"Waldo.Pepper" wrote in message
...
I have come across a bit of a mystery that I am hoping that someone
could help solve.

I am including a picture of a B-24 that has an odd (partial Yagi)
antenna just below the flight deck that I cannot ID. I have seen them
on the occasional B-24, only, serving in both the ETO and the Pacific.
Only seen them on US operated planes, never Commonwealth aircraft.
Seen the antenna on 'ordinary' B-24's and also they are included on
some of the Ferret conversions.

A fellow researcher suggested that it is associated with an early war
IFF unit. pre IFF Mark III, but I don't think so. Another suggestion
was that is was somehow associated with an ASV radar set - but again I
do not think that this can be so for various reasons.

Does anyone know what this is?

Waldo.

I first thought it was for RADAR jamming missions but it was used for
submarine detection according to this page-
http://www.airtoaircombat.com/backgr...p?id=61&bg=722

"The RAF Liberator I was the first of the type to see combat. The long
range and heavy bombload made the Liberator I a natural choice for RAF
Coastal Command for use in its battles against the U-boat menace. Upon
arrival in England, they were extensively modified to make them suitable
for the antisubmarine role. They were equipped with early versions of
ASV radars, which included a thicket of Yagi aerials protruding from the
nose and the wings, four stickle-back mast antennae sticking upward from
the ventral fuselage, and a set of towel-rail type antennae attached to
the sides of the rear fuselage. The aircraft looked not unlike a flying
porcupine. For attacks on surfaced U-boats, Liberator Is were fitted
with a pack for four forward-firing 20-mm Hispano cannon underneath the
forward fuselage. These modifications were carried out by Heston
Aircraft Ltd. The normal operating crew was seven."

--
Anyolmouse