What if: B-29 debut in England instead of India China

[JoeB]

The B-29 effort from Chinese bases was ultimately not worthwhile, because too small a force and too hard to keep supplied by air across 'the Hump' from India. It arguably mainly warned the Japanese to start improving home island defenses, and spend more effort on ground offensives in China to try to seize the base areas.

There would have been no particular point OTOH in bombing Germany with B-29's. The natual ultimate mission of the plane was bombing Japan without having to obtain bases at B-24 (let along B-17) range of Japan. The USAAF might have gained more experience with the B-29 in combat trials over Europe, worked out more kinks in the plane, and took time to build up a larger force for a sudden onslaught against Japan (from the Marianas) without warning them first by relatively token raids from China (and even the Marianas effort probably started too slowly), but there was no real reason for a large sustained bombing campaign over Germany with B-29's.

And, the problem with 30k ft bombing would be the same as over Japan, accuracy. Altitudes were gradually reduced over Japan from early '45 to more like 27, then there was a night fire bombing-only phase in March 1945, then in spring and summer of 1945 B-29's once again sometimes bombed in daylight, but from similar altitudes to what B-17/24's did over Germany, low-mid 20'sk ft.

Joe

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The USAAF might have gained more experience with the B-29 in combat trials over Europe, worked out more kinks in the plane, and took time to build up a larger force for a sudden onslaught against Japan (from the Marianas) without warning them first by relatively token raids from China (and even the Marianas effort probably started too slowly), but there was no real reason for a large sustained bombing campaign over Germany with B-29's.

Agree 100%

And, the problem with 30k ft bombing would be the same as over Japan, accuracy. Altitudes were gradually reduced over Japan from early '45 to more like 27, then there was a night fire bombing-only phase in March 1945, then in spring and summer of 1945 B-29's once again sometimes bombed in daylight, but from similar altitudes to what B-17/24's did over Germany, low-mid 20'sk ft.

Joe

Although high altitude bombing accuracy was always an issue in all theaters, the wind conditions at altitude over Europe did make high altitude bombing a lot easier than in the Pacific. No one knew about the Pacific Jet Stream until B-29s had to fly and bomb in it.

 

[Lucky13]

And if they operated from bases in Scotland, to save them from climbing over mainland Europe etc? Just throwing it in here...

 

[Milosh]

Agree 100%


Although high altitude bombing accuracy was always an issue in all theaters, the wind conditions at altitude over Europe did make high altitude bombing a lot easier than in the Pacific. No one knew about the Pacific Jet Stream until B-29s had to fly and bomb in it.

Except for the clouds over Europe.

What is the typical Jet Stream altitude over Europe?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Except for the clouds over Europe.

B-29 could bomb by radar

What is the typical Jet Stream altitude over Europe?

Winds aloft over the Pacific can be in excess or 180 mph or more. Over the European continent less than half that.

 

[fastmongrel]

That would depend on the mission profile in terms of range and bomb load. I show a rate of climb for the B-17 at 900' per minute, 1025' per minute for the B-24 and 900' per minute for the B-29. Again this is a standard rate and it can vary.

Not sure what standard rate means are they maximum climb with throttles wide open or are they the sensible climbing figures that would be used to keep strain on the engines down and not burn all the fuel.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Not sure what standard rate means are they maximum climb with throttles wide open or are they the sensible climbing figures that would be used to keep strain on the engines down and not burn all the fuel.

The standard rate of climb would be the best climb over a given distance also known as Vy. You also have best climb over time, known as Vx. You would burn more fuel at Vx, so it should be a matter of mission profile.