Gentlemen,

any of you knows the training cycle for USAAF bombers' pilots
(especially for night flight) in WWII ?

I'm interested in the average time needed to become combat-ready for
daylight operations and, especially, night ones.

References to book and/or websites appreciated.

Regards,

---------------------------
Luca Morandini

http://www.lucamorandini.it
---------------------------

>Subject: WWII bomber night training
>From: Luca Morandini
>Date: 9/9/2004 7:19 AM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>Gentlemen,
>
>any of you knows the training cycle for USAAF bombers' pilots
>(especially for night flight) in WWII ?
>
>I'm interested in the average time needed to become combat-ready for
>daylight operations and, especially, night ones.
>
>References to book and/or websites appreciated.
>
>Regards,
>
>---------------------------
> Luca Morandini
>


I am not sure just what you are looking for.
In flight school we flew both day and night missions. Whan we graduated we were
deemed fit for combat and sent overseas to join our combat units. End of
story.Is there something specific you are looking for ?


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

ArtKramr wrote:

> I am not sure just what you are looking for.
> In flight school we flew both day and night missions. Whan we graduated we were
> deemed fit for combat and sent overseas to join our combat units. End of
> story.Is there something specific you are looking for ?

So, bomber pilots were ready to fly day and night messions as part of
the normal training ?
Hmm... I thought the night training was not deemed strictly necessary
since USAAF made only day-bombing.

Anyway, how long did the training last before being sent overseas ?
Moreover, any website/book to investigate the matter further ?

Thanks in advance,

---------------------------
Luca Morandini

http://www.lucamorandini.it
---------------------------

>Subject: Re: WWII bomber night training
>From: Luca Morandini
>Date: 9/9/2004 8:35 AM Pacific Standard Time

>ArtKramr wrote:
>
>> I am not sure just what you are looking for.
>> In flight school we flew both day and night missions. Whan we graduated we
>were
>> deemed fit for combat and sent overseas to join our combat units. End of
>> story.Is there something specific you are looking for ?
>
>So, bomber pilots were ready to fly day and night messions as part of
>the normal training ?
>Hmm... I thought the night training was not deemed strictly necessary
>since USAAF made only day-bombing.
>
>Anyway, how long did the training last before being sent overseas ?
>Moreover, any website/book to investigate the matter further ?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>---------------------------
> Luca Morandini
>
>http://www.lucamorandini.it
>---------------------------


I only flew one night mission and it is described on my website under Stories,
titled "War Under a Bomber's Moon". I don't how helpful it will be but you
might find it interesting since night missions are your interest.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

"Luca Morandini" > wrote in message
...
> ArtKramr wrote:
>
> > I am not sure just what you are looking for.
> > In flight school we flew both day and night missions. Whan we graduated
we were
> > deemed fit for combat and sent overseas to join our combat units. End of
> > story.Is there something specific you are looking for ?
>
> So, bomber pilots were ready to fly day and night messions as part of
> the normal training ?
> Hmm... I thought the night training was not deemed strictly necessary
> since USAAF made only day-bombing.
>

That makes no sense.

1) In Northern Europe days in winter can be very short so even if you
plan on arriving over Berlin at noon there's a damm good chance you
will be taking off and/or landing in the dark

2) Even in daylight there are times you need to fly by
instrument rules such as when there's fog and/or
heavy clouds

There's a brief summary of the training received by an
RAF air gunner at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2799200

Basically he spent around 6 months in training
before going on ops

Doug Jennings an air bomber (bomb aimer)
spent more than 2 years in training

http://noviomagus.tripod.com/doug_jennings.htm

For more info on RAF air crew training see
http://www.perth.igs.net/~long/crews.htm

Keith




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> I thought the night training was not deemed strictly necessary
>since USAAF made only day-bombing.

That is an incorrect statement. Although by percentage they made up only a
small part of the war effort, US bomber units did occasionally fly at night.
Think about how short the daylight hours are over Northern Europe - "day"
mission or not, if its a 10 hour mission, at least some of it is going to be
past 'pink time'.

v/r
Gordon
<====(A+C====>
USN SAR

Its always better to lose -an- engine, not -the- engine.

"Krztalizer" > wrote in message
...
> > I thought the night training was not deemed strictly necessary
> >since USAAF made only day-bombing.
>
> That is an incorrect statement. Although by percentage they made up only
a
> small part of the war effort, US bomber units did occasionally fly at
night.
> Think about how short the daylight hours are over Northern Europe - "day"
> mission or not, if its a 10 hour mission, at least some of it is going to
be
> past 'pink time'.

Not to mention the fact that on the other side of the world, the B-29's were
doing a *lot* of night work.

Brooks

>
> v/r
> Gordon
> <====(A+C====>
> USN SAR
>
> Its always better to lose -an- engine, not -the- engine.
>