1942 The Lancaster Bomber

1942. During World War II the Lancaster was the most successful bomber used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force.The Lanc had speed, ceiling, and lifting power that no other aircraft of the day could match. Weighing 36,900 pounds empty, the Lancaster was capable of taking off with an additional 33,100 pounds of fuel and bombs; in other words it could almost carry its own weight again. The Lancaster carried 64% of the tonnage dropped by the RAF and RCAF during the war. The "Grand Slam", a 22,000 pound special purpose bomb designed to penetrate concrete and explode below the surface to create an earthquake effect, could only be delivered by the Lancaster and the Lancaster was thus chosen for special operations such as the "Dambusters" raid and the attack which sunk the German Battleship Tirpitz.
Lancasters were built to accomplish their specific purpose and crew comfort and security was clearly a secondary consideration. Generally flying under the cover of darkness, the Lancaster had virtually no defensive armour. The front, mid-upper, and rear gun turrets were hydraulically powered and carried a total of eight .303 calibre machine guns for defence against enemy aircraft.
The crew worked in cramped conditions, particularly the air gunners who remained at their posts for the entire flight. Some had to place their flight boots into the turrets before climbing in, and then put their boots on. At night and at 20,000 feet the temperature in the turrets frequently fell to minus forty degrees and frostbite was not uncommon. Air gunners manned the rear and mid-upper gun turrets. A pilot, flight engineer, navigator, wireless operator, and bomb aimer/front gunner completed the crew of seven.
The Lanc's massive bomb bay stretched for 33 feet and, unlike other bombers, was one continuous uninterrupted space. Partly for this reason, the Lanc had the versatility to undertake raids with large, specialized weapons. However, this meant that the main wing spars became obstacles to movement within the aircraft, particularly for airmen wearing heavy clothing and flight boots.
Of the total of 7,377 Lancasters built (430 of them in Canada), 3,932 were lost in action. During the war Lancasters flew a total of 156,308 sorties and dropped 608,612 tons of bombs, and placed over 12,000 mines in enemy waters.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• RAF
• Royal
• Air
• Force
• Lancaster
• Bomber
• Avro
• Medium

[PZK12]

Pity that the film is partly ruined by a crass logo in the right hand corner. Skoblin, didn't make this film, or provide finance for it. So, not quite sure why they think they should splatter their logo on it.

The film is Crown Copyright.

[skoblinI]

@PZK12 I don't have to upload it...and you don't have to watch it.

[kingjumbo2]

Amazing video My Grandad was the Navigator on a Lancaster Bomber,flew over 35 missions, made it back to Australia and raised our family.Sadly not many men lived to tell the story of 1 mission. On his last mission they crash landed over the White Cliffs of Dover after banking around to wipe out some messerschmitts who were trying to follow them back into London. 5 men died 2 survived. Once recovered he signed up with the RAAF and flew even more missions in the south pacific. Rest in piece Grandad

[niru963]

i went to the Canadian War plane Heritage where i saw one of the only 2 lancaster Bombers in the world.(in Canada)

[MrEnglandForever1]

@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH very very greatful for the help.

[LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH]

@MrEnglandForever1 I have a plethora of books on the mighty Lancaster. I will trawl through them and endeavour to find a picture for you. RESPECT to Sgt V.C. Morgan & crew. They may not have been granted a campaign medal (an utter disgrace & shameful), but they will never be forgotten. An amazing generation, courageous, stoic, modest and very resilient people.

[LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH]

@kingjumbo2 Bravo Australia! RESPECT from Britain!

[MrEnglandForever1]

I am desperately wanting a picture of the Lancaster Bomber serial number PD 255...on the side of the plane is BQ T.

It was shot down on operations in Dusseldorf 2/11/1944, take off was at 16:16 but F.T.R.

My relative SGT V.C. Morgan and his crew were all killed, all but two are buried at Rheinburg Cemetary, Germany.

I need pictures of this plane from Sqdn 550.

Thank you.

[guybough]

Very good archival video. My grandfather was pilot on Lancaster PO-M, 467 Sqn RAAF. Shot down 21 June 1943, POW Stalag Luft 3, 6. Also made it back to OZ to raise a family. What a generation it was to have served like this!

[19thSFGA]

Man these women were flat out whores how come you dont see that in the documentarys ?

[Grroocx]

It would be an excellent clip, but one's eye is riveted to the single word in white that basically ruins it. I watched a little bit but gave up.

[alandillnutt]

My dad was in Bomber command, and few more than 40 mission's over Germany, but sadly his plane was shot down on a raid over Leipzig, all the crew were killed and are now buried at the British Military Cemetery in Hannover,....R.I.P.