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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 2122.PDF
712 FLIGHT DECEMBER I6TH, 1948 Exercise Suniise Squadrons—S/L. P. H. Cribb, D.S.O., D.F.C., and S/L.W. D. Hodgkinson, D.F.C., A.F.C.—and W/C. Rivett-Carnac, D.S.O., D.F.C., who had flown down with six Lancasters fromLeuchars. As duty controller, S/L. Cribb began the briefing by announcing that two Lancasters were to take ofi at approxi-mately 0200 hours and search for the enemy in two box-shaped patrol areas, the location of which had been determined byGroup after a study of the Red Force position earlier that day. The intelligence officer summarized briefly the purpose of theexercise and strength of the " strong sea-power opposing." In the event of a forced landing in France, Spain, or Portugal(including the Azores), crews were to mount guard over their aircraft, and, as in wartime, pockets were to be emptied ofall means of identification before take-off, their contents being sealed in marked envelopes (we fear that in at least one casethe latter instruction was completely forgotten). Final words of caution were given regarding radio messages and flares—astrict radio silence was to be observed throughout except for the coded messages of sighting, and " Be careful with yourflares—you can drop them, but we don't want to set the Fleet on fire." Cheerless Prospect Navigators learnt that radar assistance would not be ex-tensive, and after fixing aids for the first hour, astro would be "Just about all you have left." The meteorologist strucka cheerless note by promising troughs of low pressure . . . air mass over.the whole route cold and unstable . . . patches of" cu" and " cu-nim " ... a possible thunderstorm on the way back. Conditions in the forecast, fulfilled to the letter,made a more forceful impression a few hours later over the Atlantic than in the quiet warmth of the operations room. S/L Cribb concluded the pre-flight conference by statingthe exact times of take-off, Z-Zebra being scheduled to leave the runway at 0152 hours, with A-Able from a Leucharssquadron following three minutes later—"The CO. (G/C. R. T. Taffe, O.B.E.) wants take-offs to the second. We'llgive you a green from the caravan the time you may start to roll." The writer had arranged to fly in the first aircraft, Z-Zebra,and became acquainted with its crew—Pit. II. Foley, Pit. IV. Terry, Navigators F/L. Allen, D.F.C., F/L. Duncombe,Eng. II Crawford, M. Sig. Wynn, Sig. II. Rose and Sig. II. Smith; the normal crew complement in this case was ex-ceeded, as one of our navigators was a former signaller who had only recently left navigation school. The squadron com-mander, S/L. Hodgkinson, who a few hours later abandoned the '' ops room'' for the cockpit of a Lancaster, and com-pleted one of the most effective shadowing operations in the exercise, accompanied us to the aircraft which was standing,faintly visible, on the taxi-track near the control tower. A reserve aircraft was standing by in case the preliminary run-upshould disclose any snags, but this was completed without a hint of trouble, and Z-Zebra prepared to taxi out among thelights of the airfield, with their Christmas-tree effect. Snatches of the ensuing R/T conversation convey the bestimpression of immediately -following events : " Tower to Banrod (the local call-sign' for the aircraft) Zebra; clear to taxi."" Banrod Zebra to tower; turning on to runway now in use." " Pilot to engineer—don't put 'em through the gate unless Iask. I don't think we'll need them—just in case." " Radar, check your escape hatch—navigator, dim your light.""Tower to Banrod Zebra, wait five minutes before you take off." Then, after this short period, "You may take offnow." A surge forward, and the runway lights begin to flash past; exhaust sparks from the four Merlins join the slipstream ;two slight bounces and the call "Through the gate," and the Lancaster is airborne at exactly 0152 hours. A few minutes after taking off, flying at about 1,000ft andsettling down to an economical cruising speed of about 150 knots, a grey line of foam below marked a ragged divisionbetween the Cornish mainland and the Atlantic; the coast was not far behind when another aircraft slowly overtookZ-Zebra on the port wing, flying well below. It was guessed at the time—and later confirmed—that this was A-Able, theother patrolling machine. In the ensuing seven hours or so of pitching and lurchingagainst stiff headwinds and in extremely unstable air before we reached the patrol area, there was ample time to study the acti-vities of the crew, but unfortunately there was not the neces- sary space, and we followed the most logical course of remain-ing in the rear fuselage for most of the trip. The Lancaster was, of course, designed as a bomber, and, on the score of crewcomfort, is by no means an ideal aircraft for Coastal Command. On an ocean patrol lasting anything up to 16 or 17 hours,there is very little room in which to move, especially in the front portion of the fuselage, where the pilot and co-pilot,navigator, engineer, and two signallers are normally bunched together. The inclusion of three signallers stresses the outstanding im-portance of radar in coastal work—one signaller is required to operate the ASV Mk.7 scanner to ascertain the positionof vessels within radar range, and another is occupied in message-sending and maintaining a constant check on theaircraft's position by radar navigational aids; these two im- portant duties are divided between three crew members topermit a period of rest. In the Coastal Command Lancasters the mid-upper turrethas been dispensed with and the two remaining defensive positions are occupied by the engineer and a signaller in theevent of an attack. The " very-long-range " Lancasters used in the earlier stages of the exercise are distinguished by two400-gal. overload fuel tanks carried in the bomb bay, which provide an extra 4-5 hours' endurance. Both the aircraft andthe aircrews of Coastal Command, however, have been proved capable of handling most exacting tasks, and during"Sunrise" the Combined H.Q. of the Blue force signalled warm appreciation of St. Eval's efforts. Some two hours after the Atlantic dawn had slowly broken,our aircraft transmitted a coded signal to Plymouth—'' Four- teen vessels at 4206N., 1907W.; course 040; speed 10-15 knots."At the time our intercom, was not connected, but we learned afterwards that visual and radar location Of the Fleet werealmost simultaneous. Quite suddenly we saw a line of slim, grey shapes on the horizon, before we dived from 800 to 200 ft.and gained speed to lessen the chances of interception by Naval fighters. Rough seas, however, had made deck-flying im-possible, and we remained unmolested. After completing the patrol we took up a course for base, later sighting the re-mainder of the "Red" force—the leading element, a carrier with six destroyer escorts—this time at considerablycloser range. The return flight was quicker, although no less bumpy thanthe outward trip. Guided by a Gee bearing, we came upon the coast and our base in immediate succession. Z-Zebralanded at 1600 hours, after the successful completion of a patrol lasting a little over fourteen hours, including just oversix hours' night flying. R. B. The Heavies: A Sombre Story A NOTHER Flight observer, who covered the Bomber opera -A tions, reported as follows: — Visible activity at R.A.F. Station, Upwood, on the after-noon of December 8th was recreational rather than mili- tary. The few ground crews at work on the dirty-whiteLancasters which equip this station of No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, paused momentarily to appraise the standard offootball then in colourful progress on the wet airfield. A few armourers tended bomb trolleys, laden with 25-pounders duefor practice-dropping next day, and Lancasters standing ready for Exercise "Sunrise" carried smoke floats and flame floats.On that sunny afternoon it was unthinkable that, in the event, these machines, like many other heavy bombers then standingby at Bomber Command airfields, would never strike a blow for Blueland. With the consent of G/C. A. C. Wilson we attended theearly-evening briefing. Ten Lancasters were to form a spear- head force ahead of 24 Lincolns from Wyton, Waddingtonand Binbrook, one of which was to carry the " special bomb," represented by a 100-lb photoflash of 320 million candle-power. Our task (the writer had been allocated a place in the "Lane." flown by Pilot III Austin) was to draw off theenemy fighters, to attack H.M.S. Illustrious with hypothetical 1,000-lb bombs, and to sow "window." Each aircraft carriedits full 2,154 gallons of petrol, sufficient for a loj-hour endur- ance at 200 m.p.h. Take-off would certainly not be before2300 hours and the attack was to be made in daylight, the Lancasters approaching in open formations (one of four, andtwo of three, aircraft) and closing their ranks to ij-span intervals before bombing, as the Americans say, "on thelead ship." All aircraft carried F.24 cameras, in addition to camera-guns with which to' record the successes of the gunnersin the tail (2 x 0.5m) and mid-upper (2 x 0.303m) turrets. This armament, incidentally, is characteristic of the LancasterMk. I F.E. (Far East) originally built for units of "Tiger Force." Briefing was far too thorough for even a precis to be givenhere, but the following points are of special interest: — Target to be located with the aid of a " gate " aircraft pro-vided by Coastal Command. Operators to report on the effectiveness of the particular c 6
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