Trans Atlantic glider....with a bit of help from a Dak

[Krystal n chips]

Fascinating story and flying involved,,,,,however, it's intriguing to wonder as to why, with this "somewhat fraught " proof of concept as they say, the son- in- law was thoughtfully volunteered. ......

The Transatlantic Glider - A Hair-Raising WW2 Mission - YouTube

[Chugalug2]

The answer to the U-boats was going to be Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose, until they were defeated by Allied Naval and Air Power with the crucial help of the Code Breakers. You just have to do the Maths to see that this project was not the answer to getting the massive build up of men and material to the UK ready for D-Day. Perhaps ACM Bowhill had more personal reasons for having his SiL attempt this hazardous crossing?

[Chris Scott]

Thanks for that, KnC. Flying a Dak on that route in indifferent wx, including in and out of Narsarsuaq, would be (is) a challenge in itself. But doing it while towing a heavily-laden glider must have been a bloody nightmare, particularly when both aircraft were icing up. I wonder if the RAF Daks had deicing boots and prop deicing, as we did later on public transport (not that they were always effective). But the glider pilots would have had no such mod-cons, of course, as well as the absence of cockpit heating mentioned in that very good video.

In the event of an engine quitting, I guess the Dak would have had to release the glider and hope to be able to struggle on to its destination on one. That's when the PBY would have tried to earn its keep...

[POBJOY]

A bit of 'drift' but close to the subject was the towing of (just from memory this bit) 3 'poss 4' Horsa gliders from RAF Portreath in Cornwall to a strip in North Africa (Vis Biscay) one ditched due to tow break but the others arrived. That's a long way in mostly enemy held skies. No doubt the full story available somewhere. Tugs poss Halifax.

[MAINJAFAD]

A bit of 'drift' but close to the subject was the towing of (just from memory this bit) 3 'poss 4' Horsa gliders from RAF Portreath in Cornwall to a strip in North Africa (Vis Biscay) one ditched due to tow break but the others arrived. That's a long way in mostly enemy held skies. No doubt the full story available somewhere. Tugs poss Halifax.

Tugs were Halifaxs, gliders were Horsa's and 32 sorties were flown. 5 Horsa's and 3 Halifax's were lost. One pair was shot down by a pair of FW 200 Condors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Turkey_Buzzard

[Floppy Link]

It's mentioned in James Holland's "Sicily 1943" when he goes into the buildup for the airborne part of Operation Husky...good book BTW