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An RAF Bomber Command Daylight operation query

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kengeorge:
A query or three for the esteemed and knowledgeable membership.
Picture the scene...Its 1942 and Bomber Command have been performing their strategic night bombing campaign over Germany for the last two years with varying degrees of success. AVM Arthur Harris has been taken to task by Winston Churchill about the achievements made so far.
The campaign has mainly targeted German cities as to demoralise the civilian population, in which Harris has had some success. Destroying the German infrastructure and ability to disrupt their war effort had been less so.
Churchill wanted Harris to re-comence daylight raids on the German infrastructure as soon as possible.
This leaves Harris with a massive problem, how can I protect my bombers all the way to the heart of Germany and back? What fighter escort can I use?
So these are what I would like your opinions on,

1 What suitable type of aircraft can Harris use in this timeframe? Bearing in mind they must be of British and/or Commonwealth origin. Why? Good question, only because American made aircraft have been allocated to the USAAF for now, as the entire first production runs of P-38's and P-47's would be destined for the Pacific Theatre of Operations due to America's Japan first policy. So what's left? What is suitable and up to the job as a fighter escort?

2 More to the point will Fighter command allow Harris to have his own private fighter wings?

3 What squadron numbers would they have allocated, and yes I have googled extensively on this subject until my eyes hurt and got nowhere.

So if anyone wants to have a go at this please do, any opinions expressed will be considered and answered.

GTX_Admin:
I will have a go...at least a partial one:


--- Quote ---1 What suitable type of aircraft can Harris use in this timeframe?
--- End quote ---

The most obvious would be exiting platforms such as Supermarine Spitfires with external tanks (be those the slipper variety for otherwise):




Interesting article on it here

The Hawker Typhoon would be another choice:



Other options might include either Bristol Beaufighters (maybe the Beaufighter Mk III version) or even DeHavilland Mosquitos operating as escorts:





--- Quote ---2 More to the point will Fighter command allow Harris to have his own private fighter wings?
--- End quote ---

I doubt it.  I would expect them to still be part of Fighter command.


--- Quote ---3 What squadron numbers would they have allocated, and yes I have googled extensively on this subject until my eyes hurt and got nowhere.
--- End quote ---


Not even going to try to guess.

dogsbody:
A drawing:





Chris

Volkodav:
Checkout "The Rise of the Bomber: RAF-Army Planning 1919 to Munich 1938" by Greg Baughen, an eye opening account on how the Bomber zealots reimagined the actual lessons of the air war in WWI to suit their own agenda and its cost to the British war effort in WWII as they had to relearn the lost lessons while resources continued to be drained to support the ill conceived bombing campaign.

GTX_Admin:
Of course, if you wanted some more whiff style ideas using shorter ranger fighters, what about one of the following:


* A 'mistel' style arrangement with a fighter such as a Spitfire mounted on top of the bomber and only released when over enemy airspace of when approached by fighters
* A towed fighter
* some form of aerial refueling
Would you also consider the RAF developing something such as the YB-40:

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