BZ 743
This first Lib was delivered to the Czechoslovak No 311 Bomber Sqn seventy five years ago.
But it was an only one B-24 for this unit during the whole month of June. More about each ship in the ´Liberator aircraft of 311 Sqn´ text by John Rennison posted on the https://www.fcafa.com website on Apr 2, 2012. But the date of BZ 775´s delivery – Jan 17, 1943 – can hardly be correct. Probably a misprint. July 17, 1943 may have been typed. BZ 774 was ferried to Beaulieu from Prestwick on July16.
There had been only seventy long range aircraft in No 19 Group of the Coastal Command in the spring of 1943. Meanwhile day by day the number of German U-boats along the North Atlantic shipping lanes mounted. The amount of the lost tonnage sunk by them had been rising in 1942 due to lack of air cover too.
Bomber Command refused to provide the Coastal one with some of their Lancasters. But the former nodded to ´lend´ some of their twin-engined Wellingtons, Whitleys and Blenheims to the latter. Nine Forts of No 90 Sqn of the Bomber Command, that had disbanded on Feb 12, 1942 were transferred to No 220 Sqn of the Coastal one. The latter was in Northern Ireland. No 90 Sqn´s high-altitude attacks had proved to be far from satisfactory in the summer of 1941.
Seventy five Libs of the ones ordered by Britain in 1940 by taking over the French contract were allocated to AAF after Dec 7, 1941.
From May 1942 the Libs belonging to No 93 HBG combed the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for U-boats of No IX type for three months. So these B-24s arrived in Britain later. In early September 1942 first of them landed at Alconbury, Cambridgeshire. This station had been held by No 8 USAAF from Aug 12. But these Libs ´ bombing targets in France was short lived. Due to the Operation ´Torch´ maritime role of them had to be prioritized. Their range was longer than in B 17s. Libs of No 93 HBG´s 330 Sqn moved to Holmsley South, Hampshire on Oct 25, 1942. No 409 Sqn of the same HBG to St. Eval, Cornwall.
. Though B-24s had been turned out by Consolidated, Douglas, North American, Convair a Ford, in the spring of 1943, they were still desperately needed by the Costal Command. More HERE In March 1943 U-boats sunk a hundred and thirty one ships despite most of them convoyed . U-boats still could sink one freighter after another within the Grenland Gap. They were not perilled by air cover there. This area was beyond range of twin-engined bombers and there were no Liberators at disposal of RCAF. Their first Libs launched combing the waters of the Atlantic for U-boats in April 1943.
At least the members of 311 Sqn were equipped with better aircraft in 1943. Our Fighter pilots who served with Nos 310 - 312 and 313 Sqns got none Spits Mk IXs. As well as the Cz night fighters – members of No 86 Sqn - still waited for Mosquitos.
R&R
Martin W. Bowman – B- 24 Liberator 1939-1945 The Patrick Stephens Ltd 1989
Martin W. Bowman – Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Crowood Press Ltd paperback edition 2004
Michael J. F. Bowyer – Action Stations – MilitaryAirfields of East Anglia – The Parick Stephens Ltd 1979
Ken Atkinson – Churchill´s Long Arm - FlyPast B 17 Special June 2010 Nos 38 – 43 pgs