Learn About the Lancaster Bombers in WWII Part 3/10

The Mark VII Lancaster was actually a development of the Mark III model that gained worldwide fame for its role in the Dambusters Raid in the Ruhr Valley of Germany for which wing commander Guy Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross. The main difference the Mark III and the Mark VII models include the replacement of the Frazer-Nash dorsal turrets with the Martin dorsal turrets in the Mark VII which was placed further forward on the Frazer Nash.

Also in the Mark VII, the mid upper turret would have been equipped with two 12.7 mm Browning machine guns as opposed to the 7.7 mm guns used in the turrets of earlier Lancaster’s. Today, Just Jane only displays dummy guns in the turrets. The first Lancaster’s would have featured two Browning machine guns in the nose and mid upper turrets and fall in the tail.

The Lancaster became very popular among its crews. Each consisting of seven men, invariably the crew would have been young and the man of 25 years was quite likely deemed of the grand dad of the group. The men would of be different ranks, different backgrounds and more than likely from different parts of the world. But each have that own specialized role.

The pilot regardless of rank was in command of the aircraft almost assisted throughout the operation by the flight engineer who would constantly monitor oil, fuel and pressure. The engineer would sit to the side of the pilot on a hinge bench that could if necessary fold up for the crew to pass. The engineer would also handle the throttles for landing and take off and were even given some general training on how to fly the aircraft.

The navigator’s compartment was located behind the pilot and would have been curtained off to prevent the navigators working light from attracting the attention of German fighter planes. Throughout the Lancaster’s entire operation even in the middle of the bombing raid the navigator would constantly be piloting the course of the aircraft and making the necessary adjustments.

Behind the navigator’s compartment was the radio operator’s seat. This role also invokes the administration of first aid as well as having a working knowledge of the navigator’s equipment. The bombing was located in the nose turret and if duty guard he have the provision of the machine guns for defense although this was not always needed. Located in what would the loneliest and the most vulnerable of the positions the gunners in the mid upper and rear turrets were however on constant look out for enemy fighters.

Sometimes the bombers would have to fly through a would enemy flack which was designed to explode at similar heights to the aircraft causing shards of hot metal to shoot out and ripped through the thin skins of the surrounding aircraft. Not only having to contend with this, the bomber also had the gleam of the search lights that were constantly on the hunt for the enemy. Once one was caught in the beams of light the plane became a very inviting target for empty aircraft fire.

Although large, the Lancaster’s if needed could even tackle tough maneuvers with the cork screw being one of the most impressive and a good way to evade German fighter planes in hot pursuit. After avoiding such enemy obstacles and the bomb successfully reaching the target the bomb aimer would release the Lancaster’s bomb load and the pilot would begin to raid.

After this, the crew would make sure that the explosives have been properly unloaded by looking through the circular landing bomb windows. Conditions in the Lancaster were very noisy and crap and wearing a parachute was often out of the question in the more confined areas of the aircraft. Temperatures could drop to minus 40 which during the early days could only be combated through wearing multiple layers of clothes. The ray of gamma could be even more severely exposed to the cold as they would sometimes knock out of panel from the turret to increase the chance of spotting German fighters.

Later in the war, the crews were electrically heated gammas although the men often have to keep unplugging and plugging the device as the heating sends their body temperature from one extreme to the other. Despite the uncomfortable conditions the Lancaster was capable withstanding quite a lot of punishment and could easily survived on the three engines managed on two and sometimes even one engine could get the bomber crew homesick.

Although this particular battle was needed from electric service in the end, the Lancaster bomber was the name on every school boy’s lips during the war and has maintained an iconic state of services. The beginning of the conflicts however, no machine even came close to the capabilities of the Lancaster and in truth the RAF bomber command was severely under prepared.