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A Twin Wasp powered Mosquito?
V-1710 powered version?
It was also most powerful the British had - a more reliable Sabre should make the life for the Fw-190 problematic, at least under 15000 ft. Historically, the Fw-190 threat was the raison d'etre for the Typhoon/Sabre for quite a time.
I certainly don't wan't to forget about the LE tanks. However, both the under-seat and rear fuselage tanks were in use before the LE tanks. They would require a minor change in airframe, compared with LE tanks.
Once there is enough of breathing space in production lines, the LE tanks (maybe made install an L-shaped tank to fit under behind the pilot, to?) should be installed, by all means. All together 150-160 imp gals for the 'new Spitfire VIII'?
The (front) fuselage tank(s) were increased to 96 imp gals for the Spit VII, in late 1944 also the Spitfire IXs received the modification.
we can debate if the idea of an armed bomber was a good one or not but an armed bomber does NOT need turrets that can double as forest fire look out towers.
...Isn't the solution for the Sabre's issues to use sleeves as the ones from Taurus - maybe RAF/AM can be more persuasive with Bristol, so we can have the Sabre working in good order a bit earlier (6 months?)? ...
The Battle of the Atlantic was won and without denuding Bomber Command any further. Britain didn't lose the battle or the war which effectively proves the decision makers of the time correct. Remember that they didn't have the benefit of hindsight. War involves politics and any solution to OldSkeptics point #1 which involves preventing Bomber Command from striking back at Germany, however ineffectively was not acceptable.
I've already posted the parlous state of the command shortly after Harris took over. Anything to prevent the build up through 1942/3 would have had to pass not only the old heads at the Air Ministry, bomber men almost to a man, but just as importantly, the Prime Minister. That's why it didn't happen.
The Battle of the Atlantic is often mooted as a closer run thing than it was, largely down to Churchill's recollections. Can anyone cite me a month in the war when RAF operations from the UK were curtailed for a lack of fuel for example? Nobody in Britain starved or came close to it. Food and clothing rationing might not have been popular or bountiful, but it WAS enough.
I absolutely agree that Spitfires should and, crucially, could have been sent to North Africa/The Mediterranean earlier.
Cheers
Steve
[about Mossie + Twin Wasp] Are you making bombers or targets?
A V-1710 powered version would be excellent for a low altitude bomber version. Low altitude attacks are where the Mosquito excelled.
That said, I don't think Merlin supply was what was lacking in Mosquito production.
Also, if you are using more Mosquito bombers I would expect that the numbers of Lancasters being used would be trimmed, freeing up more Merlins.
At the end of the day, Mosquito production would have the same problem as historically - what mix of versions is made?
Maybe expedite the Spitfire XII instead. That would be more than a match for the Fw 190.
If you make the Spitfires carry 2 x 20mm or 1 x 20mm + 1 x 0.50" in each wing earlier, you could use the outer wings to store fuel in leading edge tanks. Maybe even use the old mg bays and ammo bays to store a little more?
Maybe expedite the Spitfire XII instead. That would be more than a match for the Fw 190.
If you make the Spitfires carry 2 x 20mm or 1 x 20mm + 1 x 0.50" in each wing earlier, you could use the outer wings to store fuel in leading edge tanks. Maybe even use the old mg bays and ammo bays to store a little more?
None of which I dispute at all. But none of it actually amounts to anything like a narrow escape for Britain, certainly not complete defeat, and that's my point. Of course it would have been nice for Coastal Command to have been equipped with all the latest long range types in unlimited numbers but in war as elsewhere resources are limited and hard choices have to be made.
The argument that Coastal Command should have had some kind of priority over Bomber Command is one which has been frequently made post war with the benefit of hindsight, particularly a more realistic assessment of what the bombing campaign(s) achieved in 1942/3.
Cheers
Steve
Good little book is CINDERELLA SERVICE: RAF Coastal Command 1939 - 1945. Part of the problem was that BC over promised (lied?) in that it claimed it would take out the U-Boat production (it didn't) so there was no need to go "swanning all over the ocean" (Harris quote).
Every decent plane that CC got was over the howls of protest of BC (and Portal being ex BC was on their side). So Churchill was conned a bit.