Brand new Bombers flown into the sea??? Myth or reality?
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...... RAF Dumfries at the end of the war and there were hundreds of Wellingtons, Lancasters etc awaiting disposal. There would be some great finds there if it was to be dug up today!
http://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/
Somewhat related, many of the B-32s (updated B-24) assembled in Ft. Worth by Consoldidated at the end of WWII were flown directly from the factory to smelters at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas so they were scrapped with just a couple of hours flight time on them.
From what I've read, the rational was the powers that be knew jets were just around the corner and wanted to clear the ramp, so to speak. I understand the penalty for not completing the contracts but you'd think someone could just say, "Here's your money, go have a beer."
From what I've read, the rational was the powers that be knew jets were just around the corner and wanted to clear the ramp, so to speak. I understand the penalty for not completing the contracts but you'd think someone could just say, "Here's your money, go have a beer."
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As a PC at STN in 72-73 I was told by a number of older staff that the USAF buried brand new dismantled WW2 a/c after hostilities ceased around the late 40's early 50's. They were placed under the existing runway and the old cross runway. Likewise i am told that there a a number of a/c underneath the old Foed plant at Langley, Slough. It seems many items were disposed of post war.
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B-32 notes from wikipedia. I also recall seeing a number of photographs with piles of P-38's and other U.S. fighters being bulldozed into holes on Pacific islands.
No examples remain of a B-32. Most production aircraft were delivered incomplete from the factory and flown directly to Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona for storage. Many were offered for sale by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation but no offers were received. A number of B-32 heavy bombers were flown to the Walnut Ridge Army Airfield, in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, where they were scrapped by the Texas Railway Equipment Company, which bought 4,871 of the various aircraft stored at Walnut Ridge, including fighters and bombers of differing types. Most B-32s were scrapped by 1947.
From wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-32_Dominator
From wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-32_Dominator
My father delivered brand new Halifaxs to Edzell, a Halifax and Stirling disposal unit, at the end of the war. Landings use to be quite interesting on a runway lined with aircraft with minor teething troubles like no flaps or brakes. The aircraft he was flying, that is.
Later on when he was on 202 Met Sqn at Aldergrove he used to fly a Halifax full of fitters to Dyce and they would road down to Edzell to cannibalise what spares they needed.
When High Ercall was a relief landing ground for Tern Hill in 1960 they were scrapping Spitfires and the airframes were being used as infill for a breakwater near Liverpool.
Later on when he was on 202 Met Sqn at Aldergrove he used to fly a Halifax full of fitters to Dyce and they would road down to Edzell to cannibalise what spares they needed.
When High Ercall was a relief landing ground for Tern Hill in 1960 they were scrapping Spitfires and the airframes were being used as infill for a breakwater near Liverpool.
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How many Lancs were turned into 'Lancastrians'
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Not strictly relevant to Lancasters but with reference to the scrap value and the need to rebuild after WW2 - close to here a satellite landing strip outside Haddington in East Lothian was used to store surplus a/c. These consisted of a variety of types, including Blenheims, Halifaxes, Whirlwinds and new Westland Welkins (over 60 I believe). Local lore has it that they lay there for a considerable time before eventually being scrapped some years later - thereby giving the lie to the urgency of using scrap materials.
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mustpost: "Whirlwinds and new Westland Welkins (over 60 I believe)" , plus some of the other types you mention would have been a drop in an ocean of huge numbers of aircraft of all types that were being scrapped.
I do not believe it was so much a matter of urgency, but of making use of what was available as and when it was needed.
Proximity to the necessary factories to melt the scrap down would have also played a part.
I can remember looking out of train windows several years after the war and seeing scrap yards at a number of locations still bursting at the seams.
I do not believe it was so much a matter of urgency, but of making use of what was available as and when it was needed.
Proximity to the necessary factories to melt the scrap down would have also played a part.
I can remember looking out of train windows several years after the war and seeing scrap yards at a number of locations still bursting at the seams.
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More recent times
I was in Dhahran just after the first Gulf war and spent a fair bit of time Diver Training with the American forces in AlKhobar. Japans contribution to the Gulf war had mainly consisted of 4 wheel drive vehicles.
Hundreds upon hundreds of them. So after the war The Saudis didnt want these almost new vehicles flooding their market and no one else did either nor the bill for transporting them. The solution was to take these vehicles with less than 4000 miles on them in most cases, out into the desert for A10 s to use as target practice, and and then bury them. And this went on for months ! Funny because at the same time American divers were salvaging Marine Diesels off sunken Yachts and having them shipped back to the states .
Hundreds upon hundreds of them. So after the war The Saudis didnt want these almost new vehicles flooding their market and no one else did either nor the bill for transporting them. The solution was to take these vehicles with less than 4000 miles on them in most cases, out into the desert for A10 s to use as target practice, and and then bury them. And this went on for months ! Funny because at the same time American divers were salvaging Marine Diesels off sunken Yachts and having them shipped back to the states .
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Brian Abraham
"One is the answer as far as I can discern. The only Lancaster converted to a Lancastrian seems to be the prototype Lancastrian - granted C of A 7th Feb 1945. The last Lancastrian rolled off the production line in April 1946".
Thankyou Brian.
"One is the answer as far as I can discern. The only Lancaster converted to a Lancastrian seems to be the prototype Lancastrian - granted C of A 7th Feb 1945. The last Lancastrian rolled off the production line in April 1946".
Thankyou Brian.
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One is the answer as far as I can discern. The only Lancaster converted to a Lancastrian seems to be the prototype Lancastrian - granted C of A 7th Feb 1945
It seems that either nine or seven were converted according to British Aircraft Directory or Wikipedia. The latter is not always the most accurate source.
http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/air...age.php?ID=712
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lancastrian
My Dad told me that when the war was finished they were still receiving brand new Halifaxes so they kept them for a week or so and then flew them to the scrapyard. I think he said it was Southend they went to.
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Fascinating replies here.
Maybe the ‘flying into the sea’ was a pub-tale exaggeration but the maybe the pilot flew down to the south coast (Southend??) and heard a rumour about their fate .that has got extended over the years.
It does seem that new aircraft were 'put to the torch' however,
Maybe the ‘flying into the sea’ was a pub-tale exaggeration but the maybe the pilot flew down to the south coast (Southend??) and heard a rumour about their fate .that has got extended over the years.
It does seem that new aircraft were 'put to the torch' however,
Maybe the ‘flying into the sea’ was a pub-tale exaggeration
Old Hairy
IIRC (and it was a while ago) Kinloss sub aqua club dived on some wrecks in Nigg Bay and found 6 (again IIRC) Sunderlands on the bottom. Sadly they have been a bit chopped up by the anchors from the mobile oil rigs that are/were serviced there. Perhaps someone from ISK can verify?
Sorry S'land
Its definately not true. Ive just been thro the appendix to Chas Bowyers book on the Sunderland (Good read) which contains details on all the boats produced in a appendix,details of their demise and disposal all 710 and there are no details on any criminal sinking.
Sorry S'land
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My uncle was a medical corpsman in Germany around VE day. They were in need of ambulance transport vehicles, and managed to capture a forward German airfield with a number of Fieseler Fi 156 Storch STOL aircraft outfitted for ambulance use.
However, an Allied artillery unit showed up with orders to destroy all enemy aircraft, so they ran a tank down the flight line and ran over the tail section of each Storch.
However, an Allied artillery unit showed up with orders to destroy all enemy aircraft, so they ran a tank down the flight line and ran over the tail section of each Storch.
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Sorry S'land
It is understandable why such decisions were taken at the time. However, with hindsight (as always) it is a great shame that some examples of each type were not kept in store. There are so many types that we are not able to see today.
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There is one such Catalina lying between the Isle of Cumbrae and Largs in Scotland
First time I dived it 18 years ago the wings were intact and sitting about 2 meters off the bottom and you could get in side and sit in the cockpit. There was the famous canopy which many a young diver used for an excuse to go down the hill looking for to get narked out of their heads at 40m on air.
8 years ago it was a crumbling heap you could still see box sections but no real detail. And there was no way you could get inside it as it had caved in on itself