B-17vsLancaster

• May 3, 2004

• #221

L

Lightning Guy

Master Sergeant

2,511

4

Apr 29, 2004

I suppose it would have. I know it's performane was top-notch and that it was reasonably maneuverable. I didn't know it had the range, but checking some stats it appears to have had a maximum range of 1500 miles or so. Anyone know what it's range on internal fuel was?

 

• May 3, 2004

• #222

cheddar cheese

Major General

20,265

21

Jan 9, 2004

WSM, England

i think that was its range dont quote me on that though

 

• May 3, 2004

• #223

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General

19,937

17

Dec 20, 2003

that is on inetrnal tanks, but what's the pint in bombing at day with a small payload and get it accurate, when you can bomb at night with more than twice the payload, and when you carpet bomb, you don't have to be accurate...................

 

• May 3, 2004

• #224

L

Lightning Guy

Master Sergeant

2,511

4

Apr 29, 2004

The point is being sure you hit the target rather that the cow pasture next to it.

 

• May 3, 2004

• #225

cheddar cheese

Major General

20,265

21

Jan 9, 2004

WSM, England

yup, and its pointless escorting just one plane, so there would be formations which drop a heavier amount of bombs than just one lancaster 8) you know it makes sense lanc...

 

• May 4, 2004

• #226

plan_D

Lieutenant Colonel

11,643

22

Apr 1, 2004

What's the point in Lancaster bombing during the day if the B-17s were doing it?

 

• May 4, 2004

• #227

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General

19,937

17

Dec 20, 2003

and a lancaster would do more damage at night tan a B-17 would during the day............

 

• May 4, 2004

• #228

plan_D

Lieutenant Colonel

11,643

22

Apr 1, 2004

Yes, they would.

 

• May 4, 2004

• #229

L

Lightning Guy

Master Sergeant

2,511

4

Apr 29, 2004

They definitely did more damage, the question was what were they doing damage to? It would be late in the war before Bomber Command could even begin to approach the levels of accuracy that the 8th and 15th AF were achieving.

 

• May 5, 2004

• #230

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General

19,937

17

Dec 20, 2003

that was for two reasons, 1) the americans the norden 2) we were bombing at night, it's hard to bomb accuratly when you can't see the target, and remeber, you didn't aim for a cirtain building, you just bombed............

 

• May 5, 2004

• #231

L

Lightning Guy

Master Sergeant

2,511

4

Apr 29, 2004

And the Lancaster bombed at night because 1) it didn't have the defensive armament to bomb at day and 2) the RAF had nothing (until the Tempest) that could have escorted them. Even if the Lancaster had bombed by day, it's Mk. VII (?) sight was not up to par with the Norden. The Americans, bombing by day, were able to bomb a particular building (or at least complex of buildings).

 

• May 5, 2004

• #232

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General

19,937

17

Dec 20, 2003

not true, when carpet bombing you didn't aim for a cirtain place, you were lucky to get to the city, let alone a cirtain building...........

 

• May 5, 2004

• #233

plan_D

Lieutenant Colonel

11,643

22

Apr 1, 2004

Yes, a particular building is a bit far fetched unless it was in the middle of nowhere with no other building around.

 

• May 5, 2004

• #234

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General

19,937

17

Dec 20, 2003

you had no chance of finding a building in the middle of nowhere, and to hit it you had to be at low level...............

 

• May 5, 2004

• #235

plan_D

Lieutenant Colonel

11,643

22

Apr 1, 2004

I mean hitting a building without hitting any others it would have to be in the middle of nowhere.

 

• May 5, 2004

• #236

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General

19,937

17

Dec 20, 2003

ah, but that wasn't the aim of carpet bombing..............

 

• May 5, 2004

• #237

plan_D

Lieutenant Colonel

11,643

22

Apr 1, 2004

But that's what I'm saying.

 

• May 5, 2004

• #238

L

Lightning Guy

Master Sergeant

2,511

4

Apr 29, 2004

But the Americans didn't carpet bomb (except for a few circumstances like Operation COBRA). For accurately dropping bombs, the Lanc (or any other British bomber) couldn't compete with the B-17 or B-24. That is why the Lancaster's load usually included a large percentage of incendiaries.

 

• May 5, 2004

• #239

plan_D

Lieutenant Colonel

11,643

22

Apr 1, 2004

The Americans did quite a lot of carpet bombing although they did claim otherwise.

 

• May 5, 2004

• #240

L

Lightning Guy

Master Sergeant

2,511

4

Apr 29, 2004

There may have been some, but the US didn't set out to destroy cities until the B-29s started doing it over Japan and that was primarily because the Jet Stream prevented the kind of high altitude bombing they had been doing over Europe.