How accurate was B-26 bombing?

The point I was trying to make was that we flew missions with dumb bombs
that
were sometimes as accurate as missions flown today with smart bombs.

Were there *some* missions flown where *some* aircraft hit within 10 meters ?
Sure, but the laws of physics and bomb construction (particularly in the
1940's) mean that those strikes were as much about luck as the skill of the
aircrew. Even today, a gravity bomb hit within 30 feet is luck. Most honest
radar navs (or WSOs in the B-1B or Mission Commanders in the B-2) will tell you
they can get you down to 100 feet with skill, the rest is all luck. The mil
dispersion on a Mk-82 is .0025 (Did I get that right ??) which means for every
foot it travels, it'll move away from its "true trajectory" by 1/40 inch. If
your release distance is 35,000 feet, no matter how well you aim, your weapons
will tend to "wonder" by 87.5 feet (35,000 x .0025). So why is it possible to
"shack" a target with unguided weapons? Compensating errors. The RN aims 87.5
feet left and the drift tendancy (mil dispersion) of a majority of the weapons
is right. So...in summary, any strike you guys had in WWII that were inside of
10 meters, was luck.


How many planes in how tight a formation?

2 jets typically, but during OAF, I was in a formation as large as 6 jets.
Formation spacing varies, but has no impact since each aircraft (if both are
striking the same target) independantly targets its weapons. In the case of
Batajanica, all you see are my weapons, my lead aircraft hit the second runway
which you can almost see in the upper left hand part of the imagery.

Looks a bit loose. What was the intervelometer interval?

Loose? Hmm, thats 45 weapons, the interval was set to the min (.050) with the
externals timed to drop simultaneously. IIRC, it was a 700' train. That's about
as tight as it gets with 45 weapons. You can drop in RAPID mode and reduce your
train in about a half to a third, but this is not a common practice.

I note that there was a hole in
the bomb pattern that left one bullding standing Someone out of formation or
a
delay in a release?

Mil dispersion saves a single building. Chances are, anyone in it has white
hair and is deaf.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

Subject: How accurate was B-26 bombing?
From: (BUFDRVR)
Date: 2/29/04 6:55 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

Thanks for the rundown

Were there *some* missions flown where *some* aircraft hit within 10 meters ?
Sure, but the laws of physics and bomb construction (particularly in the
1940's) mean that those strikes were as much about luck as the skill of the

aircrew. Even today, a gravity bomb hit within 30 feet is luck. Most honest
radar navs (or WSOs in the B-1B or Mission Commanders in the B-2) will tell
you
they can get you down to 100 feet with skill, the rest is all luck. The mil
dispersion on a Mk-82 is .0025 (Did I get that right ??) which means for

every
foot it travels, it'll move away from its "true trajectory" by 1/40 inch. If
your release distance is 35,000 fee

no matter how well you aim, your weapons
will tend to "wonder" by 87.5 feet (35,000 x .0025). So why is it possible to
"shack" a target with unguided weapons? Compensating errors. The RN aims 87.5

feet left and the drift tendancy (mil dispersion) of a majority of the
weapons
is right. So...in summary, any strike you guys had in WWII that were inside
of
10 meters, was luck.

I am sure everuything uou say is true. But I stand by the strike photos on my
website whicxh as oiyu can see a lot of "shacks" were soc red under diffiut
coimvat ciditrions. Thg ephotos donlt liere
striking the same target) independantly targets its weapons. In the case of
Batajanica, all you see are my weapons, my lead aircraft hit the second
runway
which you can almost see in the upper left hand part of the imagery.


Yup. I inndersyand now. Looks good.

I note that there was a hole in
the bomb pattern that left one bullding standing Someone out of formation or
a
delay in a release?

Mil dispersion saves a single building. Chances are, anyone in it has white
hair and is deaf.


Dead probably . I wasn't being critical, I just wanted to know. Thanks for the
info. I never did know how operations were done these days. A lot has changed.
But as I said I'llet the strike photos on my website speak for themselves for
everyone to see..


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

I am sure everything you say is true. But I stand by the strike photos on my

website which as you can see a lot of "shacks" were scored under difficult
coimbat conditions. The photos don't lie

How many B-26 dropped on the bridge? I've already said that *some* aircraft
will be able to get "shacks", but depending on your CEP, that percentage should
be no more than 20-25% (maybe less if your CEP is large enough). So...if you
fly a 100 aircraft raid up to as many as 25 aircraft (CEP depending) will shack
the target. *However*, another 25% will exceed your CEP by a magnitude of 2 for
every shack. Bottom line: You can't see CEP in one or even a dozen BDA photos.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

Subject: How accurate was B-26 bombing?
From: (BUFDRVR)
Date: 3/1/04 3:10 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

I am sure everything you say is true. But I stand by the strike photos on my

website which as you can see a lot of "shacks" were scored under difficult
coimbat conditions. The photos don't lie

How many B-26 dropped on the bridge? I've already said that *some* aircraft
will be able to get "shacks", but depending on your CEP, that percentage
should
be no more than 20-25% (maybe less if your CEP is large enough). So...if you
fly a 100 aircraft raid up to as many as 25 aircraft (CEP depending) will
shack
the target. *However*, another 25% will exceed your CEP by a magnitude of 2
for
every shack. Bottom line: You can't see CEP in one or even a dozen BDA
photos.


BUFDRVR


We flew a 56 plane formation. And while what you say is true the bottom line is
that we attacked the target and when we left it was destoyed as the photos
clearly show., What else is there? And I am sure as you pointed out luck is
involved, but you must admit we had an awful lot of luck. Maybe with all that
luck there was also a bit of skill involved as well. At least that was the
reputation of the 344th.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

On 01 Mar 2004 02:55:46 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:


Mil dispersion saves a single building. Chances are, anyone in it has white
hair and is deaf.


ROTFL! Frantically looking for clean underwear I would have thought.



greg

--
You do a lot less thundering in the pulpit against the Harlot
after she marches right down the aisle and kicks you in the nuts.