![]() There are also examples of bomber pilots who completed their tours re-training in fighters and returning to combat as fighter pilots. Robert Morgan, the commander of the Memphis Belle, trained on the B-29 and commanded a squadron in the Pacific (he flew 26 missions over Japan). Some crewmen would re-train on new equipment. As a result, bomber losses began to decline, and the USAAF increased the tour to 30 missions, then by the summer of 1944 it was increased again to 35.īomber crews who completed their tours were generally re-assigned to training bases in the US to impart their knowledge on the next generation of crews or assigned to non-combat roles in the theatre where they were serving. This was critical, since the P-51 could accompany the bombers for the duration of their mission (previously used escorts such as the P-47 Thunderbolt and the Supermarine Spitfire didn't have the necessary range and had to turn back long before the bombers reached their targets in Germany). In late 1943 and early 1944, the P-51 Mustang went into operation in large numbers as a bomber escort. For the most part, I will cover the European Air War, since that's the area your question covers. It also varied by type of aircraft-fighters, light bombers, medium bombers, heavy bombers. ![]() Tour lengths were determined by theatre commanders, so the policy in Europe was different than Asia, the Mediterranean was different than the Middle East and so forth. Yes, in 1943 the USAAF in Europe determined that heavy bomber crews would be rotated home after 25 missions over enemy territory after first trying a one-year tour or a tour consisting of a pre-determined number of flight hours. I'd recommend reading The Nuremberg Raid by Martin Middlebrook and Aircrew by Bruce Lewis. One aircrew earned the nickname 'Grandad' aged 24! They were treated very poorly - stripped of rank and given the most menial and distasteful tasks, cleaning toilets etc.Īlso of note is the youth of these men, which is all the more astonishing given their responsibility and the fact that they were charged with operating the most expensive and technologically advanced machines yet devised by mankind. I have to say that I am somewhat in awe of the men who volunteered for Pathfinder and 617 duty, considering the chance of surviving an ordinary tour of 30 missions unharmed was only 24%.Īircrew who refused to fly had their records marked with LMF for Low Moral Fibre. The Pathfinder squadron required 45 missions for a first tour in addition to any previous missions - and most of those selected for pathfinder duties would often be a fair way through the first tour to begin with (Bruce Lewis gives an example of a crew who flew all but 2 missions before volunteering for 617 Squadron, and that meant starting from zero all over again). These were called 'milk runs' and generally brand new crews or crews almost at the end of their tour tended to get more milk run missions, for obvious reasons.Īpart from that, milk runs were pretty unpopular as you needed to complete so many of them to constitute a tour. If you were forced to return to base without entering hostile airspace, this wouldn't count at all.įurthermore, missions like dropping mines in the North Sea, or missions that didn't involve entering German airspace would only count for 1/3rd of a mission. ![]() The definition of a mission wasn't always clear cut. This would be followed by a spot of leave and a six month stint flying non-operational duties (flying as an instructor and so forth), followed by a subsequent tour of 25 missions. Yes, unfortunately I can't comment on the USAAF tours, but in the RAF a first tour was 30 missions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |