Were Mosquito bombers underutilised in WW2?

[wuzak]

That has no bearing if we are talking about precision bombing using unguided weapons. Bomb release will happen no higher then 10,000 feet, and probably a lot lower.

Don't think the RAF bombed at 10,000ft since the days of the Manchester.

Real precision bombing would be done at very low level I'm sure.

 

[davebender]

Bomb release is likely to be around 3,000 feet but the attack may start from a higher altitude. It depends on the aircraft. Some handled dive bombing better then others.

 

[wuzak]

Low level Mosquito bombing was not doen at 3000ft. It was somewhat lower than that.

 

[parsifal]

A lot lower, occasionally as low as 100 feet

 

[Freebird]

Parsifal, would area bombing of cities been the best use of Mosquitos? Considering that they could potentially hit targets more accurately bombing from low level and/or during the day?

Perhaps the RAF didn't need more Mosquito light bombers. What they needed were more accurate bomb sights for existing Lancaster Bombers plus a long range fighter aircraft to protect the bombers.

There is another possibility too, that the Mossies could be used as diversionary targets, to split the LW N fighter defences.

If you had several groups of Mossies flying out to different cities at the same time as the main (Lanc) raid it forces the LW to try to intercept multiple raids, as they can't tell which is the primary, so your heavy bombers are only facing a fraction of the NF.

Another tactic that was suggested was to have small groups of Mossies raid multiple targets strictly for nuisance value, it was suggested (by the Air Ministry) that a dozen or so Mossies caused a large disruption for little chance of loss.
Even a small raid would result in 10's of thousands of people woken up and sent to air raid shelters, NF scrambled, AA personnel mustered and ammunition wasted.
I've read that it takes at least 5,000 - 10,000 AA shells to bring down a bomber, so the Axis are using up resources to make guns ammo that won't be used on the Eastern front. Meanwhile, the Mossie flying at a much higher altitude has a lower vulnerabilty to the flak.

 

[wuzak]

There is another possibility too, that the Mossies could be used as diversionary targets, to split the LW N fighter defences.

The Light Night Striking Force was formed to do that very task.

 

[Freebird]

The Light Night Striking Force was formed to do that very task.

Indeed, and it would have been a far better utilization of resources to concentrate on this type of night attack from mid '41 to mid '42,

 

[parsifal]

Indeed, and it would have been a far better utilization of resources to concentrate on this type of night attack from mid '41 to mid '42,

Did the poms posses that capability mid-war. once they did acquire those skills, the mosquito squadrons tore into the LW Nfs mercilessly, ill grant you, but im not sure they could do the same earlier than they did