Knowledge Quiz for Warbird wiz
07-28-2016, 07:51 PM
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Collishaw
More on Collishaw. Thanks; Ernie P.
June 6, 1917 was their grandest day. They were flying offensive patrols with 10 Triplanes. Collishaw was leading a patrol when they came across an Albatros 2-seater escorted by 15 Albatros and Halberstadt fighters. In the "fur ball" that ensued Collishaw dropped three Albatroses, Nash downed an Aviatik two-seater and an Albatros, Reid downed a Halberstadt scout, Sharman and Alexander each downed an Albatros. In total the RNAS shot down 10 German aircraft without any losses.[SUP][10][/SUP]
Their first loss came when they had achieved an aggregate of fifty victories. On June 26th, the All-Blacks found themselves engaged with Richthofen's Jagdstaffel 11. Gerry Nash found that he was fighting two German pilots single-handed. One of the Germans was Lieutenant Karl Allmenrφder, victor in some 30 air battles, and second only to Richthofen among the German pilots then in action. Nash's other opponent was Richthofen himself.
Yet, faced by the two deadliest German pilots, Nash fought a tremendous battle. He twisted and turned, looking for openings, but at last Allmenrφder got in a telling burst, and Nash's controls were damaged. He fell out of the fight and managed to land safely but behind the enemy lines, where he destroyed his plane before he was captured.
The four survivors were bitterly grieved by the loss, for they had grown into a band of brothers, and they swore to keep a sharp eye out for the Albatroses of Richthofen's squadron which had brought down Nash. At the same time they thought that Nash was dead. On the morning of June 27th they met the Richthofen Staffel near Courtrai, and this time Collishaw found himself engaged with the bright-green Albatros of Allmenrφder though he was not aware at the moment that he was fighting the conqueror of Nash. It was one of the classic dogfights of the war, like Barker against Linke, like Hawker against Richthofen two skilled and experienced fighters, who knew every trick, had met.
They met head-on, then they went into the "waltz" <dogfighting>, but at last Collishaw found an opening, and Allmenrφder went down out of control, to crash to his death near Lille. Nash, lying in a cell, heard a church bell tolling that afternoon, and learned from his guard that it was the funeral of Allmenrφder, who had shot him down. Allmenrφder, the guard said, he been shot down by the leader of the Black Triplanes."[SUP][11][/SUP]
While there have been claims that Collishaw shot down German ace Karl Allmenrφder as described above, this has been disputed and remains difficult to verify.
In August, Collishaw returned to Canada for two months' leave, the British Empire's second-highest-scoring living ace. He was virtually unknown, in stark contrast to the grand reception given to the top-scoring living ace, Billy Bishop, when he returned on leave at about the same time. At this point, he had been awarded two British decorations during the summer: the Distinguished Service Cross,[SUP][4][/SUP] and the Distinguished Service Order.[SUP][4][/SUP] Returning to the war late November, he was given command of No. 13 Naval Squadron, which was operating from Dunkirk, doing escort duty with the Channel Patrol.
His most amazing experience on that tour of duty was an air battle between his squadron and a formation of German Scouts in which no shot was fired. The squadron was providing protection for an observation machine, which was ranging guns for a fleet firing on Zeebrugge. The German formation approached, and Collishaw led his pilots to the attack but found that his guns had jammed, owing to the congealing of the oil in the low temperature. Several times he turned to attack the Germans, and each time they withdrew, until the navy's shoot was finished. Then Collishaw learned that all the squadron's guns were jammed possibly all the guns of the German Scouts as well."[SUP][12][/SUP]
On 23 January 1918, Collishaw returned to the embattled area of the Western Front to command No. 3 Naval Squadron, which was equipped with the more deadly British Sopwith Camel fighters. On 1 April, the RNAS and the RFC merged and No. 3 Naval became No. 203 Squadron Royal Air Force. Collishaw remained in command with the new rank of major, finding that serving as a Commanding Officer took up a great deal of his time with "paper work".[SUP][13][/SUP] But he was able to make time for flying, and by the end of the summer, he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross,[SUP][4][/SUP] and a bar[SUP][4][/SUP] to his Distinguished Service Order.[SUP][13][/SUP]
Collishaw had quite a few close escapes during the war. His plane was hit often by bullets, but Collishaw escaped unscathed in the air. His aircraft was shot down out of control and crashed several times. Once, lost in a fog, he landed on a German aerodrome, and was actually taxiing to the tarmac when he saw German insignia on the grounded planes, and German troops rushing out to arrest him. He opened his throttle wide, took off, and escaped.[SUP][14][/SUP] On another occasion, his goggles were shattered by an enemy bullet. He once had his controls disabled by German machine gun fire from the ground and had to ride out the flight until the aircraft crash-landed luckily near the British front trenches.
Collishaw scored 60 victories, consisting of 28 enemy aircraft destroyed (including one shared victory), 30 enemy aircraft driven down "out of control" (including two shared wins), and one enemy aircraft "driven down."
Collishaw was in England working on the formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force when the Armistice was signed. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel during this time. He took some leave in Canada in December before returning to England. He was planning on attempting to fly across the Atlantic using a long-range bomber, but his plans were interrupted by events.
The decision was made to send a squadron to help General Denikin's White Russian forces in the Russian Civil War and Collishaw was chosen to be in command. His squadron found itself fighting against the Bolsheviks, who had skilled German pilots manning some of their aircraft.[SUP][15][/SUP] This campaign initially went well but eventually turned into a retreat then a rout during which the squadron was withdrawn. Collishaw added another victory to his total during this conflict, as well as managing to sink an enemy gunboat with a bomb dropped from his Sopwith Camel. He admitted in his autobiography that his experiences in, and particularly his escape from, Russia were far more frightening than those on Western Front.
During the Second World War, Collishaw attained the rank of Air Vice Marshal; he was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath during his service.[SUP][16][/SUP]
At the commencement of the Second World War in 1939, Collishaw was promoted to Air Commodore and took over as Air Officer Commanding, No. 204 Group ("Egypt Group") in North Africa.[SUP][17][/SUP] He concentrated on strategy and tactics to neutralize the Italian air force and to gain aerial superiority in North Africa. This was a tough challenge considering that his men were flying outdated Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters and Vickers Wellesley bombers. Soon after the war started Collishaw's men were off the mark quickly, striking at an Italian airbase destroying 18 aircraft within two days of the commencement of hostilities with only three aircraft losses. He then turned their efforts to bombing harbours, ships and troops to hold up the reinforcement of North Africa. They sunk the Italian cruiser San Giorgio and blew up an ammo dump.
His pilots were badly outnumbered and outgunned. But he countered these deficiencies with expert advice on aerial tactics, aggressive attacks and trickery. He had only a single modern Hawker Hurricane fighter to use at the front (three others were relegated to training) dubbed "Colly's Battleship". He made the best of it by constantly moving it from base to base and letting the Italians see it. He came up with the idea of making many, single plane attacks on Italian formations to fool the Italians into thinking he had many Hurricanes. The result was that the Italians spread their superior fighters thinly across North Africa, and seriously diluted their strength. ... Collishaw implemented a continual harassment procedure that forced the Italians into having standing patrols over their forts. This was incredibly wasteful of men, fuel and machines. They should have been on the offensive, and yet were not.[SUP][10][/SUP]
In July, 1942 Collishaw was recalled from the desert and was replaced with Air Vice-Marshal Coningham. He was given the a posting in Fighter Command in Scapa Flow, Scotland, and remained there until July 1943, when he was involuntarily retired. He spent the rest of the war as a Civil Defence Regional Air Liaison Officer.
As early as the 1950s, there has been debate over whether his kills had been understated, due to the Royal Naval Air Service receiving less credit than the Royal Flying Corps. Some historians credit him with 81 (unofficial) kills, which would place him at the top of First World War flying aces, ahead of the "Red Baron" and top British Empire ace Billy Bishop. If the application of stricter victory verification was applied, however, his score would invariably be considerably less (as with all RAF, RFC and RNAS aces' scores in the First World War).
A man who flew with him claimed that he would often "give" a victory to a new, green pilot, just to bolster his confidence. The new pilot would be taken out by the renowned Collishaw to "bag one". Anxiously following the leader, he would find himself diving on the tail of a German reconnaissance plane. Trying to control the machine, so that the nose would stay still, he would find his gun-sight wobbling all over the sky. He would press the firing button, spraying bullets like a lawn sprinkler. Then suddenly Collishaw would appear alongside; there would be a short, deadly burst, and the new pilot would turn sick as he saw the enemy plane catch fire and plunge to earth. He would fly back to the aerodrome, where the flight commander would clap him heartily on the shoulder and insist "You got one! Grand show, old boy!" The new pilot, unable to speak, would nod timidly, and thereafter he would fly into battle with Collisaw anywhere. That was according to the story part of Collishaw's great quality of leadership.[SUP][18][/SUP]
June 6, 1917 was their grandest day. They were flying offensive patrols with 10 Triplanes. Collishaw was leading a patrol when they came across an Albatros 2-seater escorted by 15 Albatros and Halberstadt fighters. In the "fur ball" that ensued Collishaw dropped three Albatroses, Nash downed an Aviatik two-seater and an Albatros, Reid downed a Halberstadt scout, Sharman and Alexander each downed an Albatros. In total the RNAS shot down 10 German aircraft without any losses.[SUP][10][/SUP]
Their first loss came when they had achieved an aggregate of fifty victories. On June 26th, the All-Blacks found themselves engaged with Richthofen's Jagdstaffel 11. Gerry Nash found that he was fighting two German pilots single-handed. One of the Germans was Lieutenant Karl Allmenrφder, victor in some 30 air battles, and second only to Richthofen among the German pilots then in action. Nash's other opponent was Richthofen himself.
Yet, faced by the two deadliest German pilots, Nash fought a tremendous battle. He twisted and turned, looking for openings, but at last Allmenrφder got in a telling burst, and Nash's controls were damaged. He fell out of the fight and managed to land safely but behind the enemy lines, where he destroyed his plane before he was captured.
The four survivors were bitterly grieved by the loss, for they had grown into a band of brothers, and they swore to keep a sharp eye out for the Albatroses of Richthofen's squadron which had brought down Nash. At the same time they thought that Nash was dead. On the morning of June 27th they met the Richthofen Staffel near Courtrai, and this time Collishaw found himself engaged with the bright-green Albatros of Allmenrφder though he was not aware at the moment that he was fighting the conqueror of Nash. It was one of the classic dogfights of the war, like Barker against Linke, like Hawker against Richthofen two skilled and experienced fighters, who knew every trick, had met.
They met head-on, then they went into the "waltz" <dogfighting>, but at last Collishaw found an opening, and Allmenrφder went down out of control, to crash to his death near Lille. Nash, lying in a cell, heard a church bell tolling that afternoon, and learned from his guard that it was the funeral of Allmenrφder, who had shot him down. Allmenrφder, the guard said, he been shot down by the leader of the Black Triplanes."[SUP][11][/SUP]
While there have been claims that Collishaw shot down German ace Karl Allmenrφder as described above, this has been disputed and remains difficult to verify.
In August, Collishaw returned to Canada for two months' leave, the British Empire's second-highest-scoring living ace. He was virtually unknown, in stark contrast to the grand reception given to the top-scoring living ace, Billy Bishop, when he returned on leave at about the same time. At this point, he had been awarded two British decorations during the summer: the Distinguished Service Cross,[SUP][4][/SUP] and the Distinguished Service Order.[SUP][4][/SUP] Returning to the war late November, he was given command of No. 13 Naval Squadron, which was operating from Dunkirk, doing escort duty with the Channel Patrol.
His most amazing experience on that tour of duty was an air battle between his squadron and a formation of German Scouts in which no shot was fired. The squadron was providing protection for an observation machine, which was ranging guns for a fleet firing on Zeebrugge. The German formation approached, and Collishaw led his pilots to the attack but found that his guns had jammed, owing to the congealing of the oil in the low temperature. Several times he turned to attack the Germans, and each time they withdrew, until the navy's shoot was finished. Then Collishaw learned that all the squadron's guns were jammed possibly all the guns of the German Scouts as well."[SUP][12][/SUP]
On 23 January 1918, Collishaw returned to the embattled area of the Western Front to command No. 3 Naval Squadron, which was equipped with the more deadly British Sopwith Camel fighters. On 1 April, the RNAS and the RFC merged and No. 3 Naval became No. 203 Squadron Royal Air Force. Collishaw remained in command with the new rank of major, finding that serving as a Commanding Officer took up a great deal of his time with "paper work".[SUP][13][/SUP] But he was able to make time for flying, and by the end of the summer, he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross,[SUP][4][/SUP] and a bar[SUP][4][/SUP] to his Distinguished Service Order.[SUP][13][/SUP]
Collishaw had quite a few close escapes during the war. His plane was hit often by bullets, but Collishaw escaped unscathed in the air. His aircraft was shot down out of control and crashed several times. Once, lost in a fog, he landed on a German aerodrome, and was actually taxiing to the tarmac when he saw German insignia on the grounded planes, and German troops rushing out to arrest him. He opened his throttle wide, took off, and escaped.[SUP][14][/SUP] On another occasion, his goggles were shattered by an enemy bullet. He once had his controls disabled by German machine gun fire from the ground and had to ride out the flight until the aircraft crash-landed luckily near the British front trenches.
Collishaw scored 60 victories, consisting of 28 enemy aircraft destroyed (including one shared victory), 30 enemy aircraft driven down "out of control" (including two shared wins), and one enemy aircraft "driven down."
Collishaw was in England working on the formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force when the Armistice was signed. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel during this time. He took some leave in Canada in December before returning to England. He was planning on attempting to fly across the Atlantic using a long-range bomber, but his plans were interrupted by events.
The decision was made to send a squadron to help General Denikin's White Russian forces in the Russian Civil War and Collishaw was chosen to be in command. His squadron found itself fighting against the Bolsheviks, who had skilled German pilots manning some of their aircraft.[SUP][15][/SUP] This campaign initially went well but eventually turned into a retreat then a rout during which the squadron was withdrawn. Collishaw added another victory to his total during this conflict, as well as managing to sink an enemy gunboat with a bomb dropped from his Sopwith Camel. He admitted in his autobiography that his experiences in, and particularly his escape from, Russia were far more frightening than those on Western Front.
During the Second World War, Collishaw attained the rank of Air Vice Marshal; he was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath during his service.[SUP][16][/SUP]
At the commencement of the Second World War in 1939, Collishaw was promoted to Air Commodore and took over as Air Officer Commanding, No. 204 Group ("Egypt Group") in North Africa.[SUP][17][/SUP] He concentrated on strategy and tactics to neutralize the Italian air force and to gain aerial superiority in North Africa. This was a tough challenge considering that his men were flying outdated Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters and Vickers Wellesley bombers. Soon after the war started Collishaw's men were off the mark quickly, striking at an Italian airbase destroying 18 aircraft within two days of the commencement of hostilities with only three aircraft losses. He then turned their efforts to bombing harbours, ships and troops to hold up the reinforcement of North Africa. They sunk the Italian cruiser San Giorgio and blew up an ammo dump.
His pilots were badly outnumbered and outgunned. But he countered these deficiencies with expert advice on aerial tactics, aggressive attacks and trickery. He had only a single modern Hawker Hurricane fighter to use at the front (three others were relegated to training) dubbed "Colly's Battleship". He made the best of it by constantly moving it from base to base and letting the Italians see it. He came up with the idea of making many, single plane attacks on Italian formations to fool the Italians into thinking he had many Hurricanes. The result was that the Italians spread their superior fighters thinly across North Africa, and seriously diluted their strength. ... Collishaw implemented a continual harassment procedure that forced the Italians into having standing patrols over their forts. This was incredibly wasteful of men, fuel and machines. They should have been on the offensive, and yet were not.[SUP][10][/SUP]
In July, 1942 Collishaw was recalled from the desert and was replaced with Air Vice-Marshal Coningham. He was given the a posting in Fighter Command in Scapa Flow, Scotland, and remained there until July 1943, when he was involuntarily retired. He spent the rest of the war as a Civil Defence Regional Air Liaison Officer.
As early as the 1950s, there has been debate over whether his kills had been understated, due to the Royal Naval Air Service receiving less credit than the Royal Flying Corps. Some historians credit him with 81 (unofficial) kills, which would place him at the top of First World War flying aces, ahead of the "Red Baron" and top British Empire ace Billy Bishop. If the application of stricter victory verification was applied, however, his score would invariably be considerably less (as with all RAF, RFC and RNAS aces' scores in the First World War).
A man who flew with him claimed that he would often "give" a victory to a new, green pilot, just to bolster his confidence. The new pilot would be taken out by the renowned Collishaw to "bag one". Anxiously following the leader, he would find himself diving on the tail of a German reconnaissance plane. Trying to control the machine, so that the nose would stay still, he would find his gun-sight wobbling all over the sky. He would press the firing button, spraying bullets like a lawn sprinkler. Then suddenly Collishaw would appear alongside; there would be a short, deadly burst, and the new pilot would turn sick as he saw the enemy plane catch fire and plunge to earth. He would fly back to the aerodrome, where the flight commander would clap him heartily on the shoulder and insist "You got one! Grand show, old boy!" The new pilot, unable to speak, would nod timidly, and thereafter he would fly into battle with Collisaw anywhere. That was according to the story part of Collishaw's great quality of leadership.[SUP][18][/SUP]
07-29-2016, 03:06 PM
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft
07-29-2016, 09:13 PM
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
08-01-2016, 11:36 AM
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Sorry guys!
lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
08-01-2016, 05:32 PM
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
08-02-2016, 07:41 AM
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
08-03-2016, 07:41 AM
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
7. He flew in the same squadron as some of the most famous aces of WW I.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
7. He flew in the same squadron as some of the most famous aces of WW I.
08-03-2016, 08:00 AM
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
7. He flew in the same squadron as some of the most famous aces of WW I.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
7. He flew in the same squadron as some of the most famous aces of WW I.
08-03-2016, 07:41 PM
Senior Member
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lets keep with pilots.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
7. He flew in the same squadron as some of the most famous aces of WW I.
1.He was an Ace, probably remembered for an feat that did not actually happen the way it was reported.
2. His first victory was achieved in a very unlikely aircraft.
3. All other kills were in more conventional aircraft.
4. It did his early training in an unusual aircraft.
5. All were biplanes
6. A great pilot, with excellent vision his tally was limited by poor shooting, otherwise it is though he would have been up with the highest aces.
7. He flew in the same squadron as some of the most famous aces of WW I.
Keith Caldwell, in addition to being the top-scoring New Zealander ace of World War I, also flew alongside top-scoring British ace Mick Mannock as his wingman. Although he was credited with 25 kills by the war's end, he could have downed even more if he were a better shot. Despite obviously being a gifted pilot, always being able to control where his aircraft was pointed, he was a second-rate marksman and tended miss his target and waste ammunition. Despite his low victory-to-engagement ratio, Caldwell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in December 1918, about a month after Armistice Day. He continued to serve the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War II as a high-ranking officer. After his 1956 retirement to Auckland, he died of cancer in 1980.
In March 1918 he was promoted to Major and given command of 74 "Tiger" squadron equipped with the SE5A, which he took to France on 30 March. Under Caldwell's guidance the squadron claimed a creditable 140 aircraft destroyed and 85 'out of control' in the remaining eight months of the war, for a modest 15 pilots killed or prisoner. Caldwell fought his last combat on 30 October 1918, claiming his 9th Fokker D.VII. Altogether he is credited with 11 aircraft destroyed, 2 shared destroyed, 1 shared captured, and 10 and 1 shared 'out of control'.[SUP][1][/SUP] Virtually all of his victims were single-seat scouts. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in December 1918, the citation being "A fine fighting airman of courage and determination. On 4th September, when on offensive patrol, he, in company with another machine, attacked four Fokker biplanes; one of these was driven down by this officer. He has accounted for five enemy machines."
Although never shot down, he once survived a mid air collision with his 74 Sqn colleague Sydney Carlin, nursing his crippled aircraft to ground level before climbing out of the cockpit and jumping clear as it crashed. Caldwell fought inconclusive dogfights with German Aces Werner Voss and Hermann Becker. A natural pilot with excellent eyesight and a talent for finding enemy aircraft, Caldwell's weakness was that, as a poor shot, he frequently was unable to destroy the aircraft he engaged—a flaw that stopped him joining the ranks of top Allied aces in which he moved. He knew James McCudden, flew with Albert Ball in 60 Squadron and commanded Mick Mannock in 74 squadron.
A common story is that while an instructor, Caldwell disciplined Mannock for "showboating" in a DH2—and then chose the talented pilot for his squadron. This appears chronologically implausible, although Caldwell obviously admired Mannock and may have hand-picked him. Caldwell also criticized Mannock for shooting two German airmen who had crash landed behind Allied lines. He wrote: "The Hun crashed but not badly, and most people would have been content with this—but not Mick Mannock. He dived half a dozen times at the machine, spraying bullets at the pilot and observer, who were still showing signs of life...On being questioned as to his wild behavior after we had landed, he heatedly replied, 'The swines are better dead—no prisoners for me!'".
08-04-2016, 11:24 AM
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On the nose as always Ernie! His first victory was in a BE2c!! His observer must have been good.
Not sure if the attached newspaper article is legible bit it details his exploits landing his SE5a after a mid air collision, or at least the accepted story.
In his own words,this was not quite what happened....
Although never shot down or wounded during his combat career, Caldwell had several lucky escapes. In May 1917 he managed to shake off an attack from German ace Werner Voss (who had 48 official victories) by putting his Nieuport fighter into a downward spin and pulling out of the dive just before hitting the ground.
In September 1918 Caldwell’s quick thinking and resourcefulness saved him after he was involved in a mid-air collision during air combat. Struck by another S.E.5a from his squadron at 16,000 feet, the impact seriously damaged his wing struts and sent his aircraft into a semi-flat spin. In an oft-repeated story, it is said that after falling several thousand feet, Caldwell stepped out onto the lower wing in an attempt to control the stricken aircraft’s descent. Holding a wing strut with his left hand, and controlling the joystick with his right, he managed to crash land behind British lines, leaping to safety seconds before the plane hit the ground. In fact Caldwell himself chose to correct the story, though even by his account it is an exciting story of disaster averted by quick thinking:
Not sure if the attached newspaper article is legible bit it details his exploits landing his SE5a after a mid air collision, or at least the accepted story.
In his own words,this was not quite what happened....
Although never shot down or wounded during his combat career, Caldwell had several lucky escapes. In May 1917 he managed to shake off an attack from German ace Werner Voss (who had 48 official victories) by putting his Nieuport fighter into a downward spin and pulling out of the dive just before hitting the ground.
In September 1918 Caldwell’s quick thinking and resourcefulness saved him after he was involved in a mid-air collision during air combat. Struck by another S.E.5a from his squadron at 16,000 feet, the impact seriously damaged his wing struts and sent his aircraft into a semi-flat spin. In an oft-repeated story, it is said that after falling several thousand feet, Caldwell stepped out onto the lower wing in an attempt to control the stricken aircraft’s descent. Holding a wing strut with his left hand, and controlling the joystick with his right, he managed to crash land behind British lines, leaping to safety seconds before the plane hit the ground. In fact Caldwell himself chose to correct the story, though even by his account it is an exciting story of disaster averted by quick thinking:
You refer to the account of my standing on the wing of a SE5 aircraft which had been damaged in a collision. Afraid this is not correct. I think either 'Taffy' Jones, who wrote some war books after WWI, or perhaps Springs may have given this wrong story, as writers sometimes did to embellish situations. What did happen was that I found that I could get the machine under some control by putting my left foot on the right rudder and leaning out to the right as far as I could. All this performance took about 8,000 feet and then I had to lose further height to keep some control and crashed a short distance behind our lines. Aeroplane no good, but pilot cut lip and plenty bruises … Anyone conversant with the controls of a sensitive aeroplane would know that to leave the rudder alone would be disastrous. So much for that episode.
08-04-2016, 02:40 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
On the nose as always Ernie! His first victory was in a BE2c!! His observer must have been good.
Not sure if the attached newspaper article is legible bit it details his exploits landing his SE5a after a mid air collision, or at least the accepted story.
In his own words,this was not quite what happened....
Although never shot down or wounded during his combat career, Caldwell had several lucky escapes. In May 1917 he managed to shake off an attack from German ace Werner Voss (who had 48 official victories) by putting his Nieuport fighter into a downward spin and pulling out of the dive just before hitting the ground.
In September 1918 Caldwell’s quick thinking and resourcefulness saved him after he was involved in a mid-air collision during air combat. Struck by another S.E.5a from his squadron at 16,000 feet, the impact seriously damaged his wing struts and sent his aircraft into a semi-flat spin. In an oft-repeated story, it is said that after falling several thousand feet, Caldwell stepped out onto the lower wing in an attempt to control the stricken aircraft’s descent. Holding a wing strut with his left hand, and controlling the joystick with his right, he managed to crash land behind British lines, leaping to safety seconds before the plane hit the ground. In fact Caldwell himself chose to correct the story, though even by his account it is an exciting story of disaster averted by quick thinking:
Not sure if the attached newspaper article is legible bit it details his exploits landing his SE5a after a mid air collision, or at least the accepted story.
In his own words,this was not quite what happened....
Although never shot down or wounded during his combat career, Caldwell had several lucky escapes. In May 1917 he managed to shake off an attack from German ace Werner Voss (who had 48 official victories) by putting his Nieuport fighter into a downward spin and pulling out of the dive just before hitting the ground.
In September 1918 Caldwell’s quick thinking and resourcefulness saved him after he was involved in a mid-air collision during air combat. Struck by another S.E.5a from his squadron at 16,000 feet, the impact seriously damaged his wing struts and sent his aircraft into a semi-flat spin. In an oft-repeated story, it is said that after falling several thousand feet, Caldwell stepped out onto the lower wing in an attempt to control the stricken aircraft’s descent. Holding a wing strut with his left hand, and controlling the joystick with his right, he managed to crash land behind British lines, leaping to safety seconds before the plane hit the ground. In fact Caldwell himself chose to correct the story, though even by his account it is an exciting story of disaster averted by quick thinking:
You refer to the account of my standing on the wing of a SE5 aircraft which had been damaged in a collision. Afraid this is not correct. I think either 'Taffy' Jones, who wrote some war books after WWI, or perhaps Springs may have given this wrong story, as writers sometimes did to embellish situations. What did happen was that I found that I could get the machine under some control by putting my left foot on the right rudder and leaning out to the right as far as I could. All this performance took about 8,000 feet and then I had to lose further height to keep some control and crashed a short distance behind our lines. Aeroplane no good, but pilot cut lip and plenty bruises … Anyone conversant with the controls of a sensitive aeroplane would know that to leave the rudder alone would be disastrous. So much for that episode.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
Last edited by Ernie P.; 08-04-2016 at 02:45 PM.
08-05-2016, 02:00 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
No, not the Lysander; but an excellent first try nonetheless. Maybe this next clue will help. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and reconmissions.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and reconmissions.
08-05-2016, 08:25 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Afternoon clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
Last edited by Ernie P.; 08-05-2016 at 08:27 AM.
08-05-2016, 02:28 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
A good guess, but not correct. Maybe this next clue will help. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
Last edited by Ernie P.; 08-05-2016 at 02:30 PM.
08-06-2016, 04:56 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6)Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6)Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
Last edited by Ernie P.; 08-06-2016 at 04:59 AM.
08-06-2016, 01:38 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Not the Vigilante, Hydro Junkie; but you're starting to narrow in on the correct answer. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6)Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
(7)It was considered to be a light bomber, despite its four engines.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6)Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
(7)It was considered to be a light bomber, despite its four engines.
08-07-2016, 01:30 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6)Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
(7)It was considered to be a light bomber, despite its four engines.
(8)A number of these aircraft were modified to be nuclear capable.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1)This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2)Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3)It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4)Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5)Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6)Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
(7)It was considered to be a light bomber, despite its four engines.
(8)A number of these aircraft were modified to be nuclear capable.
08-07-2016, 04:05 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
You are correct, Sir; and you now get to ask the next question. If you have any questions as to how the process, works, just PM me and I'll guide you through the process. The B-45 was quite the plane in its day, serving in the Korean conflict and also serving in the British RAF as a recon bird over Russia. And, as a nuclear capable light/medium bomber. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1) This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2) Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3) It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4) Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5) Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6) Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
(7) It was considered to be a light bomber, despite its four engines.
(8) A number of these aircraft were modified to be nuclear capable.
(9) It was capable of mid-air refueling; which was considered to be a major advantage at the time.
(10) The first three prototypes proved problematic. One was destroyed in an accident, with the loss of the pilot and co-pilot.
(11) A second prototype was damaged so severely in an accident it could not be repaired.
(12) The third prototype proved to be so difficult to maintain it was relegated to training duties.
Answer: The North American B-45 Tornado.
The North American B-45 Tornado was the United States Air Force's (USAF) first operational jet bomber, and the first multi-jet engined bomber in the world to be refueled in mid-air. The B-45 was an important part of the United States's nuclear deterrent for several years in the early 1950s, but was soon superseded by the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. B-45s and RB-45s served in the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command from 1950 until 1959. It was also the first jet bomber of the NATO Alliance, which was formed in 1949.
The B-45 began development in 1944, when the U.S. War Department, alarmed by German jet bombers like the Arado Ar 234, called for a new family of jet bombers grossing between 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) and 200,000 lb (90,718 kg). The proposal from North American Aviation (NA-130) won, and on September 8, 1944, the company began production of three prototypes based on the NA-130.
The end of World War II resulted in the cancellation of many projects and delayed many others. In 1946, rising tensions with the Soviet Union caused the US Air Force to assign higher priorities to jet bomber development and production. By mid-1946, the XB-45 and Convair XB-46 neared completion, but the Boeing XB-47 and Martin XB-48 were still two years away. The USAAF chose to evaluate the first two designs to determine which would be superior operationally. The B-45 proved a superior design, and on January 2, 1947, a contract for immediate production of B-45As was signed. It had been planned to equip five light bomb groups and three light reconnaissance groups with B-45As, but as the B-47's development and flight-testing made future production all but certain, the future of the B-45 became increasingly uncertain, and in mid-1948 the U.S. Air Staff began to question its value. Soon afterwards, President Truman's budget restraints reduced Air Force expenditure and B-45 production was reduced to a total of 142 airframes. Further budget cuts in 1950 forced the Aircraft and Weapons Board to cancel 51 of the 190 aircraft on order. The B-45 was later replaced by the supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler.
Continuously plagued by engine problems along with numerous other minor flaws, the B-45 regained importance when after the United States entered the Korean War in 1950, it proved its value both as a bomber and as a reconnaissance aircraft. The mass dedication of U.S. forces to the Korean War revealed the vulnerability of North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Europe to Soviet attack, and it was in this light that the Air Force made an important decision about the future of the B-45. The B-45, like most post-World War II U.S. bombers, could carry both nuclear and conventional bombs. The progress of weapons technology had led to a great reduction in the weight and size of nuclear weapons in the U.S. inventory, effectively allowing smaller aircraft such as the B-45 to carry out nuclear strikes, a mission which had initially been limited to heavy bombers. Suddenly, the small fleet of B-45s had great value again as a nuclear deterrent.
Operation Fandango, sometimes called Operation Backbreaker, entailed modifications to the aircraft for nuclear missions. In addition, the 40 B-45s allocated to the program were equipped with a new defensive system and extra fuel tanks. Despite the magnitude of the modifications project, plus ongoing problems with the early jet engines, atomic-capable B-45s began reaching the United Kingdom in May 1952, and deployment of the 40 aircraft was completed in mid-June. It was at about this same time that RB-45s of the 323rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron began to arrive in Japan to fly alongside the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, supplementing the WWII era piston-engine RB-29s which had proved to be easy targets for North Korean MiGs. The RB-45s provided valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War, despite the limited number of airframes which were available. RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952, when they were converted to night operations after an RB-45 was almost lost to a MiG-15.
All 33 RB-45Cs built were assigned to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's 322nd, 323rd and 324th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons. The RB-45C also flew several long-range reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union during the mid-1950s. On July 29, 1952, an RB-45C made the first non-stop trans-Pacific flight, having been refueled twice by KB-29s along the way. Maj. Lou Carrington and his crew of the 91st Reconnaissance Wing flew from Alaska to Japan in 9 hrs 50 mins, winning the MacKay Trophy for their achievement. Within the 91st SRW, by 1954 the RB-45C had been replaced by the RB-47E. The phased-out RB-45Cs went to the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, which operated them until they were withdrawn from operational use in the spring of 1958.
By the end of the 1950s, all B-45s had been removed from active duty service. However, a few continued to act as test aircraft into the early 1970s.[SUP][[/SUP]
The only other nation to use the RB-45C was the United Kingdom, where it was operated by an ad hoc unit of crews largely drawn from Nos. 35 and 115 squadrons. Whilst the USAF was prohibited by the President of the United States from overflying the Soviet Union unless under a state of war, US allies closer to the European theatre of war could. In the United Kingdom, whilst successive Labour governments had refused, the return of Winston Churchill and a Conservative administration to Downing Street had brought a change of options.
As a result, under Operation Ju-jitsu, in July 1951 four aircraft were bailed to Britain from the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to form a Royal Air Force (RAF) Special Duties Flight[SUP]][/SUP] commanded by Squadron Leader John Crampton. Stripped of all USAF markings and then applied with RAF markings, the four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based in RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk in eastern England. The aircraft were tasked with flying deep-level reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union to gather electronic and photographic intelligence. The Special Duties Flight conducted missions during the period 1952–54.
On April 17, 1952, three aircraft were tasked to head for Kiev from Germany, scheduled to return to Sculthorpe ten hours later. Flying at 36,000 feet (11,000 m), Crampton's aircraft was tracked by ground radar and came under anti-aircraft fire. Applying full power, he immediately turned and headed for Germany, none too soon, as Soviet night fighters had been dispatched to hunt down his aircraft.
Subsequent flights over the Soviet Union were carried out using English Electric Canberras under the codename Project Robin, operating at higher altitudes of around 54,000 ft (16,000 m). It was not until 1994 (under the "fifty-year rule" of the Public Records Act 1958) that the existence of the spy missions became public knowledge.
[h=3]XB-45[/h]The first flight of the XB-45 was on March 17, 1947 from Muroc Army Air Field. A total of 131 test flights were flown by the three prototype aircraft, one being destroyed early on, killing two pilots.
The USAF accepted one of the two surviving aircraft on July 30, 1948, the other on August 31. One was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The last XB-45 was delivered to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1949. It proved excessively difficult to maintain and was relegated as a ground trainer.
The first production B-45 flew in February 1948, and the Air Force took delivery of 22 B-45s in April 1948. Powered by J35 turbojets and not considered combat-ready, they were assigned to training duties and to conduct various test programs. The next batch were powered by the more powerful J47 turbojets. The first B-45As entered service in November 1948 with the 47th Bombardment Group, and the initial order of 96 was completed in March 1950.
The first B-45As were not equipped with bomb-fire control systems or bombsights. They suffered from gyrocompass failures at high speeds, unhooked bomb shackles, engine fires, and inaccurate cockpit gauges. The AN/APQ-24 bombing and navigation radar on some B-45s was maintenance heavy, and malfunctions in the pressurization pump limited the altitude at which the aircraft could operate.
Fifty-five nuclear-capable B-45s arrived in the United Kingdom in 1952. These were modified with a 1,200 gal (4,542 l) fuel tank in the aft bomb bay. Despite technical problems, these were Tactical Air Command's first-line deterrent in Europe.
B-45A-5 47-023 – 47-096 (73 aircraft)
B-45A 47-097 (static test airframe)
[h=3][/h][h=3]B-45B[/h]The B-45B was a proposed variant of the B-45A with improved radar and fire-control systems. None were built.
[h=3][/h][h=3]B-45C[/h]
Development model of RB-45C 48-017
The B-45C was the first multi-jet engined bomber in the world to be refueled in mid-air. It carried two 1,200 gal (4,542 l) wingtip fuel tanks, had a strengthened canopy, and an inflight refueling receptacle. The first B-45C was flown on May 3, 1949. Only ten were built, and the remaining 33 under construction were converted to RB-45Cs.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
(1) This aircraft claimed a number of “firsts”.
(2) Among other things, it took part in covert missions.
(3) It was used for both bomber and recon missions.
(4) Budget restraints, plus another promising aircraft already in development, reduced the production numbers.
(5) Nevertheless, this aircraft was considered to be necessary to bridge the gap until future designs were ready.
(6) Despite continuing problems with the engines, the value of this aircraft was proven in combat.
(7) It was considered to be a light bomber, despite its four engines.
(8) A number of these aircraft were modified to be nuclear capable.
(9) It was capable of mid-air refueling; which was considered to be a major advantage at the time.
(10) The first three prototypes proved problematic. One was destroyed in an accident, with the loss of the pilot and co-pilot.
(11) A second prototype was damaged so severely in an accident it could not be repaired.
(12) The third prototype proved to be so difficult to maintain it was relegated to training duties.
Answer: The North American B-45 Tornado.
The North American B-45 Tornado was the United States Air Force's (USAF) first operational jet bomber, and the first multi-jet engined bomber in the world to be refueled in mid-air. The B-45 was an important part of the United States's nuclear deterrent for several years in the early 1950s, but was soon superseded by the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. B-45s and RB-45s served in the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command from 1950 until 1959. It was also the first jet bomber of the NATO Alliance, which was formed in 1949.
The B-45 began development in 1944, when the U.S. War Department, alarmed by German jet bombers like the Arado Ar 234, called for a new family of jet bombers grossing between 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) and 200,000 lb (90,718 kg). The proposal from North American Aviation (NA-130) won, and on September 8, 1944, the company began production of three prototypes based on the NA-130.
The end of World War II resulted in the cancellation of many projects and delayed many others. In 1946, rising tensions with the Soviet Union caused the US Air Force to assign higher priorities to jet bomber development and production. By mid-1946, the XB-45 and Convair XB-46 neared completion, but the Boeing XB-47 and Martin XB-48 were still two years away. The USAAF chose to evaluate the first two designs to determine which would be superior operationally. The B-45 proved a superior design, and on January 2, 1947, a contract for immediate production of B-45As was signed. It had been planned to equip five light bomb groups and three light reconnaissance groups with B-45As, but as the B-47's development and flight-testing made future production all but certain, the future of the B-45 became increasingly uncertain, and in mid-1948 the U.S. Air Staff began to question its value. Soon afterwards, President Truman's budget restraints reduced Air Force expenditure and B-45 production was reduced to a total of 142 airframes. Further budget cuts in 1950 forced the Aircraft and Weapons Board to cancel 51 of the 190 aircraft on order. The B-45 was later replaced by the supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler.
Continuously plagued by engine problems along with numerous other minor flaws, the B-45 regained importance when after the United States entered the Korean War in 1950, it proved its value both as a bomber and as a reconnaissance aircraft. The mass dedication of U.S. forces to the Korean War revealed the vulnerability of North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Europe to Soviet attack, and it was in this light that the Air Force made an important decision about the future of the B-45. The B-45, like most post-World War II U.S. bombers, could carry both nuclear and conventional bombs. The progress of weapons technology had led to a great reduction in the weight and size of nuclear weapons in the U.S. inventory, effectively allowing smaller aircraft such as the B-45 to carry out nuclear strikes, a mission which had initially been limited to heavy bombers. Suddenly, the small fleet of B-45s had great value again as a nuclear deterrent.
Operation Fandango, sometimes called Operation Backbreaker, entailed modifications to the aircraft for nuclear missions. In addition, the 40 B-45s allocated to the program were equipped with a new defensive system and extra fuel tanks. Despite the magnitude of the modifications project, plus ongoing problems with the early jet engines, atomic-capable B-45s began reaching the United Kingdom in May 1952, and deployment of the 40 aircraft was completed in mid-June. It was at about this same time that RB-45s of the 323rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron began to arrive in Japan to fly alongside the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, supplementing the WWII era piston-engine RB-29s which had proved to be easy targets for North Korean MiGs. The RB-45s provided valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War, despite the limited number of airframes which were available. RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952, when they were converted to night operations after an RB-45 was almost lost to a MiG-15.
All 33 RB-45Cs built were assigned to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's 322nd, 323rd and 324th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadrons. The RB-45C also flew several long-range reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union during the mid-1950s. On July 29, 1952, an RB-45C made the first non-stop trans-Pacific flight, having been refueled twice by KB-29s along the way. Maj. Lou Carrington and his crew of the 91st Reconnaissance Wing flew from Alaska to Japan in 9 hrs 50 mins, winning the MacKay Trophy for their achievement. Within the 91st SRW, by 1954 the RB-45C had been replaced by the RB-47E. The phased-out RB-45Cs went to the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, which operated them until they were withdrawn from operational use in the spring of 1958.
By the end of the 1950s, all B-45s had been removed from active duty service. However, a few continued to act as test aircraft into the early 1970s.[SUP][[/SUP]
The only other nation to use the RB-45C was the United Kingdom, where it was operated by an ad hoc unit of crews largely drawn from Nos. 35 and 115 squadrons. Whilst the USAF was prohibited by the President of the United States from overflying the Soviet Union unless under a state of war, US allies closer to the European theatre of war could. In the United Kingdom, whilst successive Labour governments had refused, the return of Winston Churchill and a Conservative administration to Downing Street had brought a change of options.
As a result, under Operation Ju-jitsu, in July 1951 four aircraft were bailed to Britain from the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to form a Royal Air Force (RAF) Special Duties Flight[SUP]][/SUP] commanded by Squadron Leader John Crampton. Stripped of all USAF markings and then applied with RAF markings, the four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based in RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk in eastern England. The aircraft were tasked with flying deep-level reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union to gather electronic and photographic intelligence. The Special Duties Flight conducted missions during the period 1952–54.
On April 17, 1952, three aircraft were tasked to head for Kiev from Germany, scheduled to return to Sculthorpe ten hours later. Flying at 36,000 feet (11,000 m), Crampton's aircraft was tracked by ground radar and came under anti-aircraft fire. Applying full power, he immediately turned and headed for Germany, none too soon, as Soviet night fighters had been dispatched to hunt down his aircraft.
Subsequent flights over the Soviet Union were carried out using English Electric Canberras under the codename Project Robin, operating at higher altitudes of around 54,000 ft (16,000 m). It was not until 1994 (under the "fifty-year rule" of the Public Records Act 1958) that the existence of the spy missions became public knowledge.
[h=3]XB-45[/h]The first flight of the XB-45 was on March 17, 1947 from Muroc Army Air Field. A total of 131 test flights were flown by the three prototype aircraft, one being destroyed early on, killing two pilots.
The USAF accepted one of the two surviving aircraft on July 30, 1948, the other on August 31. One was damaged beyond repair in an accident. The last XB-45 was delivered to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1949. It proved excessively difficult to maintain and was relegated as a ground trainer.
- 3 aircraft (45-59479 – 45-59481)
The first production B-45 flew in February 1948, and the Air Force took delivery of 22 B-45s in April 1948. Powered by J35 turbojets and not considered combat-ready, they were assigned to training duties and to conduct various test programs. The next batch were powered by the more powerful J47 turbojets. The first B-45As entered service in November 1948 with the 47th Bombardment Group, and the initial order of 96 was completed in March 1950.
The first B-45As were not equipped with bomb-fire control systems or bombsights. They suffered from gyrocompass failures at high speeds, unhooked bomb shackles, engine fires, and inaccurate cockpit gauges. The AN/APQ-24 bombing and navigation radar on some B-45s was maintenance heavy, and malfunctions in the pressurization pump limited the altitude at which the aircraft could operate.
Fifty-five nuclear-capable B-45s arrived in the United Kingdom in 1952. These were modified with a 1,200 gal (4,542 l) fuel tank in the aft bomb bay. Despite technical problems, these were Tactical Air Command's first-line deterrent in Europe.
- 96 aircraft (47-001 – 47-097)
B-45A-5 47-023 – 47-096 (73 aircraft)
B-45A 47-097 (static test airframe)
[h=3][/h][h=3]B-45B[/h]The B-45B was a proposed variant of the B-45A with improved radar and fire-control systems. None were built.
[h=3][/h][h=3]B-45C[/h]
Development model of RB-45C 48-017
The B-45C was the first multi-jet engined bomber in the world to be refueled in mid-air. It carried two 1,200 gal (4,542 l) wingtip fuel tanks, had a strengthened canopy, and an inflight refueling receptacle. The first B-45C was flown on May 3, 1949. Only ten were built, and the remaining 33 under construction were converted to RB-45Cs.
- Ten aircraft (48-001 – 48-010)
- 33 aircraft (48-011 – 48-043)
- Royal Air Force
- No. 35 Squadron RAF crews grouped into ad hoc units operated RB-45C variant.
- No. 115 Squadron RAF crews grouped into ad hoc units operated RB-45C variant.
08-07-2016, 02:55 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Guys; Paul (pd1) has some medical issues that are going to prevent him from participating for a few weeks. He has asked me to open the floor to anyone who would like to take the lead. So, the floor is open. You all know the drill; first to post a question has the floor. Thanks; Ernie P.