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Just wondered if the light streams might be rockets but they don't look like daylight rocket tracks to be honest. Clutching at straws. I'd never spotted that Libs were either/or with rockets and Leigh Lights. I assumed both could co-exist with rockets just on the port wing. I'll keep an eye open for any examples. The Leigh Light needed a good radar homing to get it within a mile and night radar location and tracking of a schnorkel was tough in any sort of Atlantic sea state. Its best time was when the U-boats charged on the surface at night.Pretty sure it wouldn't have been a rocket attack. Attack profiles and cirfumstances ofvuse, for use of Leigh Light was different from that required for rockets. Leigh Light for night use, rockets by day. By Oct 1944, rocket equipped Liberators were being rotated out of the Liberator squadrons to be replaced by Leigh Light aircraft as U-boats spent most of their time schnorkelling.
Thanks Ewen. I do recall the nose-,mounted trial. I would be interested in the book title if you can recall it.There are a lot of photos around of Liberator GR.V serial FL927/G (G for Guard whilevtge aircraft was on the ground) with lower forward fuselage mounted rockets, Leigh Light and Dumbo radar nose. This was a trials aircraft at the A&AEE and was not representative of equipment fits on operational squadron aircraft.
I have a book somewhere with copies of the CC orders setting out the armament fits for Liberators from Nov 1943. Leigh Light equipped aircraft were armed with depth charges or Mk.24 Fido mines (homing torpedoes).
Echoes my thinking. Was just unsure what a time lapse camera aperture (if such a thing was relevant in this context) might do from a fast-moving aircraft. Alternatively 1.7in flares that the aircraft is leaving behind and wobbling in the slipstream.I've seen this photo before and doubt it's a Leigh Light.
Aircraft fitted with the light, had a single light mounted, either in a fixed position or in a modified turret. Either way, it was a single light that would produce a single beam, not six.
Also of note: in the photo, the "beams" appear to be trails, as from above mentioned rockets.
Light beams don't diminish or drift across each other's paths.
1940's camera technology would have been difficult to capture distant detail of the submarine with a slow shutter speed. Any close light source would wash out details further out while creating a blurred image of lighter images.Echoes my thinking. Was just unsure what a time lapse camera aperture (if such a thing was relevant in this context) might do from a fast-moving aircraft. Alternatively 1.7in flares that the aircraft is leaving behind and wobbling in the slipstream.
This is itThanks Ewen. I do recall the nose-,mounted trial. I would be interested in the book title if you can recall it.
Hi Ewen. I do know that book and would like a copy but the only one I found was £80 (or €80). The publishers have a couple of extracts online. I have exchanged notes with one of the authors, Pavel Turk, who was very helpful. I hoped he might know of a secret stash of books in Eastern Europe but no joy.This is it
B24 Liberator in RAF coastal Command service and aircraft of 311(Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF
Consolidated B-24 Liberator is one of airplanes which deserves special attention of aviation historians. B-24s took part in combat actions in all theatres of operations of WWII under quite different swww.aviationmegastore.com
As well as some history of the Lib in RAF service and brief notes on each CC squadron use, it then has detailed histories of each aircraft used by 311 squadron and appendices giving the appearance and equipment fit of each, down to level of window type, antenna positions, camouflage etc, etc, etc. Huge detail.
The book was published back in 2015 and in a limited print run. While expensive at the time it was nothing like today's asking price. I was even lucky enough to receive a copy signed by one of the authors and a couple of 311 squadron members. And no, it isn't for sale.
The 12 Nov 1943 official CC document was ref CC/S. 7012/2/6/CinC. 1938.
That notes, amongst other things, that due to the changed situation in the U-boat war, 224 had been allocated 6 Leigh Light Liberators and would be brought up to strength on these as more aircraft became available. Further those Liberator Mk.V with fixed RP installations would be returned to SAL for LL conversion. On return to squadrons the RP would have been removed and were to be held in unit stores. The Appendix to that document sets out the various armament fits. Liberators in either Long Range or Very Long Range with LL - 8x250lb DC. At that point it was planned to have 4 Lib squadrons with LL equipped aircraft.
Note most of the RP equipped Libs used a reloadable package in the aft bomb bay. 311 was one squadron using that fit on its GR.V from Feb 1944. LL was not fitted to them. These aircraft had the RP package removed in Dec 1944 / Jan 1945. It then received LL equipped GR.VI from the end of Jan 1945.
Another document Appendix X from RAF in Maritime War Vol IV repeats the above and further notes Lib VI with LL was 8xDC as above or 1xMk.24 mine plus 6xDC.
224 received Liberator GR.V with the later ASG-3 radar and no RP from Dec 1943. It received its first Lib VI with ASG-3 in May 1944 and these gradually replaced the GR.V. By Sept it was 15 GR.VI and 3 GR.V on charge all with ASG-3 radars. The latter were gone by 5 Nov. In late Nov it became the first CC squadron to begin receiving the Lib GR.VIII with the AN/APS-15 3cm Radar which was better for detecting U-boat Schnorkels. By March 1945 it was flying GR.VIII only.
Do you mean flame floats to mark the attack spot? In my comments I was actually talking about the 4in and 1.7in illumination flares that would be dropped during the last mile as the aircraft homed on the U-boat.This is conjecture as in a rough guess. Could it be a long exposure shot as the plane turned. Doubtful to me as the sub isn't
in more than one spot.
Fire flares would be dropped as the plane went over but that would be behind.
This should be a shot from a second pass after the kill according to the caption.
According to what I've read the flares mark the position of the attack area. How far around I don't know.Do you mean flame floats to mark the attack spot? In my comments I was actually talking about the 4in and 1.7in illumination flares that would be dropped during the last mile as the aircraft homed on the U-boat.
I am struggling to make any real sense of what the image is showing.
Flame floats would be dropped at night to mark an attack or diving point. In daytime it would be a smoke float and/or a dye marker.According to what I've read the flares mark the position of the attack area. How far around I don't know.
RAF CC Liberator GR Mk V FL927 with ASV Mk ?(Yaggi aerial type), 8x RP, and Leigh Light
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