Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > The Second World War in General

The Second World War in General Please use this forum to discuss other World War Two related subjects not covered by the main categories.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 25th May 2019, 04:55
Jim Oxley's Avatar
Jim Oxley Jim Oxley is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Culcairn, NSW, Australia
Posts: 585
Jim Oxley is on a distinguished road
Bombardier Procedures

If I have this right, on British heavy bombers the bombardier had to call out course directions to the pilot during a bomb run eg left-left-steady, right-a-little, and so on.I n American Heavies the bombardier took over control of flight from the pilot using the built in controls of the Norden bombsight.

Anyone know what the procedure was for German or Japanese bomber crew?
__________________
"Somewhere out there is page 6!"
"But Emillo you promised ....... it's postpone"


ASWWIAH Member
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 25th May 2019, 14:01
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,014
RSwank is on a distinguished road
Re: Bombardier Procedures

There is an article on British bomb sights here:

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/bc_maiorbombsights.htm

A couple of points made. The German bomb sight was similar to the Norden in that it was connected to the autopilot. The British bomb sight controlled a direction indicator (BDI) which allowed the pilot to make corrections (so apparently no verbal commands from the bombardier).

"A more controversial aspect was how the American, British and German sights compared. The Norden, the SABS and the German Lotfe 7D or H were all tachometric sights used in the sitting position Norden and Lotfe 7D/H both had direct connections into the automatic pilot systems. so that in the run up to the target the bomb-aimer effectively flew the aircraft without the intervention of the pilot. Work on a SABS Mk lll was cancelled in 1943 which may have had this facility."

"The SABS Mk llA uses a simpler system in that was connected to an instrument called the Bombing Direction Indicator(BDI) which was mounted on the pilot’s instrument panel. The BDI indicated to the pilot the amount of turn required left or right to bring the sight on to the target."
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 27th May 2019, 04:04
Jim Oxley's Avatar
Jim Oxley Jim Oxley is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Culcairn, NSW, Australia
Posts: 585
Jim Oxley is on a distinguished road
Re: Bombardier Procedures

But the SABS didn't reach operational Squadrons (and then in only very limited use) until late '43. I think it was 617 that used them first.

The CSBS style Mk.VII and IX were the common bombsights up to early '42, when I think they started being replaced by the Mk. XIV. But even that required the bombardier to issue instructions to the pilot on approach.

That chanting of directions by a bombardier a common theme that runs through all Bomber Command bio's.

I didn't know that the German Lofte was so sophisticated. Was that sight in use during the Battle Of Britain?
__________________
"Somewhere out there is page 6!"
"But Emillo you promised ....... it's postpone"


ASWWIAH Member
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2nd Lt Billy Lee "Billie" Runnels, bombardier 25Kingman49 Obituaries 2 26th October 2018 03:22
Flight test procedures Kryten Allied and Soviet Air Forces 1 4th May 2018 12:45
German vs American procedures CaptainAficionado Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 0 28th September 2016 11:13
Bombardier Lt Byron M.Isbell USAAF info needed? Danny152 Allied and Soviet Air Forces 5 29th August 2015 22:50
True performance of Hawk 75? GuerraCivil Allied and Soviet Air Forces 9 31st July 2014 15:13


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 20:06.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net