Battleship Tirpitz: Sinking of Nazi Germany's Largest Battleship

wuzak said:

View: https://youtu.be/NJAzuXzPad0?si=Vptl5I0Ussy9ayKm

In the section about Operation Catechism, the narrator mentions that Tait dropped his Tallboy, triggering an automatic release in the following aircraft.

Did the Lancaster have such a system?

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WARSPITER said:

It's more likely to mean that the following bombers then released as they came in since each would have to drop it's own bomb.
Strange if not confusing wording to use.

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EwenS said:

So 29 Tallboys descended in the direction of Tirpitz in the space of 3 minutes.

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EwenS said:

I think that the author of that piece has misunderstood the tactics that were used in the raids against the Tirpitz.

The object was to achieve a concentration of bombing. Aircraft flew in waves of about 5 aircraft as near as possible to line abreast (as a loose "gaggle" not as a close formation as practiced by the USAAF) but with each aircraft on slightly converging courses, with waves separated by a few hundred yards and by altitude. The bomb aimer in each aircraft aimed his bomb individually. But the objective wasn't for each to try to hit the Tirpitz directly. The objective was to place all the bombs in a square around the Tirpitz (750 yards on each side was used during Paravane). So the bombs in each wave would be dropped virtually simultaneously, perhaps giving the impression of a command drop by the leader.

For Catechism, 32 aircraft dispatched (18 from 617 squadron, 13 from 9 squadron and one photo aircraft). Another 7 from 9 squadron were unable to take off due to icing and the high weight of the aircraft. 2 were late at the rendezvous point so didn't bomb.

So 29 Tallboys descended in the direction of Tirpitz in the space of 3 minutes.

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HP52 said:

I spoke to Bruce Buckham - 463 Squadron (Lanc Whoa Bessie) shortly before he died. His wife tried to wave me off but Bruce in the background demanded the phone. I want to speak to him!

After the bomb drop, he had done his bit and was headed down the fjord for home via Scotland - the rear gunner came on the intercom "Skipper, she's rolling over!"
Bruce turned back and made 2 or three passes. Not a shot was fired, such was the shock of the explosions. Finishing his camera work, they immediately beetled off for Scotland and on to Waddington. The films were developed and the photos on Churchill's desk by 8am the following morning -must have been a sleepless night for a lot of people (imagine if the photos were lost en-route!) Hampdemon

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