Mosquito: Fabric on main plane torn by icing.

[JDCAVE]

The ORB (Form 541) for 5-March-1945 for W/C R. Bannock, Mosquito MM.747, records: "Scrambed to escort returning bombers. No hostile contacts. Fabric on main plane torn by icing. Broken 10/10's cloud. [Note the bombers were returning from raids to Chemnitz and Bohlen. Dad was on the Chemnitz op].

Pardon my complete ignorance! What part of the wings of Mosquitoes was made up of fabric? Or is fabric a generic term for the "skin" on the wings. I had thought that the wings of the mosquito were made up of a spruce plywood composite material. What am I missing here?

This is an interesting entry for two reasons. First it corroborates the statements in dad's ORB entry that the icing conditions were severe over the French coast. Second, this is the first time I have seen a record of mosquitoes used in an escort role from the channel to bases in England. Two days earlier, the Nachtjagd followed the bombers home from a raid Ladbergen and Kamen. 22 Bombers were destroyed and eight aircraft were damaged over eastern England and the North Sea in the "Operation Gisela" air battle. 21 Ju.88's were lost and 11 damaged. 46 German aircrew were killed.

Jim

 

[Wurger]

As memo serves, the wooden skin of Mosquito was coverd with the fabric additionally. And all that structure was painted at the end.

 

[Wurger]

And a couple of shots showing the fabric covering damaged ...

on the fusealge ...

on the fuselage, wings and tails. The canvas remnants can be noticed on the fin ...

damages like in the image above ...

the pic source: the net.

 

[Wurger]

And Mosquito fuselage veneering with the fabric ..

the source: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/48364

 

[JDCAVE]

Very Good Wurger! Thanks for you information on this! It all makes sense now.

Jim

 

[nuuumannn]

The Mosquito's wooden structure was covered in a fine layer of what was known as mandapolam fabric for streamlining, which produced a smooth finish. The Vampire and Venom forward fuselage pods were the same.

This should give you an idea of the finish that fabric covering offered.

DSC_2661

 

[Wurger]

Very Good Wurger! Thanks for you information on this! It all makes sense now.

Jim

My pleasure.

 

[Shortround6]

The smooth finish it part of what made the prototype Mosquito exceed expectations.

It is also a reason that a metal version may not offer an performance advantage.

 

[EwenS]

This is an interesting entry for two reasons.....Second, this is the first time I have seen a record of mosquitoes used in an escort role from the channel to bases in England. Two days earlier, the Nachtjagd followed the bombers home from a raid Ladbergen and Kamen. 22 Bombers were destroyed and eight aircraft were damaged over eastern England and the North Sea in the "Operation Gisela" air battle. 21 Ju.88's were lost and 11 damaged. 46 German aircrew were killed.

Jim

These operations fall under the category of Bomber Support and first Beaufighters and then Mosquitos had been carrying them out since 1943. The term included intruder type sorties but also sorties to tackle Luftwaffe night fighters attacking the bomber stream. 141 squadron used a device called Serrate, which homed on Luftwaffe night fighter radar emissions, alongside AI Mk.IV for this purpose.

In Nov 1943 100 Bomber Support Group was formed. Better known for its radar and communications jamming activities, it included night fighter squadrons as well, eventually building up to 7 Mosquito squadrons by late 1944.

No. 100 Group RAF - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

After Sept 1944 the RAF night fighter squadrons in Air Defence of Great Britain / Fighter Command joined the 100 Group squadrons in operations over the continent, because there was little trade for them in British skies. 406 squadron led by Russ Bannock was one of these.

Note the use of the term "escort" in this context, is not the same as for the protection of bomber formations in daylight with large formations of fighters operating close to the bombers. Each Mosquito night fighter was operating independently, along the route of the bomber stream, usually a few miles distant to avoid cluttering the radar screen with multiple "targets" from the bombers themselves. The objective was to intercept enemy aircraft before they got mixed up with the bombers. If they operated too close they would themselves become targets for the bomber gunners.

The Luftwaffe didn't put as much effort into intruder work as the RAF. You might find this book of interest

 

[Crimea_River]

Good book that.

 

[JDCAVE]

Further to this:

McFadyen shot down Fw. Schuster of 3.Staffel NJG5.

 

[Wildcat]

Interesting story JD. It reminded me of a similar incident when a RAAF mosquito (A52-2) suffered damage caused by hail whilst flying a recon mission over the Philippines.

Source - Hail damage on the wing of a Mosquito fighter-bomber aircraft, serial no A52-2, caused by a ...

 

[Wurger]