| The first Lancaster bomber, powered by
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| | At night and at 20,000 feet the
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| four of the seemingly ubiquitous
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| | temperature in the turrets frequently
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| Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engines, took off
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| | fell to minus forty degrees and frostbite
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| in January, 1941. Regarded immediately
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| | was not uncommon. Air gunners manned the
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| as a success, Avro put it into full time
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| | rear and mid-upper gun turrets. A pilot,
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| production, with numerous companies
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| | flight engineer, navigator, wireless
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| sub-contracting for the parts.
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| | operator, and bomb aimer/front gunner
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| Consisting of 55,000 separate parts, it
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| | completed the crew of seven.The Lanc's
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| has been estimated that half a million
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| | massive bomb bay stretched for 33 feet
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| different manufacturing operations were
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| | and, unlike other bombers, was one
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| involved to produce just one aircraft.
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| | continuous uninterrupted space. Partly
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| Peak production was achieved when a
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| | for this reason, the Lanc had the
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| combined 293 aircraft were produced in
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| | versatility to undertake raids with
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| Britain and Canada during the month of
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| | large, specialized weapons. However,
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| August, 1944.In 1940, the Germans
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| | this meant that the main wing spars
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| controlled the European continent and
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| | became obstacles to movement within the
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| were bent on conquering the British
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| | aircraft, particularly for airmen wearing
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| Isles. The British army had retreated
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| | heavy clothing and flight boots.Of the
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| from Europe via Dunkirque, German subs
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| | total of 7377 Lancasters built (430 of
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| were cutting off supplies from North
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| | them in Canada), 3932 were lost in
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| America, and the Luftwaffe was subjecting
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| | action. During the war Lancasters flew a
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| England to heavy air attack.During that
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| | total of 156,308 sorties and dropped
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| summer of 1940, faced with this
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| | 608,612 tons of bombs, and placed over
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| situation, British Prime Minister Winston
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| | 12,000 mines in enemy waters.Some of the
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| Churchill threw his support behind the
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| | aircraft's finest hours were in
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| defensive power of the Royal Air Force's
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| | "non-offensive" operations as the war was
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| Fighter Command and the development of
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| | about to end and shortly after peace
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| the new Bomber Command with the words:
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| | finally was in place. The first of these
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| "The Navy can lose us the war, but only
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| | was during "Operation Manna". Lancaster
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| the Air Force can win it. Therefore our
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| | squadrons dispatched a total of 3,156
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| supreme effort must be to gain
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| | sorties to drop 6,684 tons of food
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| overwhelming mastery in the air. The
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| | supplies to the starving Dutch in May
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| Fighters are our salvation, but the
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| | 1945.The second saw many of the Lancaster
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| Bombers alone provide the means of
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| | squadrons tasked to return Allied
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| victory". With this decision a massive
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| | Prisoners of War from various locations
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| effort was begun towards the production
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| | throughout Europe back to England. In a
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| of heavy bombers and the training of
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| | period of 24 days a total of 2900 round
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| aircrew to fly them.Lancasters first flew
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| | trips were flown and 74,000 ex-POW's were
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| operationally in March 1942 and were well
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| | returned.Even with the end of
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| received by their aircrew. It was
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| | hostilities, the Lancaster was by no
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| regarded as "a pilot's airplane" which
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| | means finished in its service. The RAF
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| inspired confidence. Evidence of this is
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| | continued to use the aircraft in various
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| the story of a Lanc flight engineer who,
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| | roles including photographic and maritime
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| having feathered two engines and facing
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| | duties until October 1956. The Royal
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| the prospect of flying over several
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| | Canadian Air Force, who flew back many of
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| hundred miles of cold, unfriendly ocean,
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| | the surviving Mk X's back to Canada,
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| turned to his pilot and said, "I suppose
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| | continued to use the aircraft in
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| this means we shall be bloody late for
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| | photographic and maritime reconnaissance
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| breakfast!"During World War II the
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| | roles until the early 1960's. The last
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| Lancaster was the most successful bomber
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| | three RCAF Lancasters were retired at a
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| used by the Royal Air Force and the
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| | ceremony on April 1, 1964.What is
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| Commonwealth air forces. The Lanc had
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| | probably the finest tribute to the
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| speed, ceiling and lifting power that no
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| | aircraft was written by Marshall of the
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| other aircraft of the day could match.
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| | Royal Air Force Sir Arthur T. (Bomber)
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| Weighing 36,900 pounds empty, the
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| | Harris, wartime chief of Bomber
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| Lancaster was capable of taking off with
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| | Command:"The finest bomber of the war!
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| an additional 33,100 pounds of fuel and
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| | Its efficiency was almost incredible,
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| bombs; in other words it could almost
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| | both in performance and in the way it
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| carry its own weight again. The
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| | could be saddled with ever-increasing
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| Lancaster carried 64% of the tonnage
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| | loads without breaking the camel's back.
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| dropped by the RAF and Commonwealth air
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| | The Lancaster far surpassed all the other
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| forces during the war.The "Grand Slam", a
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| | types of heavy bombers. Not only could
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| 22,000 pound special purpose bomb
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| | it take heavier bomb loads, not only was
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| designed to penetrate concrete and
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| | it easier to handle, and not only were
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| explode below the surface to create an
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| | there fewer accidents than with other
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| earthquake effect, could only be
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| | types, the casualty rate was also
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| delivered by the Lancaster. This
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| | consistently below those of other
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| capability is why the Lancaster was
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| | types.""The Lancaster took the major part
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| chosen for special operations such as the
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| | in winning the war with its attacks on
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| "Dambusters" raid and the attack which
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| | Germany. On land it forced the Germans
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| sunk the German Battleship
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| | to retrieve from their armies half their
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| Tirpitz.Lancasters were built to
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| | sorely needed anti-tank guns for use by
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| accomplish their specific purpose; crew
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| | over a million soldiers who would
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| comfort and security was clearly a
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| | otherwise have been serving in the field.
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| secondary consideration. Generally
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| | The Lancaster won the naval war by
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| flying under the cover of darkness, the
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| | destroying over one-third of the German
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| Lancaster had virtually no defensive
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| | submarines in their ports, together with
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| armour. The front, mid-upper, and rear
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| | hundreds of small naval craft and six of
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| gun turrets were hydraulically powered
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| | their largest warships. Above all, the
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| and carried a total of eight .303 calibre
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| | Lancaster won the air war by taking the
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| machine guns for defence against enemy
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| | major part in forcing Germany to
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| aircraft.The crew worked in cramped
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| | concentrate on building and using
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| conditions, particularly the air gunners
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| | fighters to defend the Fatherland,
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| who remained at their posts for the
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| | thereby depriving their armies of
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| entire flight. Some had to place their
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| | essential air and particularly bomber
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| flight boots into the turrets before
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| | support.
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| climbing in, and then put their boots on.
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