The following passages come from www.weaponsandwarfare.com, specifically an article entitled 'The Consolidated Liberator in RAF Service':
'
First squadron to serve in the Burma theatre was No. 159, whose Middle East detachment was mentioned earlier. This squadron began operations in November 1942 and eventually became the most famous R.A.F. Liberator bomber squadron of all irrespective of operational theatre. Its main claim to fame was that it, or more specifically W/Cdr J. Blackburn, who was C.O. from July to December 1944, was responsible for greatly increasing the Liberator's striking-power. Here it is necessary to explain that one of the main tasks of Strategic Air Force's Liberators was the interdiction of the enemy's supply lines far beyond the battlefront-and notably the infamous Siam-Burma railway. Built by Allied prisoners-of-war under such appalling conditions that 24,000 of them lost their lives, this line was of the utmost importance to the Japanese. It ran for 244 miles through jungle and mountainous country, and along its length, spanning the succession of rivers and ravines, were nearly 700 bridges. The railway was bombed continually, sometimes by night but mostly by day, the Liberators concentrating on destroying bridges and obliterating tracks. Their greatest obstacle was neither enemy fighters nor flak, but the vast distances they had to fly.
However, by adjusting the American-built aircraft, W/Cdr Blackburn more than doubled the normal load. At the time he took command of 159 Squadron a flight to Bangkok, lying 1,100 miles from the Strategic Air Force bases, was considered about the limit for a loaded Liberator. On such sorties the Liberators had to carry extra petrol-tanks which restricted the bomb load to 3,000 lb. Blackburn experimented with fuel consumption and, after demonstrating how it could be done, enabled his squadron to reach Bangkok with each aircraft carrying 8,000 lb. of bombs, or nearly three times what had been originally carried. The vast improvement in efficiency was commended by the Americans and the example followed throughout Strategic Air Force.
Long-range bombers had already flown from Bengal south to Rangoon, 1,600 miles there and back; and beyond Moulmein, 1,800 miles the return journey; now they reached Bangkok with four short tons of bombs, 2,200 miles, they went to the Kra Isthmus, 2,300 miles; finally a port on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula was put out of action by bombs from aircraft making a round trip of 2,800 miles, and Penang harbour was mined in a sortie of more than 3,000 miles.'
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In the dim distant past (about 65 years ago!), I remember reading something in RAF Flying Review about long-range Liberators in the Far East being made into very long-range aircraft. but nothing about the bomb-load being doubled. I also recall that Lindbergh gave advice about increasing range by running high boost with low revs (at least I think that's what it was and it sounds more reasonable than the reverse!). Reading the article I've quoted above brought those memories back and I wondered if W/Cdr Blackburn had taken Lindbergh's advice, or whether he'd devised his own methods.
It's a fascinating story; I wonder just how much of it is fact and how much is later embellishment, in the ways tat these things happen. If anyone has any more information, I'd be delighted to hear it.
'
First squadron to serve in the Burma theatre was No. 159, whose Middle East detachment was mentioned earlier. This squadron began operations in November 1942 and eventually became the most famous R.A.F. Liberator bomber squadron of all irrespective of operational theatre. Its main claim to fame was that it, or more specifically W/Cdr J. Blackburn, who was C.O. from July to December 1944, was responsible for greatly increasing the Liberator's striking-power. Here it is necessary to explain that one of the main tasks of Strategic Air Force's Liberators was the interdiction of the enemy's supply lines far beyond the battlefront-and notably the infamous Siam-Burma railway. Built by Allied prisoners-of-war under such appalling conditions that 24,000 of them lost their lives, this line was of the utmost importance to the Japanese. It ran for 244 miles through jungle and mountainous country, and along its length, spanning the succession of rivers and ravines, were nearly 700 bridges. The railway was bombed continually, sometimes by night but mostly by day, the Liberators concentrating on destroying bridges and obliterating tracks. Their greatest obstacle was neither enemy fighters nor flak, but the vast distances they had to fly.
However, by adjusting the American-built aircraft, W/Cdr Blackburn more than doubled the normal load. At the time he took command of 159 Squadron a flight to Bangkok, lying 1,100 miles from the Strategic Air Force bases, was considered about the limit for a loaded Liberator. On such sorties the Liberators had to carry extra petrol-tanks which restricted the bomb load to 3,000 lb. Blackburn experimented with fuel consumption and, after demonstrating how it could be done, enabled his squadron to reach Bangkok with each aircraft carrying 8,000 lb. of bombs, or nearly three times what had been originally carried. The vast improvement in efficiency was commended by the Americans and the example followed throughout Strategic Air Force.
Long-range bombers had already flown from Bengal south to Rangoon, 1,600 miles there and back; and beyond Moulmein, 1,800 miles the return journey; now they reached Bangkok with four short tons of bombs, 2,200 miles, they went to the Kra Isthmus, 2,300 miles; finally a port on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula was put out of action by bombs from aircraft making a round trip of 2,800 miles, and Penang harbour was mined in a sortie of more than 3,000 miles.'
-----
In the dim distant past (about 65 years ago!), I remember reading something in RAF Flying Review about long-range Liberators in the Far East being made into very long-range aircraft. but nothing about the bomb-load being doubled. I also recall that Lindbergh gave advice about increasing range by running high boost with low revs (at least I think that's what it was and it sounds more reasonable than the reverse!). Reading the article I've quoted above brought those memories back and I wondered if W/Cdr Blackburn had taken Lindbergh's advice, or whether he'd devised his own methods.
It's a fascinating story; I wonder just how much of it is fact and how much is later embellishment, in the ways tat these things happen. If anyone has any more information, I'd be delighted to hear it.
credit for shooting down a Japanese Ki-51, would he?
