The "oft overshadowed" Lancaster?

[Prangster]

Nice aeroplane bloody awful bomber

Originally Posted by Load Toad

No, it wasn't suitable in that version for what RAF Bomber Command wanted (flying higher, at night). Other versions did perfectly OK in electronic warfare and air sea rescue and meteorological service. They were also perfectly OK for Coastal Command.

Straight from the horses mouth. My stepfather, on his so called rest tour flew with I think 90 squadron testing the B17C for the RAF. As he'd just staggered off a Hampden tour (Hampers ex Scampers) he called it the B17C was a sight to behold. Mind you he finished on Lancasters via 68 ops

[POBJOY]

Hurricane overshadowed !!

Originally Posted by PAXboy

The Americans may reckon the B-17 as the foremost. Our most overshadowed is the Hurricane.

Not in 11 Group where most of the action was !!!

[Prangster]

Originally Posted by megan

Tactics were part of the problem, the first raid was by three aircraft and those that followed were mostly by individual aircraft, problems were had with guns freezing at altitude, issues with the Sperry bomb sight, no rear defensive armament. Between the aircrafts initiation 8 July and removal from the bombing role 26 September they flew 26 raids, 51 sorties, of which 25 had been aborted with no bombs dropped. Of the 50 tons of bombs dropped only one ton is estimated to have hit the target, eight aircraft lost - one undercarriage collapse on landing (aircraft cannibilised for spares), one aircraft disintergrating on touch down due combat damage, one accidentally burnt on the ground, three destroyed by fighters on Norway raid, one lost on high altitude test, one appeared in a vertical dive from cloud into the ground. Aborts due aircraft unservicabilities seem to back up the USA advice that the aircraft was not yet ready for service.

Straight from the horses mouth, my stepfathers so called rest tour involved a posting straight off Hampdens from Scampton to I believe 90 Squadron evaluating the B17C. As you can imagine it was like leaving a clapped out Ford for a brand new Bentley..(or so he thought) Until the rot set in. Thankfully he survived the rest tour and then cross trained from WOP/AG to pilot, then he got his mucky mitts on a Lancaster. Hiis verdict on the B17C was unprintable in polite company

[Herod]

Hurricane overshadowed !!Quote:
Originally Posted by PAXboy View Post
The Americans may reckon the B-17 as the foremost. Our most overshadowed is the Hurricane.
Not in 11 Group where most of the action was !!!

Agreed, but the general public didn't know that. I take tours around at Cosford, and to most people the BoB IS the Spitfire. Why? The Spit is a sexy-looking beast. It's like comparing an Arab thoroughbred with a cart-horse. My point though is always that the real winner of the battle was the Hurricane.

[Bergerie1]

An interesting little video of a relatively unknown operation:-

You Tube