Lancaster Bomber

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redcoat
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Re: Lancaster Bomber

#121

Post by redcoat » 01 Feb 2010, 01:15

markh wrote:I have read this argument before, but we all know what Stalin was like. He could make anything happen. If he wanted to get allied aircrews back to their own countries to continue the fight, he would have made it possible. But why not just show disdain towards the West! Keep the aircraft, hold the aircrews.
It should be noted that the B-25 crew interned after the Dolittle raid managed to 'escape' via Iran in 1943 :roll:
In fact, all of the 291 US aircrew interned by the Soviets in the Pacific theater managed to 'escape' after a short while

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Attrition
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Re: Lancaster Bomber

#122

Post by Attrition » 01 Feb 2010, 10:43

Did they get a strange look in their eyes after receiving a phone call? 8-)


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bf109 emil
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Re: Lancaster Bomber

#123

Post by bf109 emil » 03 Feb 2010, 08:39

redcoat wrote:
markh wrote:I have read this argument before, but we all know what Stalin was like. He could make anything happen. If he wanted to get allied aircrews back to their own countries to continue the fight, he would have made it possible. But why not just show disdain towards the West! Keep the aircraft, hold the aircrews.
It should be noted that the B-25 crew interned after the Dolittle raid managed to 'escape' via Iran in 1943 :roll:
In fact, all of the 291 US aircrew interned by the Soviets in the Pacific theater managed to 'escape' after a short while
all 291 escaped??? seems there guarding US airmen lacked in comparison to guarding other nations personal...maybe some direct pressure was placed as to allowing these airmen to escape, and allow the soviets to save face with the Japanese while still enjoying the aid from the US.

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Re: Lancaster Bomber

#124

Post by phylo_roadking » 05 Feb 2010, 19:51

I've read that Lancaster's getaway hatch was small and in the roof in the middle. Thus it was very difficult to bail out for the crew.
Were there other getaways than that top hatch?
John - the Lancaster MkIII with dorsal turret had a total of SIX exits in an emergency!

There were TWO in the top of the fuselage - one to the rear of the astrodome, and one just forward of the dorsal turret - but they weren't for baling out! 8O They were for crew egress if ditched and the aircraft was floating as it's OTHER exits would be underwater!

There was a hatch in the bottom of the nose just below the bomb aimer's position.

There was one just forward of the rear turret.

There was of course the normal starboard side crew entrance...

...and a knock-out panel in the top of the cockpit glazing.

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bf109 emil
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Re: Lancaster Bomber

#125

Post by bf109 emil » 15 Feb 2010, 23:40

There was one just forward of the rear turret.
i think this hatch was for entering the plane and exiting if landed as for escape of a rear turret gunner i found this

The rear gunner entered the turret from the fuselage, clipping his parachute to hooks just outside the turret. It was a very cramped location and it was necessary for some gunners to place their boots in the turret prior to climbing in. Once in the turret the gunner was unable to leave until the aircraft returned to base. The rotation mechanism, gun elevation, and triggers were hand operated. If the aircraft had to be abandoned the gunner had to open the turret doors behind him, reach for and clip on his parachute, rotate the turret 90 degrees, and then fall out backwards.

http://www.lancastermuseum.ca/airgunners3.html

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Takao
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Re: Lancaster Bomber

#126

Post by Takao » 16 Feb 2010, 04:29

Some reports of bailing out of a Lancaster bomber.

from http://www.gordonstooke.com/460squadron/books/fbw.htm
"ABANDON AIRCRAFT! ABANDON AIRCRAFT!"

We were about 20 miles North-North-West of Liege, Belgium. The bomb-aimer jettisoned the escape hatch in the floor of his compartment, clipped on his chest parachute and without hesitation rolled out of the aircraft into the night.

Next it was the engineers turn. With a brave smile and a nervous wink, he stepped down to the waiting hatchway, knelt on the edge and was gone.

"The gunners have bailed out from the rear door, Skipper," the navigator reported. "They'll be OK."

The wireless operator followed the engineer out through the open hatch, leaving just the navigator and me aboard.

"Good luck, Skipper," he said courageously as he handed me my parachute. "See you in Spain."

He checked twice to make sure my parachute was clipped on securely, then with a reassuring glance, disappeared into the night.

D-Donald and I were alone.

Just for a moment the ship's captain syndrome almost overcame me. I felt sadness and shame because I was about to desert my mighty Lancaster. Soon D-Donald would be no more. It was no consolation that many had gone before me and there would be many more to follow.

D-Donald and I were still loosing height. Hurry, hurry, we were down to 2000ft.

I stood up to the right of the control column, keeping the aircraft straight and level with my left hand. Below the open hatchway waited. I hurried down and knelt at its edge.

Then for a moment I thought of the hundreds, no thousands of aircrew who had attempted and were yet to attempt, to save their lives by abandoning their stricken aircraft, as I was about to do. For the vast majority, their desperate bid to stay alive would have been so different from my relatively orderly exit. The stark terror of a spinning aircraft with all those on board gripped by irresistible centrifugal forces preventing escape, flashed through my mind. Maybe their aircraft was on fire, adding to their desperation. If wounded comrades were left behind, what future nightmares would memories of a 'last glance into terror stricken eyes' generate for he who survived? What turmoil invaded the minds of those who knew they were trapped and could do no more than wait the inevitable?

But I was lucky, all my brave crew were clear. All I had to do was roll forward and kindly D-Donald, still flying straight and level, would free me.

The escape hatch on the Lancaster was 23in wide and 26in deep. As I squatted there ready to jump, I found it difficult to imagine how anyone could get through such a small hole. Resigned to losing the top of my head as I rolled out or worse getting stuck, I committed myself to fate and fell forward with my hand tightly gripping the rip cord.

For the moment the slipstream seemed determined to push me back into the aircraft.

Suddenly I fell free - free to plummet into a fearful black void.

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 5520.shtml
A night fighter then appeared on the scene and hit us from below. My last recollection of the conditions in the aircraft before impact was that the inner/outer port side engine was on fire (it could have been either as there wasn't much space between the engines), the suicidal height at which we were flying, the noise, cabin full of smoke and partially lit, communications out, cramped conditions in the cockpit, no place to wear your parachute (it had to be stored on the floor), frantically searching for it; the rush of cold air from the open back door, trying to prise open the escape hatch, every second wasted making survival more improbable. The whole episode could not have lasted for more than a few minutes, and before we realised it was a doomed machine, we would have had even less time to make our getaway.

The Lancaster was not aircrew friendly. There was an element of fear of the unknown. Bob Bethel's seat and instrument panel were on fire; oxygen bottles and machine gun bullets were stored in that area and the hydraulics were located there. He was not at his post and had bailed out by the back door. Bob Webb and Charlie Clement were checking instruments for bail out.

My responsibility on Pathfinders was to release the bombs at the front. I would lie on my belly and, on orders from Bob/Charlie, would release, and on that night all the bombs had been dropped. In the event of having to ditch the aircraft, it was I who would open the escape hatch at the front, and Bob Bethel would open the back door and let Johnny Seale and John McGill know what was going on; this was part of our drill. I tapped Bob Webb and Charlie Clement on the shoulder, indicating my intentions, and did the same to Brian Giddings, and he gave me the thumbs up. As I descended the steps to bail out I noticed someone at the top of the stairs - I now believe it to have been Bob Webb, due to the location of where his body was found. I am also of the opinion that Johnny Seale had been hit by the night fighter and was probably fatally injured. When I bailed out, due to the low altitude of the Lanc, I sprained my ankle on hitting the deck.’

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