Best transporter

[plan_D]

Detachment 101 rescued 125 ATC crewmen during 1943. There was only one landing strip between Dinjan and China, that was Fort Hertz occupied by 4th Burma Regiment. They used C-47, C-46, C-87 and C-109s to transport goods to China.

In July 1945 I imagine they had received the amount of aircraft they had originally requested. Since in 1942 - 1943 the aircraft were being moved all over the place to support different operations, most of the aircraft used to be taken away from ATC.

I don't think the 468 aircraft lost is the total. It's the total of the ATC from 1942 - 1945. I know they were flying missions prior to the closing of the Burma Road and correct me if I'm wrong but weren't ATC under a different command for a while before becoming ATC?

 

[evangilder]

Yes, ATC aircraft were often diverted on the way to the CBI to support other operations where they were needed. Wally spoke of a few days they flew supplies into where the British 14th Army was operating and flying out the wounded.

The original hump group was CNAC (China National Aviation Corporation), who flew mostly C-47s, which were converted DC-3 airliners.

In my previous post, I stated that aircraft were corssing the hump every 72 seconds and the 1 ton per 15 seconds was actually a one day total on August 1. July of 1945 was over 71,000 tons though!

The loss numbers have never been definitive. I wonder if they ever will be. I saw a 1984 aeronautical chart for that area and there were still large sections of the Himalayas that were listed as "uncharted or unsurveyed". There are also still crewmen listed as MIA from that time that have never been found.

I am not real sure of the history of the ATC, so when they officially formed is a mystery to me at the moment.

 

[plan_D]

I've read a remarkable story about a C-47 landing in Burma during Operation Longcloth to evacuate some troops left behind. It proved to AHQ(I) that large transport aircraft could land behind enemy lines to evacuate the wounded and bring in supplies. The wonderful thing about the landing was that it was within 4 miles of a Japanese fighter base!

 

[evangilder]

That is pretty incredible!

 

[HealzDevo]

I would say the Me-323 was the best transporter as despite being large it was more useful for shifting cargo, equipment etc. It would seem that this is where the ideas for Condor, Cossack and Galaxy came from. It proved the concept of a large transport plane did fly and could be very useful. Therefore it was useful as a proof of concept type plane.

 

[syscom3]

Dont forget the C-54. Although not as widely used as the C46 in the war, it was superior in nearly all catagories. After the war, it completely pushed the C46 to the wayside.

Either way, the C46/C47/C54 were far superior to anything the axis nations had.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I would say the Me-323 was the best transporter as despite being large it was more useful for shifting cargo, equipment etc.

The 323, while big and somewhat inovative was underpowered and a sitting duck, it could barely get out of it's own way. Based on cargo tonnage moved, I don't think it made a dent.....

Dont forget the C-54. Although not as widely used as the C46 in the war, it was superior in nearly all catagories. After the war, it completely pushed the C46 to the wayside.

Either way, the C46/C47/C54 were far superior to anything the axis nations had.

Agree - there was nothing close to these aircraft and their further development led to an post-WW2 domination of the commercial aircraft market, especially when the L-1049 was thrown into the lot.

The C-46 wasn't really pushed out by the C-54, some of it's own features made it non-user friendly, but it did find use in the commercial market and a few of them are still operated in Alaska today.

 

[syscom3]

I think one of the many reasons the axis nations failed in WW2 was the lack of good air transport. Not sexy at all, but often could be the difference between winning a battle or making logistics easier.

I saw a picture taken in Guadalacanal in 1942, of a C54 evacuating injured marines back to New Caledonia. One of the many reasons the US prevailed so quickly in the battles of the SW Pacific.

 

[HealzDevo]

I think the situation could have been very different if the German High Command had used it differently. Sure it was underpowered, etc. but it could be used to shift heavy loads. A lot of the Italian fighters were too. The Me-323 could shift medium to heavy tanks as opposed to the Allied Tank Gliders such as the Horsa which could only shift light tanks and jeeps. I am arguing that this is an innovation that the Germans didn't take advantage of which could have been more useful for the war if used properly. True it would require air support from fighters to avoid being shot-down however, building up panzer forces with each flight could have been very useful for rapid forces deployment. Shifting of tanks and heavy vehicles can decide a battle, but the Germans didn't take advantage of this. The concept has been proven to be effective Post-WWII.

 

[cheddar cheese]

The Me-323 was hopeles...they were getting so pummelled on the front line they only did sorties behind the lines...

The SM.82 is the superior Transport, being able to carry some 40 people, plus 8,818lbs of bombs or cargo. It could transport a Fiat CR.42 in just 4 seperate parts: The fuselage, engine, and wings. Admittedly the C-47/-47 had a much larger impact but I think if we talk in terms of sheer superiority the SM.82 would probably come out on top.

 

[syscom3]

The C46 and C54 were still superior. Range, speed and reliability is a very important factor in transports.

 

[cheddar cheese]

I may have to concede on the reliability front but a range of 1,900 miles and 230mph puts it well in the league of the C-47.

If I wanted to be really finnicky id saythe P.108T was the best transport, which of course it was.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well the York was Britain's best transporter........

 

[syscom3]

The C47 and C46 could land on airstrips that were that in name only.

They both had very rugged airframes and langing gear.

 

[cheddar cheese]

As could the Italian aircraft, vital in North Africa and the Med.