RAF = Royal Air Force. British.
Courtesy Mark Felton a You Tube entry that possible role of the British RAF in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. British Lancaster long-range bomber having been made ready [1944].
Consider this one a new one on me.
RAF Hiroshima? Atomic bomb as carried to Hiroshima not by an American B-29 long-range bomber but rather think a British Avro Lancaster? Indeed this was a possible. Until the advent of Silverplate version of the B-29 more than a possible. B-29 as in the inventory prior to Silverplate not able to accommodate an atomic device of the dimensions of a Thin Man, Little Boy or Fat Man. Lancaster the only alternative. And Lancaster made ready as described in the Mark Felton You tube video.
A Lancaster carrying the atomic bomb to Hiroshima from a base at Tinian barely able to do so with regard to range? Consider the Lancaster: Range - - 2,530 mi (4,070 km, 2,200 nmi). That range with a medium bomb load of fourteen one-thousand pound bombs? [Tinian to Hiroshima and back about 2,400 miles, 3,840 kilometers]
AERIAL REFUELING AS A MEANS OF ACHIEVING REQUIRED RANGE TO TARGET WITH SAFE RETURN AND A CONSIDERATION DURING TRAINING.
Further consider the comments of an acknowledged aviation authority regarding air-to-air refueling during WW2:
"The military services of the world did not go beyond testing during that war, though it appears the British were about to introduce aerial refueling as a tactic toward the end of the war to increase its bombers' ranges for attacks [Tiger Force] against Japan. To the best of my knowledge, aerial refueling was not used operationally by any air forces during WWII, and stories of continuing experiments seem to remain with the UK. I never heard of the US air forces (USAAF, USN, USMC, and USA) dealing with the effort during that time frame"
See previous blog entry the topic British RAF Tiger force during WW2:
coolbert.
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