Avro Lancaster Bomber - World War II
The Avro Lancaster was one of the most famous heavy bombers used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Commonwealth forces during World War II. It became the backbone of RAF Bomber Command and was widely regarded for its effectiveness in night bombing raids over Germany.
Development and Design
Origins
• Developed by Avro (A.V. Roe and Company) in response to the failure of the Avro Manchester, a twin-engine bomber that suffered from unreliable Rolls-Royce Vulture engines.
• Chief designer Roy Chadwick redesigned the aircraft to use four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, resulting in a much more capable and reliable aircraft.
• First flight: 9 January 1941.
• Entered service: February 1942.
Specifications
• Crew: 7 (Pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Bomb Aimer/Nose Gunner, Wireless Operator, Mid-Upper Gunner, Rear Gunner)
• Length: 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
• Wingspan: 102 ft (31.09 m)
• Height: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
• Engines: 4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 piston engines (1,280–1,620 hp each)
• Maximum Speed: 287 mph (462 km/h)
• Range: 2,530 miles (4,073 km)
• Service Ceiling: 24,500 ft (7,470 m)
• Bomb Load: 14,000 lbs (6,356 kg) standard; Up to 22,000 lbs (9,980 kg) with modifications (e.g., Grand Slam bomb)
Operational History
Introduction to Service
• The Lancaster became the primary heavy bomber of the RAF Bomber Command by 1942.
• Used extensively in night bombing raids over Germany as part of the strategic bombing campaign.
Famous Operations
Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid) - May 16-17, 1943
• 617 Squadron, under Wing Commander Guy Gibson, used specially adapted Lancasters to drop the "bouncing bomb" developed by Barnes Wallis.
• Targeted German dams in the Ruhr Valley, causing significant flooding.
Operation Manna - April 1945
• Humanitarian mission to drop food supplies over the Netherlands to starving civilians under German occupation.
Operation Exodus - 1945
• Used to repatriate Allied prisoners of war.
Raids on German Cities
• Played a key role in firebombing raids, including:
• Hamburg (Operation Gomorrah, 1943)
• Berlin (1943-44)
• Dresden (1945) – controversial due to civilian casualties.
Special Bombs
• Used for carrying Tallboy (12,000 lb) and Grand Slam (22,000 lb) bombs to target heavily fortified structures like:
• German U-boat pens.
• The Tirpitz battleship (sunk in November 1944).
Armament
Defensive Guns
• Armed with .303 Browning machine guns in three turrets:
• Nose turret (2 guns)
• Dorsal turret (2 guns)
• Tail turret (4 guns) – primary defense against night fighters.
Weaknesses
• Lack of ventral (belly) turret, making it vulnerable to attacks from below (e.g., by German night fighters using Schräge Musik cannons).
• Despite being heavily armed, it had high crew casualties due to increasing effectiveness of German air defenses.
Production and Variants
• Total Built: 7,377 aircraft.
• Main production plants: UK, Canada (Victory Aircraft Ltd.).
• Key variants:
• Lancaster B I – Standard model.
• Lancaster B III – Identical to B I but used Packard-built Merlin engines.
• Lancaster B I (Special) – Modified to carry Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs.
• Lancaster B II – Used Bristol Hercules radial engines (fewer produced).
• Lancaster B VI – Experimental high-powered version.
• Avro Lincoln – Post-war successor.
Legacy and Post-War Use
• Continued service after WWII, used in the Berlin Airlift and modified for maritime reconnaissance and search-and-rescue roles.
• Final retirement: RAF phased it out by 1956.
• Surviving examples:
• Two remain airworthy:
• "Thumper" PA474 (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, UK).
• "Vera" FM213 (Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum).
• Several displayed in museums worldwide.
Impact on WWII
• Considered one of the most successful bombers of WWII.
• Major contributor to the strategic bombing campaign, targeting German industry and infrastructure.
• Iconic status due to its role in high-profile missions, particularly the Dambusters Raid.
