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Old 28th December 2013, 22:51
tcolvin tcolvin is offline
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Re: Is this a true statement about the B24?

Thanks all. The usual prickly responses galvanised me to get the answer, which seems to be as summarised below in seven points. I look forward to having holes picked in it, but please be specific and leave out unhelpful words like 'rubbish'. However, I cannot respond for the next eight days as I shall be hors de combat in the Perche district Normandy.

1. According to Air Marshal John Slessor, when he became AOC Coastal Command on February 5, 1943, a maximum of 100 B24 Liberators were needed to close the Air Gap - source Edward Offley: 'Turning the Tide'; page 47.

2. But although by this time 3,500 B24s had been built, Slessor could not get his required number released even though the Casablanca Directive of January 1943 gave absolute top priority to victory over the U-boats. Harris would not make available his B24s, and Churchill supported Harris whilst also signing the Casablanca Directive. As Americans say - Go figure.

3. Any Mark of B24 could be turned into a VLR. To achieve the required range of 2,300 miles (endurance of 20 hours), any B24 had to be stripped of armour, of self sealing gunk around the petrol tanks, and of gun turrets, while radar needed to be installed, an additional fuel tank fitted in the bomb bay, and anti-submarine munitions such as bombs and depth charges loaded.

4. Also required was a crew willing to undertake 20 hour mind-numbing flights circling a convoy. This was unacceptable to those trained in the ways of Bomber Command who liked to see a bang for their efforts. They suggested, and won the day, that instead of escorting a convoy, they should patrol the trackless ocean searching for U-boats. So this was what Coastal Command did in the Bay of Biscay, hoping to catch a submarine in transit to its base, even though Operations Research demonstrated that a kill on such a patrol absorbed 4,020 hours, while a kill on escort duty absorbed only 120 hours.

5. 111 Liberators were delivered by May 1942 according to Alex Smart (thank you Alex!). However, 111 were more than enough to close the Air Gap (see Point 1), which would therefore have been closed by mid-1942 instead of mid 1943, saving many lives and much treasure. All it required was for the Minister of Defence to send the RAF an 'Action This Day' note instead of humouring them.

6. "This confusion between various Allied commands over the allocation and proper deployment of B24 aircraft almost cost the Allies victory in the Battle of the Atlantic", wrote David Syrett in 'The Defeat of the German U-Boats', page 16.

7. So, instead of being used to close the Air Gap, the first Liberator II to reach England was converted into a VIP transport for Churchill - the RAF being long practised on keeping that sybarite on side. According to Joe Baugher (thanks Kutscha) some were delivered as unarmed transports, some used to ferry pilots, and some were operated by BOAC, no doubt to ferry top RAF and other influential personnel. A few went to Coastal Command who misused them as explained in point 4, while others to Bomber Command but not for night bombing because of their flame trail. Happy New Year everybody, including the moderators and the website owner who keeps this indispensable show on the road. Tony

Last edited by Nick Beale; 29th December 2013 at 00:20. Reason: Inserted paragraph breaks for easier reading.