RAF Statistics From Nov 1942

[MIflyer]

From the book "The Armed Rovers" about Beauforts and Beaufighters over the Med
Aircraft Chance of Survival
One Tour Two Tours
Torpedo Bomber 17.5% 3%
Light Bomber 25.5% 6.5%
Fighter Recon 31% 9.5%
Night Fighter 39% 15%
Bomber Recon 42% 17.5%
Day Fighter 43% 18.5%
Heavy and Medium Bombers 44% 19.5%
Light Recon Landplane 45% 20%
Medium Recon Landplane 56% 31.5%
Long Range Fighter 59.5% 35.5%
Sunderland Flying Boat 66% 43.5%
Heavy Recon Landplane 71% 50.5%
PBY Flying Boat 77% 60%

So the safest mission in the RAF was an American made flying boat with a long range cruise speed of 75 kts. I guess the PBY's were careful not to go anywhere that was too hazardous. Of course many of their missions were recon and ASW far from land.

I wonder what a "long range fighter" was in 1942? Beaufighter and Mustang Mk1 are the only ones that come to mind. Fighter recon had rather low survival; I guess that included not only recon Spitfires but the tactical recon Hurricanes they had in the Med.

Any way you look at it, very grim statistics. This was not allowed to get out during the war.

 

[Kevin J]

From the book "The Armed Rovers" about Beauforts and Beaufighters over the Med
Aircraft Chance of Survival
One Tour Two Tours
Torpedo Bomber 17.5% 3%
Light Bomber 25.5% 6.5%
Fighter Recon 31% 9.5%
Night Fighter 39% 15%
Bomber Recon 42% 17.5%
Day Fighter 43% 18.5%
Heavy and Medium Bombers 44% 19.5%
Light Recon Landplane 45% 20%
Medium Recon Landplane 56% 31.5%
Long Range Fighter 59.5% 35.5%
Sunderland Flying Boat 66% 43.5%
Heavy Recon Landplane 71% 50.5%
PBY Flying Boat 77% 60%

So the safest mission in the RAF was an American made flying boat with a long range cruise speed of 75 kts. I guess the PBY's were careful not to go anywhere that was too hazardous. Of course many of their missions were recon and ASW far from land.

I wonder what a "long range fighter" was in 1942? Beaufighter and Mustang Mk1 are the only ones that come to mind. Fighter recon had rather low survival; I guess that included not only recon Spitfires but the tactical recon Hurricanes they had in the Med.

Any way you look at it, very grim statistics. This was not allowed to get out during the war.

Lets not forget President George Walker Bush who flew Avengers because he always wanted to be a torpedo bomber pilot. Brave man.

 

[Glider]

Any torpedo bomber crew of any nation gets a special nod from me, it was a very dangerous role. I was surprised that the Heavy/Medium bomber were as good as they were.

 

[MIflyer]

When Taffy 3 engaged the IJN off Samar the TBM pilots had only been dropping bombs for ground support missions. They had torpedoes on board the carriers but laughed when they saw them, "We'll never have to deal with one of those things!" It was a great shock when they were suddenly armed with torpedoes and told to go attack IJN ships that had gotten inside their traffic pattern. One pilot said he got rid of his torpedo as soon as possible; he was fairly sure it hit the ocean but after that he had no idea where it ended up. Landing on another Jeep carrier and told he had to go launch a torpedo again, he told them he'd be happy to do so just as soon as everyone else in the USN had availed themselves of the same opportunity. Launched with another torpedo, he disposed of it ASAP.

Admittedly that same pilot had been shot down the day before by an LST and DD when he was told to approach them at low altitude and with his gear down so he could check out some potential landing strips for L-5's near the beachhead. Of course the only things flying around with the gear down were Vals and the gunners on the ships responded accordingly. After that experience he was somewhat disenchanted with combat flying.