A what if? question
Discussion
Not without seriously weakening the Atlantic or Med fleets, plus the Japanese were rolling us up at the time.
Both the B25 and Mosquito had comparable range, with the added benefit that limited numbers of them were built specifically for carrier operations. Potentially the mosquito might have been a better aircraft for the operation.
Both the B25 and Mosquito had comparable range, with the added benefit that limited numbers of them were built specifically for carrier operations. Potentially the mosquito might have been a better aircraft for the operation.
Dr Jekyll said:
Could the RN have performed a Doolittle type raid in early 1942? Perhaps using Mosquitos instead of B25s
What's the target?A Mosquito didn't land on a carrier until 1944: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMjjrp6axWs
I can't think they'd have been strong enough to last long on a carrier.
Simpo Two said:
Dr Jekyll said:
Could the RN have performed a Doolittle type raid in early 1942? Perhaps using Mosquitos instead of B25s
What's the target?A Mosquito didn't land on a carrier until 1944: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMjjrp6axWs
I can't think they'd have been strong enough to last long on a carrier.
They don’t need to last long or land on a carrier, just do the raid itself and then disperse into China etc and hopefully make it home somehow.
Doolittle was all about showing Japan they weren’t invulnerable and a psychological boost to the Americans after Pearl harbour,
Did they ever actually operate a mosquito from a carrier? Eric 'Winkle' Brown talked about doing deck landing trials in Wings On My Sleeve, and it being pretty hairy. IIRC there was a proposal to use them to attack the Turpitz by taking off from a carrier and landing back in Scotland, as they didn't have the range to fly the whole thing with a big enough payload, but they did it with Lancaster's in the end.
Simpo Two said:
Dr Jekyll said:
Could the RN have performed a Doolittle type raid in early 1942? Perhaps using Mosquitos instead of B25s
What's the target?Simpo Two said:
A Mosquito didn't land on a carrier until 1944: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMjjrp6axWs
B25s didn't land on a carrier at all so far as I know, the question is could a Mosquito have taken off with enough fuel to have equivalent range to Doolittle's B25s and some bombs.Simpo Two said:
I can't think they'd have been strong enough to last long on a carrier.
No. But the question is could they have survived long enough to get within a few hundred miles of Tokyo.I guess the mosquito had much shorter range than a B25 so the carriers would have had to get closer which obviously wasn’t ideal?
Also with a smaller load but obviously it was a psychological attack rather than about flattening Tokyo.
Obviously it’s all speculation so I’ll say yes they could have.
Nobody can prove it either way TBH
Also with a smaller load but obviously it was a psychological attack rather than about flattening Tokyo.
Obviously it’s all speculation so I’ll say yes they could have.
Nobody can prove it either way TBH
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 22 February 10:06
There was a dedicated Sea Mosquito but it was never cleared for operational use off carriers. Brown did indeed conduct sea trials with a navalised Mosquito but there were too many problems -
i) weak structure (the wooden structure would not wihtsand repeated arrested stops and catapult launches)
ii) high probability of loss of control when conducting a "go around" (referred to as a "bolter" in the navy)
iii) poor visibility for the pilot on approach - especially in connection with keeping the Deck Landing Officer - DLO (the "batsman") in sight during the approach. This was particularly problematic because in order for the DLO to remain in sight to the pilot, he had to stand right in the middle of the deck and then leg it into the catwalk just before the Mosquito touched down.
Regarding a normal "land" Mosquito being capable of launching off a carrier on a one-off, one way mission, I would say it would have been absolutely possible. However, such a mission was not really contemplated by the British as far as I am aware.
Here's Eric Brown talking about his experiences of flying Mosquitoes on and off carriers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Hjne0OA4w
i) weak structure (the wooden structure would not wihtsand repeated arrested stops and catapult launches)
ii) high probability of loss of control when conducting a "go around" (referred to as a "bolter" in the navy)
iii) poor visibility for the pilot on approach - especially in connection with keeping the Deck Landing Officer - DLO (the "batsman") in sight during the approach. This was particularly problematic because in order for the DLO to remain in sight to the pilot, he had to stand right in the middle of the deck and then leg it into the catwalk just before the Mosquito touched down.
Regarding a normal "land" Mosquito being capable of launching off a carrier on a one-off, one way mission, I would say it would have been absolutely possible. However, such a mission was not really contemplated by the British as far as I am aware.
Here's Eric Brown talking about his experiences of flying Mosquitoes on and off carriers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Hjne0OA4w
RizzoTheRat said:
Did they ever actually operate a mosquito from a carrier? Eric 'Winkle' Brown talked about doing deck landing trials in Wings On My Sleeve, and it being pretty hairy. IIRC there was a proposal to use them to attack the Turpitz by taking off from a carrier and landing back in Scotland, as they didn't have the range to fly the whole thing with a big enough payload, but they did it with Lancaster's in the end.
I didn't think the issue was payload, as from vague memory recollection the intention was to carry Wallis's Highball weapon for the Tirpitz attack....but delays in getting Highball to work 'as intended' meant that the Tallboy option using Lancs was tried, and eventually succeeded. I suspect, had the Tallboys attacks not succeeded, then the eventual use of Highball might have been looked at in early 1945?Simpo Two said:
Technically I imagine it could have been done. But in the context of 1942, getting an RN carrier to within striking distance of Tokyo in 1942 would have been fraught with peril.
Getting enough Mosquitos craned onto a carrier in the UK would have been a bit of an issue as well, not to mention flying them off one (in 1942) and then sailing said carrier from UK to eastern Pacific......!Logistically, it was a much easier task for the USA given their geographical advantage.
aeropilot said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Did they ever actually operate a mosquito from a carrier? Eric 'Winkle' Brown talked about doing deck landing trials in Wings On My Sleeve, and it being pretty hairy. IIRC there was a proposal to use them to attack the Turpitz by taking off from a carrier and landing back in Scotland, as they didn't have the range to fly the whole thing with a big enough payload, but they did it with Lancaster's in the end.
I didn't think the issue was payload, as from vague memory recollection the intention was to carry Wallis's Highball weapon for the Tirpitz attack....but delays in getting Highball to work 'as intended' meant that the Tallboy option using Lancs was tried, and eventually succeeded. I suspect, had the Tallboys attacks not succeeded, then the eventual use of Highball might have been looked at in early 1945?As an aside, my Grandfather was a tail gunner with 617 and was on one of the Lancasters that went out to Russia to attack he Turpitz from there, but I don't think they ended up actually flying the raid.
RizzoTheRat said:
aeropilot said:
RizzoTheRat said:
Did they ever actually operate a mosquito from a carrier? Eric 'Winkle' Brown talked about doing deck landing trials in Wings On My Sleeve, and it being pretty hairy. IIRC there was a proposal to use them to attack the Turpitz by taking off from a carrier and landing back in Scotland, as they didn't have the range to fly the whole thing with a big enough payload, but they did it with Lancaster's in the end.
I didn't think the issue was payload, as from vague memory recollection the intention was to carry Wallis's Highball weapon for the Tirpitz attack....but delays in getting Highball to work 'as intended' meant that the Tallboy option using Lancs was tried, and eventually succeeded. I suspect, had the Tallboys attacks not succeeded, then the eventual use of Highball might have been looked at in early 1945?As an aside, my Grandfather was a tail gunner with 617 and was on one of the Lancasters that went out to Russia to attack he Turpitz from there, but I don't think they ended up actually flying the raid.
One bomb from this raid damaged the bow and rendered the ship unfit for sea combat, but this fact wasn't known by the Allies. As the Germans couldn't get her to a suitable port to repair, they made the decision to move her to nearer Tromso to be used as a 'fixed' battery to defend the town.
Tromso, was just within range from UK bases though, and because we didn't know that she was no longer seaworthy, she still posed a threat, and hence why there were two further attacks made from UK bases, which eventually sunk her in Nov '44.
I would thus guess your grandfather flew on the first of the 3 raids?
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff