33k in the air
Staff Sergeant
- 1,283
- Jan 31, 2021
Recently I completed going through the ORBs for 433 Squadron (RCAF) of Bomber Command, noting the listed bomb loads for each aircraft dispatched on a bombing mission. This covers Jan. 1944 through Apr. 1945. During this period the squadron operating the Halifax III and Lancaster I aircraft. There were a total of 1,672 bombing sorties for the Halifax III and 317 for the Lancaster I. The basic bomb loads are as follows:
Halifax III
590 = 16 x 500-lb
196 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
74 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 1,080 x 4-lb
50 = 5 x 1,000-lb and 10 x 500-lb
36 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 6 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
35 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
35 = 810 x 4-lb and 24 x 50-lb
34 = 630 x 4-lb and 64 x 30-lb
31 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 11 x No. 14 Cluster Projectiles (1,166 x 4-lb, although the ORBs list it as either 1,320 x 4-lb or as "500-lb cluster")
30 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 7 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
29 = 13 x 500-lb
28 = 540 x 4-lb and 48 x 40-lb
27 = 18 x 500-lb
27 = 2 x 1,000-lb and 1,080 x 4-lb
25 = 9 x 1,000-lb
21 = 630 x 4-lb and 40 x 30-lb
20 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 5 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
19 = 15 x 500-lb
18 = 1 x 2000-lb and 6 x 1,000-lb and 5 x 500-lb
17 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 630 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
16 = 8 x 1,000-lb and 7 x 500-lb
16 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 11 x 500-lb
15 = 2 x 1,000-lb and 15 x 500-lb
15 = 9 x 500-lb and 7 x 250-lb
15 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 48 x 30-lb and 6 x No. 14 Cluster Projectiles (636 x 4-lb)
14 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 2 x 500-lb
14 = 6 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
14 = 3 x 1,000-lb and 10 x 500-lb
14 = 14 x 500-lb
14 = 450 x 4-lb and 56 x 30-lb
13 = 4 x 1,000-lb and 10 x 500-lb
12 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 4 x 1,000-lb and 8 x 500-lb
11 = 6 x 1,000-lb and 8 x 500-lb
11 = 13 x 500-lb
11 = 9 x 500-lb
10 = 8 x 500-lb and 8 x 250-lb
10 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 540 x 4-lb and 56 x 30-lb
10 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 540 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
9 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 3 x 500-lb
9 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 12 x No. 14 Cluster Projectiles (1,272 x 4-lb, although the ORBs sometimes lists it as 1,440)
9 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 900 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
9 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 450 x 4-lb and 48 x 30-lb
9 = 10 x 500-lb
8 = 8 x 1,000-lb and 5 x 500-lb
7 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
6 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 450 x 4-lb and 40 x 30-lb
5 = 4 x 1,000-lb and 9 x 500-lb
4 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
4 = 8 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
4 = 540 x 4-lb and 56 x 30-lb
3 = 5 x 1,000-lb and 8 x 500-lb
2 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 390 x 4-lb and 40 x 30-lb
1 = 6 x 1,000-lb and 7 x 500-lb
1 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 5 x 500-lb
1 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 4 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
1 = 3 x 1,000-lb and 12 x 500-lb
1 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
1 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 600 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
1 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 390 x 4-lb and 48 x 30-lb
Halifax III
590 = 16 x 500-lb
196 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
74 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 1,080 x 4-lb
50 = 5 x 1,000-lb and 10 x 500-lb
36 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 6 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
35 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
35 = 810 x 4-lb and 24 x 50-lb
34 = 630 x 4-lb and 64 x 30-lb
31 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 11 x No. 14 Cluster Projectiles (1,166 x 4-lb, although the ORBs list it as either 1,320 x 4-lb or as "500-lb cluster")
30 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 7 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
29 = 13 x 500-lb
28 = 540 x 4-lb and 48 x 40-lb
27 = 18 x 500-lb
27 = 2 x 1,000-lb and 1,080 x 4-lb
25 = 9 x 1,000-lb
21 = 630 x 4-lb and 40 x 30-lb
20 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 5 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
19 = 15 x 500-lb
18 = 1 x 2000-lb and 6 x 1,000-lb and 5 x 500-lb
17 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 630 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
16 = 8 x 1,000-lb and 7 x 500-lb
16 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 11 x 500-lb
15 = 2 x 1,000-lb and 15 x 500-lb
15 = 9 x 500-lb and 7 x 250-lb
15 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 48 x 30-lb and 6 x No. 14 Cluster Projectiles (636 x 4-lb)
14 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 2 x 500-lb
14 = 6 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
14 = 3 x 1,000-lb and 10 x 500-lb
14 = 14 x 500-lb
14 = 450 x 4-lb and 56 x 30-lb
13 = 4 x 1,000-lb and 10 x 500-lb
12 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 4 x 1,000-lb and 8 x 500-lb
11 = 6 x 1,000-lb and 8 x 500-lb
11 = 13 x 500-lb
11 = 9 x 500-lb
10 = 8 x 500-lb and 8 x 250-lb
10 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 540 x 4-lb and 56 x 30-lb
10 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 540 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
9 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 3 x 500-lb
9 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 12 x No. 14 Cluster Projectiles (1,272 x 4-lb, although the ORBs sometimes lists it as 1,440)
9 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 900 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
9 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 450 x 4-lb and 48 x 30-lb
9 = 10 x 500-lb
8 = 8 x 1,000-lb and 5 x 500-lb
7 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
6 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 450 x 4-lb and 40 x 30-lb
5 = 4 x 1,000-lb and 9 x 500-lb
4 = 9 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
4 = 8 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
4 = 540 x 4-lb and 56 x 30-lb
3 = 5 x 1,000-lb and 8 x 500-lb
2 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 390 x 4-lb and 40 x 30-lb
1 = 6 x 1,000-lb and 7 x 500-lb
1 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 5 x 500-lb
1 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 4 x 1,000-lb and 6 x 500-lb
1 = 3 x 1,000-lb and 12 x 500-lb
1 = 7 x 1,000-lb and 4 x 500-lb
1 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 600 x 4-lb and 24 x 30-lb
1 = 1 x 2,000-lb and 390 x 4-lb and 48 x 30-lb