Avro Lancaster

[Antipodean Andy]

The Canadian Lanc:

http://www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft_lancaster.html

[spidge]

I was reading about the Lancaster and noted that Britain/Allies were sending 30 squadrons of Lancasters to the Pacific in July 1945.

"Lancasters from Bomber Command were to have formed the main strength of Tiger Force, the Commonwealth bomber contingent scheduled to take part in Operation Downfall, the codename for the planned invasion of Japan in late 1945, from bases on Okinawa."

[Antipodean Andy]

Painted white too, IIRC.

[Kyt]

There's some debate about whether that really would have happened - the logistics of the transfer meant that they may not have arrived in time (in line with the Downfall schedule), and more importantly, MacArthur was very reluctant to use any non-US personnel if he could help it (and closer to the possible invasion he'd probably have made a greater fuss).

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Kyt

There's some debate about whether that really would have happened - the logistics of the transfer meant that they may not have arrived in time (in line with the Downfall schedule), and more importantly, MacArthur was very reluctant to use any non-US personnel if he could help it (and closer to the possible invasion he'd probably have made a greater fuss).

Took that info from here:
http://www.raafawa.org.au/wa/museum/lanc/history.htm

A total of 30 Lancaster squadrons were to be flown from Europe to the Far East between August and November 1945, to raid the Japanese mainland from bases in Eastern India and Okinawa.
Their aircraft, designated F.E. (Far East) Lancasters. had modifications which Included more powerful Rolls Royce Merlin 24 engines of 1640 h.p.; Nash and Thompson rear turrets with two 0.5 Inch Browning machine guns instead of the earlier four .303 Brownings; a Martin dorsal turret with two more 0.5's and an additional 1800 litre fuel tank in the rear of the bomb bay.
With a typical 3,200 kg bomb load, this extended the aircraft's range from 4,200 to 5,300 kilometres. Special lifeboat-dropping Lancasters would be available for rescue operations on long oversea raids. Other Tiger Force Lancasters were designated to carry Grand Slam and the almost equally destructive 5,300 kg Tallboy bombs over shorter ranges against special targets, or to operate in tactical close-support roles with the British / Indian Army In Burma.

[Kyt]

No, I agree that there plans to do so, and these plans were moving along before the A-bombs, but what I meant was that the actual use of these aircraft was debatable - at the level that the plans had progressed by the real end of the war, TAF and RN participation had been included. But these plans were never finalised, and MacArthur being MacArthur (who always wanted it be be completely US show), the inclusion of the RAF in operations is open to question.

He certainly vetoed the use of Indian Divisions in the invasion planning.

[Antipodean Andy]

I pity the fool who knocks back a force of Lancasters!

[Antipodean Andy]

Posted this before over on the dark side.

[Kyt]

Nice one Andy - I really enjoyed digging around for details of that Lanc before.

[Antipodean Andy]

http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/
http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/oldstuf.../Justjane.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OVb-UG8yJw
http://www.lancfm212.ca/