Hi all, may seem a daft question, but Pathfinder aircraft, did they drop bombs filled with explosives and flares, or were the bomb casings just filled with flares which acted as the target markers? Can't seem to find the answer anywhere. The reason I ask is an aircraft in 83 Squadron carried 1 X 4000lb bomb and 11 X 500lb bombs on a raid over Berlin, so what were these bombs filled with please?? Thanks all for reading.
Hi, Given that 'a customary' bomb load for a Lancaster was about 12,000 lbs, that may suggest your candidate was on a general bombing task. This: Bomb Loads mentions some Pathfinder aircraft would carry mixed loads, but the 500lb MC options are shown at: Bomb Loads Bomb, 500 lb MC, Mk 1, Mk 2, Mk 3, Mk 4, Mk 5, Mk 6, Mk 7, Mk 8, Mk 9, Mk 10, Mk 11, Mk 12 Afternote. You may well have seen: https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/squadron_profiles_raf/83squadron_profile.pdf which discusses the 'Battle for Berlin' from page 194/300 and indicates mixed loads: "A maximum effort on Berlin was called on the 22nd, and a force of 764 aircraft was made ready, of which fifteen were to be provided by 83 Squadron. Four of them would be carrying the new H2S Mk III equipment, and their crews were designated as “special blind markers. The others from the squadron were to act as blind markers or supporters, and those designated in the latter category would carry five 2,000 pounders each. The plan of attack adopted for this operation would become known as the “Berlin method”, which required the deployment of both ground and skymarkers, whatever the cloud conditions, so that something should be visible to the main force. The “special” blind markers carried their own coloured TIs with which to open the attack, and the first group of ordinary blind markers would assess them and back-up, while the second group maintained the backing-up process throughout the duration of the raid." A kinsman was a navigator with the Squadron and was killed during a later mission against the City.
Yes, they did drop bombs. Their bomb load included flares and target indicators as well as bombs. I believe the Oboe Mosquitoes only dropped target indicators and possibly flares. Review the ORB's for the Lancaster Squadrons. I have them for the period, September 1944-March 1945. It takes a bit of digging through the ORB's. These aircraft carried an all-up weight to at least 65,000 lbs, so after the required target indicators, the rest of the load was bombs, up to the all-up-weight. Jim
