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Old 12th Sep 2019, 21:16
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Pontius Navigator
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 81
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The over-optimistic view of what might be achieved:
I thought it might be useful of my experience in visual bombing. Over 50 years ago I did a visual bombing course in what was effectively a development of the Wellington and at the same speeds.

Typically we were at 4,000 feet whereas they would have been higher and we used a newer gyro stabilised bombsight of a type not developed until later in the war. Our problem, as it was for them, was measuring the wind. We would fly a race track near the target area and measure wind drift using the bombsight and a wind finding attachment. This was not a good idea. I don't know if they had a WFA or tried such techniques.

What they could have done is flown a dog leg manoeuvre and calculated a three drift wind.

The drift would be set on the bombsight, the groundspeed and altitude would be used on a bombsight computer - a black circular slide rule that had a specific scale for the bombs used and allowed for the length of the stick. The resultant was the bombsight angle to determine the release point. This would be done near the target.

Approach the target from an initial point, say steadily identified point about 15 miles or 6 minutes we would fly a steady heading until we identified the target. Any evasion that the pilot did would make target identification harder and the aircraft less stable. Once the target was sighted the bomb aimer would command either a hard turn on or a gentle turn depending on track error. As the bomb line on the bombsight neared the target he would call steady. The pilot would level the wings and the bomb line should be close to the target.

If everything was correct the would be approaching the target with only small corrections. The command would be LEFT LEFT STEADY or RIGHT STEADY with either a slow call for a long change or a very brief succession say RIGHT STEADY RIGHT STEADY then STEADY STEADY STEADY BOMBS GONE. The cadence would suggest urgency.

To make these corrections the pilot would kick the rudder rather than bank.

From 4,000 feet, with everything right and no enemy action a first rate crew might get within 15 feet of the target half the time. More average was nearer 50 feet.

Flying at such a slow speed, that accuracy, and adding any evasive flying the chances of hitting a ship target when level bombing was almost pot luck. Fortunately, at that time of the war, and anti aircraft gunners were not that well practised either.
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