controls locking bar ('nuisance bar) stowage 41

Wmg inboard geodetic structure

42 Cooling duct exit louvre 43 Flame-damper exhaust tailpipe

extension

44 Engine cooling controllable jills

45

Bristol

Hercules

XI radial

engine

46 Exhaust collector ring 47 Three-blade Rotol electric propeller

48 Three-piece engine wrapper cowl 49 Carburettor air intake scoop 50 Engine mounting bearers 51

Starboard

oil

95 Flap synchronizing

mechanism 96 Parachute stowage 97 Reconnaissance flare launching tube

98 Trailing-edge fuselage frame 99 Geodetic construction 100 Whip aerial 101

HF aerial

102

Beam gunner's heatedclothing/oxygen supply/ intercom sockets

tank

52 Starboard nacelle fuel tank, capacity 58 Imp gal (284 litres)

53 Wing forward

fuel tank

capacity 52 Impgal (236 litres) inboard. 55 Imp gal (250 litres) centre. 43 Impgal (195 litres) outboard 54 Twin-boom inboard wing spar 55 Wing aft fuel tank tram, capacity 60 Imp gal (273 train,

litres)

inboard, 57

Imp gal

(259 litres) centre, 50 Imp gal (227 litres) outboard

Ball-bearing brackets Starboard aileron

1 1

filler

transition

58 Pitot head piping 59 Cable cutters 60 Pitothead Spar construction 62 Starboard navigation light 63 Starboard formation light 64 Aileron control rod stop 61

106

0.303-in(7.7-mm)

bracket

caps 57 Spar twin/single boom

65 66 67 68

103 Starboard beam gun.

Browning 104 Ammunition box 105 Gun mounting 106 Fuselage upper longeron 107 Tail turret ammunition boxes 108 Parachute stowage 109 Ruddertab control cables 110 Ammunition feed tracks 111 Roof light 112 Tail turret external rotation

56 Fuel

Aileron control rod Aileron control articulated lever

valve

3 Starboard tailplane lower geodetic panel 114 Tailplane spar 115 Elevator balance

it Si

116 117 118 119

132 Four0.303-in(7.7-mm) Browning machine-guns 133 Cartridge case ejection chute 134 Elevator tab 135 Port elevator 136 Elevator balance 137 Tailplane structure

«.

HI

in pi Et ;•:

u m

MF369 was a Wellington Mk XIII which flew with No. 415 (Swordfish) Sqn, RCAF, from several bases in the UK during 1943-44. Equipped with ASV Mk II radar, the Wellingtons were particularly active against E-boats and R-boats in the English Channel and assisted the Normandy landings by laying smoke screens over the approaches to the beaches.

138 Tail ballast weights 139 Elevatorcontrol lever 140 Tail main frame 141

Tailwheel well

142 Rearward-retracting

147 Port beam gun. 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Browning 148 Trailmg-aenal winch and outlet tube 149 Beam gunner's folding

tailwheel

143 Wheel fork 144 Tailwheel retraction mechanism and trunnion housing 145 R 3003 radio mounting 146 Tail turret ammunition boxes

seat

150 Entry ladder (stowed) 151

Walkway

152

Two first-aid packs (internal external

access)

153 Elsan closet 154 Wing aft pivot fixing 155 Flap actuating cylinder

175 Cabin heater installation 176 Carburettor air intake scoop 177 Controllable gill actuating shaft

178 Mainwheel shockabsorber cylinders 179 Brake cables (armoured flex piping)

180 Port mainwheel 181

Oilcoolerairscoop

182 Engine mounting ring 83 Nacelle panel securing cables

184 185 186 187

Exhaust collector ring Cowling support stays Propeller

hub

Three-blade Rotol electric propeller

188 Triple-cell bomb-bay 189 Fourteen flotation bags (stowed)

190 Flotation bags

(inflated)

m

G4M 'Betty'

Mitsubishi

So lightly protected that it was known to US

fighter pilots as the (called 'Betty' by the Allies)

'Honourable One-Shot Lighter', the G4M tried to get too much range from too small an aircraft. Despite this, it was by far the most important bomber of the Imperial Japanese navy, seeing action throughout the vast Pacific theatre. Probably the rock-bottom moment of World War II for the British was

December

10

1941,

when

the Japanese,

whose

Navy gave up its

insistence on twin-engined bombers and instructed Nakajima to build the formidable G7N. Starting so late, only four of these were completed before the Japanese collapse. Development of the G4M began with the issue, in September 1937, of a specification (known as a 12 -shi specification, because it was in the 12th year of Emperor Hirohito's reign) for a new longrange bomber to succeed the very successful G3M. The latter had gone into action over China only two months previously, and had delighted navy officials by having a combat range in excess of 3700 km (2,300 miles); from the start of the war these bombers had demonstrated their ability to carry heavy bombloads to targets deep inside China, operating from some 2415 km (1,500 miles) away in Japan. Not unnaturally the Koku Hombu (navy air HQ) considered it would be possible to do even better, though it suggested Mitsubishi should use just two engines of 746 kW (1,000 hp) each. Other numerical demands were a speed of 398 km/h (247 mph), a range with an 800-kg (1,746-lb) torpedo or similar bombload of 3700 km (2,299 miles) and all-round defensive guns needing a crew of seven

aircraft

were, as we all knew, copied from Western designs but made of bamboo and rice-paper, sank two of the Royal Navy's greatest warships by air attack. What could have done such a thing? The only answer seemed to be the ancient Yokosuka B4Y biplane torpedo bomber. Only much later was it realised the great battleship and battle-cruiser had been sent to the bottom by Mitsubishi G3M and G4M long-range bombers. The latter was totally unknown to the Allies, because nobody had read the reports on it sent back from China; they had not read the reports on the Mitsubishi A6M fighter, either, and this was an even bigger shock. In the context of the war in the Pacific a Japanese twin-engined bomber was unlikely ever again to be more than a thorn in the side of the Allies, and in fact the G4M did little to influence the course of events and suffered heavy casualties. At the same time, a front-line force of more than 2,000 aircraft flown with immense courage and determination could hardly be ignored, and on occasion 'Betty' did inflict damaging blows. It must be remembered that this modest aircraft, in most respects in the class of Douglas A-20 or North American B-25 but with a much lower gross weight than a B-25, was used for missions which really demanded a four-engine 'heavy'. Perhaps shortsightedly, it was not until 1943 that the Imperial Japanese

to nine.

Aircrews relax before a mission, with an Ohka-carrying G4M2e Model 24J in the background. Bomb-bay doors were removed and shackles attached to carry the piloted missile, but the combination was slow and an easy target for enemy aircraft.

'

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This G4M1 of the 761st Kokutai had an unusual colour scheme of forest green all over; usually the

underside was unpainted, and aircraft had a two-colour

many

scheme, though this was discontinued from July 1943. Both navy and army often used yellow leading-edge panels.

Until Allied fighters

appeared

over Japan, development and experimental aircraft were painted in overall training orange. This G4M2a of the Koku Gijitsu Sho (air tactical arsenal) at Yokosuka can be identified from the tail marking as the 33rd

development prototype

in the

G4M family.

The graceful Hamaki It

was soon evident

team

to Kiro Honjo, leader of the

right sides aft of the wing,

bomber design

Kagamigahara, that the task could not be done on the stipIt was essential to use engines in the 1119-kW (1,500hp) class, and the company's engine division happened to have a promising new two-row engine, the Kasei (Mars), that fitted the bill admirably. The rest of the aircraft almost designed itself, the general layout (especially the forward fuselage) being closely similar to the army's Ki-21 bomber produced at the company's main Nagoya plant. Where the new bomber, which was given the designation G4M, differed from most previous single-fin twin-engined machines was that at

ulated power.

was a gun position in the extreme tail. As a result the rear fusemost distinctive shape that immediately resulted in the G4M's popular name of Hamaki (cigar). Aerodynamically it was perfectly acceptable, though Honjo was unable to achieve the long-span wing he wanted, for maximum range, and was forced for reasons of structural strength to use a strong tapered wing of modest span (25 m/82 ft compared with a 20-m/65.5-ft length of fuselage). All-metal stressed-skin construction was used throughout, including the balanced manual ailerons (rudder and elevators were fabric-covered). The fuselage was built with two very strong longerons along the edges of the large weapons bay, which oddly had doors which were removed before a mission with a bomb or torpedo load, a deflector ramp being bolted on at the rear of the bay to preserve a smooth profile. For non-offensive missions, such as training or reconnaissance, two types of door could be rigidly attached to there

lage did not taper in the usual way, and this gave rise to a

cover the bay. In common with many aircraft of the late 1930s electric power was used for most of the auxiliary powered functions, including operation of the simple slotted flaps and forward-retracting main landing gears, with a separate motor and screwjack at the tailwheel.

and the

tail

gunner aimed a pivoted 20-mm

Type 99 cannon with 60-round drum. This was much better defensive armament than that possessed by the G3M, and there was far more room inside the G4M for the crew to move about. An odd feature was that the entry door was circular and roughly in the place occupied by the hinomaru (Rising Sun national insignia) on the side of the rear fuselage.

left

Katsuzo Shima made the first flight on 23 October 1939. The new was outstanding from the start, and the only visible change needed was to increase the height of the vertical tail. By 1940 Mitsubishi's Nagoya factory was all set to build what in most respects

G4M

(notably excepting the question of vulnerability) was the best twinengined bomber of the day. But by this time the Koku Hombu had

come

to the questionable conclusion that the first aircraft off the line

should be completed as escort fighters!

The previous-generation

G3Ms were now

meeting much tougher resistance over China, notably from the American Volunteer Group, and the decision was taken to modify the G4M with heavy gun armament instead of bombs and send them in formation with the G3Ms. The result was that the first 30 production machines were G6Mls, or Type 1 Wingtip Convoy Fighters. The bomb bay was sealed, the dorsal gun removed, and the beam guns replaced by a single Type 99 cannon which could be swung on an arm to fire to either side. Two more Type 99s were mounted in a new ventral gondola, one firing ahead and the other to the rear. Thus four cannon could be brought to bear on attacking fighters, and the nose machine-gun was also retained. With a crew of 10 and 21 drums of ammunition the G6M1 was a sluggish performer, and cruising speed was actually slower than that of the G3Ms after the latter had dropped their bombs. Survivors were taken off operations and converted first as G6M1-K trainers and finally as G6M1-2L paratroop transports.

Room for the crew The

deck was vaguely reminiscent of that of the Avro Lanpanes in all directions, and it was normal for two pilots to sit side-by-side. The navigator and bomb aimer (often one man did both jobs) occupied the large glazed nose, which had a 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Type 92 (Lewis) machine-gun aimed through the cupola in the tip. The radio operator could fire a second Type 92 pinUe-mounted gun in a transparent dorsal blister, the two waist gunners each had another Type 92 similarly mounted on the left and flight

caster, with transparent

their first combat mission, crossing the Chinese early 1941, these G4NI1 Model 11s of the 1st Kokutai are variously camouflaged or unpainted. The derivation of the popular Hamaki (meaning cigar) is self-evident; it has a bizarre affinity with 'one-shot lighter'!

Probably seen on coast

in

109

F*

Mitsubishi

G4M

'Betty'

In late 1940 production of the

Bomber Model

G4M1

bomber, or Type

1

Attack

got under way, 13 trials aircraft being followed by the first for the navy inventory in April 1941. By June 1941 the Kanoya Kokutai had become fully operational in China and completed 12 combat missions in that month. Another Kokutai

went

into

action in August, and by the time of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy had 120 G4Mls in its front-line inventory. Of these 97 were with the 21st and 23rd Air Flotillas on Formosa, while 27 Kanoya Kokutai aircraft were switched to the Saigon

area to attack the British fleet. These were the aircraft which, with Repulse, opening Prince of Wales and G3M2s, sank attacks on the following day on US airfields in the Philippines. By 19

February 1942 Japanese forces had overrun a huge geographical area, and the G4Mls were bombing Darwin in northern Australia.

A rude awakening From early March 1942 the G4Mls hammered at Rabaul, Port Moresby and other New Guinea targets. Opposition by the scatdemoralised Allies gradually stiffened, and even though the Allied fighters (initially Curtiss P-40Es of the RAAF's No. 75 Sqn) had a hard time against the A6M2s, if they got near a G4M the bomber went up like a torch. It had been known from the start that, to meet the severe range requirements, the G4M must lack armour and self-sealing tanks. As the situation appeared likely to get initially

worse, the Model 12 bomber was quickly produced with various arrangements of rubber sponge and sheet to protect the tanks, and C0 2 extinguishers were added. The side blisters were replaced by flat gunnery windows, the tail gun was put in a blunter position with a large vertical wedge-shaped opening, and Kasei 15 engines were fitted to give better altitude performance above the effective ceiling of

40-mm AA fire. In the summer of 1942 Japan's industry was undamaged and highly responsive to front-line needs. The engine division's up-rated Kasei 21 engine, using water-methanol injection for take-off and emer-

gency power, and driving a four-bladed propeller, made plan a structurally redesigned

G4M2

incorporating

it

possible to

many improve-

ments. The latter included a so-called laminar-flow wing and extra fuselage fuel which, with other changes, raised gross weight from 9500 kg (20,944 lb) to 12500 kg (27,558 lb). The tail was enlarged and all wing and tail tips were rounded. The nose glazing was increased and a flat bombsight window added. Two extra hand-aimed Type 92 guns were fitted in the sides of the nose, and the dorsal blister was replaced by a simple electrically rotated dorsal turret with a 20-mm Type 99 cannon, the gunner standing on a fixed platform in the fuselage. The production G4M2 in July 1943 also at last had bomb doors, which slightly improved range. Shortage of Kasei 21s kept the G4M1 in production, however, and it was in one of these that, on 18 April 1943, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the great and inspiring leader of the Imperial Japanese Navy, planned to fly to Kahili, on Bougainville. Only recently has it been revealed that, from before the war, British code-breakers had been able to read all the enemy's innermost secrets, and as the same 'Enigma' cypher machines were adopted by Japan, this extended to the Pacific. Occasionally crises arose in which to take action might give the game away and prove that signals were being read, and Yamamoto's flight was just such an occasion. Eventually, it was decided to try and get him, and the interception mission was flown brilliantly by Lockheed P-38s with extra-long-range tanks. The

wreckage

of

Yamamoto's

G4M1

still

lies in

the jungle

where

it fell.

New armament In 1943 production at

Okayama,

a

second source, switched to the

G4M2, and both this and Nagoya also built the Model 22 A with two 20-mm beam guns replacing the Type 92s and the Model 22B in which the four cannon were all of the Model 2 type with belt feed. Later in the year the G4M2a came on the line with improved Kasei 110

G4M: G6M:

G4M

variants

two

12-sh/ prototypes escort fighter version, total 30: later trainers and transports G4M1: initial Model 11 and Model 12 version, total 13 service test plus 1,200 for inventory

G6M1-K

G6M2-L

G4M2:

completely revised Model 22, Model 22A and Model 22B bomber with MK4P Kasei 21 engines and increased weights; total 1,154 G4M2a: MK4T Kasei 25 engines, bulged bomb doors and various armament schemes as Model 24A, Model 24B and Model 24C (see text); included in above total G4M2b: Model 25 testbed for MK4V Kasei 27 engine G4M2c: !.,< Model 26 testbeds for fv1K4T-B Ru turbocharged engine G4M2d: Model 27 testbed for MK4T-B (non-turbol engine

G4M2e: numerous Model 24J rebuilds to carry MXY 7 Ohka piloted missile G4M3: redesigned Model 34 version with single-spar wing, armour and fully

protected fuel system,

dihedral tailplane and other changes; total three prototypes and 57 production by surrender G4M3a: proposed Model transport and anti-submarine version

34A

G4M3:

two

HMS

HMS

tered and

Mitsubishi

11, at last

Model 36

Mitsubishi 24)

aircraft

MK4T-B turbocharged engine

G4M2a (Type 1 Land-based Attacker Model 45 46 47 48 49

12 Flap controls 13 Wing spar 14 Starboard wing fuel tanks 15 Starboard outer oil tank 16 Engine nacelle fairing 17 Cooling gills 18 Individual exhaust stubs 19 Engine bearer 20 Intake 21 Cowling ring 22 Four-blade propeller

51

52 53 54 55

mechanism

starboard)

32 Bomb panel 33 Ammunition magazine stowage 34 Nose glazing 35 Additional machine-gun (stowed) Rudder pedal assembly Control console

Coaming

windscreen panels Overhead controls Sun blinds 42 Flight deck emergency escape hatch 43 Pilot's seats 44 Control column Flat

Flight

deck

floor level

Nose compartment access walkway Navigator/wirelessoperator's station Equipment racks Commander's seat Cockpit roof glazing Front spar carry-through

56 Fuselage centre-section fuel tanks

57 Front spar/fuselage attachment 58 Over-spar centre step section

59 Rear spar carry-through 60 Rear spar/fuselage attachment 61

Gunner's take-off/land

jump seats (two) 62 Emergency handhold (down to wing upper surface)

,

23 Spinner 24 7 7-mm Type 92 machinegun 25 Nose turret 26 Nose radar antenna 27 Nose turret drive

28 Bomb-aimer's flat panel 29 Bomb-aimer's couch 30 Type 90 bombsight 31 Additional cheek gun/drift sight mounting (port and

Rudder pedal assembly Bomb-aimer's seat Control linkage

50 Fuselage structure

8 Aileron trim tab 9 Wing join station 10 Flap hinge fairings 1 Starboard flap

41

'or

cutaway drawi ngkey

1 Starboard navigation light 2 Starboard wingtip 3 Wing outboard spars 4 Starboard aileron 5 Aileron hinges 6 Aileron tab linkage 7 Fixed tab

36 37 38 39 40

used as testbeds

63 Emergency escape hatch 64 Dorsal frames 65 Intake scoop 66 Fuselage window 67 Dorsal gunner's step 68 Dorsal turret mount 69 Ammunition magazine

stowage

2

Typical of late production machines, this G4M3 was assigned to the Yokosuka Kokutai, based at the war's end at Atsugi, Japan. Note the bulged bomb doors, introduced on the G4M2a, and the dihedralled tailplane peculiar to the C4M3, as was the shortened tail gun position resembling the B-26.

*,

70 Strengthened longeron

100

Aerial

section Turret drive mechanism 72 Dorsal turret 73 20-mm Type 99 dorsal

101

Starboard elevator Elevator tab Tailfin leading edge

cannon 74 Aerial mast 75 Fuselage structure 76 Oxygen cylinders 77 Stepped fuselage floor 78 Gunner's seat 79 Fuselage window 80 Waist gun position 81 Ammunition magazine stowage 82 Gun mounting 83 20-mm Type 99 cannon 84 Fixed upper glazing 85 Sliding (upwards) window

attachment Rudder balance Rudder frame Rudder post Access panels 10 Rudder tab 111 Rudder tab linkage 1 1 Rudder lower hinge 113 Fixed lower section fillet 114 Tail navigation light 115 Aft fuselage glazing 1 1 6 Open tail turret (glazed side segments) 117 Tail 20-mm Type 99 cannon 118 Elevator tab 119 Port elevator 120 Elevator balance

71

section

86 Starboard (assymetnc) waist gun position 87 Fuselage frames 88 Longerons 89 Cannon muzzle trough 90 Crew circular entry hatch 91

102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

internal support

95 Aft fuselage structure 96 Fuselage frame- 'tailfin

structure

Aerial

1

121 Tailplane structure 122 Tail gunner's seat 123 Tailplane/fuselage frame

Latch

92 Walkway to tail turret 93 Fuselagewmdow 94 Starboard radar aerial

Tailfin

124

attachment Tail gun ammunition magazine feed

129 Tailwheel shock strut 130 Non-retractable tailwheel 131

Lower longeron

132 Waist station floor level 133 Bulged bomb-bay aft contour 134 Port flap section 135 Wing structure 136 Rear main spar

37 138 139 140

Wing inboard/outboard join

141

Wing

142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

Portwingtip

1

151

Aileron trim tab Fixed tab Port aileron ribs

Port navigation light

Front mam spar Panel joins

Nose ribs Port wing

fuel tanks (four)

155 156 157 158 159 160

Portmainwheel Main wheel doors

Engine lower intake Cooling gills Individual exhaust stubs Cooling/exhaust slots 161 Mainwheel bay 162 Mitsubishi Kasei 25 (MK4T) engine 163 Engine upper intake 164 Four-blade Sumitomo

171

Twelve

11 0-lb(50-kg)

bombs (4x3). 172 Four551-lb|250-kg)

bombs 12x2), 173 Two1.102-lb(500-kg)

bombs 174 One naval torpedo, or 175 One1.764-lb(800-kg)

bomb

VDM propeller 165 Propeller hub 166 Spinner 167 Bulged bomb-bay forward contour 168 Pitot tube (offset/angled to starboard)

169 D/Floop 170 Weapons

load, inc:

Sparjoin Port

wing oil tanks (two)

Undercarriage attachment Nacelle fairing

152 Mamwheelleg 153 Oleocuff 154 Brake line

125 Tail surface control linkage 126 Walkway 127 Port radar antenna 128 Support strut

support

97

Tailfin join

98 Starboard tailplane skinning

99 Elevator balance

111

*

Specification Mitsubishi G4M1 Model 11 Type: land-based bomber and torpedo bomber with crew Powerplant: two 1141-kW (1,530-hp) Mitsubishi Kasei 11 radial piston

engines

of

seven

(MK4A)

14-cvlinder

Performance: maximum speed 428 km/h (266 mph) at 4200 m (13 780 ft)service ceiling 9950 m (32,645 ft); maximum range 6033 km (3 749 miles) Weights: empty 6800 kg (14,991 lb); normal loaded

9500 kg (20 943 lb) n 25 '° <82 ft °' 2 in); l6ngth 2 (65 ft 7A ln °° he '9ht 6 oTmq'S « 8 9 2 ln>wt h hese values are clearl V approximate); wing area / 7« i?r o , \ /B.125 (841 sq

m

8 S

m

>.'

,

m

m

ft)

ent: ° ne 8 °?" k9 (1 764 -' b) t0rped0 or similar bombload; one 20-mm n o!r Type 99 cannon in tail position, aimed by hand, and four 7.7-mm (0 303-in Type 92 machine-guns aimed from beam hatches, dorsal blister and nose

£

r

'

112

25s and bulged bomb-bay doors. This had the previous armament variations, and in the Model 24C the central nose gun was changed to al3-mm (0.51-in) Type 2, while at the vei y end of the year a proportion of all G4M production was fitted with ASV (anti surface vessel) radar. By mid-1944 the G4M1 had been withdrawn from front line units, though it is now known that at least 30 were expended in suicide missions later in the war. Indeed, such was the Allied super iority in the Pacific sky by late 1944 that m the final year of the war attrition on all G4M missions averaged 39 per cent, a totally un acceptable state of affairs for any air ami. In August 1944 navy officers suggested the specially designed MXY7 Ohka (cherry blossom) piloted anti-ship missile, to be carried by modified G4Ms. A large number (certainly over 120) of G4M2a bombers were rebuilt with bomb doors removed and special attach ments for the rocket -propelled aircraft. Redesignated G4M2e (Model 24J), these aircraft were even more sluggish than other versions, and even more vulnerable. On the fust major Ohka combat mission, on 21 March 1945, 16 aircraft of the 721st Kokutai headed in loose formation for the Allied fleet but

all

they got within missile-launch range.

Ohka

were shot down long before

The

potentially devastating

because of the vulnerability of its carrier aircraft. Back in late 1942 Mitsubishi had in desperation started yet again with a redesign of the G4M to try to reduce vulnerability. The result was the G4M3, first flown in January 1944, with well-protected tankage of reduced capacity in single-spar wings and plenty of armour. It also had a tail gun position which either resembled that of the Martin B-26 Marauder or ended in a completely open end giving increased field of fire. Another change was dihedral on the tailplane to improve directional stability, but this model never got into action. The sad last duty of the G4M, in the old G4M1 version, was to carry the Japanese surrender delegation to Ie-Shima on 19 August 1945. In accordance with the Allied terms, all armament was removed and the aircraft were painted, like all other surviving Japanese aircraft, white all over with insignia of green crosses. failed

Bearing a superficial similarity to the Wellington - heightened

in this

example by the 'British style camouflage - the G4M1 Model 11 was almost completely devoid of protection, and was thus light enough still to have fair performance on the original engines. The distinctive tips of the wing and tail surfaces gave way to plain round tips in the more powerful G4M2, which also had a dorsal cannon turret and different tail position (the beam blisters having been replaced by flush gun windows in the G4M1 Model 12). This very early G4M1 served on the Rabaul front in September 1942 with the 1st Chutai of the Takao Kokutai, which after severe losses was reconstituted as the 753rd '

Kokutai.

I

de Havilland Mosquito The Mosquito was born in an uncertain fashion during wartime, with few real supporters. Within five years it became one of the RAF's most versatile and valued assets. More versions of the Mosquito were built than of any other aircraft in history, and to the pilots it was the Wooden Wonder'. de Havilland Mosquito was possibly the most useThe all-wooden World War produced by the single type of Allies in

aircraft

ful

Like so

many

other great aircraft

specification and was created

by the

in

it

owed

nothing to any

II.

official

the teeth of often fierce opposition

Even after a prototype had been ordered, the limited programme (a mere 50 aircraft) caused it to be re-

officials.

nature of the

moved

from future plans three times after the Dunkirk it was daringly put back by a single believer, Patrick (later Sir Patrick) Hennessy, brought in from Ford Motors by Lord Beaverbrook to help run British aircraft production. So in November 1940 a single prototype at last took the air. Once that had happened the fantastic performance of the Mosquito carried all entirely

evacuation. Each time

before

it.

The de

Havilland Aircraft

Company was famed

chiefly for light-

planes and rather primitive mixed-construction light transports, but in

1936

it

designed the aerodynamically superb (but technically dis-

astrous) D.H.91 Albatross airliner with structure entirely of wood.

A

work was started on a military derivative with two Merlin engines to meet the requirements of specification P. 13/36, but this was not accepted, largely because of the wooden structure which was hardly taken seriously. Undeterred, the project staff

few months

114

under R. E. Bishop, R. M. Clarkson and C. T. Wilkins continued to study a new species of high-speed bomber able to evade hostile fighters and thus dispense with gun turrets. The concept appeared to make sense. Doing away with turrets reduced the crew from six to two, comprising a pilot on the left in the nose cockpit with the navigator/bombardier on his right. Either could work the radio. Thanks to the scale effect, in that saving weight enabled the aircraft to be smaller and bum less fuel, it was calculated the twin-Merlin unarmed bomber could carry 454 kg (1,000 lb) of bombs 2400 km (1,500 miles) for a weight of just over 6800 kg (15,000 lb), so that with good streamlining the speed could reach almost 655 km/h (400 mph), getting on for twice the speed of other British bombers. The aircraft could have flown in early 1939 but officials, including the Air Staff, showed either disinterest or hostility. Literally dozens of objections were raised to show that an unarmed bomber would be useless, that a crew of only two could not fly the mission, and that the company's proposals were pointless. At a major meeting at the Air

later

Second operator of the Mosquito B.IV was RAF No. 139 Sqn, based at Horsham St Faith until late September 1942, and subsequently at Marham. These aircraft may have been photographed on their way to disrupt a major speech by Dr Goebbels in January 1943.

1942 No. 23 Sqn operated Mosquito NF.II (Special) intruder aircraft, with radar removed,

From

increased internal fuel capacity this hybrid colour scheme resembling Bomber Command 'heavies' and with Smooth Night (black) undersurfaces giving less drag than the original sooty finish. Base was Bradwell Bay,

and

Essex.

W4082 was one of the first production Mosquito F.ll fighters, delivered in the first week of 1942. With a loaded weight similar to the empty weight of the final NF marks (around 8165 kg/18,000 lb) the Mk II was slowed by its matt non-reflective paint, and AI.IV radar. Unit was No. 157 Sqn, based at Castle Camps, Essex, in mid-1942.

Ministry just after the Munich

October 1938, the officials if de Havilland would build wings for one of the existing bomber programmes. Even after the outbreak of war, no member of the Air Staff saw in the proposals crisis, in

declined to study the proposals but asked

anything but a pointless diversion.

It

was not

until

long after the out-

break of war that, partly because of support by Air Marshal Sir Wilfred Freeman, the Air Staff began to concede that a twin-Merlin aircraft, provided it was built solely for reconnaissance, might possibly be unarmed and might even be made of wood. With great efforts the point was reached on 1 March 1940 at which a contract could be signed for a prototype plus 49 production machines.

The basic Mosquito The

D.H. 98 Mosquito (W4050) was secretly built at Salisabout 8 km (5 miles) from the Hatfield works, to which it was taken by road on 3 November 1940. Geoffrey de Havilland Jr made the first flight on 25 November. It had been estimated that, with twice the power of a Spitfire, twice the wetted (skin) area and more than twice the weight, the Mosquito would be 32 km/h (20 mph) faster. Nobody in the Air Ministry believed this; they were bury

first

Hall,

amazed when the prototype was

officially

tested at

Boscombe Down

February 1941 and found to reach 631 km/h (392 mph), somewhat over 32 km/h (20 mph) more than the fastest British fighter. in

The yellow prototype actually carried Class B serial number E0234 end of 1940. This photograph may have been taken with a tail number added for the new types display at Hatfield on 20 April 1941. Six months later W4050 was flying in full camouflage, with long nacelles, a larger tailplane and Merlin 61 engines. until the

The

basic design

was

a beautifully streamlined monoplane, with

mounted in the mid position above a bomb bay for four 113-kg (250-lb) bombs. The pilot sat just ahead of the leading edge, where he had a fine view except where blocked by the engine cowlings which extended aft to the trailing edge. Almost the entire structure was wood, the wing having two spars and ply skins (double on the upper surface) with spruce stringers, while the fuselage was made in left and right halves moulded on concrete formers from sandwich structure comprising light balsa between inner and outer skins of plywood. Flying-control surfaces were light alloy, with metal skin on the ailerons and fabric on the tail, but the hydraulic plain flaps were wood. Unusual features included coolant radiators occupying the wing leading edge between engines and fuselage, which with development could give positive thrust in cruising flight, and simple landing gears with twin shock struts filled with rubber blocks. This eliminated much need for precision metalwork, and the total weight of castings (113 kg/250 lb) and forgings (13.6 kg/30 lb) was less than for any other twin-engined combat aircraft of its day. Flight development showed the need for an increase in span from 16.00 m (52 ft 6 in) to 16.51m (54 ft 2 in), a larger tailplane, improved cowlings and exhaust systems, and lengthened nacelles which divided the flaps into four small sections joined by torque tubes. The leading-edge slats were judged unnecessary and the sharply tapered wing

ML963 was one of the main run B.XVI

high-flying

bombers delivered

from Hatfield in 1944. This example, in day bomber camouflage with medium sea grey underside, served with No. 571 Sqn, and with a 1814-kg (4,000-lb) 'cookie' and underwing tanks could take off at over 11340

kg

(25,000 lb).

&**J'

115

LR508 was one of the small

de Havilland Mosquito

initial

batch of Hatfield-built B.IX highaltitude bombers which set fantastic record on night

up a

missions with No. 105 Sqn. This

machine made 96 combat missions, but 10 of 105's Mk IXs exceeded 100 missions, LR504 reaching 200 and LR503

particular

possibly setting a record with

I*

213.

0\

H

ML963 was a B.XVI built at Hatfield in 1944 and seen serving with No. 571 Sqn based at Oakington,

Cambridgeshire. The Mk XVI was a development of the Mk IX but with a pressurised cockpit and increased internal fuel. Most could carry a 1814-kg (4,000Ib)

bomb.

The Mosquito was one of the most heavily armed aircraft operated by the Allies during World War II, and its capacity to accommodate each new innovation of the armourers never ceased. The standard Fighter aircraft, like this FB Mk VI, carried four .303-in machine-guns in addition to a further four 20-mm cannon. At the same time, they were also intended to carry four 500-lb bombs. Operating at night, the FB. Vis made places like the Falaise gap a far worse place to be after the sun had set for the retreating Wermacht armies. For a month after D-Day, Mosquitoes flew over France every night attacking German lines of communication. Even when the weather was too bad for them to attack their targets, the knowledge that they were waiting above the clouds was enough to prevent the Germans from moving.

A

particularly versatile mark, the Royal Navy's TR.33 could carry a wide range of offensive stores, including (as shown) a 457-mm (18-in) torpedo. It also had radar, four cannon and full carrier equipment.

Prior to delivery of this fully-developed, Leavesden-built series, the Fleet Air Arm used 'hooked' Mk Vis.

116

6 71

21 7

,

1

PR.XVIs of the US 8th Air Force sported various special colour schemes, those on weather reconnaissance, such as this example from the 653rd Bomb Sqn (Light), having crimson rudder and elevators from 16 1944, and complete crimson tail units from 23 September. The 653rd operated from Watton, Norfolk, and was a unit of the 25th Bomb Group.

August

de Havilland Mosquito B.XVI cutaway drawing key 1

Three-bladed de Havilland type 5000 hydromatic

48 Portable fire extinguisher 49 Cabin pressunzation and

propeller

heating air ducts 50 Non-return air valve 51 Engine control runs

2 Spinner 3 Starboard engine cowling panels, Merlin 73 engine 4 Exhaust stubs 5 Starboard oil radiator 6 Coolant radiator 7 Radiator air intake 8 Carburettor air intake and

?uard uselage nose skinning

Windscreen

1

de-icing fluid

52 Wing root rib 53 Centre section

Instrument panel 12 Parachute stowage 13 Junction box 14 Fire axe 15 SYKO apparatus stowage

Nose compartment windows

1

side

68-lmp gal each (restricted

to 46-lmp gal (209 litres) port and 47!/2 -lmp gal (216

starboard with 4000lb(1815-kg) bomb load) 54 Wing upper surface litres)

nozzle 1

litres)

55 56 57 58 59 60

144 Flap shroud ribs 145 Inboard fuel tank bay ventral access panel 146 Bomb carriers 147 500-lb (227-kg) short-

bottle

99 De-icing fuel tanks

(two), capacity

(309

96 Batteries 97 Hydraulic and pneumatic systems servicing panel 98 Pneumatic system air

attachment joint Centre fuel tank filler cap ARI-5083 receiver

finned

fluid reservoir

100 Picketing equipment

18 MkXIVbombsight 19 Nose glazing

149 Main undercarriage

103 Fuselage stringers, between inner and outer

150 Undercarriage mounting

fairing

hydraulic retraction jack

skin laminations

Flap hydraulic |ack 152 Nacelle tail fairing 153 Port plain flap segments

104 Heat conserving canvas bulkhead cover

154 All-wooden 155 156 157 158 159 160

IFF transmitter/receiver

Signal pistol aperture Cockpit aft glazing Rear pressure bulkhead

Temperature probe 22 Windscreen de-icing

Imp

21

fluid

nozzle

23 Optically

flat

bomb

Starboard inboard fuel

aiming

construction

163 164 165 166 167 168

gal (298 litres) outer

62 Fuel filler cap 63 Nacelle fairing 64 Starboard main

window

undercarriage bay

I,

24 Bomb sight mounting 25 Bomb selector switches 26 Camera remote control box 27

flap

construction Port outer fuel tanks Fuel filler cap Retractable landing lamp Aileron tab control linkage Rear spar Aileron hinge control Aileron tab

162 Aluminium aileron

tanks, capacity 78 Imp gal (355 litres) inner and 65 5

identification Tight

leg rear strut

151

161 61

20 Forward navigation/

(4)

stowage 101 Camera motor 102 TR1 143 aerial

Portable oxygen bottles

1

HE bombs

148 Port engine nacelle top

lis

Bomb aimer's kneeling

Resin lamp Port formation lamp

Detachable wing

tip fairing

Port navigation light

Leading edge nose

ribs

Front spar, box beam construction 169 Wing lower surface single skin/stringer panel 170 Wing rib construction

cushion

28 Signal pistol cartridge racks 29 Rudder pedals 30 Compass 31

Control linkages

130

65 Hydraulic retraction |ack 66 Outboard fuel tanks, 34-lmpgal (155 litres) inner and 24-lmp gal (109 litres)

Jf

32 Oxygen system economizer units 33 Elevator trim handwheel 34 Port radiator ram air intake 35 Oil and coolant radiators 36 Engine throttle levers 37 Ventral entry hatch 38 Control column handwheel 39 Folding chart table 40 Windscreen panels 41 Trailing aerial winch 42 Cockpit roof escape hatch 43 Seat back armour plate

44 Navigator/bombadier's seat ^'53

45 Rearward

vision blister

fairing

46 Pilot's seat 47 Intercom socket

shell joint strip

litres)

69 Fuel filler cap 70 Plywood leading edge skinning 71

Wing top skin

72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

7

1

1

Ferrite aerial rod

1

Tailfin

1 1

construction

Plywood leading edge skinning, fabric covered

172 Port

auxiliary fuel tank,

capacity 50 Imp gal (227 litres) 173 Fuel filler cap 174 Main undercarriage rear

3 Starboard tailplane

strut

Mudguard Mainwheel doors Port mainwheel Mainwheel leg strut

Formation light Resin light Starboard aileron Aileron hinge control Mass balance weights

175 176 177 1 78 179 1 80

Aileron tab

123 Fabric covered elevator

183 Engine

construction Starboard navigation

Wing

light

tip fairing

Underside view showing bulged (increased volume) bomb bay doors Ventral entry hatch with sight aperture

drift

Flap hydraulic jack Nacelle tail fairing Flap inboard segment

cap Dinghy access panel Two-man dinghy stowage Oil filler

compartment 90 Wing fixing bearer Rear fuselage equipment heater air ducting 92 Long range oil tank, capacity 10 Imp gal 91

(45

litres)

93 Hydraulic reservoir 94 TR1 143 transmitter/ rscGivsr

95 MkXIVbombsight computer

1

124 125 126 127 128

construction Tailplane construction Ferrite aerial rod Elevator operating linkage Tailwheel housing Tailplane spar attachment joint

flap

segment

sA'

1

14 Elevator horn balance 115 Pitottube 1 1 6 Rudder horn balance 1 1 Fabric covered rudder construction 118 Rudder tab 1 1 9 Tab operating rod 120 Elevator tabs 121 Tailcone 122 Tail navigation lights

panelling

82 Trailing aerial fairing 83 Starboard outer plain

84 85 86 87 88 89

08 Rudder control linkage 09 Fin attachment bulkhead 1 Rudder mass balance weight 1

1

1 1

double plywood sandwich

81

*f>&

(plywood/balsa/plywood)

106 Diagonal graining partem Centreline fuselage half 1 07

outer

67 Wing stringers 68 Starboard auxiliary fuel tank, capacity 50-lmp gal (227

-\^

luo Fuselage half shell sandwich skin construction

129 Tailwheel leg strut 130 Retracting tailwheel Levered suspension 1 3

Pneumatic brake disc Rubber compression block shock absorber 181 Spring loaded door guides 182 Main undercarriage pivot fixing oil

tank, capacity

16Tmpgal 184 185 186 187 188 189

(73

litres)

Cabin heater Fireproof bulkhead Two-stage supercharger Intercoofer

Heywood compressor Rolls-Royce Merlin 72, 1 2-cylinder Vee engine

190 Exhaust ports 191

Alternator

132 Fuselage skin fabric covering 133 Identification code lights, white, amber and green 134 Beam approach aerial 135 Camera mounting 136 F. 24 Camera

192 193 194 195 196 1 97 198 199

Engine bearers Carburettor air intake duct

37 Tailplane control cables 138 Rear fuselage entry hatch

200 Propeller hub

tailwheel forks

1

39 Crew equipment stowage bag 140 Bulged bomb bay tail fairing

Bomb door hydraulic lacks Beam approach receiver

142 143 Oxygen bottles

Spinner armoured backplate pitch

change

mechanism

1

141

Intake guard Intercooler radiator exhaust Intercooler radiator Engine mounting block Coolant header tank

201

Spinner

202 Intercooler radiator intake 203 Port 3-bladed de Havilland hydromatic propeller

204 4000-lb(1815-kg)HCbomb

117

Pioneer of unescorted high-speed day bombing over Germany, the Mosquito B. IV series ii was given a tremendously enthusiastic reception by the squadrons to which it was allocated. First of all was No. 105, to which this aircraft, one of the main batch of series ii aircraft, was delivered in late 1942, after No. 105 had joined rivals No. 139 at Marham. By this time the basic aircraft was fully developed, with long nacelles, larger tailplane, flame-damped exhausts and no deficiencies. A?any of this series were converted for special purposes, or as PR. IV reconnaissance machines or with bulged bomb bays to carry the 1814-kg (4,000-lb) bomb. It is hard to believe that the original intended bomb load was one-quarter as much! 118

Specification

de Havilland Mosquito B.IV series

ii

Type: high-speed day bomber Powerplant: two 918-kW (1,230-hp) Rolls-Royce

Merlin 21 inline piston

engines

m

(21,000 Performance: maximum speed 612 km/h (380 mph) at 6400 with multi-stub exhausts, or 589 km/h (366 mph) with ducted saxophone exhausts; maximum rate of climb 878 (2,880 ft) per minute at 5170 m (31,000 ft); (11,400 ft); service ceiling (6185 kg/18,000 lb, FS gear) 9449 range, clean at economical cruising speed at 6095 m (20,000 ft) 1963 km

ft)

m

m

(1,220 miles)

Weights: empty about 5942 kg

(13,100

maximum take-off 10152 Dimensions: span 16.51 m (54 ft 2 (21,794

4.65

m

(15

ft

3

Armament:

in);

wing area 42.18

normal internal

m

bomb

lb);

normal loaded 9886 kg

kg (22,380 lb) in); length 12.43

lb);

m

(40

2

(454 sq ft) load 907 kg (2,000

lb)

ft

9V2

in);

height

de Havilland Mosquito

Delivered by Airspeed at about the time World War II ended, this advanced FB. VI was one of the Portsmouth-built Mosquitoes

which were almost all post-war. was assigned to RAF No. 4 Sqn

It

BAFO (British Air Forces of Occupation) based at Celle, West

in

Germany.

the RAAF took virtually the 212 Mosquitoes produced (with increasing local content) by Australia at Sydney

Though

all

DH

Bankstown, this machine was one of 38 FB.VI imported from Britain and assigned to RAAF No. 1 Sqn. The RAAF serial number system reflects the aircraft type, A52 as a prefix indicating a Mosquito.

eliminated.

Though

the aircraft had only

managed

to survive

by

being a reconnaissance machine, its brilliant performance now opened the way to bomber and fighter roles. By summer 1941 many ideas were being drawn or tested, including the fitting of Merlin 60series two-stage engines; four-bladed propellers; span increased to

pointed tips at 19.81 sion

was the

limit,

m (65

ft

in),

though

in fact

flown on the high-altitude

only half this exten-

MP469 in 1942 and lead-

F.XV; and, most importantly, fitting guns and bombs. Bishop had always ensured there was room under the floor for four 20-mm Hispano cannon, and in 1942 the F.II night-fighter went into production with these guns plus four 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Brownings in the nose, plus the new AI Mk IV radar. The fighter had a side door instead of a hatch in the underside of the nose, and a flat armoured

ing to the

windscreen.

B.IV

Mosquitoes were also active at sea. Usually operating in pairs and armed with rockets, they hunted Kriegsmarine U-boats and made short work of any that were unlucky enough to be found on the surface.

— bombing and reconnaissance

As for the bomber, in October 1941 Wilkins suggested that the 227-kg (500-lb) bomb should have short or retractable tailfins; then four could be carried. This was at first rejected, but after prolonged tests it was found to be perfectly feasible and the standard bomb was made with shorter fins. Thus the bombload was doubled at a stroke, and the B.IV went into production alongside the fighter in 1942. The T.III dual trainer flew in January 1942 but was mainly built post-war, such was the demand for operational Mosquitoes. Meanwhile, the

By

far the most important mark, the FB.VI (here belonging to No. 143 Sqn, Banff, 1945) combined the full forward-firing armament of four 20-mm cannon and four machine-guns with the ability to carry two 113-kg (250-lb) bombs in the rear bomb bay plus two of 227 kg (500 lb) or, as seen here, eight rockets, under the outer wings.

NS777 was a Hatfield-built PR.XVI, very similar to the B.XVI but with cameras instead of bombs in the main internal bay. It is seen in PRU Blue, with D-Day 'invasion stripes as carried by all aircraft of the '

Allied Expeditionary Air Forces.

120

Wlu

Fitting a large 'bull-nose' radome called for the removal of the nose machine-guns from later marks of night fighter. This Leavesdenbuilt NF.XIX, with low-blown Merlin 25 engines, was flown from Swannington (Norfolk) and West Mailing (Kent) by No. 157

Sqn

in

grey/green and smooth

black, with invasion stripes.

One

of at least 10 foreign users of the Mosquito after the end of the war, the Chinese Nationalist air force was the only one to use the Canadian-built FB.26, similar to the FB.VI with Packard engines.

This Chinese Mk 26 was operating with an attack

squadron at Hankow in 1948. The Packard-engined P-51 fought alongside

it.

49 short-nacelle aircraft entered service in summer 1941 as photo-reconnaissance machines or as conversions to B.IV series bombers, all with the 907-kg (2,000-lb) bomb load. The first mission original

i

was

a

camera

trip to

by VY4055 of No. Full-scale

RAF

1

Bordeaux and La

PRU

Pallice

on 17 September 1941

(Photographic Reconnaissance Unit).

service began with the B.IV series

ii,

the

first

bomber version, which entered service with No. 105 Sqn of No. 2 Group at Swanton Morley in November 1941. Next came No. 139 Sqn at Marham. The first bomber mission was flown by just one aircraft, W4072 (a series i) of No. 105 Sqn at the end of the definitive

1,000-bomber' raid on Cologne on 30-31 effective sorties a daring attack

May 1942.

After various

was made on Gestapo

HQ

in

Mk

Mosquito VI (formerly FB.VI) of British Overseas Airways takes Leuchars. These off on a night transport mission to Sweden from into and out of this neutral aircraft flew VIPs and escaped country (hence the 'civil' insignia), plus other vital cargoes including Swedish ball bearings.

RAF

POWs

all

Striking Force for quite

in-

Oslo,

thwarted by the performance of the bombs; one failed to explode, though inside the building, while three others went out through the far wall before detonating. For the rest of the war the old B.IV, usually with 227-litre (50-Imp gal) underwing drop tanks, made daring precision attacks throughout Europe from tree-top height. More important even than this, 'Mossies' (pronounced Mozzies) were fitted with the precision navaid known as 'Oboe' and used as Pathfinder target markers, or on occasion to drop bombs with great accuracy on point targets. No. 109 Sqn was the first Oboe-Mosquito unit in No. 8 Group (PFF, or Pathfinder Force), later joined by nine other squadrons. They marked the targets for Bomber Command's 'Main Force'

A

subsequent heavy night raids, and formed the Light Night damaging nuisance raids on German cities. By 1943 bomber production switched to the high-flying B.IX with two-stage Merlins, paddle-blade propellers and much increased high-altitude performance. In 1944 the B.IX and B.IV Special were fitted with modified bomb beams and bulged bomb bays to carry a 1814-kg (4,000-lb) bomb, four times the design bomb load. The B.XVI, first flown in November 1943, was a high-altitude bomber designed to carry this bomb from the start, and also fitted with a pressure cabin for routine operations at up to 10670 m (35,000 ft).

on

Special missions The PR. IV was a camera variant of the B.IV series (32 deB.V bomber was not built. Next came the FB.VI fighter-bomber, built in larger numbers (2,584) than any other of the ii

livered), but the

43 marks. First flown in June 1942, it had single-stage engines, the guns of the F.II, a short bomb bay for two 113-kg (250-lb) bombs and wing racks for two more 113-kg (250-lb) bombs or two 227-litre (50Imp gal) drop tanks. With the FB.VI series ii the bomb size in the bomb bay and underwing was doubled, and other wing loads could be 455-litre (100-Imp gal) tanks or eight rockets. The versatile FB.VI ranged throughout Europe, hitting such point targets as the walls of Amiens prison, the Gestapo HQ at The Hague, Gestapo HQ at

After the war the Royal Norwegian air force was one of numerous foreign air forces that operated Mosquitoes. This FB.VI served with RNorAF No. 334 Squadron from Stavanger/Sola. This unit was originally B Flight of No. 333 Sqn operating the same aircraft with the RAF strike wing from Banff, Scotland, in 1943.

121

By

various methods, some of legal, the infant Israeli air force (Hey I Ha'Avir) acquired true offensive muscle with Mosquito Mks IV, VI and NF.36. This colourful FB.6 (post-war designation) was one of a batch bought at knock-down price from the French Armee de I'Air. After 1952 many came unglued in the

them

de Havilland Mosquito

air.

TW256 was one of the production Mosquito TR.33 torpedo/recon/ fighter/bombers built in 1946 for the Fleet Air Arm. They had lowblown Merlin 25s driving fourbladed propellers, power-folding wings, oleo landing-gear legs,

ASH nose radar, RATO rockets, and full carrier equipment. They were operated by No. 771 Sqn, Lee on Solent, in 1947.

Copenhagen, and numerous V- weapon

sites;

they were

various Mosquitoes that destroyed 428 V-l flying

bombs

in

among the

air,

Mk XVIII with a 57-mm gun, was the weapon of Coastal Command against surface ships from mid-1943, using guns, bombs and rockets. After the F.II the chief night-fighters were the NF.XII and NF.XIII, in which the harpoon-like aerials of AI Mk II gave way to bluff radomes on the nose which required removal of the machineguns. In the NF.XII the radar was the British AI Mk VIII, while the NF.XIII had a blunter 'bull nose' which alternatively could accommodate American AI Mk X (SCR-720). A handful were built of the longspan F.XV already mentioned, and the designation NF.XVII was allotted to 100 NF.XIIIs with SCR-720. The NF.XIX was an improved but heavier NF.XIII (230 built in late 1944). A big jump in performance came when a fighter Mosquito was fitted with two-stage and this mark, backed up by the chief attack

NF.XXX

NF.30) becoming extremely imyear of the European war. Though weighing up to 10730 kg (23,650 lb), it reached 682 km/h (424 mph) and carried many (electronic warfare) devices such as 'Perfectos' and 'Airborne Cigar' spoofing/jamming gear; six squadrons of NF.XXXs operated with No. 100 Group on bomber support missions, as well as with night-fighter units. engines, the resulting portant and effective

in

the

(or

final

EW

Many marks flew with all Allied air forces, including the Red air force and the USAAF, the latter using Canadian-built aircraft as the F-8 reconnaissance version as well as the British-built T.III and PR. XVI. De Havilland Aircraft of Canada at Downs view built a series of variants from Mks 21 to 29, with Packard engines (see variants list)

DH Australia at Bankstown built the Mks 40 to 43. All these were based on the FB.VI. At home, production was supported by a vast array of subcontractors, furniture and piano makers and even while

tiny

cottage back rooms, with assembly lines at DH HatPlant 2 at Leavesden (Watford), Percival Aircraft at Luton,

groups

field,

DH

in

Standard Motors at Canley (Coventry) and Airspeed at Portsmouth.

Post-war variants In addition to 10 civil

Mosquitoes

(a

B.IV 'ii' and nine FB. Vis) used

BOAC on urgent services with cargo and passengers between the UK and Sweden (and occasionally other places), there were by

various later marks that did not see war service. The heaviest and highest-performing of all versions were the closely related PR. 34,

B.35 and NF.36.

had the high-altitude Merlin 113A/U4A and broad paddle-bladed propellers. The PR. 34 was the longest-ranged of all marks, with a swollen belly housing some of the remarkable load of 5769 litres (1,269 Imp gal) of fuel. Though it weighed up to 11567 kg (25,500 lb), it could reach 684 km/h (425 mph) and cruise 3 km (3,500 miles). A PR.34A made the RAF's last Mosquito ssion with No. 81 Sqn in Malaya on 15 December 1955. The B.35 122

All

ultimate bomber mark, with a pressurised cockpit and weighing up to 11431 kg (25,200 lb) with a 1814-kg (4,000-lb) bomb and 2714 litres (597 Imp gal) internal fuel for a range of about 3220 km (2,000 miles) at over 483 km/h (300 mph), maximum speed being 679 km/h (422 mph). It just missed the war and served until replaced by Canberras from 1951, many being converted into PR. 35s or TT.35s. The corresponding night-fighter was the NF.36, with American AI Mk 10 radar; the NF.38 export variant for Yugoslavia had British AI Mk IX. There were also numerous Sea Mosquito variants, of which the most important was the TR.33. The last of 7,781 Mosquitoes was VX916, an NF.38 delivered from Chester on 28 November 1950. It was the 6,439th built in England; Canadian production totalled 1,034 and Australian 212. Post-war air forces using Mosquitoes, included those of Belgium, China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominica, France, Israel, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

was the

de Havilland Mosquito variants D.H.98:

two 955-kW (1.280-hp) RM 3SM. span 16 00 m shod nacelles

prototype,

Rolls-Royce Merlin (52

ft

6

m),

PR.1 2

m

Merlin 21 short nacelles. 16.51 : (54 span, larger tailplane, three vertical and

in)

,

one oblique cameras

(total

1

ft

prototype and 10

production) F.II: Merlin 21, 22 or 23 AI Mk IV radar, four 20-mm and four 7 7-mm (0 303-in) guns, side door, flat windscreen, long nacelles (total 467) T.III: dual trainer. Merlin 21. 23 or 25, drop tanks (total 3431

B.IV series Ib)

bomb

i:

converted PR

I,

907-kg (2.000-

load, short nacelles (total 38)

B.IV series

production bomber, Merlin 21 or 23. drop tanks, some with bomb bay for 1814-kg (4,000-lb) bomb, some converted as PR. IV. others for Highball' (Wallis skipping bomb) (total 235, including 32 PR IV) FB.VI: fighter-bomber, Merlin 21. 23 or 25, F.II ii: first

Mk X) radar, some with tail warning (total 100 conversions from F/NF.II) FB XVIII: Tse Tse Fly', Merlin 25, FB.VI with Molms 57-mm gun with 25 rounds, plus four 7 7-mm (0.303-in) guns and eight rockets (total 25) NF.XIX: Merlin 25. night-fighter based on Mk XIII (total

220)

B.XX: Canadian

B.IV

ii,

Packard Merlin 31 or

33 (total 145, including 40 F-8) FB.21: Canadian FB.VI (total 3) T.22: Canadian TIM B.25: improved B XX, Merlin 225 (total 400) FB.26: improved Mk 21, Merlin 225 (total 338) T.27: improved T 22. Merlin 225 T.29: trainer conversion of Mk 26

NF.XXX: high-altitude night-fighter, Mk X (total 526)

Merlin 72

or 76, AI

PR.32: photo

plus drop tanks/bombs/rockets (total 2.248) B.VII: Canadian-built B IV ii, Merlin 31 (total 25) PR. VIII: photo version of PR IV with Merlin 61

Merlin 113/114, pressurised (total 5 conversions) TF. (later TR.) 33: naval torpedo/ reconnaissance fighter for carrier use. Merlin 25, four-bladed propellers, oleo legs, folding wings, hook, JATO gear, ASH nose radar, four 20-mm guns, internal bombload or 907-kg

(total 5)

(2,000-lb)

guns plus two 227-kg

(500-lb)

bombs

internal

B.IX: high-altitude bomber. Merlin 72/73 or 76/77, up to 1814 kg (4.000 lb) of bombs, some H 2 S Mk VI radar/Oboe/drop tanks. PR. IX photo version, increased fuel, 'Rebecca/ Boozer' etc (total 4 B IX and 90 PR. IX) NF.XII: night-fighter. Merlin 21 or 23, AI Mk VIII in thimble nose, four 20-mm only (total 97 conversions from F.NF.II) NF.XIII: night-fighter, Merlin 21, 23 or 25, Mk VI wings suitable for tanks/bombs/rockets, AI Mk VIII or SCR-720 in universal 'bull' nose (total

270)

NF.XV: m/59 7.

ft

7-mm

2

high-altitude fighter, long-span (18 in) wing. Merlin 73 or 77, four guns in ventral pack,

03

(0.303-in)

reduced fuel, pressure cabin (total 5 conversions from B.IV) PR.XVI, B.XVI: photo and bomber models with Mk IX engines but pressure cabin, increased fuel as PR IX. very wide range of electronic fits (total 433 PR XVI and 1,200

BXVI) NF.XVII: Merlin

21 or 23,

SCR-720

or

729

(AI

aircraft,

torpedo or mine PR. 34: long-range photo. Merlin 114 (Mk 34A, Merlin 114A), pressurised, exceptional fuel capacity (total 50) B.35: long-range bomber, Merlin 113A/114A, pressurised, could carry 2714 litres (597 Imp gal) plus 1814-kg (4.000-lb) bomb, post-war conversions to PR.35 and TT.35 (total 122) NF.36: night-fighter with Merlin 113/114, AI Mk X radar (total 266) TT.37: variant of TR.33 with ASV Mk XIII radar NF.38: variant of Mk 36 with Merlin 114A, usually AI Mk IX radar (total 50) TT.39: conversion of Mk XVI by General Aircraft as Royal Navy target-tug, new forward fuselage, 13.21 (43 ft 4 in) long FB.40: Australian Mk VI. Packard Merlin 31 or 33 (total 178) FB.41 : Australian photo aircraft based on Mks XVI and 40, Packard Merlin 69 FB.42: Australian Mk VI with Merlin 69 (total 1 conversion from FB.40) T.43: Australian T III, Packard Merlin 33

m

Bristol Blenheim The Blenheim light bomber was one of several aircraft which owed their existence to the vision of a few far-sighted individuals in the years leading up to World War II. Sadly it failed to live up to expectations and with the outbreak of war it was meat for the hungry German fighters. However, it survived in various other forms, most notably as a night-fighter, with many air forces till the end of hostilities.

Just as the Supermarine Spitfire could trace its origins to the beneLady Houstone in safeguarding the UK's entry in the final Schneider Trophy race, so the Bristol Blenheim owed its accepfaction of

mid position, allowing the bomb bay to be located below the wing spars; a single forward-firing rifle-calibre Browning gun was included, as well as a partly-retractable B.I.

To meet

tance as a military aircraft to the generosity, foresight and patriotism

with a single Lewis gun.

Lord Rothermere, proprietor of the Daily Mail newspaper. UK was likely to be eclipsed in the commercial field of aviation by such promising aircraft as the Douglas DC-2 in 1934, Rothermere ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company a six-passenger twin-engine aircraft capable of a speed of around 386 km/h (240 mph). The resulting design by Frank Barnwell was the Bristol Type 142 with two 485-kW (650-hp) Bristol Mercury VIS2 radial engines, a design that was to some extent influenced by a Finnish government requirement for an aircraft that might be adaptable for military use as a light bomber. Early in 1935 the British Air Ministry began to show interest in the new prototype, and when tested at the RAF Martlesham Heath establishment it proved to be 80 km/h (50 mph) faster than the Gladiator fighter prototype. So enthusiastic was the RAF with the new twin-engine monoplane as a potential bomber that, after naming it Britain First, Lord Rothermere presented it to the Air Council. In September 1935 Bristol received a contract for 150 light bombers based on the commercial prototype,

was strengthened, and a crew of three and gunner) was to be carried.

of

Believing that the

Type 142M and designed to Specification 28/35. To permit the fuselage to accommodate a bombload of four 113-kg (250-lb) bombs carried internally, the wing was changed from low to

designated Bristol

Mark

I

turret amidships

military load factors the airframe (pilot,

navigator /bomb-aimer

Despite Air Council plans to adopt the new aircraft (named the Blenheim in April 1936) as a replacement for the widely-used Hawker Hind light bomber, Bristol was permitted to negotiate limited export orders with friendly governments, the orders to be fulfilled after the RAF's initial needs had been satisfied. The prototype Blenheim (K7033) was flown on 25 June 1936, and production got under way the following December, an order for 434 further aircraft having been placed in July. First RAF squadron to take delivery of the Blenheim was No. 114 (Bomber) Squadron at Wyton on 10 March 1937 (the first such aircraft being written off on delivery when the pilot applied the wheelbrakes too harshly, causing the machine to overturn). By the end of the year production at Filton had reached a rate of 24 aircraft a

No

139 Squadron was one of the Blenheim Nik IV units sent to France with the BEF, this trio being seen near the unit's base at Betheniville. Earlier the unit had been the first to enter German airspace in the war, flying a reconnaissance mission over the German fleet on 3 September 1939.

Bristol

Blenheim

all black, this is a Blenheim Mk IF night fighter, with Al (airborne interception) radar aerials mounted in the nose and on the port wing. This aircraft wears the 'YX' codes of No 54 OTU, a night

Painted

fighter training outfit

which produced Beaufighter and Mosquito

crews.

Shot from the downward-looking camera of a reconnaissance aircraft, this picture shows how effective the dark green/dark earth camouflage was. In the shot is a Blenheim Mk IV. month, and Nos 44, 90, 139 and 144 (Bomber) Squadrons had also discarded Hinds, Hawker Audaxes and Avro Ansons in favour of the new light bomber. The next year Nos 21, 30, 34, 57, 61, 62, 82, 101, 104, 107, 108 and 110 (Bomber) Squadrons followed.

Early impressions The Blenheim Mk I proved fairly popular in service, the aircraft being pleasant to fly; the cockpit was roomy and well designed for the pilot, although cramped and awkwardly arranged for the navigator. The field of vision was good, yet the aircraft proved to have many vulnerable areas of defence. In the absence of reliable information about continental light bombers, the Blenheim was thought to be ahead of the world in a balanced assessment of bombload, range and speed, a belief successfully fostered among some foreign governments; exported Blenheims included 18 to Finland (followed eventually by licence production at Tampere), two to Yugoslavia where 16 were subsequently produced under licence, 30 to

Turkey and 13 to Romania. 1938 was to prove a year of shattered

illusions,

however, not least

RAF. The relatively puny bombload and in-service top speed of 418 km/h (260 mph) of the Blenheim Mk I were seen to be eclipsed for the

124

At the outbreak of war in Europe, the Blenheim Mk IV was the mainstay of the light bomber squadrons, and bore the brunt of early cross-Channel raids against German positions. Blenheims were also used by the British Expeditionary Force in France. aircraft, while reports of the new Junkers Ju 88 suggested that the Blenheim would be hopelessly outclassed within a year. Moreoever, even in the UK, where performance comparisons

by German

*

The Blenheim proved easy to operate in primitive conditions, easily maintainable with rudimentary equipment. Here ground crew work on the Mercury engine and the wing gun.

No 40 Squadron, RAF, was assigned Blenheim

Nik IVs in

December

1939 to replace Fairey Battles following an unhappy excursion into France. The Blenheims were used for cross-Channel operations until

November

1940,

of an altogether

when Vickers Wellingtons were

received.

new design. Subsequent events were

correctness of this decision, for heim.

all

to confirm the

the criticism levelled at the Blen-

In the meantime, under the auspices of the new Shadow Factory scheme, Blenheim Mk Is were also being built by Rootes Securities Ltd at Speke and by A. V. Roe and Co. Ltd at Chadderton, so that by early 1939 the total production of this version had reached 1,552. And while RAF bomber squadrons continued to convert to Blenheim Mk Is, a new variant of the Mk I had been introduced to Fighter

Command. This was the Browning guns

Mk IF night-fighter with four forward-firing

in a ventral

pack (produced by the Ashford works of

Nos 23, 25, 29 and 64 (Fighter) Squadrons December 1938, and Nos 600, 601 and 604

the Southern Railway),

being so equipped

in

Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force during the next month.

Doubtful improvements attempts to improve the Blenheim had been confined to inits bombload and range, the Mk II featuring additional fuel tanks in the outer wings and provision to carry two additional 113-kg (250-lb) bombs under the wings inboard of the engines; to cater for the increased weight (6350 kg/14,000 lb) the landing gear was also strengthened. The 627-kW (840-hp) Mercury VIII engines of the Mk I were retained, so that the top speed fell to 380 km/h (236 mph), thereby fuelling further criticism of the aircraft. Not surprisingly this version was shelved after a single aircraft had been modified. A development of the Blenheim, the Type 149, had been pursued to meet Specification 11/36 and this had been given the name Bolingbroke. To improve the navigator's station the nose of the Blenheim was lengthened by 0.91 m (3 ft), but when the prototype (a converted Blenheim Mk I) was flown, it was criticised on account of the distance of the windscreen from the pilot, resulting in a change to a Initial

creasing

with those of fighters had long since been invalidated by the appearance of the Hawker Hurricane and Spitfire, the 1938 Air Exercises

proved the bomber to be fatally slow, vulnerable and undergunned. But such was the production momentum associated with the various expansion programmes being undertaken by the British aircraft industry in the pre-war years that it was decided to opt for an improved version of the Blenheim, rather than to attempt a hurried evolution

125

Bristol

Blenheim

Mk IV, seen here prior to delivery to the to good advantage here is the characteristic 'scalloped' nose, with the pilot's archaic 'ring-and-bead' gunsight.

An

early production Blenheim

RAF. Shown

into service of the Blenheim Mk V in 1942 was an poor performance resulting in heavy losses to German fighters, and it was hurriedly withdrawn from service in Europe - although it continued to serve in the Far East.

The introduction

anachronism,

its

conventional, stepped-down, V-frame screen and a scalloping of the port-side nose decking.

To

avoid disrupting production,

other

changes in the design (other than adoption of 686-kW/920-hp Mercury XV engines) were discarded, and the 'long-nose' Blenheim Mk IV entered production early in 1939. With a top speed of 428 km/h (266 mph) and a maximum range increased to 3138 km (1,950 miles) the Blenheim Mk IV joined No. 53 (Bomber) Squadron at Odiham in January 1939, followed by Nos 90, 101, 113 and 114 in the next three

Bristol

Blenheim

Starboard navigation light Starboard formation light 3 Wing rib construction 4 Aileron control rod 5 Starboard aileron 1

2

6 Aileron tab 7

Starboard outer flap

flying a fighter version, the

air

intakes

propeller

Nose compartment glazing 22 Cabin air intake 23 Navigator/bombardier's 21

24 Bomb aiming windows 25 Pitottube 26 Rearward firing, ventral machine gun cupola 27 Browning 0.303-m (7.7-mm) machine-gun 28 Fireman's axe 29 Nose compartment escape hatch Fire extinguisher Chart table 32 Fixed foresight 33 Back of instrument panel 34 Foot boards

the

RAF pos-

Mk IVs, of which one (No. 25) Mk IVF, modified in the same man-

Mk IF with ventral gun pack.

months been pioneering the use

The Blenheim

at

This squadron had for some

of the world's first airborne radar

interception equipment, albeit with

little

early success.

war

Phoney War found the Blenwork, seldom inflicting much damage on the enemy, but nonetheless providing hard-won lessons in the face of a superior Luftwaffe. Flown by Flying Officer A. Macpherson, a Blenheim Mk IV of No. 139 (Bomber) Squadron was the first RAF aircraft to enter German airspace in the war, carrying out a reconnaissance sortie on 3 September. The next day 10 Blenheims (from Nos 107 and 110 Squadrons) and eight Vickers Wellingtons attempted a raid on enemy shipping in Schilling Roads, four Blenheims and two Wellingtons being lost. Provoked by enemy minelaying in the North Sea, an early

heims hard

months

of the so-called

at

Mk IVs take off for a mission 'somewhere in France'. The type suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Luftwaffe during the time in France, proving to be 'easy meat' for the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Blenheim

8 Outboard, long-range tank, capacity 94 Imp

fuel

(427 litres) 9 Fuel tank filler cap 10 Starboard nacelle fairing 1 Main inboard fuel tank, capacity

1

40 Imp

gal (636

litres)

12 Oil tank, capacity gal (52 litres)

1

1.5

Imp

13 Engine bearers 14 Oil cooler exhaust duct Engine cooling flaps 1 16 Cowling blister fairings 17 Bristol Mercury XV ninecylinder radial engine

126

ram

31

sessed 13 squadrons of Blenheims

The

Oil cooler

19 Propeller hub mechanism 20 De Havilland three-bladed

30

By the outbreak of World War II in September 1939,

ner as the

1

instrument panel

months.

was

Mk IV cutaway drawing key

Blenheim Mk IV of No. 139 (Bomber) Sqn based at

Horsham St

Faith, Norfolk, in

Other aircraft of this type were being equipped with the rearward-firing, remotely-aimed undernose gun, as the result of bitter experience gained in 1940.

France.

Relegation of the Blenheim

Mk

IV to secondary duties was evidenced by this disarmed Bolingbroke Mk IV target tug of No.

1

Training

Command

Bombing and Gunnery School of the

35 36 37 38 39 40

RCAF in

1944.

Rudder pedals

Compass Control column Windscreen panels

Pilot's gunsight Navigator/bombardier's seat 41 Pilot's seat

42 Engine throttles 43 Ventun tube 44 Pilot's blister observation

window 45 46 47 48

Armoured headrest Cockpit roof sliding hatch Parachute stowage Wing centre section construction

Pilot

Press Limited

Bristol

Blenheim early Blenheim Mk I of No. 90 (Bomber) Sqn, Bicester, Oxon, of No. 1 Group, Bomber

An

Command, December During the Munich

1938.

crisis

many

RAF aircraft had the outer yellow ring of the national markings overpainted, and the red and blue rings extended to obscure the white.

Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force) Blenheim Mk I, licence-built by Valmet during 1941; despite their outdated performance, aircraft of this type were flown on operations in the Continuation War against the Soviet Union in 1942.

attack by 12 Blenheim

German

Mk

seaplane base at

IFs of Nos 25 and 601 Squadrons on the Borkum on 25 November also proved a

bad navigation. Blenheim Mk IV squadrons (Nos 18, 53, 57, 59, 114 and 139) had accompanied the British Expeditionary Force to France, their operations over Germany being first confined to reconnaissance missions because of the British government's reluctance to attack the enemy homeland. By the date (10 May 1940) of the German assault in the West, the number of Blenheim Mk IV squadrons had increased to 22 (including two fighter squadrons), and while the Blenheim Mk I bomber had been declared obsolete at home, the aircraft now equipped Nos 8, 30, 39, 45, 55, 84, 113 and 211 Squadrons in the Middle East, and Nos 11, 34, 60 and 62 Squadrons in the Far East, and No. 203 Squadron (with fighters) at Aden. As the Battle of France moved inexorably towards defeat for the British and French armies, the Blenheim squadrons of the Air Component and Advanced Air Striking Force were in constant action, suffering heavily from German Flak and fighters. Similarly, homebased Blenheim fighters of No. 600 Squadron attempted raids over the Low Countries, only one of six aircraft returning from an attack on Waalhaven airfield. failure as a result of

Meanwhile

six

Early operations During the Battle of Britain RAF Fighter Command fielded six Blenheim Mk IF squadrons in the night-fighter role, although such limited success that attended their operations was gained more by day than by night. One notable exception to this was the world's first air victory using airborne radar, achieved by a Blenheim of the

Fighter Interception Unit over a Dornier 2/3 July 1940.

Three other

Do

17 during the night of

'shipping protection' Blenheim squadrons

Command also came under Fighter Command control from time to time during the Battle of Britain. Better success was gained by the Blenheim night-fighters as the of Coastal

German

new

tempo during the winter of 1940-1, number of victories was rapidly overtaken by that of the

night Blitz increased in

although the

Beaufighter, to which the Blenheim gave place at that time.

If

the Blenheim

UK,

the Blenheim

Mk now dropped out of first line service in the Mk IV continued in large-scale production, and by I

August 1941 there were no fewer than 30 first-line squadrons equipped with the bomber worldwide. This force, of which most was concentrated in Bomber Command's No. 2 Group, had been occupied since the fall of France in constant attacks against the enemy 'invasion ports' on the Channel coast, and later extended their operations further afield to the Norwegian, Danish, Dutch and Belgian coasts, often under heavy cover provided by RAF fighters. In one three-month period the Blenheims sank more than 300,000 tons of enemy shipping for the loss of 68 of their number. By the end of 1941 the Blenheim Mk IV was also beginning its phase-out (although it remained in combat service for another year), giving way to the Douglas Boston, Lockheed Ventura, and soon after these the de Havilland Mosquito. Among the memorable raids carried out by Blenheims was the low-level daylight attack by No. 105 Squadron Early Blenheim Mk I bombers of an unknown RAF Bomber Command squadron, probably in mid-1938. The aircraft were inferior and vulnerable to the German contemporary aircraft, and when the RAF took their Blenheims to France in 1939-40 they were decimated.

Blenheim

Mk

V,

believed to be

of No. 614 (County of

Glamorgan) Sqn, based at Canrobert, Algeria, January 1942. Note the desert-style camouflage.

After withdrawal of the

Blenheim

Mk V from combat

status in Europe the aircraft

was

relegated to advanced pilot training duties.

shown served

The

aircraft

with No. 12

(P)AFU, Grantham,

in 1944.

Bremen on 4

July 1941 (for which the leader, Wing ComEdwards, was awarded the Victoria Cross), and a raid by 54 Blenheims on power stations near Cologne on 12 August. A measure of the scale of effort by the Blenheims of Bomber Command during the first 34 months of the war may be gained by consideration of the 11,332 bombing sorties flown (compared with 11,074 by Short Stirlings in the entire war), and the dropping of 3,028 tons of bombs (compared with 1,826 tons by the Avro Manchester heavy bomber). Of course such figures were totally eclipsed later in the war when more than 5,000 tons would be dropped on a single tar-

against

mander H.

get in a single raid.

Middle East operations The Blenheim Mk I first appeared in the Middle East with No. 30 Squadron at the RAF base at Habbaniyah, Iraq, in January 1938, these aircraft being moved to Egypt on Italy's entry to the war in and converted to fighters for escort duties and defence of Zone. During the ill-starred campaign in Greece two of Blenheim bombers and one of Blenheim fighters were

June 1940, the Canal squadrons sent from

Aden)

Egypt

to join the 12

Blenheim

Mk

IVs of the Greek

air

force.

A constant flow of reinforcements reached Egypt from the United Kingdom, Blenheim Mk IVs flying direct to Malta (occasionally bombing Milan or Turin en route) and then on to Mersa Matruh. When fuel stocks on Malta began to dwindle, the Blenheims were shipped to Takoradi, whence they flew across Africa to Egypt. The German victories in Yugoslavia (where the licence-built Blenheim Mk Is had carried out a single, desperate raid on Sofia) and Greece caused the loss of about 70 Blenheims, and it was the Blen-

heim fighters of Nos 30 and 203 Squadrons (the

latter called

from

service evaluation of the Bristol Type 142 was carried out on and so no prototype as such of the Blenheim Mk I was built. The first production aircraft (K7033), shown here, was flown on 25 June 1936 and served as a test and trials aircraft.

that

were

on

cover the evacuations of Crete. Mk I was almost entirely reIV during 1941-42, but meanwhile a new version, V, had been undergoing development at Bristol.

called

As in northern Europe,

I.

placed by the the Blenheim

Mk Mk

to

the Blenheim

aircraft was originally intended bomber with 619-kW (830-hp) Mercury XXX engines; a two-seat close-support version, known as the Bisley, with a four-gun nose and increased armour protection, was developed in parallel. The high-altitude bomber (Type 149HA) was not proceeded with, and from the Bisley were developed the Type 160 Blenheim Mk VA, Type 160CS Blenheim Mk VB, Type 160D Blenheim Mk VD (the Blenheim Mk VC was a dual-control trainer). The main variant, the tropicalised Blenheim Mk VD (of which 940 were produced), first entered operational service at the time of the 'Torch' landings in North Africa in November 1942, three months

Evolved to Specification B.6/40, the

as a high-altitude

Blenheim Mk IV had been withdrawn from combat service Europe. The new version, weighed down with armour, overloaded with tropical equipment and badly underpowered, proved unpopular in service, and its poor performance (maximum speed 386 km/h/240 mph) led to heavy losses. In a raid over Tunisia on 4 December 1942 all 10 Blenheim Mk Vs of No. 18 (Bomber) Squadron were shot down by enemy fighters, the squadron commander, Wing Commander H. G. Malcolm, being awarded a posthumous Victoria after the in

Cross.

The Far East and elsewhere A

Cross was won by a Blenheim pilot in Malaya hours of the Japanese invasion. Squadron Leader A. S. K. Scarf of No. 62 Squadron was one of a number of pilots ordered off from Butterworth to raid the enemy base at Singora, but a third Victoria

during the

first

Mk Is in 1937-38 here, was the first to be delivered), some aircraft being flown with fixed ski undercarriage. Finnish Blenheims featured

Initial

Finland took delivery of 18 Bristol-built Blenheim

'Britain First',

(BL-104,

shown

enlarged

bomb

bays.

129

J

130

Blenheim

Bristol

variants

Specification Bristol Blenheim IF Type: three-seat night fighter Powerplant: two 627-kW (840-hp) cooled

Type 142:

Britain First

ed G-ADCZ. engines

commercial prototype. K557, Mercury

later

Type 143:

enlarged private-venture 8-passenger prototype. Aquila engines;

G-ADEK Blenheim Mk 1(Type 142M): Mercury registered

engines. 700

VIII

by Bristol (including 18 to Finland. 30 to Turkeyl; 250 built by Avro (including 10 to Finland, 13 to Romania. 20 to Yugoslavia). 422 built by Rootes, 16 built by Ikarus, Yugoslavia. 45 built by Valtion Lentokonetehdas, Finland Blenheim IF: about 200 Mk Is converted built

Mk

Blenheim PR.

Mk

converted from reconnaissance

Mk

Blenheim

Mk

I: I

one

for

radial

Bristol

Mercury

VIII

nine-cylinder

air

engines

Performance: maximum speed 459 km/h (285 mph) at 4570 m (15,000 ft), climb to 4570 (15,000 ft) 11 minutes 30 seconds; service ceiling 8315 m (28,280 ft); range at full load, 1810 km (1,125 miles) Weights: empty 3674 kg (8,100 lb); maximum take-off 5670 kg (12,500 lb) Dimensions: span 17.17 (56 ft 4 in); length 12.12 m (39 ft 9 in); height 2 (469.0 sq ft) 3.00 (9 ft 10 in); wing area 43.57

m

m

m

m

Armament: one

7.7-mm (0.303-in) Browning gun in port wing ventral gun pack; one 7.7-mm (0.303-m) gas-

forward-firing

and four Browning guns in operated gun in semi-retractable

Bristol dorsal turret.

aircraft IL1348)

high-speed

unarmed one aircraft (L1222I

role, II:

converted from Mk with long-range wing tanks and external bombs. Mercury VIII engines I

Bolingbroke

Mk

I:

original Bristol project,

long-nose prototype (K7072I converted from

Blenheim

Mk

Blenheim

I

Mk

IV (Type 142L): Mercury XV

(100-octanel engines. 312 built by Bristol (including 12 to Greece); 750 built by Avro. 2,060 built by Rootes; 10 built by Valtion Lentokonetehdas, Finland

Blenheim Mk IVF: about 60 converted to fighters Blenheim

Mk

IVs

Mk

V: two prototypes. AD657 Bisley T ype 149CS) and A0661 (Type 149HAI Mercury XXX

Blenheim Mks VA, VB. VC. VD: built

aircraft

by Rootes

Bolingbroke

Mk

(Canadian production): 18 built by Fairchild, Mercury VIII, one converted to Bolingbroke II with US equipment, and one to Bolingbroke III with floats Bolingbroke IV: 185 built by Fairchild; Mercury XV engines IV-W: 15 built by Fairchild. Bolingbroke Piatt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior engines Bolingbroke IV-C: one built by Fairchild Wright Cyclone engines Bolingbroke IV-T: 457 built by Fairchild; Mercury XX engines; aircrew trainers I

Mk

Mk

Mk Mk

Mk

Mk

A Blenheim Mk

IF of No. 25 (Fighter) Sqn based at Hawkinge, Kent, immediately before the outbreak of World War II. Points of interest include the black-and-white undersurfaces, the squadron codes RX (changed to ZK in September 1939) and the squadron badge (obliterated when hostilities started) on the fin. The four-gun belly pack was a feature of most Blenheim Fighters (including the Mk IVF), but the single gas-operated Lewis gun in the semi-retractable dorsal turret was a relic of inter-war conviction that single dorsal gun armament constituted adequate tail protection for 'fast' aircraft.

Mk IVs were built in Canada by Fairchild Aircraft Ltd as the Bolingbroke Mk IV. Most were used for training, this striped example being used for target-towing for gunnery practise. Blenheim

performance prompted

their withdrawal after only nine

months' ser-

vice.

RAF, the largest user was the Royal Canadian Air Force, whose special variant retained the name Bolingbroke after the RAF adopted the Blenheim Mk IV. Production was undertaken by Fairchild Aircraft Ltd in Canada, who produced a total of 676 (comprising 18 Mk Is with Mercury VIIIs, and the remainder Mk IVs). The majority was used for navigation and gunnery training. Finland eventually flew a total of 83 Blenheims, comprising 18 Mk Is exported by Bristol, 10 ex-RAF Mk Is despatched at the time of the Winter War of 1939-40, 45 licence-built Mk Is and 10 licence-built Mk IVs. Production in Finland was undertaken by Valtion Lentokonetehdas at Tampere. Turkey received a total of 30 Blenheim Mk Is, and Greece 12 Blenheim Mk IVs (already mentioned). The 18 Blenheim Mk Is exported to Yugoslavia were joined by 16 licence-built aircraft, manufactured by Ikarus AD, of Zemun, but 24 others, only partly completed at the time of the German invasion, were destroyed to prevent their falling into enemy hands. Romania's 13 Blenheim Mk Is were part of a deal designed to woo the nation to the Allied cause; the plan failed, and the Blenheims served against the Allies in due In service other than with the

Japanese raid destroyed all but his aircraft before take-off; nevertheless Scarf took off, completed his attack single-handed and fought his way home to a crash landing, despite being mortally wounded. Blenheim Mk Is and Mk IVs of Nos 22, 27, 45, 89, 176, 177, 211 and 217 Squadrons took part in all the campaigns fought by the RAF against the Japanese during 1941-43, and were joined in the latter year by Blenheim Mk Vs on Nos 11, 42, 113 and 211 Squadrons; their poor Prior to being incorporated fully into the

RAF structure as No 342

Squadron with Douglas Bostons, the Free French 'Lorraine' squadron flew Blenheim Mk IVs in Syria from September 1941 onwards. These aircraft are seen during the successful campaign against the German garrison at Halfaya.

course.

Type 142 and Type 143 destroyed before comIVs not completed in Finland during

Total Blenheim production, excluding the

prototypes, was 6,185 including 24 pletion in Yugoslavia

and

five

Mk

Mk

Is

1944.

Believed to be from No 11 Squadron, this is a Blenheim Mk VA, escorted by Hurricane fighters. The type was used to raid Japanese installations in Burma during 1943. The squadron had flown various Blenheims since July 1938, and had been heavily involved in the Middle East campaign before moving back to the Indian theatre.

I

_

MIJ

Petlyakov Pe-2 Petlyakov's Pe-2 was the Soviet Union's Mosquito, though made entirely of metal. Little known outside its homeland, it was built in far larger numbers than its British counterpart and undertook as many different roles. Flying from 1940 and supporting the Soviet offensives soon after that, it contributed greatly to the final victory on the Eastern Front.

On

22 June 1941 the world's most formidable army and air force began to smash their way into the Soviet Union. Outside that

country'

the

first

was known publicly of its modern aircraft; certainly in week of the German onslaught looked as if such know-

little

it

ledge would be academic, because most of the Soviet

air

force

was

wiped out. But resistance was dogged, and in the autumn two RAF Hawker Hurricane squadrons, formed into No. 151 Wing, were sent to Murmansk to help bolster the defences and teach the Soviets how to fly the Hurricane.

On No. 151 Wing's first combat mission it was tasked as escort to a regiment equipped with the Pe-2 bomber. This beautiful aircraft was unknown

to the

RAF,

but

it

Hurricanes had the greatest generally

known

practice to

that on

made

quite an impression, because the

difficulty in

keeping up.

combat missions

fly at virtually full

throttle

all

it

It

was not then

was common Soviet

the way. In both climb and

speed the twin-finned bombers easily outperformed their escorting and Wing Commander Ramsbottom-Isherwood's pilots had the agonising choice of pushing their throttles wide open to try to keep up, so risking engine failure and running out of fuel, or of falling behind. To say this was a surprise is an understatement. The Pe-2 was the one gigantic success of Vladimir M. Petlyakov, who from 1921 (when he was 30) had worked at TsAGI, the national fighters,

aerodynamic and hydrodynamic research centre. He became the leading expert on metal wing design, and designed the wings for all the early Tupolev heavy bombers, and managed the entire design of the biggest aircraft of all, the ANT-16, ANT-20 and ANT-26. In 1936 he was appointed head of the ZOK experimental brigade to produce a large new bomber, which began life as the ANT-42, entered service as the TB-7 and finally, in World War II, matured as the Pe-8, honouring its designer. But Petlyakov had only 18 months on that programme, because in the Stalinist terror of 1937 he was one of the thousands arrested on trumped-up charges. Incarcerated in the TsKB-29 special prison at GAZ (aircraft factory) No. 156, Petlyakov was told to organise a design bureau called KB-100, and to create the VI-100, VI standing for high-altitude fighter. At a time when the rest of the world thought all Soviets could do was copy others, the VI-100 was created from the proverbial clean sheet of paper to a higher standard (in aerodynamics, structure, and several aspects of systems and equipment) than anything previously Almost certainly operating from a

WS

front-line base during the production Pe-2 can be distinguished from later models by its engine cowls, glazed sides to the nose, manual upper rear gun and rear-mounted mast. There are pale-coloured bands across the outer wings and vertical tails. Note the rough airfield.

summer of 1942,

this early

133

Petiyakov Pe-2 team was not the only one to do this). The stressed-skin structure was superb, being faulted only on the score of complexity. The wing comprised a flat centre-section and tapered outer panels, mounted low in a fuselage of minimum cross section. All control surfaces were fabric-covered. The twin liquid-cooled engines were beautifully cowled, and as on many other Soviet twins of the period the coolant radiators were inside the wings between the lattice spars, fed by ducts from the leading edge and exexisting elsewhere (and Petlyakov's

hausting through flush shutter-controlled apertures in the upper skin, which were intended to give forward thrust. The engines had turbochargers for high-altitude power and drove constant-speed feathering propellers, which

were

totally unavailable in the

UK at the

a pressure cabin, such things having

It had been planned to fit been extensively tested in the Soviet Union, but this was not produced in time, so the pilot and radio operator (who doubled as observer and rear gunner) were in normal cockpits separated by the main fuel tanks. Armament comprised four 20-mm ShVAK cannon in

time.

the nose, each with 150 rounds, the backseater having a ShKAS machine-gun firing at 1,800 rounds per minute. Following US practice,

the

power services were

totally electric,

some 20

DC

motors

driving the landing gear, split flaps, radiator shutters, tank booster

pumps, trim tabs and many other items.

Bouncy landings Markov

flew the

first

of

two

VI-100 prototypes, possibly on 7 May 1939 (there is confusion about the date), and took part in the 1940 May Day flypast over Red Square. The aircraft's main fault was a tendency to violent bouncing

on landing, which for some reason was difficult to cure. There is a persistent report that bomb-aiming was found difficult at high altitude, which conflicts with existing Soviet records which make no mention of any requirement for bombs. Altogether the VI-100 could surely have become an excellent day and night fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, its speed being 630 km/h (391 mph) at 10000 m (32,810 ft). The Soviets were as bad as others at chopping and changing, however, and the decision was taken to expand the KB-100 bureau to handle a mass-production programme, not of the VI-100 but of a three-seat bomber derived from it. Some articles suggest the decision was taken in May 1940, but this is impossible, as the first PB-100 (PB is the abbreviation for dive-bomber) undoubtedly flew not later than 3 June 1940, and it could hardly have been designed and built in a month! Only a single PB-100 prototype is known, and it differed from the VI-100 in many respects. The outer wings had dive breaks and dif-

new

centre of gravity position, the fuse-

Representing the start of the next generation after the Pe-2, the pressure-cabin Pe-2VI was a VK-107-engined high-altitude fighter with a speed of 710 km/h (441 mph). It was designed chiefly by Myasishchev, who went on to produce the Pe-21 with VK-108 1342-kW (1,800-hp) engines, DB-108 and VB-16 bombers, and the even more powerful VB-109 of 1945.

fr"-'^-* /

134

UPe-2, and used by post-war Czech

original high-altitude fighter

prototypes PB-100: prototyped! of

as

new

three-seat

bomber Pe-2:

initial

production bomber, with three

seats, dive brakes and VK-105RA engines Pe-2M: first of two quite different aircraft

with this designation, flown October 1941 with turbocharged engines, slats and larger bomb bay for up to four FAB-500s (no other bombs carried!

Pe-2Sh: Shturmovik (armoured

attack)

October 1941; prolonged trials with various heavy gun installations including twin-ShVAK. twm-UBT ventral pack with guns pivoted down to -40° Pe-3: initial fighter prototype, early 1941 (believed February), various guns but standardised on two ShVAK plus two UB firing ahead (plus two optional ShKAS as in standard bomber) together with MV-3 dorsal turret, production discontinued after 23rd aircraft Pe-3bit: hasty modification in summer 1941 to produce night-fighter, identical to Pe-2 but with one ShVAK, one UB and three ShKAS firing ahead (with or without provision for bombs and/or underwing rockets), about 300 version, flown

delivered, usually as alternate aircraft

on

GAZ-22 assembly line Pe-3R: continuing alternate aircraft being different, these were naval reconnaissance aircraft for Northern Fleet with Pe-3 guns and various camera installations, at least one with

lit

air force dual trainer with instructor cockpit

CB-32

amidships and often with full bombload, large numbers built from July 1943 Pe-2 Paravan: test aircraft with long nose probe and wires leading back to balloon-cable cutters on wingtips

Pe-2B: standard 1944 bomber, tested autumn 1943 with many airframe and system improvements, one ShKAS plus three UBT Pe-2R: limited-production reconnaissance with PF-2 engines, increased internal fuel, three defensive UB or BS guns, three or four cameras, speed 580 km/h (360 mph) at 7603 kg (16,761 lb) Pe-2R: same designation applied in 1944 to high-speed reconnaissance prototype with 1230-kW (1,650-hp) VK-107A engines, tankage for 2000 km (1,242 miles) and armed with three ShVAK. speed 630 km/h (391.5 mph) Pe-21: new standard bomber produced under Myasishchev. new mid-mounting wing with NACA 23012 profile, longer and better streamlined body and nacelles for VK-107A engines, one UB gun at each tip of fuselage, bombload 1000 kg (2,250 lb) internal plus same aircraft

speed on test in May 1944 was 656 km/h (408 mph) despite weight of 8983 kg (19804 lb), but no production was undertaken Pe-2K: compromise with regular VK-107PF external,

engines

Pe-2I airframe three-seat bomber of September 1944 with VK-107A engines, three BT 20-mm in

Pe-2D:

TK-2 turbochargers Pe-2L: possibly designated Po-3L. this was a testbed for various retractable ski installations in January 1942 Pe-2MV: possibly a trials aircraft used by MV weapon bureau, fitted with MV-3 turret and photographed with belly tray for two ShVAK

cannon and DAG-10, speed 600 km/h (373 mphl with 4000 kg (8.818 Ibl bombload Pe-2M: second aircraft with this designation,

two UB Pe-2FT: standard bomber from May 1942

no dive brakes, from

Korolyev/Glushko RD-1 rocket installed in tail, intended to lead to Pe-3RD fighter Pe-2K: second use of this designation for eiection-seat test aircraft in 1946. standard Pe-2 with various test seats installed above

or PF-2

trailing

plus

Piotr Stefanovsky and engineer Ivan

ferent taper adjusted to the

Petiyakov Pe-2 variants VI-100:

with reduced nose glazing (on underside only).

MV-3

turret, extra

lower rear guns and. usually, early 1943 powered by PF

engines Pe-2FZ: FZ (front-line task) aircraft, a small batch with unglazed nose, no access past pilot in modified cockpit and navigator with twin UBT guns, manually aimed Pe 2/M-28: at least one aircraft powered by M-82 (ASh-82) radial engines and according to historian V B Shavrov fitted with wing of modified profile giving slower landing, heavier but faster than standard aircraft Pe-2VI: mid-1943 high-altitude fighter with completely revised airframe by Myasishchev (now head of bureau) with VK-107 engines, oil coolers alongside wing radiators and single pilot seat in pressurised cockpit later developed by Myasishchev into VM-16 and DB-108. and later types Pe-3M: night-fighter of mid-1943 with 700-kg |l,540-lb)

bombload plus two ShVAK, two UB

and two DAG-10

Po-2UT:

also

known as Pe-2S, Pe-2T and

Pe-2I airframe. VK-107 engines. 2000-kg (4,410Ib)

internal

630 km/h

bombload and three ShVAK, mph) at 9400 kg (20.723 lb) (488 mph) with

(391 .5

Pe-2RD: achieved 785 km/h

edge in radio operator's cockpit B-32: post-war designation of Pe-2 in Czech air

force

i

2 1

So

far as is known no Pe-2 served in Polish markings until

early 1946,

when

substantial

numbers were drafted to the new Communist Polskie Wojska Lotnicze (from which ex-RAF and other 'Westernised' Poles were almost always excluded). This Pe-2FT is

shown

in the late-1940s period, with the ventral gun position

retracted.

Petlyakov Pe-2 cutaway drawing key 1

Glazed nose cone

2 Muzzle of starboard 7 62-

mm ShKAS machine-gun

3 Muzzle of port 7 62-mm ShKAS machine-gun 4 Nose compartment 5 Lower side glazing

6 Bomb-aimer's

?

optically flat

lazing

hree-bladeVISh-61 constant-speed metal

26 27 28 29 30

Split

windscreen

Fixed quarterlight Instrument side panel Starterdog Control column 31 Pilot's seat with 9-mm

armour back 32 Control run linkage 33 Navigator s (starboard! seat support frame 34 Three-blade VI Sh-61 propeller

propeller

8 Propeller hub 9 Spinner 10 Starterdog 11 Oil cooler intake 12 Oil cooler installation 13 Adjustable outlet flap 14 Engine beannglowercross

frame 15 Engine bearer assembly 16 KhmovM-105RA12cylinderVee engine 17 Engine cool air 18 Carburettors 19 Ventral D/F loop 20 Rudder pedal assembly 21 Cartndge case collector chute 22 Fixed nose armament (port

7.62-mm ShKAS optionall 23 Ammunition box (500 rpg) 24 Nose panelling

35 Crew entry hatch 36 Oil cooler intake 37 Propeller hub 38 Pilot's ad|ustdble armoured headrest (9-mm) 39 Cockpit canopy 40 Aerial mast 41 Pnothead 42 Aerials 43 Dorsal flexible 7 62-mm ShKAS machine-gun 44 Canopy hinged art section 45 Exhaust collector shroud 46 Engine cool air intake 47 Dorsal armament ammunition box (750

50

F uselage

mam fuel tank

I114lmpgal5l8htre capacityl

Fuselage port saddle tank Imp gal/53 litre capacity) 52 Port engine bearer 51

(11. 65

assembly

53 54 55 56 57 58

Cooling pipe Oil cooler Adjustable outlet flap Flap actuating servomotor Carburettor air intake

Portundercarnage/wing

spar attachment 59 Port engine oil tank

60 End

rib profile

Port outer radiator intake 62 Radiator ducting 63 Front spar/nacelle fixing 64 Port wingroot fuel tank (39.6 Imp gal/1 80 litre capacity) 65 Undercarriage radius rod/

61

wing spar attachment 66 Port outer radiator assembly

rounds!

48 Dorsal gunner's seat 49 Port engine nacelle fasteners

25 Main instrument panel

121

'122

093WJ-\06]J

/125

130 110-lb(50-kg) engine nacelle bay bomWoad Ventral armament wind

,*'*"

131

deflector fairing

132 Port undercarriage doors 133 Undercarriage lower brace strut

127

80 Portwingtip 81 Aileron attachment/hinge points 82 Port aileron outer section 83 Aileron actuating control linkage 84 Port aileron inner section 85 Aileron attachment/hinge points 86 Aileron control rod

67 Underwing dive-brake (extended! 68 Dive-brake hinge fairings

69 Landing lamp 70 Port outer wing inboard fuel tank (31. 51mp gal/143

capacity) Port outer wing outboard fuel tank (23. 5!mp gal/107 litre capacity) litre

72 Wing leading-edge 73 Wingstiffeners 74 Nose rib stations

\

75 76 77 78 79

strip

87 88 89 90

Stiffening plate Port flap outboard section

91

Rear spar/nacelle fixing

Starboard rudder Flap inboard rib fillet

92 Fuselage beam window 93 Tail surface control rods 94 Cooling louvres 95 Ventral armament ammunition box (750

103 104 105 106 1 07 108

Port nacelle

tail

cone

surface control rods Fuselage structure Tailwheel leg assembly Tail

Shock-absorber strut Tailwheel retraction

mechanism and cylinder 109 Tailplane centre-section brace

110 Rudder control push-pull rod link Tailplane attachment fillet 1 1 Tailplane structure 113 Rudder control linkage 114 Tailfin structure 115 Aerial attachment pick-up 1 1

116 117 118 119 120

Rudder upper hinge Rudder frame Rudder trim tab Rudder lower hinge Port elevator frame

121

Port elevator trim tab

96 Ventral machine gun

122 Tail navigation light 123 Elevator attachment/hinge

mounting/retraction frame 97 Penscopic sight 98 Control grips 99 Undercarriage radius rods

124 Elevator actuating rod and internal counterweight 125 Aft fuselage frame/

rounds)

100 Ventral gunner's (prone) pad

Wing front spar Wing ribs Wing rear spar Wing skinning

101 Ventral retractable 7.62 ShKAS machine-

Port navigation light

102 Port nacelle bomb-bay

mm

gun

bracket

tailplane front spar join

126 127 128 129

Tailwheel doors Retractable tailwheel Starboard tailfin/rudder Ventral machine gun (deployed)

134 135 136 137 138 139 140

Retraction jack Door actuating link Mainwheel leg cross-brace

Brake lines

Mainwheel oleo legs

Hub plate Port

mainwheel

Starboard nacelle bombbay doors (open) 142 Starboard nacelle bomb-

141

bay 143 Fuselage bomb-baydoors 144 Starboard engine nacelle

mainwheel well 145 Starboard undercarriage doors 146 Telescopic entry step 147 Crew entry hatch door/ integral step

148 Carburettor air intake 149 Mainwheel leg cross-brace 150 Brake lines 151 Undercarriage lower brace strut

152 153 154 155

Mainwheel oleo legs Hub assembly Starboard mainwheel 551

-lb

(250-kg) (optional)

underwing bomb load 156 44 Mb (200-kg)(4x110-lb/ 50-kg) fuselage internal

bomb load 157 882-lb(400-kg)(4x220-lb/ 100-kg) underwing external

bomb load

135

Petlyakov Pe-2 Specification

Petlyakov Pe-2FT Type: three-seat tactical bomber Powerplant: two 939-kW (1,260-hp) Klimov VK-105PF vee

12-cylinder

piston engines

Performance: maximum speed 449 km/h 580 km/h (360 mph)

at

4000

m

(13,125

ft);

(279 mph) at sea level and

service ceiling

8800

m

range with 1000-kg (2,205-lb) bombload 1315 km (817 miles) Weights: empty 6200 kg (13,668 lb); maximum 8520 kg (18,783 Dimensions: span 17.11 m (56 ft 1% in); length 12.78 m (41 ft 11 2 3.42 m (11 ft 2% in); wing area 40.5 m (436 sq ft)

Armament: bay,

provision for four FAB-100 (220.5-lb)

two FAB-100 bombs

bombs on

in

rear of

bombs

in

(28,870

ft);

lb)

height

in);

internal

bomb

engine nacelles and four FAB-250

(551-lb)

two 7.62-mm (0.31-in) ShKAS MV-3 dorsal turret with single

external racks under centre section;

machine-guns firing ahead aimed by pilot, 12.7-mm (0.5-in) UBT, one ShKAS aimed by hand from rear ventral position (drawing shows UBS, very unusual) and one ShKAS aimed through left or right rear

beam

position

This Pe-2FT served with an unknown bomber regiment on the Eastern Front in 1944; after 1942 the 'British style' camouflage was very unusual. Also depicted is the original VK-105 engine installation with a separate supercharger air inlet just behind the spinner, and with the oil-cooler inlet smaller and further aft than in the VK-105PF, which was used in the Pe-2FT. All aircraft of this series had the main coolant radiators inside the wing, fed by leading-edge inlets and exhausting through the upper surface. Note the small wind vane on the MV-3 turret (a product of the Mozharovskii-Venyevidov bureau) which assisted the gunner to slew it rapidly. The square hatch in the roof of the radio operator's compartment was normally closed by left/righthinged doors.

136

.1.

I

137

PE-211

was one

of three early

production Pe-2s captured from the Russians and put into service by the Finnish PLeLv 48. Note the required yellow theatre band, as carried by all German-allied aircraft on the Eastern Front. No. 211 had a ventral D/F loop (not visible)

and operated on

strategic

reconnaissance missions from Onttola.

This early production Pe-2 is distinguished by the cowlings for the M-105RA engines, which

many details from the cleaned-up pattern. It is shown in winter garb while differ in final

serving with the 46th BAP (Bomber Air Regiment),

Moscow Military District,

in the winter of 1941-42. Note the rear mount of the radio/pitot mast and the glazed nose.

was redesigned, the tailplane dihedral was increased, the vertiwere enlarged and positioned on the tips of the tailplane, and the engine turbochargers were first changed to the smaller TK-2 type and then omitted entirely. The new fuselage provided back-tolage

rear and another aimed by the radioman to the lower rear,

cal tails

case aiming by hand.

back cockpits for the pilot and navigator/bomb-aimer, who near the target could squeeze forward to his prone sighting position in the new glazed nose. A single large multi-pane canopy covered both cockpits. Aft of the fuselage tank

was the new

third

crewman, who

entered via a roof hatch and managed the radio and a lower rear gun, sighting not through his side windows (which merely let light in) but with a ventral periscopic sight similar to that used on several Soviet attack bombers, including the Tu-2. An important engineering change was the installation of an hydraulic system, though this was energised by electrically-driven pumps. Services worked by this system included the twin-strut main and steerable tail landing gears, their twin doors, the split Maps, the Venetian-blind dive brakes and, in some aircraft, the bomb doors. All other services, including armament controls, remained electric. Standard bombload comprised four FAB-250 (250-kg/551-lb) or six FAB-100 (100-kg/220.5-lb) bombs in the main bay; with the latter load, two additional FAB-100 bombs could be carried in small doorenclosed compartments at the rear of the nacelles. As an overload,

FAB-100 bombs it was possible to carry four more FAB-100 bombs externally under the wing roots. Late in the war some aircraft carried four FAB-250 bombs externally, a total load of 1800 kg (3,968 lb). Normal gun armament comprised two 7.62-mm with six internal

ShKAS machine-guns firing ahead and aimed by the pilot, plus a single ShKAS aimed by the navigator/bomb-aimer to the upper (0.3-in)

138

in

each

Full details of the PB-100 are still lacking. A photograph exists showing ground-attack armament housed in a large ventral bathtub, with two 20-mm ShVAK cannon on the right and two 7.62-mm (0.3in) ShKAS guns on the left, all pivoted down at a shallow angle for strafing ground targets. A drawing exists showing the normal bomber armament doubled, with four forward-firing ShKAS guns and two pairs at the rear. There is also uncertainty about when the engine turbochargers were removed. Certainly every illustration known of the PB-100 shows long exhaust pipes, and this is also a feature of the initial production version, which in 1941 was redesignated Pe-2 in honour of the lead designer, who with his team was freed from detention in January of that year, and later awarded a Stalin Prize. Use of piped exhausts does not necessarily betoken installation of turbochargers, but it was well into 1942 before the Pe-2

switched to separate ejector stub exhausts.

Speedy progress There

evidence that preparations for production began long trials of the PB-100, and the first production drawings (still designated PB-100) were released to GAZ-22 at Fili, north of Moscow, as early as 7 July 1940. Various modifications naturally took place as a result of PB-100 flight trials, is

before the completion of Nil (state)

In line with most Soviet combat types (even to this day) the Pe-2 was far better adapted to rough field operations than Western aircraft. and were taken in the aircraft's stride easily, and hard grass or concrete could have been considered a luxury for the pilots of

Snow

mud

combat regiments.

Proudly wearing the Guards Aviation badge on

its

nose, this

Pe-2FT was assigned to the 12th Guards Dive-bomber Air Regiment operating with the

AVMF Baltic

Fleet in the

summer of 1944. There were at least five variations on the national insignia, this being the

most complicated, and

frontline units often applied their own variations.

Emblazoned with the

battle-cry

'Leningrad-Konigsberg', this Pe-2FT was flown by N. D. Panasov in a regiment believed to be part of the 1st Air Army during the final weeks of the

war and

in the

subsequent

period of occupation. During the final stages of fighting it operated from bases in Poland against retreating forces in East Prussia.

This Petlyakov Pe-2FT is shown standard winter camouflage for

in

the Russian front.

The

aircraft is

cut-down rear glazing and the weather-cock associated with the UBT machine-gun, but does not have the gun fitted. fitted with

one being to give the

pilot

simple manual open/shut control of the

dive brakes, replacing the complex AP-1 automatic dive control

which modulated the brakes according to the dive angle and airspeed. Crew armour was improved, the ruling thickness being increased to 9 (0.35 in) throughout, the navigator/bomb-aimer was given a swivelling seat, and all five fuel tanks were made selfsealing and continuously inert ed, at first by bottled nitrogen and later by cooled and filtered exhaust gas.

mm

of 11,427 aircraft

when manufacture was stopped

before the end of the war

in

early 1945, just

Europe (though later variants continued as prototypes and development aircraft). This production total was in

achieved despite the fact that GAZ-22 had to be evacuated to Povolozhye (Kazan) in October 1941, to a factory building which then did not exist. In 1942 GAZ-125, also at Kazan,

doubled the rate of output to 13

was completed and

per day.

aircraft

Significant others First

The

production aircraft first aircraft,

the line in

possibly by this time

November

1940, and

Hew on

Probably the only variants needing mention

known 18

came off November. The VI-100 as a Pe-2,

had been flown on skis, and the Pe-2 was also cleared to use skis which, like the normal wheeled gear, retracted backwards. Skis were not always fitted in winter, despite the obvious difficulty of operating such a heavy and fast-landing (200 km/h; 124 mph) aircraft in a Russian winter on wheels. Very early in production the oil coolers were installed in improved low-drag ducts smoothly faired into the underside of the cowlings. For the remainder of the war the Pe-2 was constantly given small modifications to reduce drag, while the internal fuel capacity was also slightly increased. Production at GAZ-22 built up rapidly, and when Hitler struck on 22 June 1941 about 458 had been completed, of which at least 290 were with operational regiments, including the 24th BAP (bomber regiment) and 5th SBAP (fast bomber regiment). Though the Pe-2 was quite a demanding aircraft, it was immediately very popular and was commonly called 'Peshka', which means 'little

Pe-2FT and Pe-2UT. The former, with

initials

in

the text are the

meaning

request', replaced the navigator/bomb-aimer's hand-held a hard-hitting

12.7-mm

(0.5-in)

UBT

in

an

MV-3

turret,

'front-line

ShKAS

by one of the

Mozharovsky-Venyevidov team with manual operation facilitated by the use of weathercock fins to balance the drag of the gun when firing abeam. There were naturally many local variations in armament, and despite the increase in weight it was common by 1943 to find that at least one of the front guns as well lightweight turrets by the

Aircraft (Samolyet)^No. 100 was the first designation of V. M. Petlyakov's original prototype. Later it was called VI-100, VI meaning high-altitude fighter. It never received its planned pressure cabin, and

a great deal of work was needed before this emerge as the Pe-2 attack bomber.

tandem two-seater could

pawn in chess. production engine was the VK-105RA, rated at 820 kW (1,100 hp) and driving VISh-61 propellers (which were not electrically driven, as sometimes reported, but were derived from the Pe' as well as a

The

initial

Hamilton Hydromatic,

with

hydraulic

actuation).

By 1943

the

or PF-2 became available, having pre-

940-kW (1,260-hp) VK-105PF viously been reserved for Yak fighters, and this powered virtually all the regular Pe-2 production aircraft to the end of the war.

All variants are listed separately. The standard versions, the Pe-2 and Pe-2FT bombers, the Pe-2R reconnaissance aircraft, the Pe-2UT trainer and the Pe-3bis fighter, accounted for a grand total

139

Petlyakov Pe-2

as the lower rear gun sibly dating

were

also

UB versions. A further change,

from mid-1942, was to make the windows

fuselage hinge open so that one or

in

pos-

the rear

more extra ShKAS could be

tired

through them by the radio operator. The Pe-2UT was the standard dual-control pilot trainer, with the instructor seated in an additional cockpit replacing the mid-fuselage fuel tank, and with a poor forward view. The first flew in July 1943, an unusual case of the trainer lagging far behind initial deliveries of the basic combat aircraft. The Pe-3bis was the only model built in quantity from a sub-family of fighter versions. Some retained the internal bomb bay, and a few even had underwing rails for the RS-82 or RS-132 rockets used in the low-level attack and anti-armour role, but most merely had the bombing equipment and third crew station removed, and instead added heavy gun armament such as one ShVAK, one UB and three ShKAS guns, or two ShVAK plus two UB weapons. There are persistent reports that the Pe-3 had wing slats, though confirmation is elusive. The designation Pe-3 stemmed from the fact that fighter aircraft are designated by odd numbers. This late production Pe-2 is one of the many exhibits outside the Polish' army museum in Warsaw. It is quite well preserved but among other changes has had its MV-3 turret replaced by a fixed fairing. Like

many Hispano-derived engines

the VK-105 had four exhaust pipes on each side, the middle two each serving two cylinders.

of late Pe-2FTs at the moment of release in a level bombing Note the opened rear nacelle doors, and the apparent length of the stick dropped from the aircraft at upper left. Fighter escorts were seldom provided after 1942.

A group run.

Petlyakov's OKB retained several Pe-2s as development aircraft, and also the second production machine which was used as a hack to shuttle between Kazan and Moscow. On 12 January 1942 this aircraft caught fire in the air, and all on board, including Petlyakov, were killed. Stalin personally ordered a wave of arrests and interrogations to see who was responsible for killing 'this great patriot', whom he had only lately released from prison. A. M. Izakson was the unfortunate person picked as successor, closely followed by A. I, Putilov and, finally, V. M. Myasishchev. The OKB was closed in 1946, Myasishchev himself carrying on with his own bureau. By this time, Pe-2s had been passed on to most East European air forces, and three captured aircraft also had useful lives with PLeLv 48 of the Finnish air force. The Pe-2 was even given the NATO name 'Buck'.

One of only three known Pe-2s of any kind, this Czech example was known as a CB-32 in service with the Czech air force immediately after World War II. Soviet designations included Pe-UT, UPe-2 and Pe-2S. It

retained

full

bombload but had no

rear defensive guns.

140

./'AMI

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka No aircraft in history was ever so deadly effective (when unopposed) as

the infamous 'Stuka', nor so vulnerable when it encountered opposition. Its devastating effect in the early months of the war was only equalled by its dismal failure when it met the RAF over England a few weeks later.

Few and

aircraft

have ever caused such tenor, to seasoned troops

flaps

and ailerons, and the crew of two

The prototype

sat back-to-back

helpless civilians alike, as the ugly Junkers Ju 87 divebomber. Widely known as the Stuka, from the German word for a

glazed canopy.

dive-bomber (Sturzkampfliugzeug), the Ju 87 also sank more ships than any other type of aircraft in history, and possibly destroyed more tanks than any other aircraft except the Soviet Ilyushin 11-2. Its stock-in-trade was the accurate placement of heavy bombs on point targets, and this it could do supremely well - provided it was not mol-

then added under the outer wings, but on one of the the tail collapsed and the aircraft crashed.

ested by fighters. Thus,

in

the

first

year of World

War

II, it

acquired

was almost legendary. In the Battle of Britain its bubble of invincibility was burst for ever, and for the rest of the war it went steadily downhill until it was reduced to skulking just above the a reputation that

ground on dark nights, with the conspicuous exception of one Gruppe led by a man who personally flew 2,530 combat missions and continued to fly on the Eastern Front in daylight until the final Ger-

man collapse. The technique of dive-bombing was

familiar in World War I, but no designed for the job existed until the 1920s. One of the first was the Junkers K 47, of which two were flown in 1928 with Jupiter engines and 12, with Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines, sold to China. These did extensive research, and demonstrated that a 90° dive is the most accurate. In turn this demands a strong aircraft and a resolute pilot, as well as an indicator of dive angle (60° feels like almost 90°). Many who later were to head Hitler's Luftwaffe became convinced that the dive-bomber had to be a central weapon in an air force dedicated to close support of ground forces. When plans could be aircraft

made

for

new combat

aircraft for the Luftwaffe, in 1933, the im-

mediate need was ultimately met by a trim biplane, the Henschel Hs 123, while Junkers worked on the definitive Stuka. The design staff under Hermann Pohlmann adopted the same configuration as that of the K 47: a single-engined low-wing monoplane with prominent fixed landing gear and twin fins and rudders. The Ju 87 differed in having an all-metal stressed-skin structure, without the corrugated skin previously used on Junkers all-metal aircraft, and a cranked wing of so-called inverted-gull form. Like that of the K 47, the entire trailing edge was occupied by patented double-wing

flew

in

477-kW (640-hp) Rolls-Royce Kestrel

under a large

the spring of 1935 with a engine. Dive-brakes first

were

pull-outs

Full-scale production After much further development, in the course of which the engine was changed to the intended German unit, the 447-kW (640hp) Junkers Jumo 210Ca, driving a three-blade variable-pitch propeller, a new single-fin tail was adopted, and the Ju 87A-1 entered full-scale

production

in

early 1937.

About 200 of the A-0, A-l and A-2 series were built, all with large trouser fairings over the landing gears and the A-2 with the 507-kW (680-hp) Jumo 210Da and an improved VDM propeller. They equipped four Gruppen, of which StG 163 sent three aircraft to see action with the Legion Condor in Spain, where the type proved outstandingly effective. But in 1939 all A-series aircraft were transferred to training units, and the swelling ranks of Stukageschwader (dive-bomber wings) were equipped with the much more capable Ju 87B. Visually this differed in having neater spats over the main wheels, but the chief difference was that it had double the power, in the form of the new Jumo 211A, driving a broad-blade constant-speed propeller. The full production sub-type, the B-l, had the 895-kW (1,200-hp) Jumo 211Da with a direct-injection fuel system giving immunity from icing, or engine-cuts in inverted flight, or negative-g manoeuvres (the Ju 87 could perform all normal aerobatics). Another important feature was an automatic dive-control, set by the pilot to a chosen pull-out height on a contact altimeter. Having gone through a list of 10 vital actions the pilot opened the underwing dive-brakes, which automatically set up the dive, the pilot adjusting the angle manually by lining up the visual horizon with red lines painted at

One

of the surviving colour photographs from World War II, this was taken by the 'backseater' of a Ju 87B-2 flying with StG 77 on a mission over the Balkans - believed to be after dive-bombing British ships during the invasion of Crete.

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Use of the Ju 87 by the

Italian rise to

Regia Aeronautica gave

the incorrect belief it was made as the Breda 201. This Ju 87B-2 was based at Gars el Arid a in September 1941 with the 209 Squadriglia, 10T Gruppo Autonomo (independent group). This unit painted its emblem on the wheel spats. in Italy

Seen

in temporary white finish for the winter of 1941-2, this Ju

87B-2 also wears the yellow theatre band which by that time was becoming standard on the Eastern Front. It flew with Stab 11/

StG 1 (originally III StG 51) whose unit emblem was painted on the cowling. The projection from the main leg

is

the siren.

Junkers Ju 87D-3 cutaway drawing key The

then aimed at the target manually as in a fighter, using aileron alone to achieve the correct bomb line. Often the angle was 90°, the dive being entered in a wingvarious angles on the canopy.

pilot

over from directly above the target. Curiously, the Ju 87 was the one aircraft in which 90° did not feel like an over-the- vertical bunt; indeed, it seemed more at home in its rock-steady dive than in normal cruising flight, when its vulnerability (accentuated by the transparent canopy down to elbow-level) was all too evident. When a signal light on the contact altimeter came on, the pilot pressed a knob on top of the control column for the pull-out at 6 g to happen by itself, with usual terrain clearance of 450

m (1,476

ft). If it

3 4 5

6 7

8

9 10

Spinner Pitch-change mechanism housing Blade hub Junkers VS 11 constantspeed airscrew Anti-vibration engine mounting attachments Oil filler point and marker Auxiliary oil tank (5 9 Imp gal/26 8 litre capacity! Junkers Jumo 21 1J-1 1 2-cylmder invert ed-vee liquid cooled engine Magnesium alloy lorged engine mount Coolant (Glysantin-waterl

header tank

did not, the pilot

had to haul back with all his strength, assisted by very careful use of elevator trimmer. The usual load on the Ju 87B series was an SC500 (1,102-lb) bomb on crutches which swung out from the belly to let go of the bomb well away from the propeller. Speed built up to about 550 km/h (342 mph), and it became common practice to fit sirens to the landing gears - they were called 'Trombones of Jericho' - to strike extra terror into those near the target. Over short ranges, four SC50 (110-lb) bombs could also be hung under the wings. The pilot could fire two 7.92-mm (0.3Tin) 17 guns mounted in the wings outboard of the kink, while the radio operator had an 15 of the same calibre to give protection above and behind. Production was transferred from Dessau to Weser Flugzeugbau in the great oval building at BerlinTempelhof airport, where it built up to 60 a month by mid-1939. Three B-ls made the first combat mission of World War II when they took off from Elbing at 04.26 on 1 September 1939 and devastated the approaches to the Dirschau bridge over the Vistula at 04.34, some 11 minutes before the Nazis declared war on Poland. Subsequently the Ju 87B-1 played a tremendous part in the Polish campaign, destroying all but two of the Polish surface warships, heavily bombing Polish troops on many occasions within 100 (330 ft) of advancing German forces, and on one ghastly occasion virtually wiping out an entire Polish infantry division at Piotrkow railway station.

MG

MG

m

Carrier-borne variant Alongside the improved Ju 87B-2 variants, which as single-seaters could carry an SC1000 (2,205-lb) bomb, Weser built a batch of Ju 87C-0s with folding wings, hooks and many other changes to suit them for use aboard the carrier GrafZeppelin, which was never completed. Another derived model was the extended-range Ju 87R series, with extra tanks in the outer wings and provision for underwing drop tanks. They entered service in time for the Norwegian 142

Elector exhaust stubs 12 Fuel injection unit housing 13 Induction air cooler 14 Armoured radiator 15 Inertia startercrankingpomt 1 Ball |Oint bulkhead fixing 1

(lower)

17 Tubular steel mount support strut 18 Ventral armour (8 mm) 19 Main oil tank (9.9 Imp gal/

45 20

litre

capacity)

Oil filling point

Transverse support frame 22 Rudder pedals 21

23 Control column 24 Heating point 25 Auxiliary air intake 26 Ball joint bulkhead (upper)

fixing

27 Bulkhead 28 Oil tank 16 8 Imp gal/31

29 30 31

litre

capacity) Oil filler point and marker llntava 100) Fuel filler cap Self-sealing starboard outer fuel tank (33 Imp gal/ 150 litre capacity)

32 Underwmg bombs with Dienanstab percussion rods

33 34 35 36 37 38

Pitothead Spherical oxygen bottles Wing skinning Starboard navigation light Aileron mass balance

Double wing'

aileron and

flap (starboard outer)

39 Aileron hinge 40 Corrugated wing rib station 41 Reinforced armoured windscreen 42 Reflector sight 43 Padded crash bar

This Ju 87B-2

is fully

the Luftwaffe's

painted

in

approved style of

camouflage

for the Mediterranean theatre: colours 78 light blue, 79 sand yellow and 80 olive green, plus white theatre band. This particular Stuka served with 1. Stukageschwader 3 (1./StG 3) from various front-line fields in

Cyrenaica

in 1942.

Illustrated carrying an SC1000 (2,205-lb) bomb, this Ju 87D-1/

Trop shows the much improved aerodynamic shape of the D in comparison with the B which preceded it. S7+KS was the aircraft of Oberstleutnant Walter

Siegel, Geschwaderkommodore of Stukageschwader 3 at Derna, Libya, in June 1942. Its markings indicate 8./StG 3.

44 Signal flare tube 45 Braced fuselage mainframe 46 Front spar/fuselage attachment point

47

Pitot's seat (reinforced with

48 Inter-cockpit bulkhead 49 Sliding canopy handgrip 50 External side armour Pitot's back armour 52 Headrest

51

(8

mml

4-mm side and 8-mm rear armourl

121

Rheinmetall-BorsigMG17 machine gun of 7 92-mm calibre (port and starboard

122 Ammunition tank (1000 rounds capacity) inboard of rib 1

23 Port outer self-sealing fuel tank (33 Imp gal/1 50 litre capacity)

24 Corrugated wing rib 25 ETC bomb rack support bar 1 26 ETC bomb rack underwing

1 1

fairing

127 128 1 29 130

Port outboard flap Port aileron Aileron mass balance

131

Wing

Rear spar rib

132 Port navigation

light

33 Front spar Wing leading edge 1 34 "35 Underwing bomb load (two 110-lb/50-kg bombs) on multi-purpose carrier

136 Bomb shackles 137 Dienartstab percussion rod attachments 38 ETC 50/VIII fairing 139 Air brake (extended)

40

Air brake activating

41

Air brake (retracted)

mechanism 142 143 144 145 146

Landing lamp

Wheel spat Fork/spat attachment Port mamwheel

Brake reservoir 47' Cantilever fork

filler

point

148 Leather shroud 49 Oleo-pneumatic shock absorber 150 Mamwheel leg 151

Siren fairing

152 Barrel of

MG

17 machine

gun 153 154 155 156 157 158 1 59 160

Wind-driven siren Starboard wheel spat ventral bomb rack Bomb cradle

PVC

Starboard wheel fork Starboard mamwheel Bomb release trapese 551 -lb (250-kg) bomb with Dienartstab attachment

143

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka campaign - where one put a radio station off the air by ramming the aerials -and then proved useful in the Balkans, Greece and Mediterranean theatres. One Ju 87R tested a large container, hung on the main bomb crutch, intended to carry spares and other cargo. The Ju 87B and derivatives wrought havoc throughout Europe in the first two years of World War II, meeting only one serious setback. Over England its losses were unacceptably heavy, 41 being shot down in the period 13-18 August 1940, so that from 19 August Stukas were withdrawn from attacks against UK targets. The type had already shown that, with German air supremacy, it could knock out the

vital British

coastal radars; but

it

was the same radars

that

enabled the defending fighters unfailingly to intercept, and the vulnerability of the Ju 87 was suddenly apparent. The aircraft had been

designed on the basis of good fighter protection, and in such conditions it had demonstrated such devastating effectiveness that many in the UK - foot-soldiers, journalists and politicians alike cried 'Where are our dive-bombers?' In fact, the country had divebombers, such as the Blackburn Skua and Hawker Henley, but they played little part in the war, and the whole concept of the divebomber became a subject of violent argument.

Specification Junkers Ju 87G-1 Type: anti-tank aircraft Powerplant: one 1044-kW

'

(1,400-hp) Junkers

Jumo

<=;

211J-1 inline piston

engine

Performance: maximum speed about 314 km/h

(195 mph); cruising

speed

normally about 190 km/h (118 mph); rate of climb and service ceiling not known, but extremely poor; combat radius about 320 km (199 miles) Weights: empty about 4400 kg (9,700 lb); maximum take-off about 6600 kg (14,550 1b) Dimensions: span 15.00 (49 ft 2'/2 in); length 11,50 (37 ft 8% in); height 3.90 (12 ft 9V* in); wing area 33.69 m^ (362.6 sq ft)

m

m

m

Armament: two 37-mm BK

3.7 cannon and one flexible 7.92-mm (0.331-in) machine-gun, plus a useful bombload when the underwing cannon were not being carried

MG

81

Variants Junkers Ju 87 VI

:

first

prototype, with

477-kW

(640-hp)

Rolls-Royce Kestrel

Junkers Ju 87 V2: second prototype 455-kW (610-hp) Jumo 210Aa, hurriedly fitted single-fin tail unit Junkers Ju 87 V3: third prototype, properly designed tail, engine lowered to improve

pilot

view

Junkers Ju 87A: first production series, 477-kW (640-hp) Jumo 210Ca or (A-2) 507-kW (680-hp) Jumo 210Da about 200 built (1937-8)

Junkers Ju 87B: 895-kW

(1,200-hp)

Jumo

211 Da,

redesigned canopy and fuselage, larger vertical tail, spatted instead of trousered landing gears, bombloads up to 1000 kg (2,205 lb) (total deliveries in various sub-types about 1,300) Junkers Ju 87C: navalised version intended for use from aircraft-carrier, folding wings, hook, catapult hooks, lettisonable landing gear, flotation gear and extra tankage, operated from land bases Junkers Ju 87D: ma|or production version, 1044-kW (1,400-hp)

Jumo

211J-1 or

1119-kW (1,500-hp) Jumo 211P-1,

redesigned airframe with lower drag, bombload up to 1800 kg (3,968-lb), D-2 glider tug, D-3 increased armour, D-4 for torpedo-carrying, D-5 with extended wingtips, D-7 twin MG 151 cannon and night equipment, D-8 as D-7 without night

equipment

Junkers Ju 87G-1: conversion of D-3 to attack armoured vehicles with two 37-mm BK 3.7 (Flak 18) guns Junkers Ju 87H: dual-control trainers without armament, kinked rear canopy with side blisters

Junkers Ju 87R:

derivative of Ju 87B-2 with

tankage and provision normally with single

144

for

augmented

drop tanks to increase range

SC250

(551-lb)

bomb

The

last variant of the

Ju 87

to

become operational, apart from the Ju 87H trainer, was the Ju 87G-1 anti-tank model. This was not built as such, but rather converted from Ju 87D-5 airframes. The concept was the brainchild of the extraordinary Hans-Ulrich Rudel, who despite being shot down 30 times flew no fewer than 2,530 combat sorties and destroyed 519 Russian tanks: the basic Ju 87D-5 was adapted to carry a pair of massive Flak 18

(BK 3, 7) 37-mm cannon pods under

its

outer wing panels. The

aircraft illustrated

strength of

was on the

11/

Schlachtgeschwader 3, more specifically the unit's 5. Staffel, serving on the Eastern Front in late 1944.

carry

The Ju 87G-1 could

bombs

instead of guns, but

had no dive-brakes. 145

ft

k

:.

ft

<

/

/

f fr

the cranked wings of the Stuka than shot taken through the windscreen by the pilot of an accompanying aircraft. This 1940 Ju 87B is still wearing four-letter factory codes and may be on flight test from Tempelhof. From this angle the dive-brakes are visible, but not the 'double wing'.

Wo picture could better illustrate this

<

A

Possibly the first Ju 87B to drop bombs in anger, this early B-1 served in Spain with the Staffel Jolanthe, a very active Legion Condor unit which grew out of the Kette Jolanthe to which personnel from the newly formed

StG

163

were posted

name came from

in 1937. The in a Berlin

a pig

comedy, painted on Ju 87 trousers.

The Ju 87R was a long-range version with two 300-litre (66-lmp gal) external fuel tanks under the wings outboard of the dive brakes and a 150-litre (33-lmp gal) tank in each outer wing. This example operated in the Balkan campaign with 7./StG 77 from early 1941. The yellow areas were theatre markings for mainland Europe.

Another major operator of the Stuka was the Magyar Kiralyi Legiero (Hungarian air force). This Ju 87D-3 is depicted as it looked in 1943 when it was serving with

102/1

Zuhanobombazo Szazad (divebomber squadron). Most Stukas assigned to 102/1 ZS were of the long-span D-5 variety, and by summer of 1943 had no spats.

Yet another of the minor Axis air forces, and one of the smallest, the Royal Bulgarian used a black/ white cross insignia reminiscent

li

of Nationalist Spain. This Ju 87D-5 operated on the Eastern Front and in mid-1944 against anti-Royalist partisans in Bulgaria itself. Note the longspan pointed wingtips.

b Even more cumbersome and vulnerable than previous variants, the anti-tank Ju 87G-1 nevertheless proved extremely effective in the hands of an expert. This early example is seen in the markings of the

Versuchskommando Panzerbekampfung

fur (test

commando

for anti-armour warfare) in April 1943; note the Kommando tank emblem.

147

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka outbreak of war the Ju 87 was recognised as a somethis was masked by its fantastic successes. old Luftwaffe types, lack of a replacement reother with many As so termination of production being countermanded, planned sulted in Messerschmitt Bf 110 and He 111, Ju 87 output inand like that of the creased from 1941 to 1944. The standard basic type throughout this period was the Ju 87D, designed in 1940, first flown in early 1941 and

Even

at the

what dated design, but

on the Eastern and North African fronts by the end of 1941. This was powered by the 1044-kW (1,400-hp) Jumo 211J-1 driving a VS 11 propeller with very broad blades, making a major difference to flight performance, which was put to use in carrying much heavier in action

loads.

Maximum bomb

load rose to 1800

kg (3,968

lb),

the main

37-mm gun was

a formidable weapon weighing over and in wide service as ground-based Flak (antiaircraft artillery) equipment. In 1942 a trial installation was tested in a converted Ju 87D-5 and found more effective than the many other Luftwaffe anti-tank aircraft such as the Henschel Hs 129 and Junkers Ju 88P. Fed by clips of six rounds, the BK 3,7 had a muzzle velocity with armour-piercing ammunition exceeding 850 m (2,790 ft) per second, and the greatest exponent of the Ju 87G-1, Hans-Ulrich

ing gears. This

363 kg (800

lb)

was ultimately credited with the personal destruction of 519 Russian armoured vehicles. It was he who flew 2,530 combat missions and continued to lead Stuka formations in daylight long after the other Stukagruppen had replaced their vulnerable aircraft with the Rudel,

crutch being able to take the

PC1400 (3,086-lb) armour-piercing bomb and the wing racks the SC500 (1,102-lb) or a wide range of

Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Another variant produced by converting

other stores including gun pods each housing either twin 20-mm 81 machine-guns. Defensive cannon or six 7.92-mm (0.3Tin)

series

MG

armament at the rear was replaced by a pair of MG 81s, exceptionally light but fast-firing weapons with belt feed instead of 75-round magazines. Additionally, the entire aircraft was refined to reduce drag, the most noticeable improvement being to the cowling and canopy. The landing gear was cleaned up, but from 1942 the spats and leg fairings were increasingly discarded. The most numerous variant was the Ju 87D-3, which embodied better protection for the crew and vital parts of the aircraft, reuse as a Schlachtflagzeng (closesupport aircraft). From 1942 all versions were often called upon to fly missions other than dive-bombing, such as glider-towing, anti-partisan attacks and general utility transport with a great diversity of loads. A few Ju 87D-4s were equipped as torpedo-bombers, but the next main variant was the Ju 87D-5 with extended wingtips to help

flecting the Ju 87's increasing

87D versions. Reday operations, the Ju 87D-7 was a night variant with the more powerful Jumo 211P engine and long exhaust pipes extending back across the wing. Together with the dayflying Ju 87D-8 it replaced the wing guns by the far more powerful 20-mm 151, and dive-brakes were at last omitted. The Ju 87D-8 was the last version in production, the total number built by late September 1944 - when almost all aircraft production other than fighters was terminated - being generally accepted as 5,709. counter the considerably increased weight of Ju flecting the increasing peril of

MG

Anti-armour There were several schemes

for successors, including the Ju

87F

and Ju 187, but the only other Stuka variants were built by conversions of the ubiquitous D models. The most important sub-type was the Ju 87G series, of which only the Ju 87G-1 became operational. The Ju 87G was a specialised anti-armour version, fitted with two BK 3 7 (Flak 18) guns hung under the wings just outboard of the land,

Weatherbeaten Ju 87B-2s of H/StG 1 on the Eastern Front, probably in 1941. Nine more Ju 87s are in the distance at lower level. These aircraft are probably returning from a combat mission, with bomb racks empty. Spats were still in use at this time, and opposition to the Stuka was still generally feeble.

autumn

was the Ju 87H

dual-control trainer.

aircraft of the

Ju

87D

No trainer had been con-

sidered necessary in the early days of Ju 87 service, but by 1943 the had become so specialised and important

art of surviving in the type

on the Eastern Front that even experienced bomber and fighter pilots had to go out with a Ju 87 instructor before taking up their places in the decimated ranks of the Stukagruppen. Almost all versions of Ju 87D were converted into H models, retaining the same suffix numbers. Outwardly the differences included removal of armament and the addition of bulged side panels in the rear cockpit to give the instructor a measure of forward vision.

Sand and snow fly with tropical equipment and sand/dust filters, on the Eastern Front operated on skis in winter. There were several experimental variants, mainly concerned with tests of weapons intended for later aircraft. One of the most striking test programmes concerned one Ju 87D-3 fitted with large streamlined overwing passenger cabins. The idea was that the Ju 87, an aircraft well used to front-line operations, should become a vehicle for

All

versions could

and many

putting

aircraft

down agents behind enemy front lines. The trials programme way in early 1944 at the Graf Zeppelin Research Institute

got under

men in tandem, both ample side windows which gave the pilot some lateral vision. In a shallow dive the two pods were to be pulled off the wing by streaming large parachutes, but there is no record of this actually being done, though the pods were flown with passengers. The Ju 87 was widely used by all the Axis air forces, including those of Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. When Ju 87s were discovered in Italian markings the totally fictitious belief arose among the British that the type was being made in Italy, even the invented type-designation of Breda 201 Picchiatelli was widely published! In fact, from 1939 every Ju 87 was made by Weser in the same Tempelhof building. at Ruit,

and the

final

design of cabin seated two

facing forward, with

The Ju 87D-5 introduced a wing of greater span to allow the heavy weapon loads to be carried with a better margin of safety. This D-5 was photographed on final landing approach, with full flap, on return from a mission with 8./StG 2 in the Kursk area in the Its code was T6+AS, T6 being that of StG 2 itself.

summer of 1943.

Handley Page Halifax The Halifax was one of Britain's 'Big Three' wartime bombers. Like the Lancaster it began life as a twin-engined design but required a more extensive redesign. Spurred on by the threat of imminent conflict in Europe the type was in action by early 1941. It remained in the front line until has to be said

Bomber Command's job was

the outset that the Handley Page Halifax was not on a ton-miles per gallon basis as the Avro Lancaster, nor could it climb quite as high nor manoeuvre with quite the same exceptional agility. But it was still a great warplane, built in versions for many purposes, and though (unlike its illustrious

It

at

quite as efficient

partner)

took a long time to rectify all the shortcomings, the lateactually faster than the Lancasters and did at least to help win the war. They bombed Germany, rolled spherit

war marks were as

much

ical

mines

at the Tirpitz, delivered

people and stores to forests near

Warsaw, jammed the radars over central Germany, blasted Rommel from Africa, towed great armies of gliders and served as a maritime patrol aircraft until 1952. There were specially designed para troop, passenger and cargo versions, which toiled during the war and on the post-war Berlin Airlift, and various marks served post-war with several air forces including those of France, Egypt and Pakistan.

The story began with Specification B.l/35 for a larger bomber to succeed the Vickers Wellington. Handley Page's design staff at Cricklewood, led by George Volkert, submitted a twin-Hercules design which was ordered in October 1935. Then Specification P. 13/36 was issued, for a faster tactical bomber, and the company pointed out that its B.l/35 could with advantage be replaced by a newer design to this more challenging requirement. Span was reduced from 28.96 m (95 ft) to 27.43 m (90 ft) and, though Volkert urged that there should be two phases of development, the first with two Bristol Hercules and the second with the Rolls-Royce Vulture, the colour film during World War II, and surviving gold-dust. Here two Halifax Mk II Series 1s of the first unit equipped with the type, No. 35 (Madras Presidency) Sqn, are caught on air test among the cumulus clouds somewhere near Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire, in 1941-42. Britain

had very

air-to-air

colour

Utile

is like

done.

1937 sent a contract for two prototypes of the start. It was to have a rectangular centre-section, outer panels sharply tapered on the leading edges, twin fins, and Boulton Paul powered turrets at the nose (two 7.7-mm/0.303-in Brownings) and tail (four 7.7-mm/0.303-in Brownings), as well as two hand-aimed 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Vickers 'K' guns to defend against beam attacks. Handley Page became increasingly apprehensive about the Vulture, and on 3 September 1937 the company was permitted to embark on the considerably redesigned H.P.57, while retaining the existing prototype serial numbers L7244 and 7245. The H.P.57 was to be powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins of the Mk X type with two-speed supercharger as already selected for the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Wellington. It was to be of great significance that, when Avro finally had to abandon the Vulture and switch to four Merlins more than three years later, a superb Merlin 'power-egg' had been developed for the Bristol Beaufighter Mk II. The result was that the Manchester became the Lancaster with very little design effort, and with a propeller/cowling/wing arrangement so much better than prediction that chief engineer Roy Chadwick could not account for it. In contrast, Volkert's team in 1937 had to go back almost to square one with the H.P.57 and it so happened that the propeller/cowling/wing arrangement could hardly have been worse. The new bomber's fuselage was slightly larger, and the wings were tapered almost equally on leading and trailing edges and increased in span to 20.12 m (98 ft 10 in). Like those of the H.P.56, the outer leading edges of the H.P.57 had large slats. To hasten the seriously-delayed development it was agreed to rush L7244 to completion, leaving turrets and other equipment to follow on L7245. In late 1938 an order for 100 production machines Air Ministry

in April

H.P.56 with two Vultures from the

149

Handley Page Halifax

HX227 was the second Halifax Mk III, flown in July 1943. It retained the airframe of the latest Mk II Series 1A, with large fins and the Defianttype dorsal turret, and either a ventral gun or an H2 S radar, but the engines were 1204-kW (1,615-hp) Bristol Hercules XVI sleeve-valve radials driving DH Hydromatic propellers.

BB324 was an HP.59 Mk II Series 1 (Special), with guns sensibly removed to give higher flight performance. Built in 1942 by the LAPG (London Aircraft Production Group), it was assigned to No. 10 Sqn based at Melbourne, East Yorkshire, which at teeming, North Yorkshire, had been the third Halifax squadron in 1941.

in early 1939 when the name Halifax was and the English Electric Co. at Preston, was ordered to follow its mass-production of Handley Page Hampdens with an unlimited run of the new bomber. For reasons of airfield size and surface, strongly backed up by the threat of German bombing and a wish to preserve secrecy, L7244 was trucked by night for final assembly at RAF Bicester, where chief test pilot Major Jim Cordes made the first flight on 25 October 1939 - watched by hundreds of motorists who had clearly come from miles around to see the secret new bomber! There were no serious snags, and the second Halifax with turrets and full combat gear followed at Radlett on 17 August 1940. Apart from switching to Rotol propellers with densified-wood blades, this closely resembled the first aircraft, and the first production Halifax Mk I (L9485) followed close behind, flying on 11 October

Handley Page Halifax

was received, confirmed allotted

,

1

Starboard navigation

light

Formation light 3 Aileron balance weight 4 Wing skinning 5 Starboard aileron 6 Aileron servo tab 7 Trim tab 2

B.

Mk

III

cutaway drawing key

36 Nose glazing 37 0.303-inl7.7-mm)Vickers 'K'gun 38 Bomb aiming panels, optically flat

39 Bomb sight 40 Bombaimer's prone position couch 41

54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61

Pitottube

seat Cockpit floor level Pilot's

Cabin side windows Radio operator's seat Trailing aerial

winch

Bomb-bay doors (open)

Bomb door operating lacks Main floor/bomb-bay support longeron

62 Oxygen bottles 63 Parachute stowage 64 Front fuselage diagonal bracing strut

65 Engineer's control panel

1940.

Advances

in

production

The basic design was eminently suited to production, though it was still not as simple as that of the rival Avro. Everything was built in the form of sections of modest size, easily carried by road, and this also facilitated repair of damaged aircraft which began in a roofless hangar at Rawcliffe, outside York, and grew to be an industry of over 2,700 people. Another big advantage was Handley Page's pioneer use of photo- lofting, which enabled the parent firm to send out precise drawings reproduced photographically on aluminium sheets. Swiftly the manufacturing organisation built up. Cricklewood and

Radlett

grew by 360 per cent

area and 550 per cent in up a colossal works at Strand

in floor

employment. English Electric built Road, Samlesbury and other Preston locations, and were joined by equally large plants of the Rootes Group at Speke (Liverpool) and Fairey at Errwood Park (Stockport). Finally, by 1942 output was detachments of Halifaxes began to reinforce the RAF Wellingtons serving in the Middle East. These aircraft were eventually combined to form No. 462 Sqn, manned by the RAAF. In 1942

o wing stringer construction 9 Landing/taxiing lamp 10 Carburettor air intake duct 11 Exhaust collector ring 12 Propeller hub pitch change

13

mechanism De Havilland three-bladed propellers

14 Bristol Hercules XVI

radial

engine 15 Oil cooler intake 16 Cowling air outlet flaps 17 No 6 fuel tank, capacity 123 Imp gal (559 litres; 18 No. 5 fuel tank, capacity 122 Imp gal (555 litres) 19 Leading edge oil tank No.4 fuel tank, capacity 20 161 Imp gal (732 litres)

66 67 68 69 70

No. 3 fuel tank, capacity 188 Imp gal (855 litres) 22 Fuel tank breather 23 No. 1 fuel tank, capacity 21

247 Imp gal (11 23 litres) 24 Trailing edge ribs 25 Starboard Flap construction 26 Fuel jettison pipes 27 Starboard main undercarriage wheel bay 28 Inboard wing section bomb-cells 29 Starboard inner engine cowlings

30 Asymmetric windscreen 31

150

71

42 43 44 45 46 47 48

panel

Camera Aerial

rail

Radio transmitters and receivers

49 Radio operator's control panel

Nose skinning

32 De-icing fluid tank 33 Nose section frames 34 Spare ammunition drums 35 Bomb aimer's control

Parachute stowage Navigator's folding seat Chart table Ventral escape hatch

50 Rudder pedals 51

Instrument panel

52 Co-pilot's and engineer's folding seats

53 Control column

Astrodome Fuselage skin plating Hydraulic accumulator Batteries D/F loop aerial fairing Nose/centre section joint

frame 72 Cabin roof escape hatch 73 Heater duct 74 Rest bunks, portand starboard

75 Hydraulic accumulators 76 Escape ladder 77 Fuselage/rearsparjoint

frame 78 Rear escape hatch 79 Fuselage upper longeron 80 Upperturret ladder 81 Flare stowage 82 Sea marker stowage 83 Turret mounting ring

1

Fastest of all Halifaxes, the B.Mk VI (post-war B.Mk 6) was powered by the 1342-kW (1,800-

hp) Hercules 100 and was in almost all respects an outstanding machine. By 1944 the first-line

Bomber Command

squadrons were almost exclusively equipped with aircraft with the 104-ft wing; this aircraft flew with No. 158 Sqn from Lissett, East Yorkshire.

84 BoultonPaulAMk III midupper gun turret 85 Four0 303-in(7 7-mml Browning machine-guns 86 Tail gun turret ammunition boxes 87 Rear fuselage frame construction

88 Ammunition feed tracks 89 Tail fuselage joint frame 90 Tail gunner's access door 91 Tailplane mounting 92 Starboard tailplane 93 94 95 96 97

98

construction Rudder hinge control Aerial cable Starboard tailfin Starboard rudder upper section Rudder trim tab Rudder hinge post

99 Starboard elevator construction 100 Elevator trim tab 101 Boulton Paul Type E

1

tail

gun turret 102 Four0 303-in(7 7-mm| Browning machine-guns 103 Turret sliding doors

13 Tailwheel strut

114 Semi-retractable tailwheel 1 1 5 Rear fuselage bulkhead 116 ARI5122radarbombing control units

117 Tailplane control rods

18 Master compass 119 Toilet 120 Crew entry door, opens inward and upward 121 Flare launch tubes 122 Main fuselage floor level 1

123 H2S radar bombing antenna fairing 124 Port inner flap 125 Flapjack 126 Dinghy stowage 127 Flap control rods

104 Port elevator 105 Port tailfin construction 106 Rudder upper and lower sections

107 Rudder trim tab 108 Rudder aerodynamic balances 109 Trim tab control jack 110 Leading edge bracing 1 1

28 Rear spar inboard section attachment joints 129 Port outer flap 130 Fuel jettison pipes 131 Rear spar outer panel attachment joint 132 Trim tab controls 133 Aileron hinge control 134 Trim tab 135 Aileron servo tab 136 Port aileron 137 Aileron balance weight 138 Formation light 139 Port navigation light 140 Wing rib construction

1

141

Front spar

struts Port tailplane

112 Rudder and elevator control hinges

Pilot

Press Limited

159 Front spar girder construction

160 LeadingedgeNo.2fuel tank, capacity 62 Impgal (282

litres)

Engine control runs 162 Port inner Bristol Hercules XVI engine 163 Oil cooler air intake 164 Inboard engine bearers 165 Mam undercarriage hinge mounting 166 Messier main 161

undercarriage leg

167 168 169 170

Portmamwheel Tyre guard Folding retraction strut

Mainwheeldoor

Handley Page Halifax

Specification

Halifax

B.Mk Series I

1

Type: seven-seat heavy bomber Powerplant: four 954-kW (1,280-hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin X V-12 engines Performance: maximum speed 426 km/h (265 mph); service ceiling ft); initial climb 229 m (750 ft) per minute; range with 2631 kg bombload 3000 km (1,860 miles; Weights: empty 15359 kg (33,860 lb); loaded 26308 kg (58,000 lb) Dimensions: span 30.12 m (98 ft 10 in); length 21. 36 m (70 ft 1 in); height 2 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in); wing area 116 m (1,250 sq ft) Armament: normal bombload 5897 kg (13,000 lb) including mines or two torpedoes; (defensive) two 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Browning machine-guns in Boulton Paul nose turret, four in tail turret of same make, plus two Vickers 'K' machine-guns of same calibre aimed by hand through beam hatches

6950

m

(5,800

(22,800

lb)

L9530 was one of the very first batch (L9485-9534) of production Halifaxes, delivered in the winter of 1940-41. Styled B.Mk I Series 1, it is shown after delivery to RAF No. 76 Sqn in Bomber Command's No. 4 Group at Middleton St George (today Tees-side Airport). The crest was applied by the pilot, Christopher Cheshire, brother of the more famous Leonard Cheshire who served with the first Halifax squadron, No. 35,

and

later

No.

76.

went on

All

bomb

to

command

doors are

shown open, and the projections aft of the trailing edge just outboard of the centre-section are fuel-jettison pipes. The 'acorn' carried above the fuselage, downstream of the navigator's astrodome, housed the rotatable direction-finding radio loop aerial.

"'<

I

I

I

lit—-'

—

s

153

!

Handley-Page Halifax Various Halifaxes scored major successes against U-boats in

RAF

the grey/white livery of

Coastal Command. This CR.Mk II Series 1 (Special) has plain ejector exhausts, H2 S radar and the original wing and tail, but has the Defiant-type top turret with a surrounding fairing, the latter removed from the subsequent marks.

No. 76 Sqn was the second to fly the Halifax operationally. Aircraft a Halifax Mk I, flew with that unit until August 1941 when it went missing. When this picture was taken it had flown four missions. further swelled by the

LAPG

'L',

(London Aircraft Production Group),

was the London Passenger Transport Board whose great works at Chiswick and Aldenham were partnered by such motor firms as Chrysler, Duple Bodies, Park Royal Coachworks and Express Motor and Body of Enfield, all the parts coming together at a vast shadow factory at Leavesden, outside the key organisation in which

Watford.

Few

aircraft of

for service

more

such size and complexity have ever been cleared quickly or rushed into production on such a scale

By November 1940 No. 35 Squadron was formBoscombe Down, moving to Leeming and finally to Linton-onOuse as the first of 36 Halifax squadrons of Bomber Command, mainly as part of No. 4 Group in north-east England. The first night mission was to be Le Havre on 11/12 March 1941, and a day attack on Scharnhorstled to a series of missions against German warships, the only serous loss being the fifth production machine, which was shot down by an RAF night fighter. with so few delays. ing at

for landing.

The main gears had enormous welded

bridge-pieces

carrying the twin legs, giving a feeling of strength that

was conOnce

Vibration problems

spicuously absent from the towering units of the Short Stirling.

As often happens, the major problems emerged only when large numbers of aircraft were in service. By the end of 1941 No. 4 Group

but the simplest thing to do with the tailwheels

squadrons converted, and the otherwise superb and popular bomber was marred by problems with landing gear and reduction gears. In one period of six months there were 95 failures of reduction gears, in many cases resulting in the propeller parting company with the aircraft, and over 75 per cent were on the no. 1 (port outer)

had

11

engine.

It

was

difficult to

establish the precise cause, but

it

was

due to aerodynamically induced vibration. The problem was greatly eased (but not cured) by fitting four-bladed propellers, and crews became used to flying with four-bladers on all engines, or on just the outers or even on no. 1 engine alone (because such propellers were in short supply). The hydraulic problems with both the main and tail wheels were severe, taking the form chiefly of the main gears refusing to stay up in flight and the tail gear refusing to extend clearly

The second prototype,

L7245,

was

the

First

Halifax to carry

armament

(two nose 7.7-mm/0.303-in Brownings, four in the tail, and two Vickers 'K' guns fired through beam hatches). It differed from L7244 in other respects, such as the omission of slats (which interfered with de-icing and cable-cutters). Note the day-bomber camouflage.

the up-locks and hydraulics had been redesigned the units stayed up,

was

to lock

them

down.

The crew of seven entered via an upward- and inward-hinged door low on the left side behind the wing. Unobstructed movement was possible from nose to tail, it being easy to step over the two massive wing spars on the dural floor above the 6.7-m (22-ft) bomb bay. The latter had no fewer than eight doors which overlapped laterally when open. There were a further 24 doors covering six bomb cells in the inner wing. All doors were driven hydraulically, as were the large slotted flaps, but the two Boulton Paul turrets were electro-hydraulically actuated. A prominent feature was the triplet of fuel jettison pipes under each wing, with flexible joints under the flap hinges. As for the leading edges, these lost their slats, despite progressive increases in gross weight, because of the problems of de-icing and fitseen here immediately before being delivered from Radlett August 1941. It was followed by only seven further Mk I Halifaxes before, from L9609, the Hudson-type dorsal turret became standard on the Mk II. This large turret was tested from 3 July 1941 on L9515 and significantly reduced speed. L9601

is

airfield in

L

...

/

v

Lifl

I3L&&-J •

154

The two large masts identify long-span B.Mk III as a special aircraft used by No. 462 this

RAAF Sqn

to carry out high-

power jamming of German radio and radar transmissions using the Airborne Cigar transmitters. No. 462 Sqn operated in 1944-45 from

Foulsham, Norfolk, mainly as a unit of No. 100 (Bomber Support) Group.

Electronic warfare

was

pioneered by an alert RAF in World War II, even the Indian theatre being equipped with such advanced listening and recording platforms as this Halifax B.Mk III (Special). of the added HF and

Some whip

VHF

can be seen along the underside of the fuselage. aerials

PN369 flew with No. based at Digri.

ting balloon-cable cutters.

twin

drum

The

rather lumpy engine installations had

radiators, with a smaller lower

dmm for the

oil

cooling,

being low on each side. Above the inboard cowlings were ram inlets for the heated cabin air. Exhaust was led forward and discharged aft in a single stack which from late 1941 was hidden under a cool shroud.

and carb-air

inlets

Mk

Merlin for the

Mk

II

1 aircraft had been built, production switched to the successive versions listed in the variants panel. The Halifax Mk II Series 1 introduced the Merlin XX which, thanks to 'Doc' Hooker's brilliant supercharger, gave much great power to help counter increases in weight. The new mid-upper turret, how-

After 100 Halifax

I

Series

all power settings (it was Lockheed Hudson) and the Halifax Mk II Series 1 Special eliminated all turrets except the one that mattered, at the tail. Most also left off the flame-damped exhausts, it being felt that speed and height were better than a few flames visible from a few hundred metres. The Halifax Mk II Series 1A introduced a much more pleasing moulded Perspex nose with a hand-aimed gun (7.7-mm/0.303-in Vickers 'K' or Browoiing, or on the Halifax GR.Mk

ever, substantially reduced the speed at the

II

same

turret as used on the

for Coastal

Command

a 12.7-mm/0.5-in Browning).

One

Halifax

Mk II Series 1A had extended inner nacelles and there were several other

trial

modifications, but the

most important ones were large

rectangular fins to improve directional stability (there had been landing accidents

due to coarse rudder demands, and

in

any case bomb-

Powered by a quartet of Hercules XVI engines, almost 100 Halifax C.Mk Ills were built. Unarmed and fitted with 11 passenger seats, it served as a wartime transport but after 1945 the bulk of those produced were converted for civilian duties (as the Halifax C.Mk 8) like many other British

bomber

'heavies'.

ing accuracy

was previously

poor), and the compact, low-drag Boul-

ton Paul Defiant-type mid-upper turret with four guns.

were

1341 Flight

The cowlings

also refined with single Morris-block radiators, and as a result

km/h (20 mph). most famous Halifaxes was V9977, the second Preston-built Halifax Mk II, which was the first aircraft in the world fitted with mapping radar. Codenamed H 2 S, the new device gave a picture of the terrain below, but it relied on the wonderful magnetron valve which was not known to the enemy. Sadly V9977 crashed during trials by flying into a Welsh mountain, killing the radar team, in cruising speed increased by over 32

One

of the

June 1942. Subsequently hundreds of Halifaxes (and other 'heavies') had H 2 S, but many Halifaxes displayed a smaller and more symmetrical bulge in this location and these were the lucky ones with a hand-aimed 12 7-mm (0 5-in) gun Alone among the great armadas of Bomber Command, these Halifaxes could both see and hit the Luftwaffe night-fighters which formated on them from below, with upward-firing cannon. Shortage of Messier landing gears and hydraulics led to the Halifax Mk V, with a complete Dowty hydraulical system and landing gears, the latter looking less massive. Landing weight was restricted to 18144 kg (40,000 lb), and most Halifax Mk Vs had four-bladed propellers throughout and served mainly in tug, maritime and transport roles. All were built by Rootes and Fairey. Biggest improvement of all was the switch to the Bristol Hercules sleeve-valve air-cooled engine, first fitted to Radlett hack R9534 in October 1942. The snag was that the 38-litre (2,320-cu in) radial .

.

.

One of the last production marks was the Halifax C.Mk VIII (post-war C.Mk 8) freighter, seen with its 3629-kg (8,000-lb) cargo pannier installed. The airframe was that of the B.Mk VI, but without armament, and the portholes served an 11-seat passenger cabin. This version led directly to the civil HP. 70 Halton used by BO AC

155

Handley Page Halifax heavy electronic- warfare

aircraft of No. 100 Group, and the only long-range transport for the special-duty squadrons (Nos 138 and 161) which flew numerous breathtaking missions to pinpoint drop areas as far away as Norway, eastern Poland and southern Czechoslovakia. Halifaxes were by far the most important heavy bombers in

the North African theatres, from Palestine

Tunisia and northern Italy by 1945.

Many

in

1942 westward to towed Airspeed

Halifaxes

from the UK to North Africa for the invasion and over 1,000 Halifax Mk Ills and Mk Vs towed gliders in northern Europe, including the attack on the Norwegian heavywater plant on 19 November 1942. Both marks were the only aircraft cleared to tow the tank-carrying General Aircraft Hamilcars.

Horsa

gliders non-stop

of Sicily,

Sole example of

Mk IV

Only one Halifax Mk IV was built, to test a modified form of engine mounting. On 10 October 1944 the first Halifax B.Mk VI introduced the 1342-kW (1,800-hp) Hercules 100, together with an extended pressurised fuel system and injection carburettors for long-range tropical missions against Japan. Shortage of the Mk 100 engine led to the Halifax B.Mk VII which was a Mk VI with the old Hercules XVI, used mainly by Canadian and French units. The Halifax C.Mk VIII served with Nos 301 and 304 (Polish) Squadrons, both unarmed and with a twin-12.7-mm (0.5-in) tail turret. The Halifax A.Mk IX was a post-war airborne model which replaced the converted Halifax A.Mk III, A.Mk V and A.Mk VII, and had very full equipment for 16 paratroops and heavy loads of dropped stores.

The

last

subcontracted 'Halibag' was a Fairey-built Halifax

A.Mk

VII delivered on 5 October 1945, and the last by the parent firm a Halifaxes of Burn-based No. 578 Squadron flew from their Yorkshire home to support the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. This aircraft is seen over Hazebrouck, its target for the day.

burned more

fuel than the 27-litre (1,650-cu in) Merlin,

greater power at last

removed the

and speed, and made the Halifax craft.

The

first

crippling limitations

a tractable

radial-engined Halifax

swiftly supplanted the Merlin versions.

without spinners were

fitted,

and

B.Mk

III

DH

on

but

its

altitude

totally

respected

flew

July 1943, and

in

air-

Hydromatic propellers

together with long flame-damped ex-

The tailwheel was at last made to retract and extend reliably, and a further improvement in ceiling resulted from extending the span to 31.75 m (104 ft 2 in) with rounded tips. From February 1944 the performance of the Halifax B.Mk III was such that previous restrictions on bombing hazardous targets were lifted, while Merlinengined Halifaxes were withdrawn from German skies altogether. In Bomber Command Halifaxes served with Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, Free French and Polish squadrons, together with the Pathfinder Force from its inception. The Halifax was also the chief hausts.

Handley Page Halifax variants H.P.57: two prototypes, no 1 without armament, with slatted wings Halifax B.Mk I: Merlin X engines, Halifax Mk Series 2 stressed to 27216 kg I

(60,000

lb) (total

84)

B.Mk II: Merlin XX engines, midupper turret. Halifax II Srs 1 (Special) no nose or mid-upper turret, Halifax II Srs 1A new moulded nose, four-gun midupper turret. Merlin XXII engines and larger

Halifax

Mk

fins

progressively introduced

conversions to Halifax

Halifax Halifax

GR.Mk B.Mk

II

Mk

(total

GR.Mk

II

1,966,

Srs

1

and

Srs 1A)

(H.P.61): Hercules XVI engines and all B Mk improvements, plus H 2 S or ventral gun, later with extended span (total 2,081, conversions to Halifax GT.Mk III and Halifax R.Mk III. and two post-war civil) Halifax Mk.IV: one-off trials of engine III

II

mounts

Mk

V (H.P.57): Merlin XXII engines, hydraulics and main gears by Dowty instead of Halifax

built as Halifax B.Mk V Srs and Halifax B.Mk V Srs 1A. Halifax V, Halifax A.Mk V, Halifax Met.Mk V and (designation unconfirmed) Halifax GT.Mk V (total 916) Halifax B.Mk VI: Hercules 100 engines in improved installations, tropical long-range fuel

British

Messier,

1

GR.Mk

156

system

557, conversions to Halifax VI (later GR.MK 6) and Halifax Met.Mk VI (Met.Mk 6), and at least 41 postwar civil) Halifax B.Mk VII: as B Mk VI but Hercules (total

GR.Mk

XVI

(total

A.Mk IX delivered on 11 November 1946 (it later Egyptian air force). Production by marks is listed Handle v Page built 1,590 Halifaxes, English Electric LAPG 710, Rootes 1,070 and Fairey 661. At least four Halifax

193)

Halifax A.Mk VII: airborne forces variant, unarmed except twin 12.7-mm (0 5-m) tail turret special transport/paradrop provisions

234-HP 45, Rootes 120 and Fairey 69) Halifax C.Mk VIII (H.P.70): Hercules XVI, unarmed transport normally with 11 passenger (total

seats plus detachable pannier (pre-loaded) for 3628-kg (8.000-lb) cargo (new production believed 96, of which over 81 registered postwar as civil Halifax C.Mk 8 conversions) Halifax A.Mk IX (H.P.71A): Hercules XVI airborne forces definitive multi-role aircraft with 16 paratroop seats, provision for 3628-kg (8,000-lb) supply containers or other stores and glider-tow cleat, developed by Boulton Paul but production (140) by HP., post-war 68 civil Halifax A.Mk 9 conversions, including 38 UK; served as RAF Halifax A.Mk 9 and with Egyptian air force H.P.70 Halton: rebuilds by HP. in 1946 of Halifax C Mk 8 as transports for BOAC, with 10-passenger cabin and 3628-kg (8,000-lb) pannier (total 13)

went

to the

separately. 2,145, the Halifax

Mk

completed 100 missions over Germany, the nose art of Friday the 13th (128 missions with No. 158 Squadron from Lissett) being displayed in the RAF Museum. In the post-war RAF the number of Halifax A.Mk 9 and GR.Mk 6 aircraft (post-war designations) dwindled until one of the latter species flew the final sortie from Gibraltar on 17 March 1952, though Henlow's Halifax A.Mk 9 was still on parachute testing in January 1955. The Armee de l'Air used many Halifax B.Mk 6s as bombers and in many research and trials roles, and also as 32-seat airliners on routes to West Africa and even Brazil. Ills

With 9,600 horsepower visible in this photograph, Halifax B.Mk No. 462 Squadron (RAAF) cross the sea on their way to bomb synthetic oil plants in the Ruhr during September 1944.

Ills

of

fl

Avro Anson In

1928 A.

Roe & Co. Ltd had taken up a licence to build the Fokker F.VII three-engined transport. This version, the Avro Ten, led Avro into a new way of thinking about its production and design methods. The experience led to a modified version, the Avro Eighteen (Avro 642), and later to the Avro 652, better known as the famous Anson. V.

1934 Imperial Airways issued a requirement for a light monoplane to be used as a fast four-passenger charter type. Avro scaled down the Avro Eighteen and developed a low-wing design which was powered by a pair of 216.3-kW (290-hp) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V engines and fitted with retractable landing gear. The prototype Avro 652 (G-ACRM) made its first flight on 7 January 1935 and, with its sister ship (G-ACRN), was delivered to Imperial Airways two months later. These two machines were fairly streamlined and they could cruise at 266 km/h (165 mph), which was quite outstanding by comparison with other light transport aircraft of the day. At about this time the Air Ministry issued its specification G. 18/35 for a new coastal reconnaissance and patrol aircraft for the Royal Air Force. The two principal contenders were de Havilland with a modified version of the D.H.89A Dragon Rapide and Avro with the model 652A, which was virtually the same as the two earlier Imperial Airways machines. The prototype Avro 652A (K4771) was first flown from Woodford on 24 March 1935, and the main change from the Avro 652 was the installation of two Cheetah VI engines and the adoption of a heavily-framed Armstrong Whitworth gun turret in the upper

In

fuselage behind the wings. It also had an observation panel in the underside of the nose and three square cabin windows on each side in place of the oval transparencies of the civil aircraft.

The

prototype Avro 652A was delivered to Martlesham Heath 1935 for initial evaluation, following which some alterations were made to the area of the horizontal tail surfaces. K4771 was then sent to the Coastal Defence Development unit at Gosport where it met up with the Rapide for comparative tests. It showed itself to be superior in terms of speed and range with the result that, in July, an initial contract for 174 examples (carrying the name Anson) was issued by the Air Ministry. A good number of minor modifications were demanded on the in April

production version and these were laid down in the manufacturing specification which was issued at that time. Many of the changes were internal and related to systems and controls.

RAF squadrons at

the beginning of World War II, the Avro a major part in the crew training programme, as well as in a relatively short-lived role as a general reconnaissance 1 fitted aircraft with RAF Coastal Command. Illustrated is an Anson with the Armstrong Whitworth dorsal turret.

Equipping

1 1

Anson was destined to play

Mk

157

welded steel-tube fuselage structure (with internal wire bracing in the rear section) and fabric covering. The production version had excellent visibility for the crew through the continuous strip of windows that ran the full length of the cabin from the cockpit to a point parallel with the wing trailing edge. The prominent turret was fitted with a single Lewis gun for manual operation by the air gunner, who had access to the turret from the rear cabin. Coastal reconnaissance Ansons also had provision for a fixed gun set into the nose on the port side for operation by the pilot. The wings were built from spruce and plywood with a formed plywood covering. Initial production Ansons (delivered in 1936, 1937 and 1938) were painted silver overall with pre-war 'A'-type roundels and

Ansons were

built with a

black serial numbers but, in early 1939, all aircraft received the standard RAF temperate land camouflage of dark green and light earth with the new wartime roundels and grey or white unit codes on the fuselage sides. Those machines used for training tasks were painted with yellow undersides, and the coastal patrol Ansons had their lower surfaces painted light grey. These early Ansons were also notable for the contoured engine cowlings which were shaped for the seven individual cylinder heads. Controls on the Anson took a little getting used to: the Schrenck split flaps were worked by a hydraulic hand pump and the landing gear had to be retracted by a handwinding mechanism which could make the raising of the gear a protracted exercise. Nevertheless, the Anson was a strong and reliable machine and aircrews soon forgave it for these minor shortcomings. The first Anson deliveries were made to No. 48 Squadron at Manston in March 1936. Rather than going straight into the primary reconnaissance role, these aircraft were pressed into service as navigation trainers as part of the RAF Expansion Scheme, which was then moving into high gear. Thousands of new airmen were being rapidly trained to meet the threat of war In the post-war years, roles,

with

Ansons were

many swopping

to be found serving in a variety of their military identities for civil markings.

With a bulbous nose housing radar and avionics equipment, G-ALIH was used by Ekco Electronics Ltd. The aircraft was withdrawn in 1967.

&&&j#&)®mm 158

Anson

Mk 1s were initially employed in

the maritime patrol role with seen flying with No. 48 Sqn, from Hooton Park in 1940/41. During this period the squadron's main role was to cover the Irish Sea and to shepherd convoys into Liverpool and the

Coastal

Clyde.

Command.

This aircraft

is

1

Typical of the many civilregistered Avro Nineteens in service during the 1950s and 1960s, this

example

illustrates

some of the design enhancements adopted during the Anson's production life. Immediately obvious are the

deepened fuselage and the revised fuselage glazing, while other refinements include smoother engine cowls.

Avro Anson 1

Mk cutaway drawing key I

Fabric covered elevator

construction 2 Elevator tab 3 Tailplane construction 4 Tailcone 5 Navigation light 6 Rudder hinge control

Rudder tab 8 Fabric covered rudder 7

construction 9 Rear aerial post 10 Aerial cable 1 1 Rudder balance weight 12 Tailfin construction 13 Tailwheel shock absorber

27 Gunner

Trailing

edge wing

fillet

First aid

1

Gun turret

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Turret rotating mounting

Fuselage topdecking Emergency exit hatch Port observation

56 Starboard wing fuel tanks, capacity 30 mp gal 1 36 litres! each. 35 ImpgaKl 59

window

box

root

42 43 44 45 46 47 48

58 Shock absorber leg struts 59 Starboard mamwheel 60 Mamwheel semi-housed, retracted position

61

Flame floats Cabin entry door

Bomb carrier and release

62 Exhaust collector pipe 63 Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven-cylinder radial

engine

64 Cowling blister fairings 65 Fairey-Reed two-bladed

Flap hydraulic iack

Dinghy stowage

metal propeller Propeller hub attachments 67 Engine reduction gear

Engine nacelle rear fairing Flap operating rod Flap shroud construction

66

Starboard aileron

68 Engine bearer struts 69 Fireproof bulktiead 70 Oil tank, capacity 7 Impgal

Aileron mass balance Fabric coveted metal aileron construction

Starboard navigation

light

52 Spruce wing ribs 53 Laminated spruce front spar

54 Leading edge nose ribs 55 Fuel tank fillercaps

casing

71

78 Aenallead-in 79 D/F loop aerial 80 Cabin roof escape hatch 81 Radio equipment rack 82 Navigator's seat 83 Battery 84 Fuselage/front spar attachment 85 Charitable 86 Navigator's instrument

Engine starter crank drive shaft

49 Laminated spruce rear spar 50 Wing tip construction 51

rear

strut

Parachute stowage

40 100-lb|45-kg)bomb 41

(

litres) later

57 Main undercarriage

gear

Fixed tailwheel Control cable access panel Elevator conuollever Starboard elevator Starboard tailplane Fuselage fabric covering 20 Dorsal stringers 21 Upper longeron 22 Steel tube fuselage construction 23 Bottom longeron 24 Control cable runs

26

compartment

31

strut

14 15 16 17 18 19

25

s

floor level

28 Spare ammunition drums 29 Pivoted gun mounting 30 LewisMklllA0.303-in(7 7mml machine-gun

panel

87 Cockpit roof glazing panels 88 Aerial mast 89 Port split trailing edge flap 90 Flap operating rods 91

92 93 94 95 96 97

Port aileron Aileron mass balance Plywood wing skinning Port navigation light Aileron cable control Port wing fuel tanks Port engine nacelle

98 Windscreen panels 99 Instrument panel shroud 100 Control column handwheel

(32 litres)

101

Undercarriage actuator

102 Sliding cockpit side

chain drive 72 Nacelle bearer

attachments 73 Dinghy inflation bottle 74 Starboard wing root bomb bay 75 20-lb(9-kgl light bombs, four each side 76 Fuselage/rear spar attachment 77 Radio operator's seat

Pilot'sseat

windows 103 Observer's tip-up seat 104 Fuel cock controls 105 Bomb fusing control lever 106 Engine throttle and mixture control levers

107 Back of instrument panel 108 Rudder pedals 109 Pilot's footboards 110 Pneumatic brake air reservoir

1

1

I

ixed. forward-firing

Vickers0.303-in(7 7-mm)

machine-gun 112

Pilot's ring-and-bead gunsight

113 Aluminium skinned nose

compartment construction 114 Observation window 115 Bomb aimer's prone position flooring

116

Pitot tubes 117 Bombaimer'scontrol panel 118 Drift sight 119 Bomb aiming windows 120 Searchlight 121 Port engine cowlings 122 Port Fairey metal propeller

Avro Anson

•

i

Unlike

many training

aircraft

which saw widespread service during World War II, the Avro

Anson did not quickly sink into obscurity; rather, it took on a new life with new civil and military models being built on re-opened production

lines. Illustrated is

an

Anson C.Mk 19 Series 2 in postwar colours and Dayglo trim. Developed from the Avro Nineteen civil transport, the C.Mk 19 sported improved interior furnishing, a soundproofed cabin and oval windows. On the Series 2 aircraft, the wings and tailplane were of metal construction. In total, 264 C.Mk 19s were produced before production of this

came

to

an end

mark

in 1947.

—

-n

r-

lii-^-i

Specification Avro Anson Mk

1

Type: three/five-seat navigation, bombing, gunnery and radio trainer Powerplant: two 261 -kW (350-hp) Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines

Performance: maximum speed 303 km/h cruising

1271

speed 254 km/h (158 mph); service

km

ceiling

at

5790

2135

m

m

(7,000 ft), (19,000 ft); range

(790 miles)

Weights: empty 2438 kg (5,375 Dimensions: span 17.20 m (56

m

(188 mph)

lb); ft

5

maximum in);

take-off

length 12.88

m

3629 kg (8,000 (42

ft

3

in);

lb)

height

m 2 (410 sq ft) 303-m) fixed forward-firing machine-gun in port side of nose and one 7.7-mm (0.303-m) gun in dorsal turret, plus up to 163 kg (360 lb) of bombs 3.99

(13

ft

1

in),

wing area 38.09

Armament: one 7.7-mm

(0

Avro Anson An

early

Anson

Mk I in the

combination colour scheme of temperate land upper camouflage and trainer yellow lower surfaces. Excellent visibility was provided by the extensive fuselage glazing - a feature used to good effect in the training of navigators. Also visible is the early style of engine cowling with individual blisters i

for the cylinder heads.

which was now just over the horizon, and by mid-1938 the squadron had received some 80 Ansons for this training task. No. 48 Squadron was moved from the training role before World War II actually started and went to Eastchurch and then to Thorney Island, where its aircraft were applied to coastal patrol sorties along the English Channel. In addition to their fixed

armament these Ansons would also carry a variety of flares and smoke floats, eight 9-kg (20-lb) bombs and two larger bombs of up to 113-kg (250-lb) size. These were used for attacking U-

enemy surface shipping, and the first recorded attack on an enemy U-boat was made on 5 September 1939 by an Anson of No. 500 Squadron operating from Detling in Kent. With the advent of more modern patrol aircraft such as the Lockheed Hudson the Ansons were progressively withdrawn from front-line Coastal Command service in 1940 and

Some

of these retained their Cheetah engines, but many were with 246-kW (330-hp) Jacobs L6MB engines to become known as Anson Mk Ills, while others become Anson Mk IVs with Wright Whirlwind R-975-E3 engines. The Anson Mk III was a good performer, but the Whirlwind-engined version was distinctly underpowered and became quite unpopular with training crews. fitted

Canadian production In July

boats or

transferred to training units to handle the instruction of wireless specific Anson I operators, air gunners and navigators.

Mk

A

was also built by Avro, this featuring the Schrenck flaps (which had not been incorporated on initial Ansons) and a

trainer

revised V-shaped two-panel windscreen.

The

ex-coastal patrol

gunnery training had their Armstrong Whitworth AW. 38 turrets removed and replaced with the Bristol Type I (Mk VI) turret used on the Bristol Blenheim. In this form they joined the new Air Gunnery Schools and many were still in service when the war ended in machines which were destined

for air

1945.

months before the war Ansons had also been arriving other Commonwealth countries. The Royal Australian Air Force, in particular, had received over 80 aircraft by August 1939; these aircraft were largely extracted from RAF batches. The huge burden of training was taken over by the In the

in

Commonwealth countries under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan which was set up in December 1939, and a principal

component

of this

was the training

of navigators,

bomb-aimers and air gunners by the Canadians. The Anson was judged to be the most suitable type for operation with the RCAF, and a total of 223 Anson Mk Is were shipped for use in the plan. The second Avro 652 is seen in early 1935 with part of the Imperial Airways titling just visible under the fuselage windows. Designed for civil operation as a four-passenger aircraft, the aircraft shows the high degree of streamlining and the original engine cowling design for the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah Mk V powerplant.

162

1940 the Canadian government formed Federal

Aircraft Limited as a

was becoming

new source

for production of the

plain that British resources of

Ansons.

It

raw material and

the necessary shipping capacity would soon rule out further large-scale deliveries to Canada. The first Federal Anson Mk II was initially flown in August 1941, differing little from the Jacobs-engined Anson Mk III but distinguishable by its rounded nose constructed from a plastic-bonded plywood material called Vidal. This was fitted with a small circular plastic nosecone for bomb-aiming. The construction of this nose section was of great significance because the Vidal construction material proved to be very resilient in the extreme cold of the Canadian winter, and it was decided that a new version of the Anson could be produced with a smaller proportion of strategically scarce steel tube and a larger element of the moulded plywood material. This resulted in the Anson Mk V and Mk VI, which had the normal Anson Mk II wings, two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN14B Wasp Junior engines and a new fuselage constructed of Vidal strengthened with a tubular forward cabin structure and fitted with three porthole windows on each side. The Anson Mk V was a navigational trainer and was not equipped with the familiar gun turret, but the gunnery-training Anson Mk VI had a Bristol Type I turret which made it similar to the Anson Mk I trainers used in England. A total of 1,050 of these two variants was built at Montreal and at Brantford, and much of the final assembly was sub-contracted to the Canadian Car & Foundry Co. at

Winnipeg and

to

MacDonald Bros Aircraft

The designations Anson Mks

Ltd.

VII, VIII

and IX were also

line-up of No. 1 Navigation School's Avro Ansons is seen at their wartime base of Rivers, Manitoba. The second aircraft from the left has yellow upper fuselage decking, this colour also being applied to large areas of the upper wings and tail planes in an attempt to minimise the

A

risk of collisions after a forced landing.

In 1937 - 38, the Irish Air

Corps

acquired four Avro Anson Mk Is for service with the Irish Coastal Patrol Flight. One of these crashed in 1941, while the remaining trio was scrapped

between 1943 and 1946. Another five aircraft were supplied with RAF serials, while post-war procurement included Avro Nineteens which were to serve

many years as part of this small air arm.

for

While the colour

scheme may

appear somewhat gaudy in comparison to other wartime camouflage colours, it did serve the purpose of making the Anson highly visible in the crowded skies of Canada during wartime training operations. As part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Canada provided vital training facilities for RAF aircrew.

reserved for different versions of the Canadian Anson (but not used), and the next Anson variant was the Anson Mk X, which was a British-built model. This was very similar to the Anson Mk I but was intended for general communications duties. It had a strengthened floor and abandoned the familiar contoured engine cowlings in favour of a smooth version. This model was followed by the Anson Mks XI and XII, which were powered by Cheetah XIX and Cheetah XV engines respectively. The main change, however, was that these two Ansons had a raised fuselage roof to provide greater internal headroom, and they set a new style for the rest of the production run. A number of Anson Mk XIIs were converted from existing Anson Mk I airframes and, towards the end of the production run, Avro introduced a new all-metal wing of slightly more tapered planform and designated the aircraft Anson Mk XII Series 2. Many Anson Mk XIIs were fitted out as flying ambulances, but

the majority were placed in service with communications squadrons or were used for positioning ferry crews with the Air Transport Auxiliary. With the end of the war, the Anson found a new lease of life as a civil aircraft. Avro produced the Avro Nineteen, which was a seven to nine-seat passenger transport for use on local air service routes. The prototype Avro Nineteen (G-AGNI) was converted from a standard RAF Anson Mk XI and, painted in silver with a black registration, was used for a number of years as a factory demonstrator and finally ditched off the Isle of Man in June 1948. The main new features of the Avro Nineteen were This interesting formation of Anson Mk Is was operated by the Royal Australian Air Force as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II. The aircraft carry a mix of pre-war silver and early camouflage schemes, and also the RAF and RAAF serials. At the outbreak of World War II, the RAAF had 82 Ansons on strength.

163

II

the replacement of the square cabin windows with five oval portholes on each side, a solid nose section, larger main cabin entrance door and improved soundproofing throughout the cabin and cockpit, together with much improved internal trim and furnishing and the fitting of a 24-volt electrical system. The engines used on this variant were two 313-kW (420-hp) Cheetah 15 radials with prominent propeller spinners. One of the first orders for the Avro Nineteen came from Railway Air Services, which had been operating British domestic air services since 1934 with a large fleet of D.H.89 Dragon Rapides. Eventually some 14 Avro Nineteens were taken on charge by the airline and used on routes such as London-Manchester-Belfast, Liverpool-Belfast and the direct non-stop service from London to Belfast. Scottish Airways also used the type on its service linking Glasgow's Renfrew Airport with Stornaway, and these airline aircraft were generally fitted with nine seats and were considerably more comfortable (and certainly somewhat faster) than the Rapides with which they shared the various routes. Most of the Avro Nineteens in service with these airlines were transferred into the hands of British European Airways Corporation on 1 February 1947 when the nationalisation of British air transportation came into effect, but they all passed on to private users as soon as more plentiful supplies of Douglas Dakotas became available. The development of greater traffic on all the internal air routes meant that the limited capacity of the Avro Nineteen was inadequate for the needs of BEA, but the surplus aircraft were used by organisations such as the Decca Navigator Company and Ekco Electronics Ltd, which each had one for radar and avionics testing, and by business users such as Smith's Instruments Ltd and Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

The T. Mk 20 was built to Air Ministry Specification T.24/46 as a generalpurpose trainer for Southern Rhodesia. It possessed several distinguishing features, including an astrodome for navigation purposes, a moulded perspex nose for bomb-aiming practice, and bombs carried on underwing racks. The Avro 19's DF loop was moved back to be situated level with the fourth window.

for instruction of wireless operators.

Avro Anson variants Avro 652: low-wing

six-seat cabin

VI

monoplane with retractable tailwheel landing powered by two 216-kW (290-hpl Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V engines Avro 652 Mk II: Type 652 with contoured gear,

engine cowlings, full-length cabin windows and other minor refinements

Post-war operations The Royal Air Force also placed

substantial orders for the being given the designation Anson C.Mk 19. These machines shared the role of light communications transport with the de Havilland D.H.104 Devon and were used by all the command communications squadrons until their retirement in June 1968. By that time the Anson was able to claim to have been the longest-serving RAF aircraft type with a total life of some 32 years. The standard transport C.Mk 19 version was joined, towards the end of the production run, by three training versions of the Anson, all of which had the metal wings and tailplane. These were the Anson T.Mk 20, which was a bombing trainer with a transparent nose to house the bomb-

Avro Nineteen, the

aircraft

aimer; the Anson T.Mk 21, which was a navigation trainer for the RAF; and the Anson T.Mk 22, equipped with radio positions 164

Avro also sold several Avro

overseas government users including the Irish Air Corps (three aircraft) and the Afghanistan police (12 examples). These latter aircraft were designated Anson Mk 18 but they were, essentially, little different from the standard Avro Nineteen. When the Anson eventually reached the end of its days with the RAF, a number were sold on the civil market. As with other types of surplus aircraft many of these were unable to gain a civil airworthiness certificate, but some went into operation as light freight transports carrying fruit and other cargo. Six Ansons were painted with red crosses and sent to carry out mercy airlift missions to help refugees in the 1968 Biafran War, and at least one crashed during these operations while others were abandoned at the Fernando Po airstrip following battle damage or lack of spare parts. Today, only a handful out of the 11,020 production aircraft are still in existence in the hands of museums and a few American private aircraft collectors. Nevertheless, there will be many wartime aircrew who will always harbour fond memories of 'Faithful Annie'. I9s to

of

II

for Air Ministry evaluation with

I

I

I

converted to Wright R-975-E-3 Whirlwind engines Anson V: Anson Mk with new moulded plywood Vidal fuselage with three porthole windows in each side of cabin; round powered by two 335-kW (450-hp) Pratt &

Mk

I

Whitney Wasp Junior R-985-AN12B engines, no gun turret Anson Mk VI: bombing and gunnery trainer version of Anson Mk V with Bristol Type Mk I

not built

Anson Mk

VIII:

proposed Canadian version,

not built

Anson Mk

IX: proposed Canadian version;

not built

Type 652 Mk Cheetah VI engines starboard side cabin entry door and AW 38 mid-upper gun turret fitted with single Lewis gun Anson Mk I: production version of Type 652A with enlarged cabin windows and Cheetah IX engines, together with other military equipment Anson Mk II: Anson Mk built by Federal Aircraft and fitted with 246-kW (330-hp) Jacobs L6MB nine-cylinder radial engines Anson Mk III: British-built Anson Mk converted to Jacobs engines in Canada Anson Mk IV: British-built Anson Mk

Avro 652A: development

mid-upper gun turret VII: proposed Canadian version,

Anson Mk

Anson Mk

X: Anson

Mk

I

with smooth

engine cowlings and strengthened interior for heavy loads Anson XI: Anson Mk X with raised cabin roof, hydraulic landing gear and flaps and Cheetah XIX engines with fixed-pitch

Mk

Fairey propellers XII:

Anson

Mk

Anson Mk

powered by

XI

Cheetah XV engines with constant-speed Rotol propellers

Avro Nineteen: Anson Mk XII with oval windows, improved soundproofing and RAF designation 19, nine-seat interior

internal trim,

Avro Nineteen Series

Anson C.Mk

2: Avro Nineteen

with longer-span tapered metal wings and metal tailplane; Mk 18 was special police patrol version for the Afghan police Anson T.Mk 20: Anson C Mk 19 with transparent nose for bomber training

Anson T.Mk

21: navigation trainer based on Anson C.Mk 19 for RAF in Southern Rhodesia, known as Anson T.Mk 22: radio trainer based on Anson C.Mk 19; final delivery 1952

Focke-Wulf Dubbed the 'Scourge of the Atlantic', the few Focke-Wulf Condors available to the Luftwaffe had an effect on the Allied war effort out of all proportion to their number. When the troublesome aircraft were actually airborne, they stalked the Atlantic convoys partnering the deadly U-boats, and by the end of the war they played an important part in the development of the new air-to-surface missiles. contrast with the belief that the Germans are painstakingly Inmethodical, must be remembered that the Nazis planned careit

fully for

World War

II

as a Blitzknig (lightning war) without con-

sidering the possibility that

it

might

last

for years.

A

deliberate

absentee from the Luftwaffe was a large long-range bomber and ocean reconnaissance aircraft. To some degree this stemmed from the death in 1936 of General Wever and his replacement as Luftwaffe chief of staff by Kesselring, but it was basic policy to concentrate on twin-engine tactical bombers (among other things, Goering could boast to Hitler of the hundreds built). So the Luftwaffe showed only cursory interest when the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 VI (first prototype) flew on 27 July 1937. In fact, the Fw 200 was the best long-range airliner in Europe, if not in the world. It resulted from discussions held by-Dipl. Ing. Kurt Tank, technical director of Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau of Bremen, and the board of DLH (Deutsche Lufthansa), the state airline, in the spring of 1936. For some time Tank had wished to design a modern long-range airliner to beat the Douglas DC-3 and replace the Junkers Ju 52/3m as the chief DLH equipment on trunk routes. What Tank finally decided to build was a four-engined aircraft with unprecedented range, able to fly the North Atlantic non-stop. This had been far beyond the capability of any previous payload-carrying aircraft, and Tank's objective was primarily for propaganda purposes. The basic requirement was the carriage of a crew of four and 26 passengers. Over 'European' ranges this could have been done by an aircraft of DC-3 size, but the Fw 200 was made much larger and powered by four engines, initially imported Pratt & Whitney Hornets of 652.5 kW (875 hp) each driving two-bladed VDM-Hamilton propellers. Aerodynamically the aircraft was outstanding, with no excrescences and a cantilever wing with an aspect ratio of 9.15 for

high range efficiency.

The wing was

built

as a horizontal centre-

section including the engines, with dihedralled and tapered outer panels. Structure

was stressed-skin throughout, with

flush riveting,

except for the fabric-covered wing aft of the rear spar and fabriccovered control surfaces. The latter were simple manual surfaces but with geared tabs and electrically-driven trim tabs. The split flaps

were

hydraulic.

Tank made a

special point of retracting

of the landing gear forwards, so that they

locked by

would

all

three units

free-fall

and be

The main wheels were distinctively carried ahead on swing-links with diagonal shock struts. Split flaps were

air drag.

of the legs

used, with skinning of Elektron (magnesium alloy).

Tank himself made the very successful maiden flight. The Fw 200 VI had nine wide Plexiglas windows along each side of the cabin, but was initially unfurnished and unpainted. Later it was registered D-AERE in DLH livery, with the name Saarland (which Hitler had

programme Tank had secured his board's agreement to three prototypes and nine Fw 200A-0 production aircraft, and these followed at rapid intervals. Few changes were needed apart from adding slight sweepback to the outer wings, revising the tail surfaces and switching to the licensed Hornet engine, the 132 (in 132G-1 form of 536.9 kW/720 hp). The Fw 200 V2 was delivered to DLH, while the Fw 200 V3 had a long career as D-2600 Immelmann III, Hitler's lately reoccupied). Right at the start of the

BMW

personal aircraft. Of the nine of

Denmark and two

Fw 200A series,

to Syndicate

two were

Condor Ltda

sold to

DDL

of Rio de Janeiro.

Though Deutsche Lufthansa received at least nine Condors, it never" had more than four on strength at any one time. D-AMHC Nordmark, seen here, was the fifth prototype (also designated Fw 200A-03) and it operated on DLH services such as to Barcelona until being written off in 1943. Note the single main wheels.

Focke-Wulf Condor The Fw 200 V1 (first prototype) was originally D-AERE Saarland, but was repainted as

shown

for the record flight to York, with long-range tanks and redesignated as the Fw 200S. This flight, on 10/11 August 1938, was beyond the capability of any other civil transport flying in the world at that time.

New

D-ACON

Fw 200 VI was fitted with extra tankage and reD-ACON Brandenburg. Tank had specially secured the

In early 1938 the

painted as

RLM

propaganda purposes, and the (special). On 10 August 1938 it took off from Berlin-Tempelhof in the hands of Flugkapitane Henke and von Moreau. It made a remarkable non-stop flight against headwinds to Floyd Bennett airport, New York, covering the estimated 6558 km (4,075 miles) in 24 hours 55 minutes. The return was flown in 19 hours 47 minutes, the average of 330 km/h (205 mph) being just double the speed of the typical landplanes of Imperial Airways. On 28 November 1938 the same aircraft and pilots left to fly via Basra, Karachi and Hanoi to Tokyo, in a total elapsed time of only 46 hours 18 minutes. On the return, in a way never publicly explained, D-ACON ran out of fuel on the first leg and ditched near Manila. (air

ministry)

number 200

for

Fw 200 VI now became the Fw 200S

Condor over the Far East in

Japan the

Fw

BMW

a long-range reconnaissance version for the Imperial navy.

Tank was

eager to build this, because he was convinced such a machine could be useful to the Luftwaffe. He therefore picked the Fw 200 V10, the B-series prototype, for conversion. This was fitted with 60 per cent more fuel in fuselage cabin tanks, provision for over 2000 kg (4,409 lb) of cameras, flares, markers, dinghies and other mission equipment, and also with three 7.92-mm (0.3Tin) MG15 believed to have been the first photograph taken of a Condor in shows the Fw 200 V1 climbing out of Bremen on its first flight on 27 July 1937; at this time it had not been painted. Note the singlewheel main landing gear, common to all Condors prior to the oceanattack C-series. This

the

166

is

air. It

Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-4/U3 cutaway drawing key 1

2

Starboard navigation skinning

light

Wing

3 Starboard aileron 4 Aileron trim tabs 5 Outboard mamspar 6 Aileron control run 7

Wing

ribs (forward sectionl 9 Wing dihedral break point 10 Starboard flap (outer

12

13 14 15 16 17 18

ribs (centre sectionl

8 Wing

1

200 created intense interest. By this time the Bremen factory was in production with what was envisaged as 132Dc or 132H the standard version, the Fw 200B, with hp), and with appreciably engines of 633.8 or 618.9 kW (850 or 830 increased weights. No orders appeared forthcoming, however, because the Condor was too big and costly for the predominantly short-haul DLH network. Export sales were thus eagerly sought, five being ordered by Dai Nippon KK of Japan. This was soon followed by an order for two by Aero O/Y of Finland. In the event World War II prevented delivery of these aircraft, and the Fw 200Bs served in ones and twos with DLH and with the Luftwaffe KGrzbV 105. Attrition was high, only one aircraft, Fw 200B-2 Pommern, surviving the war. The penultimate DLH Condor, Fw 200B-2 Hessen, crashed on high ground while overloaded with the last Nazi leaders to escape from Berlin on 21 April 1945. There was a secret additional contract from Japan which called for While

machine-guns, one in a small dorsal turret above the trailing edge and the others firing to front and rear from a ventral gondola offset to the right. There was no bomb bay. In spring 1939 it suddenly looked as if Hitler's gambles might not win for ever, and that a war was a near-term prospect. Luftwaffe Chief of Staff Jeschonnek ordered Oberstleutnant Edgar Petersen, a

(angled)

20

Starboard flap (centre

21

section)

22

section)

fuel tank covers Inboard mamspar structure Starboard outer oil tank Multiple exhaust stubs Cooling gills Starboard outer nacelle

25 26 27 28

controllable-pitch metalbladed propeller Propeller boss Carburettor air intake Auxiliary fuel tank (66 Imp gal/300 litre capacity) Starboard inner nacelle

23 24 FuG200Hohentwiel

search radar array (port

antenna omitted

for clarity)

Nose D/'F loop Nose bulkhead Rudder pedals Hand-held

13-mm

131

machine-gun (D-Stand) 29 Lotfe7Dbombsightfairing 30 Ventral gondola side

19 Three-blade VDM

section)

Starboard flap (inner

Wing

windows (gondola of

f

set

to starboard)

31

Rear dorsal gunner's takeoff seat

32 33 34 35

Pilot's circular vision port First pilot's

Sliding

seat

windscreen panel

Co-pilot's seat (co-pilot

also served as aimer)

bomb-

36 Flight deck entry 37 Arc-of-fire interrupter gate 38 Cabin air inlet (starboard side only)

39 Hydraulically-operated Fw 1 9 turret mounting single 7.9-mmrvlG 15 machinegun (A-Stand) 40 Gunner's seat

i

F8+BB was one of the first Fw 200C-1 Condors with ventral gondola and full maritime patrol and bombing equipment. Assigned to Stab l/KG 40, it was painted with the unit badge just in time to ferry troops and equipment to Oslo/Gardermoen airport at the start of the invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940.

Focke-Wulf

Fw 200 variants

Fw 200 V1: prototype, Hornet S1E-G engines, later modified as Fw 200S-1 Fw 200 V2 and V3: prototypes with 132G-1, V3 completed as Hitler's

bomb

BMW

racks 1

1

.

strengthened structure. 200-hp) Bramo 323R-1 engines,

fuhrermaschine

bomb load. Fw MGlb beam guns

Fw 200A-0:

pre-production fourth to ninth prototypes most for DLH, plus 0Y-DAM and

Fw 200C-3/U1

-DEM for DDL and PP-CBI/CBJ for SCL Brazil Fw 200B: production transports with |Fw

Fw 200C-3/U2:

sed

200B-1) 633 8-kW (850-hpl BMW 132Dc and iFw 200B-2I 618.9-kW (830-hp) 132H, Japanese and Finnish aircraft completed for DLH/Luftwaffe as Fw-200B-2s Fw 200 V10: single aircraft for Japanese navy for armed reconnaissance, retained m

Germany Fw 200C-0: pre-production C-senes,

locally

:

HOI

provision for radar or

Fw 200C-4/U3: turret

Fw

carry

ventral gondola with FF and relocated near ventral gun 200C-2: reduced-drag wing and nacelle

Fw

MG

two

and

HDL

151 turret

Fw 200C-4/U1 and U2: two VIP transport conversions with short gondola, four MG15, no

long-chord cowlings, three-bladed constantspeed propellers; four unarmed transports, six with four bomb racks and three MG15 guns

200C-1: added

Ibl turret

Hohentwiel,

later

strengthened airframe, twin main wheels,

20-mm

19 turret plus

MG151 20 replacing MG FF Lotfe 7D sight, Fw 19 turret, MG131 instead of 151/20 Fw 200C-3/U3: dorsal guns both 13-mm (0 51-m) MG131 Forward gun in EDL 131 turret Fw 200C-3/U4: greater fuel capacity, two MG131 beam guns but turret reverted to Fw 19 Fw 200C-4: fitted with radar, initially Rostock

changed

Fw 200C-6:

to

for

bombs

fitted

Fw

with Hohentwiel radar,

19

conversions of C-3/U1 and C-4 to

Hs 293A

missiles

Fw 200C-8 and designed

81

through structure 57 Rear ventral gunner's take-

82 Ruddor balance 83 Rudder construction 84 Electrically-operated

off seat

Fw 200C-3: A

56 Mamspar fuselage carry-

C-8/U10:

Hs 293A,

final

series

plus Hohentwiel

58 Upper fuselage longeron 59 Mainframe 60 Cabin ventilators/air extractors 61 Fuselage sidewalls 62 Ammunition racks (CStand) 63 Second radio operator's take-off seat

64 Strengthened fuselage frame 65 Dorsal D/F loop

Tailfin structure

rudder trim tab lupper

85

section) Electrically-operated rudder trim tab (lower section)

I

13

114

nqine mount

I

BMWBumii323R-2 I

afnir nine-cylindei radial

air-cooled engine 115 Propeller pitch mechanism 116 Three-blade VDM controllable-pitch metalbladed propeller 117 Carburettor air intake

86 Rudder post 87 Tailwheel mechanism access panel 88 Tail cone 89 Aft navigation light 90 Elevator tab

118 Twmmainwheels 119 Forward-retracting

91

121

92

Port elevator Electrically-operated elevator tab (port only)

hydrauhcally-operated main undercarriage

member 120 Retraction |ack 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132

Mainwhcel well Mainwhccldoor

Wing structure Mamspar Wing fuel tanks Flap structure Port flap (contre section)

Wing dihedral break point Port outer oil tank Port outer nacelle (angled)

Propellerboss

Semi-recessed 551 -lb bomb beneath outboard nacelle (250-kg)

133 Position 41

49 Underfloor control runs 50 Cabin window stations (staggered two to port and

Ammunition racks (AStand)

42 Bulkhead 43 Radio operator's

three to starboard) 51 Underfloor structure 52 Fuselage oil tank

rectangular vision port

44 Ventral gondola entry hatch

45 Radio operator's station (AStand gunner's station) 46 Ammunition racks IDStand)

47 Ammunition racks (DStand)

48 Ventral gondola centre sectionlwith maximum capacity of one 1 98 Imp gal '900

litre

armoured

fuel

tankor12110-lb/50-kg

bombs)

53 De-icmg fluid reservoir 54 Aerial mast 55 Five main fuselage fuel tanks (canted)

134 135 136 137 138 139 140

of 1.1 02-lb (500kg) bomb on outboard nacelle rack (external) Port underwing bomb rack

551 -lb (250-kg) Pitothead

Wing

bomb

skinning Port aileron Aileron trim tabs Electrically-operated aileron trim tab (port only)

168

Last of the Condor sub-variants, the Fw 200C-8/U10 contrived to carry far more than the first versions and still stay in one piece! This example, one of a mere handful completed in early 1944, is shown in fourletter factory codes, which have

been replaced by a Luftwaffe letter/number code after receipt by KG 40. The obvious features of this late version include the big HDL 151 forward turret, two Hs 293A anti-ship missiles, and FuG 200 Hohentwiel search radar. Note that the outboard engines are toed out at 90 to the leading edge.

Specification

Focke-Wulf

Fw 200C-3/U-4 Condor

Type: long-range reconnaissance bomber Powerplant: four 895-kW (1,200-hp) BMW-Bramo 323R-2

Fafnir nine-

cylinder radial piston engines

Performance: maximum speed 360 km/h (224 mph); cruising speed 335 km/h (208 mph); service ceiling 6000 m (19,685 ft); range 3560 km (2,212 miles); endurance 14 hours Weights: empty 17005 kg (37,490 lb); maximum take-off 24520 kg (50,057

lb)

Dimensions: span 32.85 height 6.30

m

(20

ft

8

in);

m

(107

ft

9V«

in);

wing area 119.85

length 23. 45

m2

m

(1,290.10 sq

(76

ft 11

Vi in);

ft)

MG 131 machine-guns in dorsal and beam one 20-mm MG 151 cannon in forward ventral gondola; maximum bombload of 2100 kg (4,630 lb) comprising two 500-kg (1,102-lb), two 250-kg (551-lb) and 12 50-kg (110-lb) bombs Armament: positions,

four

and one

13-mm

MG

(0.51-in)

131 or

169

Focke-Wulf Condor Posed this

in front

of

'their'

Condor, which already has

KG 40 crew reviews their map details

engines turning,

its

before leaving Bordeaux-

Merignac on another long mission. rear dorsal cockpit with a fold-over hood and the third fired from a rear ventral hatch. An offensive load of four 250-kg (551-lb) bombs could be carried, two hung under the enlarged outer nacelles and the others on racks immediately outboard under the roots of the outer

wings. Production continued immediately with the Fw 200C-1, which was planned as the definitive version though it still had a weak structure, very vulnerable fuel

armour except behind the features. The main addition

system

(especially

from below), no

many inconvenient Fw 200C-1 was a ventral gondola,

captain's seat and to the

Japanese Fw 200 V10 but longer in order to provide room for a weapon bay (which was normally used to carry a cement bomb with 250-kg/551-lb ballistics dropped as a check on bomb-sight settings). At the front of the gondola was a 20-mm FF aimed with a ring-and-bead sight mainly to deter any AA gunners aboard the enemy ships. At the rear was an MG15 replacing the previous ventral gun. The only other change was to replace the forward turret by a raised cockpit canopy with a hand-aimed MG15 firing ahead. offset as in the

MG

very experienced pilot, to form a squadron which could sink ships out in the Atlantic, on which the obvious enemies, France and especially the UK, would depend during a war. The problem was that there was no suitable aircraft. The intended machine, the Heinkel He 177, was years from combat duty. The only answer seemed to be the 'Japanese'

As

in

Fw 200 V10.

RLM

commercial transport, which

Normal crew numbered

five: pilot, co-pilot and three gunners, being the engineer and another the overworked radiooperator/navigator. There was plenty of room inside the airframe, and all crew stations had provision for heating and electric light, but

one of the

the case of the Ju 52/3m, Dornier Do 17 and several other was faced with botching up a combat aircraft from a

types, the

Operational experience

is ironic,

because British observers

thought at the time the Luftwaffe was busily developing bombers in the false guise of civil aircraft. The Fw 200 was fundamentally unsuited to its new role because it had been designed to operate at lighter weights and at civil load factors. The airframe would hence-

have to operate from rough front-line airstrips with heavy loads and weapons, and in combat would certainly have to 'pull g' in tight turns or dive pull-outs, and all at low level in dense air. The Bremen stressmen did what they could to beef up the structure, but this consisted of a few local reinforcements which added just 29 kg (63.9 lb) to the airframe weight. Ideally they should have started again, but the proposed Fw 200C-series was almost immediately accepted when it was offered in August 1939. A pre-production batch of 10 Fw 200C-0 aircraft was ordered just after the start of the war, and by agreement as many as possible were modified from B-series transports already on the line. The first four had to be delivered as Fw 200C-0 transports. Their only modifications were to introduce twin-wheel main gears, long-chord cowlings with gills and various internal equipment items. All four were delivered just in time for the forth

of fuel

last

start the crews of Petersen's new maritime unit, Kampfgeschwader (KG) 40, were unhappy with the Condor's structural integrity and lack of armament. There is no evidence any Condors were delivered to any prior combat unit, as sometimes stated, but only to the transport Gruppe already mentioned. KG 40 was henceforth to be virtually the sole Fw 200C operating unit. There were never to be enough Condors to go round. Focke-Wulf was well aware of the demand, and organised dispersed manufacture at five plants with final assembly at Bremen and Cottbus, and also by Blohm und Voss at Finkenwerder. It is thus a reflection on the frustrations of the programme, which did not enjoy top priority, that by the termination in February 1944 only 252 Fw 200C Condors had been built. Moreover, because of high attrition, KG 40 never had full wing strength and seldom had more than 12 aircraft available. Indeed,

from the

more than

half the aircraft delivered in the first

year suffered major

structural failure, at least eight breaking their backs

The

on the

airfield.

missions by 1/KG 40 were flown from Danish bases from April 8 1940 against British ships. In late June the Geschwader was transferred to Bordeaux-Merignac, which was to be the main base first

Norway in April 1940. The remaining six Fw 200C-0s were given the locally reinforced structure and simple armament comprising three MG15s, one in a

until

small (almost hemispherical) turret behind the flight deck, one in a

wall and normally

The sole Focke-Wulf Condor to wear British civilian markings, this was previously OY-DAM of Danish Air Lines. It subsequently

CE+IB, seen here with the yellow theatre band of the Eastern Front, was one of two transport Condors - FW 200C-4/U1 (illustrated) and U2 - built in 1942. These had all regular C-4 improvements but only had four 7.92-mm (0.31-in) MG15 guns, two in small dorsal turrets and two in a short gondola. There were 11 passenger seats.

invasion of

aircraft

served for a short time with the Royal Air Force in 1941 before being written off. Note the increased size of the fin and rudder compared with the prototype.

170

it

had to be evacuated

in

autumn 1944.

Initially,

from July 1940,

the Condors simply added their small offensive weight to the Luft-

UK, usually flying a wide sweep west of Cornwest of Ireland, dropping four bombs and heading

waffe's assault on the

,

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-3/U2 was readily identified by the bulge in the gondola for the Lofte ID bombsight. Fitting this accurate device necessitated a reorganisation of the ventral armament. a major redesign with a real attempt to cure the structural problems despite even higher weights; the attempt did not quite sue Bramo Fafnir 323R-2s, with water-inceed. Kngines were

was

BMW

jection rating of 894.8

kW

(1,200 hp).

The bombload was

increased

by clearing the nacelles to 500 kg (1,102 11)) each and adding 12 SC50 bombs of 50 kg (110 lb) each in the gondola. The forward dorsal blister was replaced by an Fw 19 turret (one MG15) and two more MG15s were aimed through sliding panels in each side of the rear fuselage, crew rising to six. The Fw 200C-3/U1 at last gave real defensive firepower with an MG151/15 in an HDL151 forward turret and the FF was replaced by an MG151/20, but the big turret reduced top speed at sea level from some 305 km/h (190 mph) to little over 275 km/h (171 mph). In 1911 only 58 Condors were built, these including the Fw 200C-3/U2 with the complex but extremely accurate Lotfe 71) bombsight, which caused a prominent bulge under the front of the gondola and necessited replacement of the cannon by a 13-mm (0.51in) MG131. Most Fw 200C-3/U2s also reverted to the small Fw 19

MG

Next came the Fw 200C-3/U3 whose dorsal armament comtwo MG131s, one in an EDL131 forward turret and the other in the manually aimed rear position. The Fw 200C-3/U4 had increased internal fuel, bringing maximum weight to 22700 kg (50,045 lb), which the reinforced airframe could just manage. The beam guns were changed for MG131s, giving much greater firepower, but the forward turret went back to the Fw 19. turret.

prised

Standard and special versions Norway, making the return trip a day or two later. At least two were shot down, though a pilot of No. 87 Sqn, who unusually caught a Condor on the direct run to Plymouth, ran out of ammunition so for

continued to intercept on camera-gun film only. From August the Condors got on with their real task and within two months had been credited with 90,000 tonnes of British shipping. On 26 October they

made

headlines for the first time when Oberleutnant Bernhard Jope and crew found the 42,348-ton Empress of Britain south west of Donegal. Their bombs crippled the liner, which was then torpedoed by a U-boat. By 9 February 1941 1/KG 40's claim had reached 363,000 tonnes. By this time it had been joined by two further Staffeln, totalling a nominal 36 aircraft.

Tackling the problems In the winter of 1940-41 Cottbus delivered a

If any sub-type can be considered 'standard' it was the Fw 200C-4, from February 1942, which added search radar, initially the preproduction Rostock and then the standard FuG 200 Hohentwiel, the latter giving blind-bombing capability. Oddly, the Fw 200C-4 went back to the HDL151 turret and MG15s elsewhere except for the front of the gondola, which had the MG131 or MG151/20 depending on whether or not the Lotfe 7D was fitted. Two 'specials' in 1942 included the Fw 200C-4/U1 and Fw 200C-4/U2 transports, with VIP interiors and just four MG15s. The former, flown in 1945 at Farnborough, was Himmler's personal transport, the Gestapo chief having a vast leather chair with heavy armour and a personal escape hatch. In early 1943 some Fw 200C-3s were modified to launch and guide the Hs 293A anti-ship missile, which was hung under the outer

The associated Kehl/Strassburg radio guidance installation was in the nose and front of the gondola. These missile carriers were designated Fw 200C-6, and the last few Condors to be built, in the winter of 1943-44, were Fw 200C-8s specially designed to carry the nacelles.

few interim

Fw

200C-2 Condors whose main improvement was scalloped outer wing racks, the former also being plumbed for small (300-litre/66-Imp gal) external tanks. The big advance came with the Fw 200C-3, first flown in February 1941. This

nacelle racks and low-drag

The initial production reconnaissance model of the Condor for Luftwaffe service was the Fw 200C-1. This picture clearly shows the ventral gondola and forward dorsal blister toting MG15 machine-guns, and similar armament in the rear dorsal position. Bombs could be hung beneath the enlarged outer nacelles.

Hs 293 and

with deeper outboard nacelles and a longer forward sec-

tion to the gondola.

This Condor, F8+GH, was photographed serving with l/KG 40 in Greece in 1942. It does not carry the white Mediterranean theatre band and was probably on temporary detachment. It is apparently an Fw 200C-3, for it has large wing stores attachments, an MG 151/20 in the front of the gondola and Fw 19 turret.

171

Differing from the

Focke-Wulf Condor

having

Fw 200

V1

in

BMW engines (though

basically a licensed Hornet)

and enlarged vertical tail, the Fw 200 V3 was taken on Luftwaffe strength as D2600, the Fuhrermaschine for the use of Hitler and other top Nazis. It went through three changes of livery before receiving wartime

camouflage. Its base was Berlin-Tempelhof.

In 1940 the

Bremen

delivered four

factory

Fw 200C-0

transports. These were not only the first batch of Condors for the Luftwaffe but also the first with long-chord cowls, threebladed propellers and twinwheel main gear. X8+BH is

shown on Stalingrad supply duties from Zaporozhye with

KGrzbV200

in

Had such

January

1943.

been available in 1940, the 'Scourge of the Atlantic' would have been much more deadly even than it was. Fortunately, while the weak early Condors were almost unopposed, the improved models had a very hard time, from ship AA guns, from Grumman Martlets (Wildcats) based on escort carriers and, not least, from the CAM (catapult-armed merchantman) Hawker Hurricanes, which scored their first kill on 3 August 1941. Even a Short Sutherland could catch a Condor and shoot it down, and from 1942 Condors tried never to come within the radius of Coastal Command

^

aircraft

n 172

r \ f

m

T

1 II

The Fw 200C-4 was once again fitted with a HDL 151 turret behind the and this aircraft carries a 20-mm MG151 cannon in the gondola, signifying that it is not fitted with a Lofte 7D bomb-sight. cockpit,

J^S*vl

IS

BR

and de Havilland Mosquitoes. In addition, their effectiveness was hampered not only by poor serviceability, but also by repeated urgent calls to undertake transport duties in various theatres, including Stalingrad. KG 40 was disbanded in autumn 1944, its Biscay bases having been captured, and the few surviving Condors finished the war as rarely used transports. Bristol Beaufighters

^

^

B-24 Liberator Just as the Handley Page Halifax was overshadowed in the UK by its partner, the Avro Lancaster, so the B-24 never gained the popular appeal of its USAAF partner, the Boeing B-17. In fact the B-24 was newer, more efficient, built in far greater numbers and, unlike the B-17, served on every front in World War II.

More

effort, more aluminium and more aircrew went into the Liberator than into any other flying machine ever built. Nothing better underlines American industrial might than the fact

that the prototype Liberator did not e\ en By until after the beginning

of World

War II. and the last

the assembly liveries of

line

(except for the

before the end of the war; yet,

some 15 major variants

spares. This

PB4Y-2 model) came off in

between, de-

totalled 18,188, or 19,203 including

compares with 12,731 B-17s and 7,366 Lancasters. of the Liberator were in proportion to

The accomplishments

its

astronomic quantities; and, particularly in the matter of range, which to some degree stemmed from its having an unusually efficient wing, the Liberator gave the Allies capabilities they would not otherwise have possessed. Early in the war the first Liberators, in RAF markings,

were the

first aircraft in

history to

make North Atlantic crossmore developed version

ings a matter of everyday routine. In 1942 a

closed the gap in the Western North Atlantic where U-boats had been able to operate beyond the range of other RAF aircraft. On countless occasions Liberator formations made attacks on targets that could be reached by no other Allied bomber until the advent of the B-29. Though primarily a heavy bomber, the Liberator was also a most effective fighter (in that it shot down something like 2,600

at last

enemy

the leading Allied oceanic patrol and anti-submarine and the leading Allied long-range cargo transport.

aircraft),

aircraft,

A demanding aircraft At the same time

was

most complicated and advanced machine, leading to prolonged pilot training programmes and on occasion to severe attrition. Not only was it demanding to fly, even to a pilot fully qualified on the type, but it was eventually cleared to operate at such high weights that take-offs became marginal even with full power on all engines. Flight stability was also marginal, and escape from a stricken machine was extremely difficult once the pilot or pilots had let go of the controls. Moreover, though more modern and in most ways more efficient than the B-17, the overloaded latemodel B-24s were hardly any improvement over their more primitive partners, and several commanders, including 'Jimmy' Doolittle, famed commanding general of the 8th Air Force, preferred the old it

a

B-17.

The most famous of all the B-24's many missions were those aimed against the great oil refineries at Ploesti in Romania. Here B-24Js of the US 15th Air Force drone through heavy flak defences above the Concrida Vega refinery during the raid of 31 May 1944.

B-24 Liberator

One

of the puzzle B-24s

VIP transport serving

is this at Boiling

Washington, in autumn Said to be Army Air Corps 40-2369, it is also described as an LB-30B, diverted from British contract and with the British Field, 1941.

roundels painted over (one is visible). The puzzle is that 40-2369 was from the start a B-24A on US contract!

Whereas the first Liberators in action were RAF Coastal

Command CR.Mk Is

in

June

1941,

with the short fuselage, four cannon in the belly and ASV.Mk la radar, this GR.Mk V was the fully updated Coastal derivative of the B-24D, with increased outer-wing fuel, chin radar, Leigh

(under right wing) and extensive oceanic equipment. light

In fact the B-24s might have been B-17s, because in October 1938 Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was asked if it would set up a second-source production line of the Boeing bomber. Consolidated had moved just three years earlier from icy Buffalo in New York state to sunny San Diego in California, and was well placed to expand its large new plant. But chief engineer Isaac M. 'Mac' Laddon had

made

already

studies for long-range

bombers and was confident

of

producing a superior design. Part of this confidence rested on the wing patented by David R. Davis: this had a particularly deep section, with sharp camber and a reflex curve on the underside, and was almost as slender as the wing of a sailplane. Tunnel tests confirmed

navigator and bombardier

in

the front and a side-by-side cockpit

further back with a stepped windscreen. serial

39-680)

December In

made

a successful flight

The

first

XB-32 (US Army

from Lindbergh Field on 29

1939.

through the bomb-bay

This prototype was modern and impressive rather than beautiful, with a deep and stumpy fuselage and very large oval fins and rudders contrasting with the graceful wing. The engines were 82TkW (1.100-hp) Pratt

&

Whitney R-1830-33 Twin Wasps with geared

it was planned to fit turbosuperchargers later speed from the achieved 439 km/h (273 mph) to

superchargers, though

Davis's claim that this wing offered from 10 to 25 per cent less drag

to increase the

than ordinary wings, but no full-scale wing had flown. Laddon had de-

beyond the contractual figure. Each of the bomb-bays could carry 1814 kg (4,000 lb) of bombs, with a catwalk down the centre to provide structural strength and crew access to the rear fuselage. To enter the aircraft the usual drill was to flick a small hydraulic lever on the right side of the bay. This opened the bomb doors, which rolled up the outside of the fuselage like a roll-top desk, the moving sections driven by large sprockets working directly on the corrugated inner stiffening skins. Then the crew of seven climbed onto the catwalk, the pilots, navigator, bombardier and radio operator going forwards and three gunners aft. Armament comprised five hand-held machine-guns. Apart from the general complexity of the systems, and the extremely advanced Minneapolis-Honeywell autopilot, features included 12 flexible fuel cells in the wing, Fowler flaps and unusual main gears comprising single legs curved round the outside of single very large wheels which retracted hydraulically outwards to lie flat in the wing, where the wheel projected below the undersurface and needed a fairing. In March 1939 the US Army Air Corps ordered seven YB-24s, and these were delivered in 1940 with additional fuel and equipment and pneumatic de-icer boots, but without fixed outer- wing slots. Only a month later, in April 1939, the French ordered 175 Model 32s in a version designated 32B7, but that country collapsed before delivery and the UK took on this contract, whilst ordering 165 on its own account. Of the 165, 25 were retained by the US Army and eventually 139 were delivered to the RAF as the LB-30 (Liberator British type 30), with the British designation Liberator Mk II. These were developed to British requirements and had self-sealing tanks, ample armour, R-1830-S3C4G engines driving Curtiss instead of Hamilton

signed a giant flying-boat, the Model 31, and this was to fly in spring 1939 with a Davis wing. Pending its measured drag figures he quickly

drew

a

heavy bomber with the same wing and

tail

but a

new fuselage

with a futuristic smooth nose and tricycle landing gear.

Under the

mid/high-mounted wing were two bomb-bays, each as large as that of a B-17.

The commanding general

of the

US Army

Arnold, studied the plans of the Model 32

Air Corps, H. H. 'Hap'

in

to go ahead, and "build a bomber that rivals." Consolidated received a contract

Laddon

January 1939 and told will fly the skin off any for

the

Model 32,

designated XB-24, on 30 March 1939. It was to be able to reach 483km/h (300 mph), 10670 (35,000 ft) and 4828 km (3,000 miles). The Model 31 flying-boat flew on 5 May 1939, and met the promised drag figures. Design of the Model 32 went ahead quickly

m

though

A

it

was

drastically altered to

have a conventional nose with the

beautiful portrait of the Consolidated Model 32 (XB-24) prototype taken from an accompanying chase aircraft on 29 January 1940, just a month after the first flight. This aircraft, USAAC 39-680, had no turbos on its Twin Wasp engines and had an armament of six manuallyaimed 7.62-mm (0.3-in) calibre machine-guns, all in single mounts.

propellers, a lengthened nose, and completely re-thought equip-

ment including 11 7.7-mm

(0.303-in)

Browning guns, eight of them in

mid-upper and tail Boulton Paul electric turrets. Serial numbers began at AL503. The second LB-30 was completed as the unique VIP personal transport of Prime Minister Churchill, with the name Commando, unpainted bright finish and (in 1943) the tall single fin also used on the US Navy RY-3 transport and PB4Y-2 (its designation

174

was Liberator C.Mk

IX).

This B-24D-1-CO was the first of type to fall into enemy hands (by landing by mistake in Sicily in February 1943, soon before that island was captured). It is shown after application of the Axis white theatre band and Italian tail insignia. The colour was actually 'desert pink' and the tail had carried an RAF-type flash. its

One of the last B-24s to get into action, this B-24J-190 (44-40973, rolled out of the San Diego plant about three days after the production-line photo was taken) was given a particularly flamboyant paint job by the 43rd Bomb Group operating against the Japanese mainland from le Shima in the spring of 1945. The dorsal turret was omitted. In parallel, Consolidated delivered the

French order, converted instruments and gear and known as the LB-30MF. RAF serial numbers of these began at AM258, and the basic designation was Liberator Mk I. Deliveries began in March 1941 and these aircraft served in many roles, including crew training, military transport, Atfero (Atlantic Return Fern- Service) transport between Prestwick and Montreal, civil ROAC services (joint RAF

nine B-24Cs (ordered as B-24As) delivered in 1941, which also had two American power turrets, a Consolidated in the tail and a Martin just aft of the cockpit, each with two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns, as well as three hand-held 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns in the nose and waist posi-

and civil registration) mainly on the route round Europe to Egypt, and with Coastal Command on long-range patrol, some aircraft having a belly installation of four 20-mm cannon firing ahead in

Hamilton of 3.53 m/11 ft 7 in diameter, with no spinner). As modified, the prototype became the XB-24B, other changes including self-sealing tanks and armour. These changes were all incorporated

The B-24C was the basis of the first mass-produced variant, the B-24D, which had Dash-43 engines, two further nose guns plus a tunnel ventral gun (10 12.7-mm/0.5-in guns in all), increased outerwing tanks and a bomb load of 3992 kg (8,800 lb), or as an overload with reduced fuel eight 726-kg (1,600-lb) bombs (total 5806 kg/12,600 lb). From the start the B-24D was cleared to 25402 kg (56,000 lb) and by mid-1942 it was operating at 27216 kg (60,000 lb), making it the heaviest aircraft in production in the USA (the Halifax and Lancaster had just been cleared to the same weight). Plans were rushed ahead for production on a scale never before seen. The San Diego plant had already been approximately tripled in size. A vast new factory was built in 1941 outside Fort Worth, Texas, with a main hall 1219 m (4,000 ft) long and 97.5 m (320 ft) wide. A few miles away at Dallas an almost equal facility was built for North American Aviation, which among other types built the B-24G. By July 1942 Douglas was in volume production at Tulsa, and back in 1941 the largest factory in the United States had been started for Ford Motor Co. at Willow Run, near Detroit, Michigan. Consolidated hired two

This Liberator Mk III, with British Boulton Paul tail turret, was one of the counterparts of the B-24D. the first major production version. Seen here with No. 59 Sqn, RAF Coastal Command, they at last had the range to close the gap in the Western Atlantic, where U-boats had previously been beyond aircraft range.

Production of the B-24 far outstripped that of any other bomber in history, even though by World War II standards the aircraft was incredibly complicated. Here a few of the B-24J-145-CO block are seen on the line at San Diego, and this plant was a tiddler compared with Fort Worth and the gigantic Ford facility at Willow Run.

from metric

to

RAF

serials

ASW weapons and ASV Mk radar. The much Mk II Liberators also served with Coastal Command but were

addition to normal

better

I

employed mainly as bombers in the Middle East and India. Thus all early deliveries went to the UK, but the US Army Air Corps (US Army Air Force from June 1941) received nine (of an order for 36) B-24As which introduced hand-held 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns but retained Dash-33 engines. The turbocharged Dash-41 engine first flew on the original prototype in late 1940 in characteristic oil

new

cowlings of flattened oval shape, with the

air

ducts and

coolers along the sides and the exhaust piped to the turbocharger

on the underside of the nacelle under the wing. To absorb the power at high altitude, paddle-bladed propellers

were

fitted (invariably a

in

tions.

Production on a vast scale

175

B-24 Liberator San Diego merely to teach Ford 90,000 B-24 drawings 1942 Willow Run terminology. By August to auto-industry style and was on stream, producing 200 complete B-24s each month, plus a further 150 sets of parts for other assembly lines. floors of the Spreckels

Theater

engineers and to assist

them

in

to convert over

Into service with the Navy The B-24D saw service in every theatre, and in 1942-43 was by far the most important long-range bomber in the Pacific area. By late equipped 15 anti-submarine squadrons (using radar-equipped aircraft) all round the North Atlantic. In July 1942 the US Navy was permitted to share B-24 deliveries, and in August 1943 the Army ASW squadrons were transferred to the US Navy, which eventually operated 977 PB4Y-1 Liberators as well as large numbers of RY-1 1942

it

from a special detachment under Colonel H. A. Halverson, which formed the nucleus of the 9th Air Force. Many others went to 8th Air Force bomb groups in England, making their first mission agains Lille on 9 October 1942. No fewer than 37 RAF squadrons operated the equivalent Liberator Mks III (British purchase) and IILA (Lend Lease), mostly with the Martin top turret but retaining the Boulton Paul tail turret with four 7. 7-mm(0.303-in) guns, in Coastal, Bomber

and Far East Commands. Coastal Command also used the Mk V with chin and retractable ventral radars, ASV arrays, Leigh light, extra fuel and much special equipment which sometimes included eight forward-firing rockets carried on stub wings on each side of the for-

Sever

ward

Somt

need

corre-

Consolidated B-24J Liberator cutaway drawing key 37 Starboard manuallyoperated waist-gun

Rudder trim tab Fabric-covered rudder Rudder hinges (metal leading-edgel Starboard tailfin

East Indies and went into production at the new Fort Worth plant in Named Liberator Express, the C-87 and RY family had 20 easily removed seats and tie-downs for up to 4536 kg (10,000 lb) of cargo loaded through a 1 83-m (6-ft) square door on the left side at

in/12 7

Leading-edge de-icing boot Starboard rudder horn Rudder push-pull tube

41

8 Rear navigation light 9 Tailplane stringers

.

(0

5

mm)

38 Waist' position (open) 39 Wind deflector plate 40 Waist' position hinged cover Port manually-operated waist -gun (0 5 in/12 7

mm) 42 Dorsal aerial 43 Ball-turret stanchion

was kept at the tail for a while but from late 1942 the transports were unarmed. The RAF designation was Liberator C Mk VII The C-87A/RY-1 was a VIP model with a luxurious interior normally seating 16. The C-87B was an armed transport while the C-87C/RY-3/Liberator C.Mk IX was a 1943 model with a tall the rear; a single gun

support

beam

.

,

single

fin,

lengthened fuselage and oval cowlings with the major axis

upright, the air trunks being at top and bottom.

Total production of the B-24D, excluding transports, was 2,738, 2,409 of these coming from San Diego. The most famous exploit of this model was the first of several long-range attacks on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, on 11-12 June 1942 by a dozen aircraft

On a combat mission it was usual to cruise with waist positions ready for instant action but with the ball turret retracted to reduce drag. In the nearest B-24H the ball-turret guns can be seen pointing vertically downwards. The unit appears to be the 451st Group, 49th Wing, 15th Air Force, operating in 1944 on the Italian front.

Bomb

I

(Salb

April 1942.

.

theB theB

with

Dutch

for long-haul transports in the evacuation of the

Almo:

transt

and RY-2 transports. These were the equivalent of the US Army C-87A and C-87, which were designed almost overnight as the result of the

fuselage.

serve*

Bomb

1

Consolidated (or Motor Products) two-gun

electrically-operated turret (0 5 m/1 2 7 mm) Elevator torque tube 12 Elevator trim tab 13 Elevator frame (fabric-

tail-

48 Cabin

1

covered) 14 Rudder trim tab

HF

electrically-operated

aerial

Tailf in

construction

20 Metal-covered

fixed

surfaces 21

Tailplane front spar Port elevator push-pull tube Elevator drive quadrant Elevator servo unit

22 23 24 25 Rudder servo unit 26 Ammunition feed track

turret (0 5 in/1 2 7 52 Turret actuation

27 Fuselage aft main fuse 28 Walkway 29 Signal cartridges 30 Longitudinal 7 -section stringers

ball-

mm)

61

D/F loop housing

62 63 64 65

Whip antenna Oxygen cylinders Aileron cable drum

Starboard flap extension cable Wing rib cut-outs 66 67 Wing centre-section carrythrough

68 Two 5-man

inflatable

dinghies

mechanism 53 Bomb-door actuation

69 Flap hydraulic

sprocket (hydraulicallyoperated) 54 Bomb-door corrugated

71

inner-skin

55 Bomb-bay catwalk (box

iack

70 Flap/cable attachments Hydraulically-operated

Fowler flap 72 Wing rear spar 73 Port mainwheel well and

mam

fairing

keel)

56 Bomb-bay catwalk channel support

(tail

turret)

31

floor

49 Tail-bumper operating |ack 50 Tail-bumper fairing 51 Briggs-Sperry two-gun

15 Tab control linkage 16 Rudder post 1 Light-alloy rudder frame 18 19

44 Ammunition box 45 Ball-turret stanchion 46 Midships window 47 Turret well

(bomb release

vertical

members

solenoids)

57 Bomb-door actuation track and rollers 58 Wing rear spar 59 Bomb-bay access tunnel 60 Fuselage mam frame/ bulkhead I"

Control cables

32 Fuselage intermediate secondary frames 33 Ammunition box 34 Aft fuselage camera installation

35 Lower windows 36 Waist-gun support mounting 158

74 Engine supercharger waste-gate 75 Three auxiliary self-sealing fuel cells (port and starboard)

76 Wing outer section 77 Aileron gear boxes

176

J*\

1

8

The US Navy came into the programme in July 1943, and not only began receiving PB4Y-1s but also took over the USAAF's antisubmarine B-24 squadrons. This aircraft was one of the definitive PB4Y-1s equivalent to a B-24J but with the Erco nose turret. It

operated from Dunkeswell, Devon, with VP-110. Many served well into the 1950s.

Several hundred Liberators served with the RAF in India.

Almost all the bombers were of the B.Mk VI model, equivalent to the B-24H, and B.Mk VIII, corresponding

to the B-24J. 290 were C.Mk VI or VIII transports. This B.Mk VI flew with No. 356 Sqn in No. 184 (Salbani) Wing.

Some

78 Flush-riveted smooth metal wing skinning 79 Fort statically-balanced aileron Ifabnc coveredl

80 Portwingtip 81

Port navigaton

K

93 Fuselage

mam

Irame/

bulkhead 94 Radio compartment starboard

%

95

Bomb

bay catwalk access

96 Radio operator

110 Navigator's chart table Navigator's compartment 1 1 starboard

window

112 Chart table

window

trap

light

82 Wing leading-edge de-iang boot

83

s position

97 Sound-insulation wall

1

lighting

13 Astro-dome

114 Consolidated (or Emersonl two-gun (0 5 in/ 1 2 7 mml electrically operated tul'tM

padding

98 Emergency escape hatch 99 Pilot's seat 100 Co-pilot's seat 101

Co-pilot s rudder pedals

102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Instrument panel Windscreen panels Compass housing Control wheel

109

Pilot

15 Turret seating 116 Optically-flalbomb-aiming panel 1

1

1

7

Nose side-glazing

Control wheel mounting Control linkage chain

Fuselage forward frame/bulkhead

mam

heads

Bombardier s prone couch 119 Ammunition boxes 120 Navigator's swivel seat 1 1

121

Navigator's compartment entry hatch (via nosewheel well)

122 Nosewheel well 123 Nosewheel door 124 Forward-retracting freeswivellmg nosewheel (selfaligning)

125 126 127 128 129

Cockpit floor support

130 Nosewheel retraction iack 131 Smooth-stressed Alclad fuselage skinning 132 Underfloor electrics bay

54 Spanwise wing stringers 155 Aileron trim tab (starboard only)

138 Undercarriage

front

pivoting shaft

139 Drag strut 140 Bendix scissors 141

front spar

1

front spar nacelle

load (max 8.000 lb/3630 kgl Internal

Wing

152 Wing leading-edge de-icing boot 153 All-metal wing structure

support

strut

Angled bulkhead structure

© Pilot Press Limited

(beneath

catwalk!

136 Nacelle/wing attachment 137 Wing

links

Nosewheel oleo

aerial

bomb-bay

149 Starboard mamwheel well and rear fairing 160 Fowler flap structure 151

'cheek' intakes

35 Ventral

1

cut-out

Mudguard Torque

Roll-top desk type bombbay doors (fourl nacelle Supercharger 1 34

133

bomb

142 Starboard mamwheel

56 Wing rear spar 157 Wing ribs (pressed and 1

built-up former)

158 Statically-balanced

aileron

(metal frame) 159 Starboard navigation 160 Wing-tip structure

light

177

^

G Specification Consolidated Vultee B-24D-85-CO Type: heavy bomber with crew of 10 Powerplant: four 895-kW (1,200-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp piston engines

radial

Performance: maximum speed 488 km/h (1,100

1730

ft)

km

(303 mph); initial climb 335 per minute; operating radius with 2268-kg (5,000-lb) bombload (1,080 miles)

Weights: empty 15413 kg (33,980 (60,000

m

lb);

maximum

take-off

27216 kg

lb)

Dimensions: span 33.52

m

(110

ft

in);

length 20.22

m

(66

ft

4

in);

height

wing area 97.36 m 2 (1,048 sq ft) Armament: one (usually three) 12.7-mm (0.5-in) nose gun, two 0.5-in in dorsal turret, two in tail turret, two in retractable ball turret and two in waist positions; plus a maximum internal bombload of 3629 kg (8,000 lb) 5.46

m

(17

ft 11 in);

This Liberator was a B-24D-85-CO, built at San Diego in 1942 and operated by the 15th Air Force's 47th Bomb Wing, 376th Bomb Group as Group Lead Ship. The 376th, The 'Liberandos took a wrong turning on the run in to the gruelling first mission to the Ploesti oilfields on 1 August 1943 and went straight for Bucharest, which had intense flak but few targets. The bombers were painted in desert pink, and like all North African-based aircraft had yellow-ringed insignia and RAF-style tail flashes. It so happens that Teggie Ann was the name of an equally famous B-24D (41-23754) which in the hands of the great 93rd Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force was the first B-24 of any type to fly over Hitler's Europe, to Fives-Lille steelworks on 9 October ',

1942.

179

B-24 Liberator

This B-24J was fitted with the bluff-fronted Emerson nose turret in place of the much more

common

Consolidated (which resembled the tail turret). After Lend-Lease RAF service in India it was passed to the Indian air force, the tail

number being

Indian (many also retained previous RAF numbers).

The B-24D was developed through

block

numbers up

to 170,

bringing in the Dash-65 engine and the Briggs-Sperry retractable place of the tunnel gun) which

ball turret (in

,

were

to remain standard

on subsequent bomber versions. Gross weight climbed to 32296 kg (71,200 lb), much heavier than any other Allied bomber except the B-29 and quite unanticipated when the B-24 was designed. Even the most gentle turns were best made on the autopilot; the controls were both very heavy and very sluggish, and at weights much in excess of 27216 kg (60,000 lb) any rapid manoeuvre (even to avoid a collision)

was

Over the

impossible.

Hump

and with an inert-gas safety system. Later models had Mareng bag tanks, and their main use was to ferry fuel 'over the Hump' from Burma into China, especially to support B-29 missions. The XF-7 was a rebuilt B-24D with extra tankage and a large installation of reconnaissance cameras, from which the later F-7 reconnaissance versions were derived, and two one-off experimental prototypes were the XB-24F and XB-41. The XB-24F was fitted with thermal de-icing, and it is surprising it was not adopted because the rubber-boot de-icers were useless if punctured by shell splinters and thousands of man-hours were wasted a single socket in the side of the fuselage

combat missions. The XB-41 was a 'destroyer' (escort fighter) carrying 14 guns in twin dorsal, chin and tail turrets and duplicated waist positions, and extra ammunition. One of the definite shortcomings of the B-24 in combat proved to be its vulnerability to head-on attack. At best there were only three hand-held guns in the nose, and despite progressive modification to the armour the internal protection was so poor that, both in Europe and over the Pacific Ocean, numerous waist gunners were killed by shells entering at the nose and often killing the pilots en route. Some pilots took to carrying slabs of sheet armour held in front of their bodies by hand during crucial periods. One B-24E (42-7127) was fitted with a nose turret and powered lateral barbettes low on the fuselage sides, flying in this form on 30 June 1943. By the time it flew the decision had been taken to make nose turrets standard, and the vast floods of orders for B-24D and B-24G models were switched to have turrets. North American's B-24G line had the turret from the start, the selected type being the Emerson A-15; 430 of the B-24G model were built. A new optical bombing station was built in under the turret, and to give the navigator sufficient room and house the 1,200 rounds of nose-turret ammunition the nose was extended by 0.254

them

after

m (10 in).

nose turret to an extended nose was the last major from mid-1943 the gigantic production machine poured out aircraft superficially almost identical. Those bought under 1941 and early 1942 contracts were designated B-24H, and the 738 built at Forth Worth retained the flat-fronted Emerson electric nose turret as used on the B-24G. The 1,780 built at Willow Run and I from Tulsa had the sloping-front Consolidated hydraulic turret, block being the last B-24s not to have the Dash-65 Fitting the

modification, and

i

180

Mk

VI, the

sions usually had the Boulton Paul

were

of different makes.

Made

RAF

tail

in

and Commonwealth ver-

turret, so that

much

all

four turrets

numbers than any merely a rationalised B-24G or larger

other variant, the B-24J was initially B-24H, with the new C-l autopilot and M-9 bombsight and, usually, the A-6A (Consolidated) or A-6B (Motor Products) nose turret. From spring 1944 all five plants delivered aircraft to USAAF service depots where any of a wide range of tail armament and equipment

schemes could be installed according to the destination theatre. Those for the US Navy, the PB4Y-1, which originally had a B-24Dtype nose, switched to the A-6A turret and then, for the main run in 1944, to the near-spherical Erco nose turret.

The B-24E (RAF Liberator Mk IV) had Curtiss propellers and was the first model built at Willow Run; later some B-24Es were made at Fort Worth and Tulsa. The C-109 was a gasoline tanker conversion of the B-24E (later of the B-24D also) able to carry 10978 litres/2,900 US gal (2,415 Imp gal) of fuel in metal tanks in the fuselage, linked to

carefully inspecting

engine. Called Liberator

From April 1944 B-24s

were unpainted, and the only significant modifications after that month were the introduction of the improved General Electric (B-22 type) turbocharger, giving higher performance at altitude, and a

M-6A twin-gun tail 'stinger' (basically manual, with hydraulic assistance, and with a wider field of fire than a lightweight Consolidated

turret)

which resulted

in

the designation B-24L. San Diego built 417

1,250. Some were again rebuilt as B-29 gunner trainers with that aircraft's complex remote sighting and barbette armament, with designation RB-24L; later they received additional radar as the post-war TB-24L. The many British variants were designated Liberator Mk VI, Coastal Command models being the GR.Mk VI and GR.Mk VIII (the C.Mk VII was a Liberator Express transport series and the C.Mk IX was similar to the US Navy of these, and Willow

RY-3 with the

tall

Run

single

fin).

New tail — new generations March 1943 Consolidated had merged with Vultee to form Conand the last major wartime variant was the B-24M with a lightweight Motor Products tail turret, Convair building 916 and Willow Run 1,677. Among the experimental versions were the XB-24P and In

vair,

XB-24Q with a radar-controlled remotely sighted tail which led to that fitted to the B-47. These were the last of the familiar models with the original tail. the Ford-built stinger,

Ship 42-107263 (the 107,263rd aircraft funded for the US Army Air Force in 1942) was a C-87-CF, one of the numerous unarmed long-range transport derivatives of the B-24. The basic airframe was that of the B-24D but the fuselage was redesigned for 25 passengers and there was a cargo door on the left side. Finish was olive-drab.

AL504, Commando, was the personal transport of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Built as the second Mk II in early 1941, it was converted to VIP use and in late 1943 returned to Convair for modification close to the standard of the US Navy RY-3, with longer fuselage and tall fin (but retaining non-elliptical nonturbocharged engine cowls).

As

back as 1942 it had been clear that a single fin would be on 6 March 1943 a converted B-24D flew with the fin and rudder of a Douglas B-23. After refinement the whole tail end of this machine was grafted onto another aircraft (42-40234, originally a B-24D but with a nose turret) to become the XB-24K. Ford also fitted 1007-kW (1,350-hp) Dash-75 engines, and the result was a bomber that was considerably faster, had more than double the fullload rate of climb and much better power of manoeuvre. Convair were busy with further major improvements including longer nacelles housing larger oil tanks, an Emerson ball nose turret and lightweight ball turret in the tail, a completely new cockpit window arrangement giving better pilot view, and a further refined tail, and this became the next standard model after the B-24J, the B-24N.

attachments, and there were extensive maritime sensors.

Thousands were ordered, the XB-24N flying in November 1944, but only seven YB-24Ns had flown when production stopped on 31 May

and ventral cannon installation Liberator Mk II: improved RAF bomber, longer nose, two Boulton Paul four-gun

far

better, and

1945, 5,168 being cancelled.

US Navy

had been developing an optimised the RY-3, low-rated engines without turbochargers and a further lengthened and completely re-arranged fuselage. Work began on 3 May 1943, and the first of the prototype PB4V-2 Privateers flew on 20 September that year. Absence of turbochargers resulted in the engine cowls being made oval vertically instead of horizontally, but the main differences lay in the capacious fuselage which resulted in an overall length of 22. 73 (74 ft 7 in) with accommodation for a crew of 11. Armament comprised 12 guns in a Consolidated tail turret, fore and aft Martin dorsal turrets, an Erco nose turret and Erco twin-gun waist blisters. The internal bomb-bay was basically that of the B-24, but ASM-N-2 Bat radar-homing anti-ship missiles could be carried on underwing Independently, the

patrol version with the

even

taller single fin of

m

Last of all the Liberator-type aircraft, the PB4Y-2 Privateer was a redesigned aircraft which flew long maritime patrol missions for the US Navy. Features included engine cowls elliptical vertically instead of horizontally, the tall single fin, Erco nose turret, waist blisters and a fuselage lengthened by 2.1 (7 ft).

m

A

total of

736 production Privateers was delivered by October 1945, some being converted into other versions including the PB4Y-1G for the Coast Guard, with no guns but more extensive glazing and a mass of special avionics. One variant, the P4Y-2K target, even survived to become the QP-4B under the 1962 unified designation system.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator variants (all

versions powered by four Pratt

& Whitney

R-1830 Twin

Wasp

XB-24: Model 32 prototype YB-24: seven pre-production with many small changes LB-30A: British transport versions similar to YB-24 but unarmed Liberator Mk I: various RAF models mainly converted in UK tor operationally ready variant LB-30: transport derivative of Liberator Mk II B-24A: first US Army version, with six 12.7-mm (0 5-in) used mainly as transports

14-cylinder radials)

Coastal

Command

guns but otherwise

with

ASV

radar

turrets, first

similar to Liberator

Mk

I.

XB-24B: Model 32

rebuilt with turbocharged engines in flattened elliptical cowlings used on most subsequent versions B-24C: production B-24B with new 12.7-mm (0-5-ml twin-gun turrets behind cockpit and in tail B-24D Liberator Mk III: first mass-produced version, progressively greater bomb load and armament, final blocks having three nose guns, two (rarely four) waist guns and twin guns in retractable ventral ball turret in addition to dorsal and tail turrets C-87 Liberator Express: ma|or rebuild of B-24D as transport, RAF Liberator C.Mk VII, US Navy

RV-2 XF-7: reconnaissance rebuild of B-24D B-24E: Ford-built variant with minor changes

XB-24F: prototype with thermal instead of pneumatic de-icers B-24G: lengthened fuselage with nose turret B-24H: mass-produced variant of B-24G with minor changes, RAF designation Liberator IV with extra fuel, radar, Leigh light, ASW Liberator GR.Mk V: RAF modification of Liberator Mk III

rockets and other additions C-109: various bombers (mainly

D and El rebuilt as fuel tankers B-24J: mass-produced bomber, standard production 1943-44, RAF Liberator included

C.Mk

VI and

Mk

VI, RAF rebuilds transports and Coastal GR.Mk VIII Navy models, initially equivalent to B-24D and later based on B-24J but

C.Mk VIII

PB4Y-1: wide range of US with spherical Erco nose turret and major equipment changes AT-22: advanced trainers, mostly rebuilt C-87s. later redesignated TB-24 C-87A: VIP sleeper passenger transport, US Navy RY-1 F-7: production strategic reconnaissance rebuild of B-24H. F-7A rebuild of B-24J with nose and bombbay cameras, F-7B rebuild of B-24J with all cameras in bomb-bay XB-24K: with experimental single-fin tail B-24L: production B-24J with twin manually-controlled tail guns B-24M: production B-24J with lightweight tail turret B-24N: new-standard production bomber with single fin, new nose and cockpit, and many other improvements PB4Y-2 Privateer: redesigned US Navy patrol aircraft with longer fuselage, very tall single fin, vertical-ellipse cowlings and new armament, transport relatives were C-87, RY-3 and Liberator C.Mk IX

Heinkel

He 177

Greif

The Luftwaffe failed to appreciate the value of strategic bombing, and began work on suitable designs too late to save the war. One of the few aircraft that did get off the ground was Heinkel's remarkable Creif. Not the most reliable of aircraft, it still managed some noteworthy missions, including pioneering air-to-surface missile work. the final three years of World War Hitler's Germany was Insteadily reduced to rubble by the greatest fleets of heavy bombers II

the world will ever see. In reply the mighty Luftwaffe fielded just one type of heavy bomber, which achieved very little except to frighten its crews to death (often literally). Not to put too fine a point on it, it suffered from problems.

RAF

and US Army Air Force was deeply imbued with the urge to deploy strategic airpower, the Luftwaffe was primarily a tactical force dedicated to support the Wehrmacht in its land battles. Moreover, when in 1936 (ioering was asked to back the launch of a heavy bomber, he explained the Fuhrer was only interested in how many bombers there were, not how big they were. At that time, the Berlin air ministry was supporting the development of a 'Ural-bomber' programme with two rival types, the Do 19 and Ju 89. Had these continued, they would have been obsolescent by World War II. This programme was cancelled in 1937, and replaced by a requirement called 'Bomber A' which it was hoped would lead to a better aircraft. This requirement demanded a maximum speed of 540km/h (335 mph) and the ability to carry a 2000 kg (4,4101b) bombload over a radius of 1600 km (995 miles) at a cruising speed of 500 km/h (310 mph) - challenging figures. To make matters much more difficult it also required the capability of making medium-angle

To be

frank, while the

diving attacks.

Ernst Heinkel Projekt 1041

AG

was

was given the

job, without competition,

and

Under Technical Giinter twin brothers planned a bomber

The

mid-mounted wing had high aspect ratio, for maximum efficiency, and under it was room for a large bomb bay. Clearly, power had to come from four engines of about 895.2 kW (1,200 hp) or two of 1790.4 kW (2,400 hp), but there were no 1790.4 kW (2,400 hp) engines. Boldly,

in

partnership with Daimler-Benz, Heinkel had de-

He 119, powered by a DB 606 double engine comprising two DB 601 inverted-V12 engines side-by-side joined through a common gearbox to a single propeller. Two of these were to power the new heavy bomber, clearly offering lower drag and better manoeuvrability than four separate engines. To reduce signed a dive bomber, the

drag further it was planned to augment the engine cooling by using surface condensation of steam in sandwich panels forming part of the wing skin. There were to be four main landing gears, one retracting inwards and another outwards under each engine to lie in the wing

ahead of the main spar. Defensive guns were to be in remotely controlled turrets above the forward fuselage in the front and rear of a ventral gondola, as well as in the

manned tail position. Altogether the

177 promised to have lower drag than any previous aircraft (even an unarmed civil one) of its size.

Things began to go wrong from the outset. By early 1939, when first prototype was taking shape, it was reluctantly concluded that steam cooling was impractical. Much larger radiators had to be used (they were made circular, round the front of each double the VI

actually started in late 1936.

Director Hertel, the gifted

many radical new features,

intended to give it the highest possible performance. Later designated He 177, the new bomber was marvellously clean aerodynamically. The fuselage was like a incorporating

tube, with a glazed nose and a gun position in the glazed tailcone.

The He 177 had a checkered career in Luftwaffe service, its advantages negated by a plague of troubles mostly concerning the propulsion system. Worst of these problems was a tendency for the engines to catch fire without warning, leading to the uncomplimentary nickname 'Luftwaffenfeuerzeug'.

183

5!

Heinkel He 177 Greif

November

but was only aloft for 12 minutes before engine temperatures soared, heralding a long saga of such problems. Another problem to surface was the inadequacy of the tail surfaces, which were increased on the second prototype, and again on production machines.

The He

177 V1 first flew

engine). In turn this

on

19

1939,

meant greater drag, which demanded extra

fuel

which meant increased weight, in a vicious circle. The ministry officials then decreed that this big bomber had to be able to make steep 60° dive attacks, which resulted in a considerable increase in structure weight, further reducing performance and also requiring addition of large dive brakes under the wings. To slow the landing of the overweight aircraft full-span Fowler flaps were adopted, the outer portions coming out from under the ailerons. Again there were problems because the wing had not been stressed for the large lift and drag loads of the flaps. The VI made its maiden flight on 19 November 1939. Despite being unarmed it failed to come anywhere near the Bomber A requirement, maximum speed being 460 km/h (285 mph) and range being inadequate. On the other hand it handled reasonably well, and the few snags recorded gave no indication of the years of toil and disaster that

184

were

to follow.

Aside from the engine problems, the He 177 exhibited a nasty swing on take-off, resulting in several accidents. The A-1 version introduced larger tail surfaces and stronger damping on the tailwheel. This is the A-03 pre-production aircraft, showing the unique mainwheel arrangement.

Seven further prototypes followed, each heavier than its pretail area was increased, triple bomb bays were incorporated, various types of defensive armament fitted (low-drag remotely controlled guns were replaced by conventional turrets or decessor. Vertical

hand-aimed guns) and ceaseless efforts made to try to eliminate the most serious problem, which was the frequency of engine fires. V2 suffered flutter and disintegrated, V4 crashed into the sea and V5's engines caught fire at low level, the aircraft flying into the ground and exploding. In 1939 a total of

30 He 177A-0 pre-production aircraft were many changes including a crew of five, armament comprising a 7.92-mm

ordered, plus five from Arado. These had

redesigned nose for a

MG81

in

the multi-pane hemispherical nose, a

front of the gondola, a twin

MG81Z

20-mm

MG FF in the

at the rear of the gondola, a

This He 177A-5 was captured by British forces and allocated the serial TS439. Painted with large black and white stripes, it returned to England for evaluation. A high-altitude He 177A-7 was also obtained.

In order to cure the

He

177's

engine problems, Heinkel redesigned the

bomber with four separate engines under the spurious designation He 177B. The redesign was in fact so great that its true number was He 277.

This

is

the prototype, a converted

He

177A-3.

Early A-5 series aircraft retained the three bomb bays of the A-3, with the forward unit blanked off. However, the A-5/R6 dispensed with two of the weapons bays for the maritime attack role. These aircraft of II. KG 40 are seen at Merignac after the adoption of the Atlantic reconnaissance role in spring 1944.

main spar that there was no room for a firewall and the and other services were jammed in so tightly that, especially when soaked in leaking fuel and oil, the fire risk was awesome. There were even problems caused by the handing (opposite rotation) of the big 4.52 m (14 ft 8 in) four-bladed propellers. Seen from behind, the left propeller rotated anti-clockwise and the right propeller clockwise, and the engines with inserted idler wheels to reverse output rotation often suffered from torsional vibration causing crankshaft failure. At least seven A-0 aircraft were badly damaged in take-off accidents caused by uncontrollable swing to left or right, despite enlargement of the fin and rudder, and it became standard practice on take-off to keep the tailwheel on the ground as tight

up

to the

piping, electric cables

13-mm MG 131 in the roof turret and a hand-aimed MG 131 in the

tail.

course of A-0 production the dive brakes were removed, partly because the 177 was structurally unable to meet the requirement and partly because the dive bomber had shown itself to be vulnerable. There were many other changes, but the most urgently needed ones concerned the powerplants. When one studies the detailed reports on some of the many hundreds of serious He 177 engine fires one marvels that the usually impressive Germanic design efficiency could have been so often forgotten. Many features of the DB 606 installation might almost have been deliberately arranged to give trouble. The oil scavenge pumps were oversized, and at heights over 6000 m (19,685 ft) the oil tended to aerate and foam, leading to breakdown in lubrication and to seizures, con-rods breaking through the crankcase and fires. Almost always the oil dripped on to the white-hot exhaust manifold serving the two inner banks of cylinders, and radiant heat from this frequently ignited oil and fuel that collected in the bottom of the cowling. Many other fires resulted from fuel leaks from the high-pressure injection pumps and rigid piping, and the whole engine was installed so

long as possible.

In the

Production system Over 25 of the 35 A-Os were destroyed from various causes, and were used for crew training at Ludwigslust. Whereas at the

the rest

had predicted the He 177 would be in service in 1940, that year production had not even begun. Indeed, for various reasons Heinkel's Oranienburg factory never built the initial production model at all, partly because, despite increasing pressure for the 177 to get into action, the A-l version was still seen to be imperfect to the point of being dangerous. All 130 examples of the He 177A-1 were made by Arado, between March 1942 and June 1943, with the tails and parts of the fuselage being supplied from a factory at Mielec in Poland. The A-l retained 2014-kW (2,700-hp) DB606 engines, and incorporated only a few of the dozens of planned improvements, but it could carry very heavy bombloads weighing up to 6000 kg (13,230 lb). It could not, however, carry the FX1400 or Hs 293 guided bombs, though Field Marshal Milch thought it could. Hitler urged the aircraft be brought into service, to range far beyond the Eastern Front at night and to escort U-boats and blockade runstart Heinkel

by the end of

ners

in

the Atlantic.

October 1942, Heinkel began delivering the improved 177A-3, but far from a tempo of 70 per month the huge Oranienburg plant found it hard to get beyond five per month. The A-3 did its best to eradicate the faults. The engine remained the 606, though it had been hoped to fit the 2312.4-kW (3,100-hp) DB 610 (made up of a At

last, in

He

DB 603s).

However, the engines were mounted 20 cm (7 in) system was redesigned and many other dangerous features were altered. To balance the engines the rear pair of

further forward, the exhaust

6 Staff el of Kampfgeschwader 100 was based at Toulouse-Blagnac during May 1944, using its He 177A-5s on bombing missions. Most were maritime-orientated, flying either to the Mediterranean or the Bay of Biscay.

185

Heinkel He 177 Greif

Heinkel He 177A-5 was extended by 1.6 m (5 ft 2 in) and a second dorsal turret added. Like the A-l, the A-3 was produced with different Riistsatzen fuselage

other than fighters was virtually abandoned in October 1944, Heinkel and Arado together delivered no fewer than 565 He 177A-5s, and their operational record was Until manufacture of

all

aircraft

By

most important to use the He 177 were KG40 and KG100, the former

better than that of earlier versions.

far the

being concerned chiefly with the Battle of the Atlantic with the Hs 293 and both taking part in Operation Steinbock, the revenge attacks

on London in the early weeks of 1944. In Steinbock experienced crews found they could climb to almost 9000 m (29,527 ft) before nearing England. Then, at full power and in a shallow dive, they stood a chance of avoiding interception by keeping speed at about 700 km/h (435 mph). On the other hand the effectiveness of these missions was extremely low. On 13 February 1944 Goering was at Rheine to watch 2. and 3./KG100 set off for England; 14 taxied out, 13 took off, eight soon returned with overheated or burning engines, four reached London and three came back. Operational training was undertaken by the Flugzeugfiihrerschule (B) 16 at Burg near Magdeburg, initially with ex-KG 40 He 177A-1s but later with improved models such as this He 177A-3/R2. The A-3 had a lengthened fuselage and redesigned engine mountings.

Starboard navigation

light

4 Aileron control runs 5 Starboard aileron

6 Aileron trim tab 7 Spring-loaded geared tab 8 Aileron counter-balance 9 FuG 102 radio altimeter

59 Propeller variable-pitch

mechanism 60 Propeller boss

(pulsed)

10 Tab 1

mechanism

Fowler

flap

outboard track

61

Blade cuffs

62

VDM

four-bladed propeller (right-handed) 63 Chin intake

12 Fowler flap position (extended) 13 Aileron tab control linkage 14 Flap actuating cylinder

64 Flame damper exhaust 65 Starboard outer mamwheel

(hydraulic)

leg

66 Starboard inner mamwheel

15 Control cables 16 Main spar (outboard sectionl 1

Wing

leg

67 Starboard outer mamwheel 68 D/F loop in dorsal blister 69 Emergency hydraulic tank

ribs

Auxiliary front spar 19 Heated leading edge

1

20 21

(25 litre/5.5 Imp gal) 70 No 7 fuselage frame 71 C-Stand ammunition tank

Oil radiator intake

Starboard Hs 293 radiocontrolled glide-bomb

22 Starboard outer mamwheel door (open position) 23 Starboard outer mamwheel

11.000 rounds)

72 Dorsal barbette remote drive motor 73 Revi gunsight with slotted 10-mm armour protection 74 Remote control sighting

well

24 Balloon cable-cutter

in

leading edge 25 Starboard ETC weapons rack 26 Twin oil radiators (starboard

cupola

75 Barbette traverse control

engines) 27 Radiator outlet flap 28 Hot-air ducting 29 Mamwheel door actuating

30

handle

76 Barbette elevation control 77

cylinder No 8 (starboard outer) fuel

32 33 34 35 36

Fuel

filler

Fowler

cap

78 First-aid pack 79 Navigators take-off/landing

flap outer section

spar dihedral break point

auxiliary rear

Wing

Fowler

station

80 Window 81

flap track

(9 litre/2 gal capacity)

37 Starboard oil tanks 38 Main hydraulic tank (starboard only) (32 litre/7 gal capacity)

41

42 43

Gunner's seat

82 Emergency jettison panels (port and starboard) 83 Bomb aimer's seat (raised) 84 External rear-view mirror 85 Engine control panel

Starboard fuel starting tank

39 Fuel filler cap 40 No 3 (starboard

handle Mam radio panel (FuG 10P. general-purpose set)

(FuG17Z VHF communication and homing) (FuG BL 2F Blind-approach)

tank of 1.120 litre/246.5 Imp gal capacity (flexible bagl 31

Bombing London

Luftwaffe units

1

2 Detachable wingtip 3 FuG 101 radio altimeter (FM)

MG

151720 armament, almost all sub-types having an hard-hitting cannon second of these gondola and a front of the in the in the tail, aimed by a gunner who did not lie but sat comfortably under a Plexiglas bulge under the rudder. Other weapons carried included the Hs 293 radio-controlled attack missile and, in the R-7 and all A-5 versions, a range of anti-ship torpedoes. Heinkel made 170 A-3s, following which, from February to December 1943, Heinkel and Arado delivered 261 He 177A-5s, which in the final year of war was the chief operational version. The main advantage of the A-5 was that it introduced the more powerful DB 610 engine, and as the weights were only fractionally heavier than those of the first versions the performance was improved, especially in ceiling which went up from a poor 7000 m (22,965 ft) to just over 8000 m (26,245 ft). Standard features of the A-5 included a strengthened airframe, shorter main-gear legs, normal ailerons without Fowler flaps extending to the wingtips, and racks under the forward fuselage and outer wings for three Hs 293s, or two Hs 294s or two FX 1400 bombs. Like the A-3/R7 the A-5 could also release the LT50 glider torpedo, which was fitted with a small glider airframe enabling it to be released from a height of 250 m (820 ft) several kilometres from a target. giving different

much

cutaway drawing

(starboard)

86 Internal rear-view mirror 87 Offset nng-and-bead

inner) fuel

tank of 621 litre/1365 Imp gal capacity (metal/self sealing) Fowler flap inner section spar (inboard section) Starboard inner mamwheel

gunsight

88

MG

81 7.9-mm machine-gun (A1 -Stand) Circular gun mounting Balloon cable-cutters in nose horizontal frames

Mam

89 90

well

91 Ammunition feed

44 Engine supercharger 45 Nacelle fairing 46 Wing spar attachment point and fairing 47 Engine accessories 48 Daimler-Benz DB 61 0A-1 2449

cylinder liquid-cooled engine Anti-vibration side-mounting

pad 50 Supercharger and wing deicing intakes

51

52 53 54 55 56 57

Nacelle former Coolant vents Engine forward mounting Cooling gills Double-gear crank casing

92 A1 -Stand ammunition tank (1.000 rounds)

93 Hinged window panel (port and starboard) 94 Pilot's seat (armour plate

Single propeller shaft Propeller de-icing saddle tank 58 Nacelle cooling profile

9-mm

back,

6-mm

seat)

95 Rudder pedals 96 Cockpit hot-air 97 Lower glazed section often overpainted/armoured

98 Lotfe 7D bombsight fairing 99 'Boxed' gunsight 100 MG 151 20-mm cannon (A2Stand) 101 Bullet-proof glass

nose

in

of

'bola'

102 103 104 105 106

De-icing intake Ventral crew entry hatch Telescopic ladder

Actuating arm 151 20-mm cannon ammunition feed 107 De-icing air heater/blower 108 A2-Stand ammunition tank (300 roundsl

MG

109 Toilet installation 110 C-Stand ammunition feed 1 1 1

Thermos

MG

bola'

114

Fritz X'

(Kramer X-1 radio-

controlled

1

bomb

115 Cruciform main fins 116 SAP warhead 117 Tail fin structure 118 Air-brake attachment 119 Ventral bomb rack (only fitted if forward bomb bay blanked off) 120 Forward-bomb bay (often blanked off) 121

fuel tank

Imp gal) (Replaced by 3450 litre/759 gal tank if bomb Imp bay (1520litre/334

blanked

off) (metal/self-

sealing)

125 Fuel filler cap 126 Barbette remote drive cooling duct and linkage 127 Remote control dorsal barbette (B1 -Stand)

128 Twin 13-mm MG 131 guns 129 No. 13 fuselage frame 130 Barbette structure 131 Bl-Stand double

ammunition tank (1.000 rounds per gun) 132 Central bomb bay (often blanked off) 133 Bomb bay door (outer section)

flasks

12 Circular vision port 131 13-mm machine gun (C-Stand) at rear of

113

124 No. 4 (fuselage)

Fuel tank retaining strap lugs

122 Internal bomb shackle 123 Bomb bay central partition

134 Port inner mamwheel well 135 No. 5 (fuselage) fuel tank (1520litre/334 Imp gal) (Replacd by 3450 litre/759 Imp gal tank if bomb bay blanked

off) (metal/self

sealing)

136 Fuel filler cap 137 No 19 fuselage frame 138 Mam spar carry-through 139 Mam spar/fuselage attachment points 140 Aft bomb bay 141 Auxiliary rear spar/fuselage attachment points 142 No. 1 (Fuselage) main fuel tank (1140 litre/330 Imp gal) (metal/self sealing)

186

I

111

1

160 Starboard

fuel jettison pipe

(large-bore

143 144 145 146 147 148

filler cap No. 23 fuselage frame

mast Mast support

Aerial

Fuel

strut

cap

filler

No. 6 (Fuselage) fuel tank (1140 litre/330 Imp gal) (metal/self sealing)

149

No 27

fuselage frame (fire extinguisher cylinders mounted on rear face of

frame and connected to engine nacelles have been omitted for clanty) 150 Dorsal gunner's seat (suspended from gunmounting ring) 151

Oxygen supply

152

cylindrical or spherical bottles) Power-traverse turret (B2-

Stand) 153 131

MG

1

(alternative

13-mmgun

54 Dinghy stowage (incorporating

armoured

bulkhead)

155 FuG 203 radio control for Hs 293 glide-bomb 156 Fire extinguisher 157 Dinghy manual release 158 De-icing air heater/blower 159 De-icing intake trunking

seamed

light

alloy)

Fuel

161 Tailwheel hydraulic lines 162 Fuselage skinning

189

163 Short-wave aerial 164 Tailplane forward

mounting 190 Tab hinge

auxiliary

199

attachment Detachable tailfin tip Rear navigation light

200

Tail

Tab mechanism Rudder trim tab Rudder construction

through 203 No 44 fuselage frame

Tailplane tab mechanism Tailplane main spar Elevator balance Elevator trim tab Spring-loaded geared tab De-icing intake in tailfin root

171 Tailfin construction 172 Tailfin main spar 173 Rudder hinge mechanism 174 Tailfin forward auxiliary spar

175 176 177 178 1 79 180

2

Spring-loaded geared tab Elevator trim tab Elevator balance Elevator construction Tailplane construction Heated leading edge Hot-air ducting Tailplane/fuselage attachment points H-Stand ammunition feed

spar

165 166 167 168 169 170

18-mm armoured gun

Aerial

181 Spring-loaded geared tab

182 Tab mechanism 183 Tailfm/fuselage attachment point

184 Tail gunner's seat 185 Fixed canopy section 186 Hinged (jettisonable) hood 187 Coned' gunsight 188 Gimbal-mounted 20-mm MG 151 cannon (H-Stand)

191

192 193 194 195 196 197 198

motor

213 214 215 216 217

Trailing aerial

matching

Tailplane auxiliary spar/ fuselage attachment points

205 Hinged tailwheel doors 206 FuG 203 aerial (Hs 293

winch

Main

hot-air duct H-Stand ammunition feed

Master compass

Semi-monocoque fuselage construction

218 Dorsal turret hot-air 219 Jettisonable floor/entry escape hatch 220 H-Stand ammunition tank 221 B2-Stand ammunition tank (1.000 rounds) 222 Ammunition feed 223 Flexible chute 224 Empty belt link and cartridge collector box 225 Aft bomb bay door (outer

226

control)

207 Tailwheel 208 Port fuel jettisonable pipe

seamed

and

unit

(800 rounds)

First-aid pack 202 Continuous mam spar carry

(large-bore

Rectangular vision port Trailing aerial lead-in

position hot-air

201

204

1

212

light

alloy)

209 Tailwheel leg 210 Retraction mechanism

section) No 2 (port innerl fuel tank (621 litre/1365 Imp gall (metal/self-sealingl Port oil tanks Auxiliary rear spar

227 228 229 Fowler

flap construction

(inner section)

248 Main spar (outboard section) 249 Auxiliary front spar 250 Hs 293 radio-controlled glider-bomb 251 590-kg(1.300-lb) thrust rocket motor housing 252 500-kg (1.100-lbl warhead 253 Wing control surfaces 254 Tail-mounted aerial masts (radio signal receiversl

255 Tracking flare installation 256 Ourboard leading-edge hot air

257 Port ETC weapons rack 258 Oil radiator outlet flap 259 Twin oil radiators (port engines)

260 Searchlight/landing light 261 Port outer mainwheel door (open position)

262 Oil radiator intake 263 Port outer mainwheel well

272 Engine support strut 273 Mainwheel oleo leg pivot points

274 Supercharger and wing deicing intakes

275 Cooling gills 276 Engine forward mounting 277 Segmented annular radiator 278 VDM four-bladed propeller (left-handed)

279 Blade cuffs 280 Propeller boss 281 Chin intake

282 Flame damper exhaust 283 Port inboard mainwheel oleo leg (inward retracting)

284 Port outboard mainwheel oleo leg (outward retracting)

285 Mainwheel axle 286 Port outer mainwheel 287 Port inner mainwheel

187

Heinkel He 177 Greif

188

Specification

Heinkel He 177A-5/R2 Powerplant: Daimler-Benz DB

610A-1 (port) and B-1 (starboard) 24-cylinder 2200 kW (2,950 hp) for take-off Dimensions: wing span 31.44 (103 ft 1 in); length 22.00 (72 ft 1 in); ? height 6.39 (21 ft); wing area 102 (1,098 sq ft) Weights: empty equipped 16800 kg (37,037 lb); maximum take-off 31000 kg (68,342 lb) liquid-cooled engines, each rated at

m

m

m

m

Performance: maximum speed 488 km/h (303 mph) at 6100 m (20,000 ft); maximum range 5500 km (3,417 miles) with two Hs 293A; service ceiling 8000

m

(26,246

ft);

time to 3050

m

Armament: one 7.9-mm MG81J

(10,000

ft)

10 minutes

in glazed nose; one 20-mm two 7.9-mm MG 81 in rear ventral gondola; two 13-mm MG 131 in dorsal barbette; one 13-mm MG 131 in dorsel turret; one 20-mm MG 151 in tail; internal weapons bay for 16 SC 50 bombs or four SC 250 or two SC 500; external pylons for two LMA parachute sea mines, LT 50 torpedoes, Henschel Hs 293A or FX 1400 Fritz X missiles

MG

machine-gun

151 in front ventral gondola;

III

The basic design of the Heinkel He 177 was sound, the type receiving favourable reports from most pilots in terms of handling and performance. The long wings and sleek fuselage were of good aerodynamic form, giving a healthy range of 5500 km (3,417 miles) with two Hs 293A missiles. However, the DB 610 engines were always a source of problems, and these overshadowed the potential success of the type.

189

Heinkel He 177 Greif l./KG 50 (sometimes referred to as Fernkampfgruppe 2) was specifically formed to operate the He 177A-1 on the Eastern Front. During the Stalingrad campaign they flew transport missions until 101 cannon in the adopting an nose for flak suppression sorties. This aircraft was based at Stalino

MK

in

January

1943.

A

large

number of the He

177s

were assembled for attacks on Russian communications and military installations. At Prowehren in East Prussia was ll./KG 1 'Hindenburg', which operated

ll./KG 100 took its

He

this aircraft.

177A-5s to

Aalborg-West in Denmark in mid-1944. Here they worked up for the anti-shipping mission, flying training sorties over the

Baltic Sea.

KG 40 was the

He

177,

the

first

unit to receive

and continued

operations until the late of 1944.

summer

This He 177A-5 of II Gruppe at Bordeaux-Merignac was fitted with FuG 200 Hohentwiel search radar for detecting surface targets. Hs 293A missiles were used for the actual attack.

There were many sub-variants made in small numbers. Front-line armourers near Stalingrad - which was resupplied at great cost by a handful of He 177s used as transports - fitted 50-mm BK5 anti-tank guns under the nose. Later the He 177A-3/R5 was fited with the 75-mm gun, but this strained the structure and was altogether too powerful and only five were built. Several were flown with an electrically powered tail turret with two MG 151/20 guns, and the planned He 177A-6 was to have either this turret or one with four MG81s. The A-6, of which six were built, had a pressurised cabin, as did the A-5/R8, the latter being a single aircraft with remotely controlled barbettes in the chin and tail locations. One of the last of the numerous development protoytypes, the V38 (basically an A-5), was stripped down at the Letov factory at Prague and (it was said) prepared to carry 'the German atomic bomb'. This may have been a mere rumour, but unlike several of the later variants which deleted the front and middle bomb bays, the V38 was to have had a single gigantic bomb bay. Another unusual version was intended for destroying formations of heavy bombers. The 177 Zerstorer, three of which were produced in 1944 by conversion of bombers (believed to be A-3s), were fitted with a battery of 33 large rocket launch tubes aimed upwards, slightly ahead and slightly to the right. The idea was ?

weapon most associated with Heinkel He 177 in the anti-shipping he Henschel Hs 293A missile. These could be carried under the on a special pylon fitted to the blanked-off forward Ueases were usually made between 10 and 14 km (6.2 and from the target. here,

)

He

that the

177 should formate below, behind and to the Allied fighters made the idea impractical.

left

of the

bombers, but

Last version to get into limited production, and then only

in

interim form, the A-7 had a wing extended in span from 31.46

m

an

m

was intended to have 2685. 6-kW (103 (120 (3,600-hp) DB613 engines, but these were not ready. It carried ft

2

in)

to 36.6

ft).

It

and intensely interested the Japanese who considered under licence. They planned to fit four separate engines, but Heinkel's own He 277 with four separate engines never had official approval and only a string of prototypes were built mainly with

extra

fuel,

building

it

DB603A

engines.

INDEX

1

Note: page numbers

iii

italics trier to

Mitsubishi

Africa 86-8

Petlyakov Pe-2 136, 138 Short Sunderland 93 Tupolev Tu-2 20

Eddie 32

(MM

atomic

armaments Avro Anson 158, 161 Avto Lancaster 68, 73, 75 B-24 Liberator 174, 175, 179, 181 BK 3,7 148 Boeing B-29 Superfortress 32-6, 34, Bristol

Blenheim

Cnrtiss

SB2C

Pegasus 93, 98, 100 Daimler Benz606 183, IS5-6 Daimler Hen/, (ill) 186, IS!)

JunkersJumo

Betty' 109

1

1

Heinkel He 1 1 1 SO. 82 Heinkel He 115 40, 41, 42. 43, 45 Heinkel He 177 Greif 183, 1S4-5, 186, 189, 190 JimkersJu87Stuka 142, 144, 148 Junkers Ju 88 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 Lockheed Hudson family 66 Mitsubishi G4M Betty" 109, 110-13 Petlyakov Pe-2 134, 136, 138, 139-10 Tupolev Tu-2 18, 22 rocket launchers 180 Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 85, 88, 90 Short Sunderland 92, 93, 94, 96, 98 torpedos 80, 176 Vickers Wellington 100, 101, 105-6 Arnold, General H.H. ('Hap') 31 Atlantic, Battle of 105 atomic bombs 31, 36,190 Avro 679 Manchester 68 Avto Anson 157-164 Avto Lancaster 68-75

B-24 Liberator 173-181

Rex

191

Berlin,

Don

R. 25, 28

carrier air groups 54 carrier Hying 187

carrier-based aircraft, Curtiss

SB2C

Helldiver 25-9 .sec

MXY7 Ohka

missiles

Cheshire, Christopher 152

Clarkson, R.M. 114 Consolidated Aircraft Corporation

174-180 Consolidated-Vultee B-24 see B-24 Liberator

Convair 180 Coral Sea, Battle of 53, 54 Cordes, Major Jim 150

crew compartments Avro Anson 158 B-24 Liberator 174, 180, 181 Douglas SBD Dauntless 58-9 Focke-Wulf Condor 170 Junkers Ju 88 8 Short Sunderland 93 Tupolev Tu-2 18

SB2C Helldiver 24, 25-9 S03C Seamew 25

Dambusters 74

Bishop, R.E. 114

Blackburn Aircraft Ltd 46-18, Blaylock, Raymond C. 25 BOAC see British Overseas Airways Corporation Boeing B-29 Superfortress 30, 31-7 bomb bays Avto Lancaster 74 B-24 Liberator 174, 175, 181 Boeing B-29 Superfortress 32 Douglas SBD Dauntless 59 Handley Page Halifax 154 Lockheed Hudson family 66 Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 85 Tupolev Tu-2 18 bomb loads

Avto Anson 162 B-24 Liberator 175, 180 Bristol Blenheim 125 de Havilland Mosquito 118, 119, 120-1

Focke-Wulf Condor

Canada 132

Curtiss

& Whitney R-1830-90B Twin Wasps !)7 Pratt & Whitney R- 43(H) Wasp Major 37

Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB 60, 61 Rolls-Royce Merlins 68, 101, 149,69,73, 155 Shvetsov ASh-82FN 22 Wright GR-1820-G3B Cyclones 61 Wright R-1820-60 Cyclones 53, 54, 66 Wright R-2600-20 Cyclones 27 Wright R-3350 Duplex Cyclones 32, 34 Wright XR-1830-32 53 Esmonde, Lieutenant Commander Eugene 48 EW see electronic warfare

Faggioni, Capitano 88, 89 Fairey Swordfish 46-51

Far East 129-32 Finland 129, 132

Arm

Fleet Air

attack 96

floatplanes

SB2C Helldiver 27 Fairey Swordfish 46-51 Heinkel He 115 39,40-45 Short Sunderland 92-7, 98-9 The Flying Porcupine see Short Curtiss

Sunderland Focke-Wulf Condor 165-72 France Battle of 123, 126, 128 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 28

Douglas SBD Dauntless 58 Freeman, Air Marshal Sir Wilfred 115

Germany Arado Ar 198 157 British offensives 70, 100-1, 126-9

battleships 88 Beisel,

WML

Curtiss

Dauntless

Wasps

Pratt

of 77-80 Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) 96 Brown, Captain HA. f Sam') 68 Brown, Lieutenant Commander 46-47 Buck see Petlyakov Pe-2

Chadwick, Roy 68, 69 cherry blossom missiles

140

171

Britain, Battle

de Havilland Mosquito 14, 116, 120 Douglas SBD Dauntless 53, 56 Fairey Swordfish 51 Focke-Wulf Condor 169, 170, 171 Handley Page Halifax 19, L52, 155

SBD

36

British

Helldiver 26, 27

134, 136, 139,

Mitsubishi Kasei 109, 110, 112 Napier Sabre 11 A 61, 65 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 Twin

Grand Slam 74 Blenheim 123-32

37

111, 144,1 is

KilmovVK-105

Bristol

123, 131

Banshee see Douglas Barnwell, Frank 123

•>'/,

14,42

Bristol

bombs

Allied forces 110,113

13,

Bristol Hercules 155-6, 101, 102

1

illustrations

Allen,

BMW SOI

lie HI 76, 78,80 Heinkel He 115 10, n Heinkel He L77 Greif 185, 190 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 12, 18 Junkers Ju 888

Heinkel

170, 171

de Havilland, Geoffrey, Jr 115 de Havilland Mosquito 114-22 destroyers 88 die Dreifinger see Junkers Ju 88 dive-bombers Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 24, 25-9 Douglas SBD Dauntless 53-9 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 141-8 Junkers Ju 88 6, 7-14, 15 dive-control, automatic 141-2 Dixon, Lieutenant Commander Robert E. 53 Douglas SBD Dauntless 53-9 Earhart, Amelia 61

Echols, General Oliver 31

ECM see electronic countermeasures Edwards, Wing Commander H.I. 129 electronic countermeasures (ECM) 74 electronic warfare (EW) 122, 155 engines

Romeo 84, 89, 90 Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah IX 161 132K 40 Alfa

BMW

Focke-Wulf Condor 165-72 Heinkel He 111 76-83 Heinkel He 115 39,40-45 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 141-8 Junkers Ju 88 6, 7-14, 15 Soviet offensives 133

Gibson, Wing

Commander Guy

glider-towers, Heinkel

Goering,

He

Hermann Wilhelm

Gouge, Arthur

92,

74

111 81 183, 186

93

Grand Slam 74 Great Biitain African campaigns 86 Avro 679 Manchester 68 Avro Anson 157-164 Avro Lancaster 68-75 Bristol Blenheim 123-32 de Havilland Mosquito 114-22 Douglas SBD Dauntless 58

German

offensives 10, 13, 81, 144,

171-2, 186

Handley Page Halifax 149-56 Japan 108, 110 Short Sunderland 92-7, 98-9

191

Vickers Wellington 100-6, 106-7 Giinter, Siegfried 76, 183

Midway, Battle of 53, 54 mines 45, 104

skis 139

Giinter, Walter 76, 183

missiles

Son of a Bitch 2nd Class see Curtiss

Sicily,

SB2C

Mistel 14

MXY7 0hkall3

Handley Page Halifax 149-56 Hawker Hurricane 133 Heinemann, Edward H. 53 Heinkel He 111 76-83 Heinkel He 115 39, 40^15

Hulse,' B.T.

G4M

Nettleton,

Gobbo

Squadron Leader J. D. 70 Rabaul 26, 27

Boeing B-29 Superfortress 37 Tupolev Tu-2 16-18, 20

German

offensives 80-1 Petlyakov Pe-2 133-40 Spain 85 Stalin 16

Stefanovsky, Piotr 134

night-fighting

'Betty'

26

see Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79

Italy 84-9,

missiles 113

New Guinea,

hunchback see Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 II

108-13

navaids 70-4, 121

Honourable One-Shot Lighter see Mitsubishi

G4M 'Betty'

MXY7 Ohka piloted anti-ship

Heinkel He 177 Greif 183-90 Hennessey, Sir Patrick 1 14 Hives, Lord E.H. 68 Honjo, Kiro 109

Helldiver

Soviet Union

pilotless 10, 14

Mitsubishi

invasion of 90

90-1

Avro Lancaster 70 Boeing B-29 Superfortress 34, 36 Bristol Blenheims 124, 128 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 148 Junkers Ju 88 10-14 Nimitz, Admiral Chester 53

Northrop, Jack 53 Norway, Heinkel He

Japan atomic attacks 36 Focke-Wulf Condor 166-70 Malaysian invasion 129-32 Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' 108-13 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 141-8 Junkers Ju 88 6, 7-14, 15, 74

Oboe navaid

Tank, Dipl. Ing. Kurt 157, 165-6 Taranto harbour 46-47 targeting 59 test-flights

F4U Tokyo

1

15 42, 43

70-4, 121

Operation Steinbock 186

SB2C Helldiver 26 Corsair 182 36

Curtiss

torpedo-bombers Fairey Swordfish 46-48 Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 84-9, 90-1 torpedos 46, 47, 80, 186 trainers, Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 145, 148

Petlyakov Pe-2 133-40 Petlyakov, Vladimir M. 133-4, 138, 140 Phoney War 126-8 The Pig see Short Sunderland

transport duties de Havilland Mosquito 121 Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 89

KG see Luftwaffe, Kampfgeschwader

pilotless missiles 10, 14

Trombones of Jericho

Kindermann 7 Korean War 188

Pohlman, Hermann 141 Poland 77, 142

Tupolev, Andrei Nikolayevich 16-17 Tupolev Tu-2 16-18, 20 Tupolev Tu series 37 twilight fighting 43

Kosel, E. 157

Rabaul, New Guinea 26, 27 radar 122, 124 ASV Mk II 93-4, 95, 96, 105 A\to Lancaster 70-5

Laddon, Issac M 'Mac' 174 Lancaster Production Group 70 Lankester Parker, J. 93 LeMay, General Curtis 36 Leslie, Commander Max 53 Lockheed Hudson family 60-67

Focke-Wulf Condor 171 Junkers Ju 88 10, 13, 14

mapping 155

Luftwaffe

Focke-Wulf Condor Heinkel He 11181

165, 169, 170-1

Heinkel He 115 41 Heinkel He 177 Greif 183 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka 141 Kampfgeschwader (KG) 40 169, 170-1, 186, 190 Kampfgeschwader (KG) 100 186

McClusky, Lieutenant Commander

Wade

C.

53

Malaya 129-32 Malcon, Wing Commander H.G. 129 Malta 86-8 mapping radar 155 Marchetti, Alessandro 84 maritime manoeuvres see also floatplanes

Blenheim 126-8 Douglas SBDD Dauntless Bristol

F4U

53,

Mitsubishi

G4M

Ramsbottom-Isherwood, Wing

Commander 133 rocket launchers 190 Romania, Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 84 Rothermere, Lord 123 Royal Air Force (RAF)

171, 172

'Betty' 108, 113

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 86-8 Vickers Wellington 100, 104-5 Markov, Ivan 134 Middle East 129

I'hu see Focke-Wulf Fw 189 United States of America (USA) Boeing B-29 Superfortress 30, 31-7 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 24, 25-9 Douglas SBD Dauntless 53-9 Lockheed Hudson family 60-62, 64-65 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) 54,81

US Navy Curtiss

SB2C

Douglas

SBD

Helldiver 25, 27, 28

Dauntless 53-4

Lockheed Hudson family 65-66 USA see United States of America

USAAF see United

B-24 Liberator 173, 174-176, 180 Bristol Blenheim 123-4, 125, 126-32 de Havilland Mosquito 121

Vaughan, Guy 28

Handley Page Halifax 152, 154 Lockheed Hudson family 62, 64 Short Sunderland 93

142

U-boats 96

Avro Anson 158, 162, 164 Avro Lancaster 70

States

Army Air Force

vibration 154

Vickers Wellington 100-6, 106-7 Vietnam 41-2 Volkert,

George 149

Barnes 106, 74 Walmsley, Captain John 41 Ward, Sergeant J.A. 101 West over, General Oscar 31

Vickers Wellington 100-1 151 Wing 133 Rudel, Hans-Ulrich 145, 148

Wallis, Sir

Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 84-9, 90-1 Scarf, Squadron Leader A.S.K. 129-32 Scourge of the Atlantic see Focke-Wulf

Wilkins, C.T. 114

54

Corsair 187

Focke-Wulf Condor

Mosquito 105 radio jammers 74 RAF see Royal Air Force

Vickers Wellington 105

Wimpey see Vickers Wellington Wurster, Dr-Ing Hermann 46

Condor seaplanes see floatplanes Shima, Katsuzo 109 Short Sunderland 92-7, 98-9

Yamamoto, Admiral Isoroku 110 Zindel, Ernst 8

MM

^m

^^mmt

School Archbishop Mttty High Library

Way C A 95129

5000 MHty

San Jose,

M

ARCHBISHOP MITTY LIBRARY

T

This

fully illustrated

bomber

aircraft

27344

guide to the most important

of World

War II

features:

A comprehensive history of the development and service record of twenty-three

More than 300 images many genuine wartime

bombers

of the planes, including color photographs

A fully annotated cutaway drawing of each aircraft, detailing

its

internal workings

and layout

A specifications table for each bomber,

listing its

dimensions, weapons load, performance, and more...