Ever heard of the acronym "PROWL"?

• Feb 13, 2014

• #1

buffnut453

Captain

8,105

13,478

Jul 25, 2007

Cambridgeshire, England

Hi Folks,

I have a copy of a PR pilot's logbook, or at least the partial contents. One of the entries mentions "PROWL. 1xType 97 M.B.". I think the latter section refers to a Japanese Ki-21 bomber but I have no idea what the "PROWL" part means. Even more intriguingly, the aircraft flown by the pilot on this date almost certainly wasn't a PR airframe. I'm wondering if the pilot was flying a fighter as escort to the PR airframe, and somehow managed to claim either a kill or damage to a Ki-21?

If anyone has any better ideas, I'd be delighted to hear them.

Many thanks,
B-N

 

• Feb 14, 2014

• #2

Airframes

Benevolens Magister

63,028

12,577

Aug 24, 2008

Cheshire, UK

A pure guess, but it might just be an abbreviation for 'Patrol', or Patrol Over Water Land, or perhaps a patrol over locations coded or abbreviated, or perhaps 'Patrol (or PR) OWL', with 'owl' being a patrol area or specific location. Additionally, if it is a PR sortie, then 'PROWL' could mean just that - prowling around an area, with the enemy aircraft being a sighting.
Some of the entries in the copy I have of BoB Cross's log book have similar names/codes, for areas or locations in, for example, the Arakan.

 

• Feb 14, 2014

• #3

Airframes

Benevolens Magister

63,028

12,577

Aug 24, 2008

Cheshire, UK

A pure guess, but it might just be an abbreviation for 'Patrol', or Patrol Over Water Land, or perhaps a patrol over locations coded or abbreviated, or perhaps 'Patrol (or PR) OWL', with 'owl' being a patrol area or specific location. Additionally, if it is a PR sortie, then 'PROWL' could mean just that - prowling around an area, with the enemy aircraft being a sighting.
Some of the entries in the copy I have of BoB Cross's log book have similar names/codes, for areas or locations in, for example, the Arakan.

 

• Feb 14, 2014

• Thread starter
• #4

buffnut453

Captain

8,105

13,478

Jul 25, 2007

Cambridgeshire, England

Thanks Airframes. Hadn't thought of the codename angle. That could be it...if only I could work out what it means (then again, I guess that's why it's a codename! )

 

• Feb 15, 2014

• #5

fubar57

General

33,810

21,002

Nov 22, 2009

The Jungles of Canada

There are a couple of books in scrib.com dealing with military acronyms and I think one of them was for the RAF. I'll have a look when I get home on Tuesday.

Geo

 

• Feb 15, 2014

• Thread starter
• #6

buffnut453

Captain

8,105

13,478

Jul 25, 2007

Cambridgeshire, England

Thanks Geo. That would be very helpful.