Sky dancer
Recruit
- 2
- Sep 29, 2009
Hi gentlemen,
First post here, so hope you'll bear with me.
I'm trying to find out some info. about napalm tanks used by the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in China in 1944-1945.
These tanks were made by the Hindustan Aircraft Ltd, Bangalore, India, and were designed as fuel tanks. They had a 75 US gal. capacity. They were used by a few P-40 units, and the 118th TRS P-51's, but were later used as napalm tanks by at least one P-47 unit in Burma, and by the 118th TRS in China. They are similar in size and shape to the standard P-51 drop tank, but are a bit more bulbous, and less streamlined - they have welds, seams and rivets everywhere!
[/IMG]
The tank shown above has had a bracket added to it's side, this does not seem to be a factory feature.
Can anyone suggest what it is for?
Was there another bracket on the other side?
The next photo is of a 55 gal oil drum converted to become a napalm bomb, dropped from B-24's. This particular one has makeshift wooden fins, although others had the fins from bombs added.
[/IMG]
The reason I'm attaching this photo is because of the pair of white phosphorus igniters fitted on the fin assembly. The writing on them (not all visible) appears to read "WP" and "tank".
Were these igniters specifically designed for napalm tanks?
What was their designation?
What size/colour were they?
Would these igniters have fitted into the brackets shown on the side of the 118th TRS napalm tank?
Hope someone can help, any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Michael
First post here, so hope you'll bear with me.
I'm trying to find out some info. about napalm tanks used by the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in China in 1944-1945.
These tanks were made by the Hindustan Aircraft Ltd, Bangalore, India, and were designed as fuel tanks. They had a 75 US gal. capacity. They were used by a few P-40 units, and the 118th TRS P-51's, but were later used as napalm tanks by at least one P-47 unit in Burma, and by the 118th TRS in China. They are similar in size and shape to the standard P-51 drop tank, but are a bit more bulbous, and less streamlined - they have welds, seams and rivets everywhere!
The tank shown above has had a bracket added to it's side, this does not seem to be a factory feature.
Can anyone suggest what it is for?
Was there another bracket on the other side?
The next photo is of a 55 gal oil drum converted to become a napalm bomb, dropped from B-24's. This particular one has makeshift wooden fins, although others had the fins from bombs added.
The reason I'm attaching this photo is because of the pair of white phosphorus igniters fitted on the fin assembly. The writing on them (not all visible) appears to read "WP" and "tank".
Were these igniters specifically designed for napalm tanks?
What was their designation?
What size/colour were they?
Would these igniters have fitted into the brackets shown on the side of the 118th TRS napalm tank?
Hope someone can help, any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Michael
