JensOle
SOH-CM-2023
I have been reading a lot about the Lancaster and the direct descendant, the Lincoln, lately and a rather interesting side story of these two bombers is the RAF Bomber Command’s planned “Very Long Range bomber force”, better known as the Tiger Force. From 1943 Britain started to look at which contribution the RAF could do in the coming end fight with Japan after the victory over Japan. And beside the carrier force of the British Pacific Fleet, the VLR bomber force was to be an essential part.
In 43 and 44 it looked like the only way of reaching Japan with bombers from airfileds in Burma, china, Formosa, the Philippines and the Marianas. At the time most of these options were still under Japanese control.
Britain planed on sending Avro Lancasters and Lincoln, but even the later did not have the range for conducting bombing operations over the Japanese mainland. Therefor Britain became an early inventor of practical use of inflight refueling. The method was crude compared to today and was based on the technic pioneered by the flying boats before the war. The plan was for half of the bombers to act as tankers. The RAF was skeptical about how feasible it would be with large scale inflight refueling of bomber formation and it was also done several tests with higher all up weight and therefor more fuel on the bombers. It would have made take offs particular difficult as the aircraft would be at the very edge of their limits. But when the US amphibious war machine cranked up its speed, bases much closer on islands seemed a much better solution and both solutions went out of favor. In the end Okinawa was taken and would have been the perfect base for the VLR bomber force which suddenly did not need very long range to reach Japan..
Tiger Force was officially formed in early 1945. The order of battle included 2 large groups, 5th and 6th (RCAF) with 18 heavy bomber and 2 Mosquito squadrons. The American commanders in the Pacific were keen on getting a very heavy bomb capability and part of No 5 Group was the Special Missions Wing which included No 9 and 617 Sqn’s with Lancaster’s B.I Specials which could drop the Tallboy and Grand slam bombs.
As we know, even if the equipment were already sent by convoys to the pacific and the squadrons were under intensive training in the UK for making Tiger Force ready for operations against Japan, the 2 US nuclear bombs brought the 2 world war to an end much sooner than anticipated. Even how horrific these two bombs were, the alternative with around the clock bombardment of large armadas od US and British heavy bombers and then a full scale invasion would probably have reached an apocalyptic level of death and horror.
Tiger Force was disbanded in September 1945. What did survive were the specially modified Lancaster FE (Far East) and of course the Lincoln. Both aircraft also continued to use the specially adopted tropical scheme of white top and sides with a black underside into the post war years. The white was for trying and keep the aircraft colder during the day.
The Avro Lincoln might not have been as sophisticated as the B-29, but it was more of an natural evolution of Lancaster. It had more power, longer range with a heavier bomb load and most important a considerable improvements in cruising speed and climb speed. The armament was also much heavier with .50 cals in nose and tail turret and twin 20mm Hispano canons in the dorsal turret. The tail turret could also (as the late build Lancaster) be equipped with the Automatic Gun-Laying Turret (AGLT) radar system which allowed a target to be tracked and fired-on in total darkness, the target's range being accurately computed as well as allowing for lead and bullet drop. It was a rather advanced system for its time. The H2S navigation and bombing radar was also improved, albeit I think the first Lincolns had the same set as the late build Lancasters.
So I have done a few paints on how the Tiger force aircraft might have looked if they had been sent to the pacific. Just like the US, British aircraft did use a roundel without red in the campaign against Japan. The RAF settled for a blue/pale blue roundel and the Fleet Air Arm used a blue and white roundel.
Lancaster B.I (FE) of No 97 Patfinder sqn.
In 43 and 44 it looked like the only way of reaching Japan with bombers from airfileds in Burma, china, Formosa, the Philippines and the Marianas. At the time most of these options were still under Japanese control.
Britain planed on sending Avro Lancasters and Lincoln, but even the later did not have the range for conducting bombing operations over the Japanese mainland. Therefor Britain became an early inventor of practical use of inflight refueling. The method was crude compared to today and was based on the technic pioneered by the flying boats before the war. The plan was for half of the bombers to act as tankers. The RAF was skeptical about how feasible it would be with large scale inflight refueling of bomber formation and it was also done several tests with higher all up weight and therefor more fuel on the bombers. It would have made take offs particular difficult as the aircraft would be at the very edge of their limits. But when the US amphibious war machine cranked up its speed, bases much closer on islands seemed a much better solution and both solutions went out of favor. In the end Okinawa was taken and would have been the perfect base for the VLR bomber force which suddenly did not need very long range to reach Japan..
Tiger Force was officially formed in early 1945. The order of battle included 2 large groups, 5th and 6th (RCAF) with 18 heavy bomber and 2 Mosquito squadrons. The American commanders in the Pacific were keen on getting a very heavy bomb capability and part of No 5 Group was the Special Missions Wing which included No 9 and 617 Sqn’s with Lancaster’s B.I Specials which could drop the Tallboy and Grand slam bombs.
As we know, even if the equipment were already sent by convoys to the pacific and the squadrons were under intensive training in the UK for making Tiger Force ready for operations against Japan, the 2 US nuclear bombs brought the 2 world war to an end much sooner than anticipated. Even how horrific these two bombs were, the alternative with around the clock bombardment of large armadas od US and British heavy bombers and then a full scale invasion would probably have reached an apocalyptic level of death and horror.
Tiger Force was disbanded in September 1945. What did survive were the specially modified Lancaster FE (Far East) and of course the Lincoln. Both aircraft also continued to use the specially adopted tropical scheme of white top and sides with a black underside into the post war years. The white was for trying and keep the aircraft colder during the day.
The Avro Lincoln might not have been as sophisticated as the B-29, but it was more of an natural evolution of Lancaster. It had more power, longer range with a heavier bomb load and most important a considerable improvements in cruising speed and climb speed. The armament was also much heavier with .50 cals in nose and tail turret and twin 20mm Hispano canons in the dorsal turret. The tail turret could also (as the late build Lancaster) be equipped with the Automatic Gun-Laying Turret (AGLT) radar system which allowed a target to be tracked and fired-on in total darkness, the target's range being accurately computed as well as allowing for lead and bullet drop. It was a rather advanced system for its time. The H2S navigation and bombing radar was also improved, albeit I think the first Lincolns had the same set as the late build Lancasters.
So I have done a few paints on how the Tiger force aircraft might have looked if they had been sent to the pacific. Just like the US, British aircraft did use a roundel without red in the campaign against Japan. The RAF settled for a blue/pale blue roundel and the Fleet Air Arm used a blue and white roundel.
Lancaster B.I (FE) of No 97 Patfinder sqn.
Hope these will become available soon.
