EwenS

I wonder if we will see the next one, DZ542, in its final configuration? Built as a B.IV srsii it was modified in 1943 to a "Highball" aircraft. It was then modified again in 1944 as a "Highball" aircraft to operate off a carrier. In its final configuration it had an arrestor hook and 4 bladed props amongst other features. It was shipped out to Australia in Nov 1944 on either HMS Fencer or Striker where it remained until being struck off in 1946. Only 25 were built to that final standard.

Lossie is still open. The last Tonkas left in March 2017 with the disbandment of 15R sqn, the training unit for the type. Currenly it is home to 3 sqns of Typhoon FGR4 (1,2 &6) and has been the base for the Nothern QRA since Sept 2014 when the last of the Typhoons left Leuchars Best memory of Lossie was an airshow in probably 1986 or 1987. Some 16 - 20 Jaguars and Buccaneers spaced around the circuit. First was touching down as the last crossed the threshold above it. Seems like that is the whole RAF these days.

I've just been thinking some more about your question as this is a area (both physically and in terms of timeline) of particular interest to me and your mention of Choison and Wonsan seems odd. Can I ask why your question has arisen? The re-occupation plan agreed at Potsdam called for Korea to be split at the 38th Parallel with the southern part being a US responsibility and the North a Soviet responsibility. I can't immediately find Choison but Wonsan is north of the line on the east coast and was therefore a Soviet responsibility. Having declared war on Japan on the 8/9 August, the Soviets started landing in North East Korea on the 11 Aug 1945 and landed at Wonsan on the 16th Aug and reached Pyongyang on the 24th having struck across the peninsula. After Wonsan Soviet operations seem to have been land based. The US re-occuaption force (7th Inf Div) had to be organised rather hurriedly as the speed of the Soviet advance seems to have caught everyone on the hop and the US didn't want the Soviets to have de facto control of the whole peninsula before they put in an appearance. That force didn't leave Okinawa until 5 Sept and landed at Inchon on 8th Sept, reoccupied Seoul, and Japanese forces south of the 38th Parallel surrendered there on the 9th Sept. It was reinforced by the 40th Inf Div on the 22nd Sept and the 6th Inf Div on 17 Oct. They went in anticipation of a fight complete with a carrier task force for support. US operations were centred on Inchon and then fanning out across the country. The other centre they were interested in was Pusan but accessing that port was delayed due to mines. So by the 24th Sept when Colossus was ordered to Inchon the US had had plenty of resource in Korea for 3 weeks. I therefore can't see there even being a need for her aircraft to locate POWs. That simply leaves the transportation of the POWs etc located by the Americans and possibly handed over by the Soviets. There was a lot of distrust politically on both sides. Given experience of dealings with the Soviets elsewhere in the world at this time I can't see them allowing British or American units (air, land or sea) to operate over what they would consider their territory.

McCart’s book on the Colossus class gives her movements in the period as follows: 15 Aug 1945 left Sydney with air group embarked. 20 Aug refuelled and stored at Manus sailing same day for a point off Formosa (Taiwan) where her Corsairs are noted as having been used to patrol Japanese held airfields 11 Sept ordered to point off Shanghai 14Sept 9 Barracudas used to distribute POW liaison teams For next 6 days her aircraft provided air cover for Allied forces in Shanghai due to delicate political situation 18 Sept anchored off Yangtse 24 Sept ordered to Korea specifically Inchon 26 Sept arrived Inchon harbour and anchored 27 Sept embarked 350 ex POW captured at Singapore and sailed for Manila next day 4 Oct arrived Manila and swapped her passengers for 174 POW/civilian internees leaving the next day At this point her squadrons are noted as being on board which is confirmed in Sturtivants FAA squadrons. She arrived in HongKong on 7 Oct and had detachments of both squadrons disembarked for periods between 12 and 18 Oct and then she left for Ceylon on th 19th So to answer your specific queries I don’t believe that any of her aircraft landed in Korea because she was only there for approx 24 hours and was anchored throughout. And that was her sole visit to Korea. I hope this helps When looking for something else I came across this from official records:- The RAN Daily Narratives (of ship movements) which are available on line as pdfs of the original documents has the following:- 28th Sept 1945 HMS Colossus & HMS Tumult departed Shanghai 1800K/26 for Jinhen ETA 0900K/26 - to evacuate POWs to Manila (SOA 15) Jinhen is a typo for Jinsen, the Japanese name for Inchon. SOA is speed of advance being 15 knots. Unfortunately these documents are patchy in their coverage of RN ships and increasingly so after 15/8/45 so I see no further mention of this pair.

..........And vol 2 really can't come soon enough!!

I expect they will be gone before the end of the current financial year (5 April). We will probably see a 31 March disbandment of the last unit. I’ve lost track of what is left. Not seen anything about anything special being done to mark the event

It was published by MMP and really is a must for B-24 enthusiasts. It is out of print and sells for extortionate amounts second hand (£950 via Amazon from the US - might have to look at the house contents insurance at this rate) Good news is it is available on Kindle at a much more reasonable £13 via Amazon.

"Consolidated Mess" has some 5 pages devoted to this monstrosity including drawings and photos of the conversion being done in May/June 1944. Basically chop off the B24 nose around the forward cockpit bulkhead. Add B17 nose (stations 0 to 3.0) aligning with B24 fuselage bottom. Apply fairings on top and sides to smooth out the profile. Pretty much what you will do to produce a model of it. It was intended to be a field modification (perhaps using up otherwise damaged aircarft of both types) and was accomplished inside 30 days at the Middletown Air Depot in the US. Aircraft length increased by 2ft, creating more room in the nose, weight by 400lbs and speed by 8.5mph. On the other hand the aircraft couldn't rise above about 19000 feet without causing engine overheating and buffeting issues. So it achieved none of the objectives and wasn't pursued any further. By that time the B-24N was being planned to resolve some of the B-24s issues. Fascinating little story though.

The standard FAA/RAF air dropped torpedo of the early war period was the 18" Mark XII. Details here:- http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTBR_WWII.php

Just found a ref on Google from Bomber Harris: Sir Arthur Harris’s dispatches on war operations that Wellingtons in Bomber Command in May 1942 were equipped with FN56 beam gun mounts with a single .303 and that they were no longer an operational requirement as of May 1944. Not sure it helps modelling it but at least we now know exactly what to look for.

I’ve had a quick look in British Aircraft Armament vol 1 RAF gun turrets and the nearest is the Nash & Thomson FN55 twin .303” mount that was fitted in Coastal Command Liberators. The gunner using it sat alongside the guns but it had a V shaped handle and not the handlebar arrangement seen here. The end of chapter summary however lists an FN 56 mount with a single .303 Browning and 500 RPG but no photos or idea of usage. It also lists a couple of 0.5” beam mounts that never made production thereby suggesting that the FN56 did. I can’t make out how many guns in each mount in the photo but there are 3 ammo boxes each side that seem very similar to those of the FN55. But then again they were probably standard eqpt.

Second thoughts - just a bloated AH-56. Thinking Elvis here!

An AH-56 Cheyenne on steroids.

Sorry Graham but we will have to disagree about the forward turret of KG870. I have a copy of the JaPo book on 311 squadron. This has a full page version of the picture in Oughton at a much better quality with a note it was most likely taken in the U.K. between 5/10/45 and 27/11/45 and it is very definitely an Emerson turret. The confusion arises because it has no guns in it in that picture. The turret is facing directly forwards and the glass side panel goes all the way to the turret base behind the metal cover of the trunnions of the guns as in the Emerson turret. The A6 turret series were half metal on the sides in the same area. There are 2 other photos of the same aircraft both with guns installed. The detailed caption on one of those, a port side shot, and the very detailed appendices list it as an A15 Emerson.