Longest Bombing Missions in WW2

Discussions on the Allies and the Neutral States in general and the countries that does not have sections of their own.
Post Reply
User avatar
Alpini Arditi
Member
Posts: 48
Joined: 04 Jan 2022, 00:15
Location: North Wales

Longest Bombing Missions in WW2

#1

Post by Alpini Arditi » 10 Jan 2022, 20:39

For sheer endurance, it's interesting to read various accounts of the longest bombing missions during the Second World War. From what I've been able to research, it seems the longest were done, unsurprisingly perhaps, by American B-29's in the Pacific and Asia theatres. Of these, the longest was a photo-reconnaissance mission (aircraft nicknamed 'Double Trouble') in June 1945, from Guam to Hokkaido in Northern Japan and back, taking just under 23 hours and covering a total of 4,650 miles. The next appears to be a bombing mission from India to the Straits of Johore, Malaysia, in February, 1945, by B-29's, over a distance of 3,841 miles. There were a few other Superfortress sorties that nearly approached the latter distance, too. Apart from the B-29's, the longest was apparently the epic journey of a US B-24 Liberator, called 'Shady Lady', which attacked Japanese oil refineries on Borneo, having ventured out from Northern Australia, in August 1943, and forced landed in Western Australia, having travelled some 2,700 miles. Finally, from the other side, in October 1940, there was the Italian SM 82 attack on Bahrain, from Rhodes, and landing in Eritrea, flying a total of 2,600 miles. I wonder what the record is for the other air forces during the war?
Paolo-Moci-Ettore-Muti- [attachment=1]800px-Shady_Lady_14_August_1943.jpg
767x431.gif[/attachment]
411vjQT8+qL._AC_SL1500_-1.jpg
One of the crew of 'Double Trouble' June 1945
411vjQT8+qL._AC_SL1500_-1.jpg (11.73 KiB) Viewed 10148 times
Attachments
800px-Shady_Lady_14_August_1943.jpg
'Shady Lady' and crew after the forced landing in August 1943
Paolo-Moci-Ettore-Muti-767x431.gif
The crew of one of the SM 82's from the October 1940 raid

Post Reply

Return to “The Allies and the Neutral States in general”