Great online Documentary about Bomber Command

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Salute All

British documentary about Nightbombers against Germany.

http://www.factualtv.com/documentary/Nightbombers

All in colour, and if you can ignore the comment about the Lancaster being the best 4 engined bomber of the war, (it did carry a great warload, was very maneuverable for its size, but was fragile compared to the B-17 and B-29) the material is very interesting, although it takes half the documentary to actually get to the launch.

[RAF74_Winger]

Thanks for that Buzz,

I'm really looking forward to SOW and dynamic weather now. How great would it be to have a weather brief prior to flight? An aspect much missed in IL2, I think.

W.

[Harris]

Actually that comment was correct; the Lancaster IS the greatest WW2 bomber! And here's why:

The purpose of a bomber is to drop bombs, and the Lancaster dropped the most. Other bombers might have been more armoured or better armed, but the bomb capacity of the Lancaster wasn't just larger, it was huge. It would've take SEVEN flying fortresses and their crews to carry the same amount of bombs as ONE lancaster. Hardly cost effective in terms of bombers and crews, no matter how more effective they might be at defending themselves. By the end of the war, Lancasters could carry and drop bombs that weighted ten tons each.

Therefore, in terms of DROPPING BOMBS, the principle purpose of a bomber, the Lancaster was the best.

Plus, the B-29 wasn't available until the war was almost over, too late to seriously affect the war.

Plus plus, 617 squadron, probably the greatest bomber squadron in the world, flew Lancasters. And if its good enough for them...

[RAF74_Stew]

Now, with your callsign of Harris could we expect any other opinion :) !!!

The debate about best bomber must be couched within the confines of the missions flown. The bombing campaign over Europe was effective because it took place day and night. By night we collectively wore away at the ability of German workers to be productive. By day we wore down their ability to control the air and disperse production into a less efficient model. Modern scholarship has shown that we did not cripple morale or production. However, the bombing campaign guaranteed a less productive workforce producing material in a less efficient manner while chewing up their fighter pilots.

By night, nothing could beat the Lancaster. However, it took a day and night campaign and the Lancs would have been chewed up flying in daylight. Enter the American heavies. My uncle flew B-17s but as much as I hate to admit it, the B-24 was the better bomber: heavier loads brought more quickly to target. So, I would humbly suggest this debate be settled in a tie between the Lanc and the Liberator :)

[RAF74_Raptor]

Welcome to the Pub Harris Ill buy you a pint

[RAF74_Harris]

Thanks Raptor!

Fair enough Stew, we'll call it a tie. Yes, in my opinion too, the B-24 was the superior of the B-17, though still not having a bombing capacity anywhere near that of the Lancaster.

But since there are no Lancasters in IL2, I fly the B-24.