On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 11:40:46 GMT, Guy Alcala
wrote:

[Lanc bombing height]

The most common bombing heights (excluding exceptions like the
Peenemunde raid) seem to have been around 18,000 feet.

Odd that you should mention that, as Middlebrook ("The Nuremberg Raid") says
that a/c of all the Groups on the mission (with the exception of No. 1 GP;
see below), whether Lanc or Halifax, were evenly assigned to one of four
cruise heights -- 20, 21, 22, or 23 thousand feet.

This was common practice: although I was suprised to see 3 Group
getting the lower height bands even as they started to re-equip with
Lancasters in early 1944. The raids I researched may not be
representative, however, and I think those might have included some
late Stirling raids, which would explain it, although they were
normally banded by Group and by type within that, just like the wave
timings for TOT.

As it happens, the bombing height for the crew in question varied from
aircraft to aircraft, and seemingly independent of the assigned height
bands. The highest bombing altitude recorded was 21,500 ft (30/31 Jan
44, Berlin) otherwise 20,000 -20,500 ft (27/28 Sep 43, Nuremburg; 3/4
Sep 43, Berlin) and a lot of 18,000 -19,000 ft (31 Aug/1 Sep 43,
Berlin; Munchengladbach 30/31 Sep 43, etc, etc).

In addition to the engine differences, there's the considerable difference in
fixed weights (carried both to and from the target) due to extra crew, armor,
guns, turrets etc., and the extra fuel required for formation assembly (an
extra 1/2 to 2 hours before setting out), climb to higher cruise altitude and
flying in formation (throttle jockeying).

Yeah, I've just exhumed that one myself.

[snipadoodledo]
In short, design and equip them
to do the same job and they'll do it with payloads within a couple of hundred
pounds (either way) of each other. The whole Lanc vs. B-17 argument is just
ludicrous.

Agreed. Still, it beats doing the housework.

Gavin Bailey

--

"...this level of misinformation suggests some Americans may be
avoiding having an experience of cognitive dissonance."
- 'Poll shows errors in beliefs on Iraq, 9/11'
The Charlotte Observer, 20th June 2003