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I keep seeing Okinawa mentioned.
We all realize that the missions were flown from Tinian Island, a round trip of nearly 3,000 miles to and from target, right?
Ta dah! There it is! Evidence! Oops, no, still hasn't done the calculations... Is it because you don't know how to calculate specific air range from figures provided? Wikipedia isn't going to help you, you're gonna have to research it yourself. Look, the figures are all there in the paperwork, even under tropical conditions.
A Lancaster loaded with a FAT MAN can accommodate two aux tanks in the bomb bay and their is sufficient weight capacity, at 72000lb TO weight for another ~5000lb of fuel or ~700IG, if custom (rather than Wellington) aux tanks are used, however even if we max out the fuel load at 3000IG we get at range of 2820 miles at .94AMPG (tropical).
This still only gives us a range of 1,667.56 miles on a fuel capacity of 1,774 gallons. Again, less than what I calculated above, although speed has increased, as stated in the report, with a corresponding loss of range.
Yup, and if you continue to read below that, you'll see the following:
nuuumannn said:
This still only gives us a range of 1,667.56 miles on a fuel capacity of 1,774 gallons. Again, less than what I calculated above, although speed has increased, as stated in the report, with a corresponding loss of range.
Read, read, read...
Yet more evidence you are not reading what you are posting. Now, where are YOUR calculations based on the figures provided?
Not sure how the picture coukd be painted any clearer for you to understand.Sorry but that's not true. Enola Gay was Tinian-> Hiroshima -> Tinian but Bockscar was Tinian->Nagasaki-> Okinawa (Bockscar was forced to divert to Okinawa)
There's no particular reason that all missions couldn't have been planned for Tinian->target->Okinawa.
You've made a major error somewhere which explains why you are so lost regarding Lancaster range.
Let's look at those figures you provided.
Firstly, a Lancaster could not carry a Fat Man bomb.
Secondly, custom tanks? Fiction.
Thirdly, at this range and load, the Lancaster would be cruising at less than 200 mph at an altitude of 15,000 feet. As I stated in my article, Short Stirlings were being shot down over Germany three years earlier at this performance.
Delusional rubbish.
It must be painfully obvious now,
I provided a properly cited source to show that it can carry a FAT MAN bomb.
No, you didn't. It was explained to you why not. More evidence you aren't reading what's being posted.
I provided a properly cited source and you've provided your opinion
Not sure how the picture coukd be painted any clearer for you to understand.
ALL of the 509th Composite Group's operations (atomic and conventional practice) were conducted from Tinian because Okinawa was within reach of the home islands and experienced attacks - Tinian was just out of reach of Japanese elements that made it a secure location to store, assemble and deploy atomic weapons.
And because bombers of the 509th landed at Okinawa means absolutely nothing.
Dear God...
Ok, let me try this again.
Okinawa could not be used as a staging base for the atomic missions. It was not secure from attack.
Tinian was selected as the base of operations for the Silverplate operations because it was nearly out of reach of Japanese attack.
And again, just because a B-29 landed at Okinawa does not mean a Lancaster could do the mission from Tinian - that literally makes no sense.
So in summary:
Tinian HAD to be the base of operations because it WAS OUT IF REACH OF JAPANESE ATTACK.
Okinawa was UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK until the end of the war nd was NOT secure for atomic weapon operations.