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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 0861.PDF
CHT PATHFINDER STORY Problems of Night Bombing : Application of Radar Aids : Conception and Development of Target'M.arking Technique : Concentration of Attack By Wing Commander MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. THREE simple analogies will serve to illustratethe progress of night bombing during the WorldWar : (i) If a shot gun is fired at a covey of birds the chance of hitting one is small and the damage slight; (ii) If a shot gun is aimed at a single bird, within normal range, it maims or perhaps mortally wounds; (iii) If a rifle is correctly aimed at the heart of a bird or beast, anywhere within range, the power of the gun, concentrated in the single bullet, kills. R.A.F. night bombing passed through three such stages. The earliest efforts often amounted to little more than a sprinkling of bombs over a comparatively wide area of enemy territory. Later, crews were able to .find the approximate locality of a target, and to place a small weight of bombs upon it; while later still, it became possible to identify *he very heart of the target, and to wipe it out by dropping a great and concentrated weight of explosives and incendiaries accurately upon it. IN this description of the work of Path- finder Force, the methods of marking., a target and of controlling forces of night bombers are impersonally dis- cussed. The P.F.F. contribution towards the success of Bomber Command, and the enormous increase in striking power made possible by accurate target marking at night is explained. A discussion of the work of the first night-bomber crews is not strictly within the scope of this story, but it should be recorded that although the results were negligible by comparison with the huge raids which followed later, no job has ever called for more courage, endur- ance or skill. A handful of airmen, from a country cornered and fighting almost without weapons to break an attempted strangle- hold, penetrated the organised defences of a powerful, fully- armed and confident enemy. By comparison with recent knowledge and achievement, navi- gational practices in 1940-1 were elementary, aids were almost non-existent, aircraft were under- powered, of low performance and less reliability, adverse weather presented a far greater problem, and in fact, all forces seemed combined to confound the^e After a tyre check and having run up and cleared the four Merlins, the Captain of a Lancaster gets his " O.K. for take off" flashed by a green aldis light from the control caravan at the end of the runway.
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