Mosquito fighter-bomber tactics question

[Kari Korpi]

Hi,

I've gone through countless web pages and come up with nothing on
this subject, so I hope someone on r.a.m could clarify things a bit.

This regards the bombing tactics used by Mosquito FB.xx variants
in World War II. Since the FBs could only use the rear bomb bay (due
to the 20mm cannon) and the bomb aimer's position was taken up
by the .303 calibre MGs, how did these fighter-bombers actually
aim their internal bombs?

The wing-mounted bombs were probably simple to aim using whatever
gunsight was used for the cannons and MGs, but what about the bombs
in the bay? Since there was no bomb aimer, did they simply glide-
bomb their targets using Kentucky windage and the gunsight, or
was there a way of "guesstimating" the release point from level
flight, like a normal laydown attack?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
-Stegu

--
Happiness is... a belt-fed weapon.

[Peter Stickney]

In article >,
Kari Korpi > writes:
> Hi,
>
> I've gone through countless web pages and come up with nothing on
> this subject, so I hope someone on r.a.m could clarify things a bit.
>
> This regards the bombing tactics used by Mosquito FB.xx variants
> in World War II. Since the FBs could only use the rear bomb bay (due
> to the 20mm cannon) and the bomb aimer's position was taken up
> by the .303 calibre MGs, how did these fighter-bombers actually
> aim their internal bombs?
>
> The wing-mounted bombs were probably simple to aim using whatever
> gunsight was used for the cannons and MGs, but what about the bombs
> in the bay? Since there was no bomb aimer, did they simply glide-
> bomb their targets using Kentucky windage and the gunsight, or
> was there a way of "guesstimating" the release point from level
> flight, like a normal laydown attack?

In exactly the same manner as any other bombs dropped from a Mosquito
FB. The bombs don't care if they are coming from teh bomb bay or a
wing rack. Barring any airflow disturbances, it's all pretty much the
same. Aiming would, just like manual bombing in a fighter-bomber
today, be bt a combination of using the gunsight reticle and TLAR
(That Looks About Right) techniques.

There were plenty of airplanes with bombs bays that didn't have a
Bombardier. The gun-nosed A-20s and A-26s, and B-25s, for example.
Or the Vultee Vengeance (A-35) dive bomber, or the Curtiss SB2C
Helldiver.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster

[WaltBJ]

Kari Korpi > wrote in message >...
> Hi,
>
> I've gone through countless web pages and come up with nothing on
> this subject, so I hope someone on r.a.m could clarify things a bit.
>
> This regards the bombing tactics used by Mosquito FB.xx variants
> in World War II. Since the FBs could only use the rear bomb bay (due
> to the 20mm cannon) and the bomb aimer's position was taken up
> by the .303 calibre MGs, how did these fighter-bombers actually
> aim their internal bombs?
>
> SNIP:
Sorry, have absolutely no idea how they did it. I do know that in
divebombing from Spitfires they aimed at the target, at a
predetermined altitude started the pullout, a certain number of
seconds later pickled the bomb(s). Of course dive angle, airspeed
altitude and delay time had to be calculated.
In low-level bombing the bottom of the gunsight reticle could serve as
a reference depression angle - then using that fixed value, airspeed,
height above ground and bomb ballistics could be juggled to determine
the proper parameters for a release point. If their sight was
adjustable in size (set target wingspan) that would make the system
more flexible. Like I say, these are ways to get the job done. How
they actually did it - I guess we need a living Mosquito pilot to tell
us.
Walt BJ

[Pat Carpenter]

On 3 Apr 2004 19:36:26 -0800, (WaltBJ) wrote:

>Kari Korpi > wrote in message >...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've gone through countless web pages and come up with nothing on
>> this subject, so I hope someone on r.a.m could clarify things a bit.
>>
>> This regards the bombing tactics used by Mosquito FB.xx variants
>> in World War II. Since the FBs could only use the rear bomb bay (due
>> to the 20mm cannon) and the bomb aimer's position was taken up
>> by the .303 calibre MGs, how did these fighter-bombers actually
>> aim their internal bombs?
>>
>> SNIP:
>Sorry, have absolutely no idea how they did it. I do know that in
>divebombing from Spitfires they aimed at the target, at a
>predetermined altitude started the pullout, a certain number of
>seconds later pickled the bomb(s). Of course dive angle, airspeed
>altitude and delay time had to be calculated.
>In low-level bombing the bottom of the gunsight reticle could serve as
>a reference depression angle - then using that fixed value, airspeed,
>height above ground and bomb ballistics could be juggled to determine
>the proper parameters for a release point. If their sight was
>adjustable in size (set target wingspan) that would make the system
>more flexible. Like I say, these are ways to get the job done. How
>they actually did it - I guess we need a living Mosquito pilot to tell
>us.
>Walt BJ
go to www.mossie.org and ask them in their Forum section.


Blue Skies
Pat Carpenter

[Kari Korpi]

(Peter Stickney) wrote in news:i3nn4c-
:
> In exactly the same manner as any other bombs dropped from a Mosquito
> FB. The bombs don't care if they are coming from teh bomb bay or a
> wing rack. Barring any airflow disturbances, it's all pretty much the
> same. Aiming would, just like manual bombing in a fighter-bomber
> today, be bt a combination of using the gunsight reticle and TLAR
> (That Looks About Right) techniques.

Thanks for the info. For some reason, I've always thought that
bay-mounted bombs require level laydown bombing instead
of shallow dives and glide bombing, maybe due to the fact that
I'd thought that in a dive, the bombs would hit the forward
bulkhead without a bomb crutch :)

But that explains a lot, though: now I realise just how those
Mosquitos could do those anti-Gestapo low-level ops with such
accuracy. It must have taken a lot of testicular fortitude and
skill with the gunsight and ballistics, but there was no need
for a long, straight, wings-level ingress for a Norden bomb
run.

Cheers,
-Stegu

--
Happiness is... a belt-fed weapon.

[Cub Driver]

The Douglas A-20 had no bomb aimer. The pilot was bomb-aimer (as well
as navigator). I believe he used the gunsight, though I am vague on
the details.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org

[Dave Eadsforth]

In article >, Kari
Korpi > writes
(Peter Stickney) wrote in news:i3nn4c-
:
>> In exactly the same manner as any other bombs dropped from a Mosquito
>> FB. The bombs don't care if they are coming from teh bomb bay or a
>> wing rack. Barring any airflow disturbances, it's all pretty much the
>> same. Aiming would, just like manual bombing in a fighter-bomber
>> today, be bt a combination of using the gunsight reticle and TLAR
>> (That Looks About Right) techniques.
>
>Thanks for the info. For some reason, I've always thought that
>bay-mounted bombs require level laydown bombing instead
>of shallow dives and glide bombing, maybe due to the fact that
>I'd thought that in a dive, the bombs would hit the forward
>bulkhead without a bomb crutch :)
>
>But that explains a lot, though: now I realise just how those
>Mosquitos could do those anti-Gestapo low-level ops with such
>accuracy. It must have taken a lot of testicular fortitude and
>skill with the gunsight and ballistics, but there was no need
>for a long, straight, wings-level ingress for a Norden bomb
>run.

Putting the bombs into the side of a building would be one of the easier
tasks - just take a path over the building at a predetermined height and
release x yards from it. A bit of prior calculation and you could
choose which floor :-)

I have also read a biography where the navigator recalled that he would
choose a landmark one minute's flying time away from the target and then
count the pilot into the drop position.

And it might also have been possible to use the drift sight installed in
many Mosquitos for some bombing modes.

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth