W/Cdr Blackburn and very long-range Liberators

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poprune

Airman
49
11
Jan 18, 2005
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.'
-----
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.
 
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.'
-----
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.
Hi
Wing Commander Blackburn was very experienced wartime flyer earning 2 DFCs with 70 Sqn. in North Africa and the DSO commanding 148 Sqn. on supply dropping missions over the Balkans and received another DSO and an American DFC in India. Info from endnote No. 18, page 345, in 'The Forgotten Air Force' by Henry Probert, this book also contains the following information regarding the long-range missions:
WW2RAFsqnest138.jpg

WW2RAFsqnest139.jpg

The book 'Bombs Gone' by MacBean and Hogben also has some information on these mining missions:
WW2RAFsqnest140.jpg

WW2RAFsqnest141.jpg

It doesn't appear that Lindbergh had anything to do with it. By the way Wing Commander Blackburn is on Wikipedia as well.

Mike
 
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.'
-----
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.
As soon as I began reading, my thoughts went directly to Lindbergh's demonstrations and advice on how to fly long range missions in a P-38. I, too, always wondered, if his expertise was spread wider than the squadrons he addressed. He would have been better used in a "train the trainer" role that sent his original students out, individually, to spread the word, but, then he wouldn't have gotten secret 😉 credit for shooting down a Japanese Ki-51, would he?
 
Well, that was a lot more than I expected, for which many thanks, Mike; I'm going to have to get a copy of that book, which I havent seen before. What's interesting is that he seems to have achieved it by making the most of the Liberator's natural potential and with no messing about with boost, mixture or prop settings. That bit about the other improvements he made to improve the aircraft's performance brings my father to mind: he was a Flight Sergeant (Engine Fitter) who was awarded the BEM for (so he said on one of the rare occasions he mentioned the war) for 'polishing Blenheims to increase their speed'!

Ted
 
The article on the weapons and warfare site


is a copy of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator section of the book RAF Bombers of World War Two, Volume One, by Philip J. R. Moyes, illustrated by James Goulding, Doubleday and Company, New York 1968, first published by Hylton Lacy Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks, England May 1968. The web site copy includes the 356 squadron KH114 artwork.

A more accurate Thai Burma rail death toll is at Details of groups moved into Death Railway and death statistics

Western deaths were a minority of those who died building the Thai Burma Railway, under 13,000 out of nearly 100,000. The toll makes it hard to see the Japanese as liberators of South East Asia. Material for the Thai-Burma railway came from dismantling railways in Java and Malaya, needless to say the material was not replaced and this caused real problems for the local economies.

See also the book Food Supplies and the Japanese Occupation in South East Asia by P.H. Kratoska
 
160 Squadron flew the long range Liberator GR.V on missions from Minneriya in Ceylon from Feb 1945 on some of the longest mining and later special duties operations. Being maritime Liberators these had main tanks (1950 gals), wing auxiliary tanks (370gals) and two bomb bay tanks (330 gals) as standard plus later an overload tank from a Catalina with another 75 gals. Grand total 2,725 gals. They flew with only the tail guns in place to reduce the weight.

By mid-1945 the vast majority of their missions were airborne for more than 18 hours, usually, unless technical problems intervened. The longest ever by the squadron occurred when Liberator GR.V serial BZ862/J left Minneriya at 0233 on 31 July 1945 and touched down again at 0243 the next day on a special duties mission to Johore. Airborne time 24 hours 10 minutes covering a distance of 3,735 miles. Not bad for an aircraft that had been delivered to the RAF in July 1943 and had spent its entire operational life in the Far East.

To make take off easier at the high operating weights, many of these missions were timed so that the aircraft would take off in the morning before the temperature rose too far.

During the war the Liberator proved amenable to significant weight increases. Early versions had a max weight limit of 53,000lb. By 1944 the limits vary by version and user and the source of the information. Coastal Command in Britain in May 1943 planned its loads around 60,000lb. USN PB4Y-1 configurations by Nov 1944 ranged from 60-63,000lb. And as noted above take off weights up to 68,000lb were achieved by RAF squadrons in the Far East on these long range missions.

The position re flight times became a bit easier from June 1945. As a result of Operation Pharos, a new airbase had been created in the Cocos Is from March 1945. This reduced the operating distances that RAF Liberator squadrons needed to operate over. For example Minneriya to Singapore as the crow flies was 1,650 miles while Cocos Is to Singapore was only 1,050 miles. The first Liberator landed on 31 May but it was July before 99 & 356 Liberator squadrons were based there, along with detachments from 203 and 321, on bombing, special duties, anti shipping and air sea rescue missions. It also proved a useful diversion base for aircraft of other squadrons, like 160, which would have been unable to make the long haul back across the Bay of Bengal to their home bases.
 
The article on the weapons and warfare site


is a copy of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator section of the book RAF Bombers of World War Two, Volume One, by Philip J. R. Moyes, illustrated by James Goulding, Doubleday and Company, New York 1968, first published by Hylton Lacy Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks, England May 1968. The web site copy includes the 356 squadron KH114 artwork.

A more accurate Thai Burma rail death toll is at Details of groups moved into Death Railway and death statistics

Western deaths were a minority of those who died building the Thai Burma Railway, under 13,000 out of nearly 100,000. The toll makes it hard to see the Japanese as liberators of South East Asia. Material for the Thai-Burma railway came from dismantling railways in Java and Malaya, needless to say the material was not replaced and this caused real problems for the local economies.

See also the book Food Supplies and the Japanese Occupation in South East Asia by P.H. Kratoska
Great stuff!
 
Low revs and high boost would be well known to the flight engineer on a B-24. It was newly-trained fighter pilots who needed to be taught the techniques.

For those who aren't familiar, low revs reduce engine mechanical losses according to the RPM and mechanical supercharger losses with the inverse square of the RPM. Low revs means a coarse prop pitch, pretty much like driving in the highest gear possible. High boost means having the throttle wide open and reducing part-throttle losses and pumping losses. Combined they mean running in the most efficient power mode. That's a lot easier in the Far Est theatre where you could take a long cruise-climb over the water out of tight formation. B-24 outfits in the ETO could not have done that, but then they did not have targets at such long ranges or the desire to do without turrets or armour plate.
 

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