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A book I am reading, "Air War Normandy" has a summary of the RAF's attitudes on drop tanks.
"Drop Tanks had been designed for use only when ferrying aeroplanes. Their use on operations was widely regarded as an aberration and imputed to the Air Ministry, where, it was supposed, the Staff's knowledge of flying was minimal."
View attachment 585982View attachment 585982Giving a balanced argument, when you see things like this you can see the air ministries point.
Better hope those crushed coral runways are REAL smooth! Looks like a match head microns away from the strike panel.I found a picture in the Squadron P-47 In Action book. This is a P-47D-2 of the 348 FG on New Guinea.
I don't think those were crushed coral runways on New Guinea. That is a place that has actual real dirt and mountains and land. I just wonder what the mounting was for that tank. It does not look like anything else that I've seen.
It is definitely Not a standard production B-7 rack, also no sway braces visible.I don't think those were crushed coral runways on New Guinea. That is a place that has actual real dirt and mountains and land. I just wonder what the mounting was for that tank. It does not look like anything else that I've seen.
It is definitely Not a standard production B-7 rack, also no sway braces visible.
Nice catch - shows the built in sway brace that was not obvious/Found some rather neat information on this somewhat rare tank during a google search. Luckily the salvaged tank below includes the mounts as well:
Drop Tank
Recently Down Under an Australian citizen located one of these Ford Australia 200-gallon steel drop tanks in a scrap yard and saved it from destruction.....
View attachment 587980
Found some rather neat information on this somewhat rare tank during a google search. Luckily the salvaged tank below includes the mounts as well:
Drop Tank
Recently Down Under an Australian citizen located one of these Ford Australia 200-gallon steel drop tanks in a scrap yard and saved it from destruction.....
View attachment 587980
America's Hundred Thousand states that for "the infamous second Schweinfurt raid where 60 B-17 were lost, the 56th Ftr.Gp. goes along as far a possible before dropping their 108 gallon drop tanks". Also, "the P-47s were avoided and destroyed only three enemy aircraft".I was aiming more at resolving IF the P-47`s on that mission DID have partially filled 200 gallon droptanks, OR if wikipeadia and Greg were corect that they DID NOT have any drop-tank fitted.
America's Hundred Thousand states that for "the infamous second Schweinfurt raid where 60 B-17 were lost, the 56th Ftr.Gp. goes along as far a possible before dropping their 108 gallon drop tanks". Also, "the P-47s were avoided and destroyed only three enemy aircraft".
Video also commented about the ability of the P-47 with drop tanks being able to perform the same as a P-51 without drop tanks but doesn't say that the P-51 with drop tanks have a lot more play time over the target area than any P-47. We have had this discussion before and I had done a quick study on various aircraft in the escort mode. The one example I had was for a 600 mile flight and that showed the P-51B block 5+ with 85 gallon tank added, had a combat time over the target of 1hr and 14 min. whereas the pre -25 P-47D had only 16 min. over target. Post-25 P-47D would have about 40 min time over target. The P-47D-25 with larger internal fuel tanks were delivered May 22, '44. I don't know when the block 5 P-51s were delivered.
Finally, I find it hard to believe that the pilots of the P-47s accepted the fact that the range of the P-47 was being operationally limited and improperly reported as such. I think they pushed their aircraft to the ultimate limit to provide protection for the bombers, and to add to their score. I think they broke off due to their fuel gauges not to some predefined point, especially when they could see the Germans ahead just waiting for them to break off.
Was a perfect replacement for Eaker. I can only comment that his singular focus on destroying the LW when he commanded the 8th and his drive to double the operational bombing days over Eaker were key in keeping pressure on the LW in bad weather, and is "destroy the LW in the Air and on the Ground' needs no further emphasis on turning the fortunes of the 8th AF and achieving air superiority over LW by June 5, 1944.Just for general interest here is the translated ABWEHR file for Doolittle.
(Kew National Archives: AIR-40-1497)
The file is about 40 pages and is mostly surprisingly buisinesslike and short. Churchill has only 3/4 of a page.
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