BOMBING PLANES

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 252, 26 October 1942, Page 6

BOMBING PLANES

BRITAIN'S GREATEST. LANCASTERS AND STIRLINGS. There has been some understandable indignation on this side of the Atlantic over the British announeement which said flatly that our Flying Fortresses and Consolidated Liberators were not suitable aircraft for fcombing Germany, states The General in an article in the New York daiiy P.M. Nothing is more natural than the layman's anger over such statement. He has been led to believe that the Boeing Fortress and the Liberator are the finest bombing planes in the air to-day. \ For certain specific operations there is no doubt, least of all in the minds of R.A.F. commanders, that the two Ameriean-made aircraft are the finest in the world. But they are right in saying that these two planes are not as effective as British Laneasters and Stirlings for bombing missions to the industrial cities of the Reich. The season is simple: The Fortress and the Liberator oan fly from 3200 to 3500 miles with a bomb load of about three tons; Laneasters and Stirlings ean fly 18001 to 2000 miles with eight tons of bombs. SHGRTCOMINGS OF U.S. BOMBERS. Other shortcomings of the Americs.n made bombers include a 30 to 50-rnile lag in speed as Compared v/ith the new British four-motored heavy bombers, and a laek of heavy armament. Admittedly, the industrial cities of Germany are among the best defended in the world; there is a concentration of anti-airrcaft fire which would take a heavy toll of any but the best-defended bombing planes. In the heaviest 1200 and 1500-plane raids over Germany, British losses of aircraft never have reached 5 per cent. of the planes taking part in the mission. This figure represents a minimum expenditure of material in relation to accomplishments of the raids. Ten per cent. is considered a prohibitive toll. Lightly armoured Fortresses and Liberators might have boosted that figure beyond allowable loss. There is no disagreement in London bNween Major-General Carl Spaatz, commanding United States air forces in the European theatre, and commanders oi the R A.F. regarding the ability of the British and American bombers. .Spaatz, one of the most cold and hard-headed airmen in our arrny, knows the facts and will adapt his strategy to fit tiiem. The logical solution has been advanced by military analysts in Britain and probably will be adopted. That is, our Fortresses and Liberators, v/ith tremendously long range, may be assigned to Atlantic convoy and patrol duty while United States fiyers in England may foe given British made fcomb.ers with v/hich to take their own personal track at targets in the Reich. Detachment of British bombers ircm mine-laying, patrol and convoy duty to European raiding will increase greatly the bombing aircraft for operations over Europe. At the same time, the American bombers will foe able to do a much more satisf actory job of sea patrol. They can fly liigher and farther. THE BRITISH LANCASTER. Every airrnan I have talked to agrees that a British Lancaster carrying eight tons of bombs— either four two ton "block busters" such as were so successful in previous raids, or larger quantities of smaller projectiles — must be a more successful v/eapon than a Flying Fortress, which would carry only one such bomb plus or an equal weight of smaller bombs. Pronouncement of the R.A.F. on ti e U.S.-built bombers is not an indictment of _ the aircraft and should not be considered as such. It just so happens that no matter how good they are, they don't happen to fit in this specific operation. If a place is found where they are better than the British craft — and it seems as if that niche has been discovered — that should foe their assignment. COMPARATIVE DETAILS.

All Americans have become familiar with the romantic names of their foiggest bombers, the Flying Fortress and the Liberator. Many wiongly suppose they are foigger than any others in action. Actually, the . British have two bombers that are half again as big, that carry more than twice the bomb load. They are the Short Stirling and the Avro-Lancaster. Exact specifications and performanee are a military secret, but enough information has been released officially to permit the following comparison of these monsters. All have four engines, of course.

Ivluch greater ranges have been claimed for the Stirling and the liancaster, but presumably that means a lighter bomb load. The Fortress cjaims a eeiling between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. No German bombers have been reported to match American or British heavy types. — — — -V ...

Bomb Top speed Range Guns Gross load (Approx.) (Approx.) Weight Fortress 3 tons 300 plus 3200 8' 20 tons Liberator 3 tons 320 3000 8? 20 tons Stirling 8 tons 300 2000 8 30 tons Lancaster 8 tons 300 2000 10 35 tons