Lufty Lanc finished........
What if story as follows.......,
On the night of September 19 1942 RAF Bomber Command launched a mission to Munich. Lancaster R5742 of 61 Sqn was reported missing the next day, although 5 of her crew were later confirmed as POW`s.
On May 4th 1945 US troops from the 82nd Airbourne entered a camoflaged hangar at a now vacant ex Luftwaffe airfield they had discovered but did not show on any maps. Indeed the `runway` was a straight piece of road with a lengh of around 3000ft. They contacted RAF High Command within the hour regarding their `find`.
By the time an RAF Regiment unit had arrived to section off the area the Americans had already pulled the aircraft out of the hangar and were taking photo`s of it.
After further investigation, by September 1945, it was found that the airframe was R5742. It was discovered that after the crew had been ordered to bail out from the stricken aircraft all those years ago the Australian pilot, P/O George Clayton, had attempted a belly landing in a field. The Lancaster had been expertly put down and was in good condition when the Germans had found it, however P/O Clayton was found dead in his seat. The reason unknown.
The Lancaster was the first reasonably intact example the Germans had obtained and it quickly found itself in the hands of IV/KG 200, the famous aircraft testing unit of the Luftwaffe that dealt with experimental aircraft, weapons and also operated a number of captured Allied aircraft. After it`s first post restoration flight by the germans in January 1943 the Lancaster, now given the prefix `Red 12` spent the next few months carrying out long distance transport flights to the eastern front at night. However with the RAF becoming a major concern due to their effective night bombing campaign, `Red 12` was given a `new assignment`.
Back in the hanger a few modifacations were made, the first being to strip down the airframe, replace the bomb bay with a bigger fuel tank, fit two 37mm reloading cannons just aft of the main wing spar which fired upwards and forwards, (roughly 45 degrees), and also to fit the front crew compartment with the latest air interception radar.
`Red 12`s new mission was to locate the bomber stream, join it, and over the next 6 hours engage the enemy. The main method of attack would be from below, the pilot having a fixed sight fitted in front of him in the cockpit to aim the main 37mm weapons, however all the Lancasters turrets were fully functional and also able to engage the enemy if needed. The crew consisted of eight, Pilot, Navigator, A.I.R. Operator, 3 turret gunners and two reloaders for the 37mm weapons.
Logs were found that confirmed that in this configuration `Red 12` carried out 28 sorties in this role before being damaged during it`s last mission and made `unflyable` and is reported to have engaged around 34 aircraft of Bomber Command. Although RAF aircraft were reported missing in action on the same dates as the sorties there has never been any evidence that these engagements took place and it is believed that these numbers have been exagerated in the `fog of war`. This type of mission was also very dangerous for the German crew as being a Lancaster, despite using IFF codes, it was open to attack itself from other Luftwaffe nightfighters.
The Lancaster was repaired on site and flown under the cover of darkness to RAF Boscombe Down, where after it was taken apart and all german radar equipment removed, it was broken up for scrap by April 1946....................................
Of course, here are a few of non B&W pics for those who prefer them.....,
Hope you liked........??
