Didn't always work however..
The hole made in the side of HMS Malaya by a Highball during trials in Loch Striven in May 1944.
Was a four engine torpedo bomber ever considered?
- Thread starter Admiral Beez
- Start date
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The hole made in the side of HMS Malaya by a Highball during trials in Loch Striven in May 1944.
Thumpalumpacus
Major
Nothing always works, yeah.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
My Dodge Dart did.
Well the AVRO Manchester was designed to carry torpedoes:
And one could argue that the Rolls-Royce Vulture was a twinned engine whereby cylinder blocks derived from the Rolls-Royce Peregrine were joined by a common crankshaft supported by a single crankcase, so one might argue it does qualify as a 4 engined torpedo bomber design...
Alan Stevens
Airman 1st Class
- 108
- May 24, 2023
I had too much to eat and too much to drink and it bounced.
The big Japanese 4-engined flying boats, Kawanishi H6K (or Type 97, Large flying boat, designated "Mavis" by the Allies) flew missions armed with two torpedoes.
John Lundstrom, in his book "The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway" (p. 88). Naval Institute Press. wrote:
"Additional Kawanishi flying boats from the Yokohama Air Group stood by at Rabaul for possible night torpedo strikes. In a pinch each big flying boat could carry two torpedoes. The Japanese were definitely ready and waiting."
He again mentions this capability on pages 107-108:
"After midnight on 21 February, six torpedo-laden Kawanishi flying boats departed Rabaul for a night search and destroy mission. They failed to find the American warships and after sunrise returned to base."
Both of these references took place during the aborted strike against Rabaul by the Lexington in Feb. 1942.
John Lundstrom, in his book "The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway" (p. 88). Naval Institute Press. wrote:
"Additional Kawanishi flying boats from the Yokohama Air Group stood by at Rabaul for possible night torpedo strikes. In a pinch each big flying boat could carry two torpedoes. The Japanese were definitely ready and waiting."
He again mentions this capability on pages 107-108:
"After midnight on 21 February, six torpedo-laden Kawanishi flying boats departed Rabaul for a night search and destroy mission. They failed to find the American warships and after sunrise returned to base."
Both of these references took place during the aborted strike against Rabaul by the Lexington in Feb. 1942.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The IJN's H8K was capable of carrying two torpedoes as well.
Several USN flying boats were designed to carry torpedoes, like the PB2Y and the PBM.
Several USN flying boats were designed to carry torpedoes, like the PB2Y and the PBM.
Thumpalumpacus
Major
... for thirty minutes or so.
Thumpalumpacus
Major
And a PBY scored the only American torpedo hit of the battle of Midway. IIRC they could carry two fish as well.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Most of the USN flying boats that had the "PB" (Patrol, Bomber) designation, could carry torpedoes.
Martin's PB2M was to have carried four torpedoes, but it ended up being an unarmed transport, designated JRM.
Warspite63
Senior Airman
- 450
- Dec 8, 2022
There actually was a target ship - the old French dreadnought Courbet. She had sat idle since fleeing to the UK in July 1940 and been partially disarmed. She was towed to Scotland for the Highball trials. She had a broad vertical white stripe painted on one of her funnels, all the way down the hull to the waterline (I think...). Various instrumentation was mounted on her to record the drops. At least one of the bombs went off target and made bit of a hole in the poor old girlAbout July/Aug 1943, after Operation Servant to attack the Tirpitz with "Highball" was cancelled on 30 June 1943 in favour of using midget submarines in Operation Source (which took place on 22 Sept 1943) CinC Coastal Command, Air Marshall Slessor, suggested "Highball" could be used against U-boats coming out of the Baltic and transitting to the Atlantic via the Faroe Channel. As a result a series of dropping trials took place in the open water of Sinclairs Bay, just north of Wick in Scotland, by aircraft from 618 squadron based at nearby RAF Skitten. These appear to have been dropping trials only, without any target ship involvement.
These trials were, in the words of the squadron diarist "eventually abandoned in the light of existing circumstances". Whatever else he might have known was never committed to paper, probably due to the great secrecy surrounding both the weapon and the squadrons activities.
There is some film footage that may have been of these trials in this article
Search on for the bouncing bombs of Sinclair’s Bay
Read the fascinating story of how experiments were carried out during WWII with bouncing bombs that may still lie in the waters of Sinclair's Bay.www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk
Dropping practice was also undertaken off Reculver on the north coast of Kent in 1943 and off Turnberry in Scotland, home in WW2 to a Coastal Command OTU and now part of Donald Trumps empire as a world famous golf course.
Using Highball on the open sea would have been as, or even more , difficult than trying to hit a target vessel with a torpedo. Reading the accounts of the various trials against the battleships Courbet & Malaya and the trials against land targets highlights the difficulties of getting an accurate drop, without adding in the complications of manoeuvring targets, rough seas etc.
Edit:- As for the "Upkeep" weapon used by Lancasters during Operation Chastise, it was by 30 June 1943 seen as a "one shot" weapon that had seen its time pass. Especially so since one bomb had fallen into German hands (Barlow's aircraft, AJ-E, crashed after hitting power lines but the bomb it was carrying did not explode)
. She survived the indignity and went on to be scuttled as part of the breakwater off Arromanches on D-Day
Warspite63
Senior Airman
- 450
- Dec 8, 2022
Mine too! Even after I froze it solid once......
- Thread starter
- #58
Admiral Beez
Major
Those Mopar 170 cu in (2.8 L) Slant-6 engines were bulletproof.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Not really - the block (170, 198 and 225) had four mains and were known to throw rods.
The toughest of all the L-6 engines, was the GM L-6 (including Pontiac's OHC), which had seven mains.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
The 225 slant six was magnificent.
