I would suggest that Liberator VLR MkI and GR/LR MkII would be a good addition to the menagerie.
I would like to post this as my first request for consideration. While I have from time to time made comments that I felt pertinent to discussions that were ongoing, I have tried to not take up the “what I’d like to see is…” banner, as I couldn’t mod a hole in the ground myself.
Doc Holiday’s interest in the rocket firing Liberator prompted me to start looking around (incidentally Doc, I discovered that the Lib III was made rocket capable as well!), and I thought it would be (as far as mods go, anyway) relatively straight forward for you guys with all the talents to cobble up a couple of early Coastal Command sub hunting Liberators.
Why were they important?
In the early days of World War II in Europe the UK was not on an industrial war footing. Large amounts of supplies, food, personnel and equipment were being supplied from and through North America to England across the Atlantic from Canada, and from the US under the Lend-Lease agreement. For the first months of the war, German Uboats hunted these merchant vessels on their long routes across the North Atlantic. There were hardly enough naval vessels to provide adequate escorts for the convoys, therefore long range air support was key in providing reconnaissance to the convoys, and in providing a means to combat the uboats when and where naval escorts were not able to do the job. At this time, Coastal Command had no aircraft capable of patrolling far enough to provide air cover all the way across the Atlantic, even with bases in Newfoundland, Iceland and Ireland. When Coastal Command saw the B24 (US manufactured 4 engine aircraft LB-30) they knew that this aircraft’s outstanding range could effectively cover the “mid Atlantic gap”. It was not to be a fait accomplis, however, as Bomber Command was short of Heavy Bombers, and a political fight occurred as to the best uses of the LB-30 – Arthur Harris felt to use the heavy bomber as a long range patrol craft was a poor use of resources, and that all heavy bombers should be reserved for the use of Bomber Command to attack the continent. Eventually Coastal Command’s arguments won them a paltry 20 LB-30s to prove that this was the aircraft for the job. They were only enough to equip one Squadron (120 Sqdn CC) which operated Liberators VLR Mk I from this original batch for a full year with no replacements! Fortunately the Libs were highly effective, and though they did not rack up enormous numbers of kills, they did deter countless attacks by breaking up “Wolfpacks” and driving subs intent on attacking merchantmen below the surface regularly enough to cause Admiral Donitz fits. There success was noticed enough that Coastal Command was given more LB-30 aircraft to equip as Lib VLR (Very Long Range), LR(Long Range) and GR (General Reconnaissance) patrol aircraft.
This next batch was designated LB-30A named Liberator MkIIs by the RAF. Coastal Command was allocated enough for 2 more squadrons to be converted (59 and 86 Sqdns CC). The rest of the deliveries from Britain’s initial order of 164, and France’s order of 120 were diverted to Britain following the fall of France).
Most Lib Mk IIs were sent to the Middle East, where as well as Coastal Patrol (GR equipment?) duties they were assigned as the first RAF heavy bombers in the Mediterranean with 159 and 160 Sqdns (as Liberator B Mk IIs) .
Note that the powerplant in the Lib Mks I and II were Pratt and Whitney R-1830-33s , were not supercharged, and therefore the frontal profile of the engine nacelles was circular rather than oval – no radiator openings on either side as on all models including and after the Lib MkIII and IIIA.
Why are they interesting for IL2?
They have an interesting mixture of armaments, including a few new ones for the codesters to tackle which could then be applicable to other aircraft types :
ventral 4 x 20mm gunpack, Leigh Light, 600 lb Anti Submarine Bombs, naval mines, LRASV radar masts (potential future code application, but very cool hardware to look at and to shoot off immediately!)
Lib GRMk III and IIIA, were the equivalent of the B24D (“A” version indicating US equipment and defensive guns) .
For conversion to VLR :
1. Fit 2 x 335 gallon fuel tanks in one Bombay (forward)
2. remove 2000 lbs of equipment – notably removing power operated turrets for manual defensive positions – all .303 calibre – one in the nose, one in each waist, 2 in the tail.
3. Install ASV Mk II LRASV radar
ASV Mk II LRASV (long range air to surface vessel) radar had four large vertical transmitter posts standing out of the rear fuselage ("stickleback"), and four pairs of receiver rings on the fuselage sides below these.
ASV Mk II detected surface ships laterally from the line of the aircraft – I have not been able to ascertain the angle of coverage of the beams – to a range of 36 miles.
4. Install a 4 x 20mm Hispano cannon in a ventral gunpack
I have been unable to discover whether Leigh Lights were standard and/or on which models of Lib, but graphic evidence suggests that when used, the light was mounted under the starboard wing. I don’t know whether it was fixed forward or trainable.
Length Span Height
Lib VLR Mk I 66’ 4” 110’ 18’
No self sealing tanks, armour
Lib LR/GR Mk II 68’ 11” 110’ 18’
Lib MkII had the nose extended by 2’ 7” to provide more space for equipment. The navigator’s window was moved from above and behind the cockpit (Mk I) to above and behind the bombardier’s Perspex (MkII).
VLR Standard for Coastal Command Liberators Mk I (were other Mks fitted out as VLRs?)
Crew 8 - All armour giving protection from the rear removed.
Range - 2,300 nm at 4,000 feet - Tankage 2,650 imp. gals.
Obtainable in Mk.I Full main wing tanks
( I found a source which states that Mk Is were also equipped with 2 x 335 gallon tanks in one bombay)
Obtainable in Mk.IIIA Full main wing tanks plus two full bomb cell
auxiliary tanks (see above)
Obtainable in Mk.V Prior to FL 971 as for Mk.IIIA
Subsequent - Full main tanks, full auxiliary wing
tanks and one full bomb cell auxiliary tank
Weapons Load
Mk.IIIA or V with rear turret 8 - 250 lb. DC
or 2 - Mk.24 Mines and 3 - 250 lb DC
or 2 - 600 lb. A/S bombs and 4 - 250 lb DC
Mk.V with NO rear(dorsal) turret 10 - 250 lb. DC
or 2 - Mk.24 Mines and 5 - 250 lb. DC
or 2 - 600 lb A/S bombs and 4 - 250 lb DC
Mk.V with NO rear turret 8 - 250 lb DC
and carrying Leigh Light
Mk.V with NO rear turret 8 - 25 lb head RP and 5 - 250 lb DC
or Leigh Light but carrying
rocket projectiles (RP)
Bomb sight
Mk.III Low Level
Gun Armament
Nose gun 1 x 0.5 inch and 500 rounds
Mid-upper turret Removed
Beam guns Each single 0.5 inch with 400 rounds
or each twin 0.303 inch with 1,000 rounds per gun
or each twin 0.3 inch with 500 rounds per gun
Tail turret Is removed in Mk.V with ASG III radar
in others - four 0.303 inch with 500 rounds per gun
LR Standard - Liberator Mk.V
Crew
8
Range
1,900 nm at 4,000 feet obtainable with full main and outboard wing auxiliary tanks
Weapons Load
Without Leigh Light 10 - 250 lb DC
or 2 - Mk.24 Mines and 5 - 250 lb DC
or 2 - 600 lb A/S bombs and 5 - 250 lb DC
With Leigh Light 8 - 250 lb DC
With rocket projectiles (RP) 16 - 25 lb head RP and 5 - 250 lb DC
and Leigh Light or 16 - 25 lb head RP, one Mk.24 Mine and
3-250 lb DC
Bomb Sight
Mk.III Low Level
Gun Armament
Nose gun 1 x 0.5 inch with 500 rounds
Mid-upper turret 2 x 0.5 inch with 400 rounds per gun
Beam guns Each a single 0.5 inch with 400 rounds per gun
or each a twin 0.303 inch with 1,000 rounds per gun
Rear turret 4 x 0.303 inch guns with 1,000 rounds per gun
LR Standard - Liberator Mk.VI
Crew
10
Range
1,600 miles at 4,000 feet - obtainable with full main and outboard wing auxiliary tanks
Weapons Load
With or Without Leigh Light 8 - 250 lb DC
or 1 - Mk.24 Mine and 6 - 250 lb DC
With rocket projectiles (RP) 16 - 25 lb head RP and 3 - 250 lb DC
and NO Leigh Light or 16 - 25 lb head RP and 1 - Mk.24 Mine
Bomb Sight
Mk.III Low Level
Gun Armament - With NO Leigh Light
Nose turret 2 x 0.5 inch with 500 rounds per gun
Mid-upper turret 2 x 0.5 inch with 400 rounds per gun
Beam guns Each a single 0.5 inch with 800 rounds per gun
Tail turret 4 x 0.5 inch with 1,000 rounds per gun
With Leigh Light
The same armament but only half the rounds per gun
Hope a modder thinks this is feasible and interesting.
Kopfdorfer
Author
Topic: Consider the Liberator VLR MkI and LR/GR MkII (Read 13386 times)
