BV 138 + Rocket projectiles???

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

Just a wild ass guess:

Could the "Bv 138" have been a Catalina with rockets or rocket-propelled bombs/depth charges?

Kari

[cz_raf]

Well chaps, interesting idea with 3 engines but when I checked the bad writing in ORB once more I was able to find out that the plane is believed to escort 3 German ship. It is possible for Ju 52 to do job like this?

Kari: I do not suppose that the Catalina would attack Baltimore:-)

[Fairlop]

I am not sure but I believe it was 459 RAAF Sq or maybe 454 RAAF Sq, at the time operating - as I have recetly found - not from North Africa but already from Berka, Palestine.

Pavle,

The 459 Sqn with Baltimores operated from Berka at that time. It was located in Lybia.

Tally Ho,
Michal

[bearoutwest]

Didn't the Germans use both Bv138s and Do24s in the Mediterranean? Both aircraft could be armed with a 20mm cannon turret in the nose. Return fire from such a weapon with perhaps the opservation of a long muzzle blast, could have given the impression of rockets being launched. From certain angles both look similar with a high mounted wing and the appearance of three-motors.

[cz_raf]

Oooops, thanks Michal, it seems to me I have used bad source although it was official one and make no verification:-(

Geoff - I was thïnking about the exact think last night and wanted to ask today here - thanks for reading my thoughts:-)

Pavel

[Kari Lumppio]

Originally Posted by cz_raf

Kari: I do not suppose that the Catalina would attack Baltimore:-)

Hello!

Like I wrote it was a wild ass guess. Catalina is the only flying boat which I know was equipped with something nearing rockets. Of course that does not mean there were no others.

VP-63 operated such animals from Port Lyautey (Kenitra), Morocco. See text and photos (!) here:

http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/chap4-4.pdf
(VP-63 history at pages 5-10)

Kenitra seems to be more than 2000 kms from Berka (Al-Birkah?) but at least it is in the same continent...


Regards,
Kari