Geoffrey Sinclair

As of January 1944 the propeller type being made for the Halifax III/VI was the De Havilland 3 blade Hydromatic 55/18 Beaufighter, the 55/14 Sunderland, the De Havilland 3 blade rack DR2/345/2 The Halifax II and V, Rotol Hydraulic propellers, 3 and 4 blades. Most Mosquitoes were receiving Hamilton Standard. As of January 1945 the propeller types being made for the Halifax III/VI/VII/VIII were the De Havilland 3 blade Hydromatic 55/18 and 55/19 Beaufighter, the 55/12 and 55/14 Sunderland, the 5/46 The Halifax II and V, Rotol Hydraulic propeller 4 blade R7/4b5/4 Most Mosquitoes were receiving/had received Hamilton Standard, A5/126, 146, 147, 160, 163, 164, 165.

Others no doubt can give better dates. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx Search as guest. Use the search string 79 squadron history Then similar for 452 and 457 squadrons, the digitised item symbol will allow you to read the squadron history file one page at a time. Or click on the entry title to give the option of the entire file downloaded as a PDF. The file references are, for 79 squadron Series number A9186 Control symbol 108 for 452 squadron Series number A9186 Control symbol 137 for 457 squadron Series number A9186 Control symbol 143 A quick look suggests bombing attacks did not begin until April/May 1945 and gave details like, 79 squadron, 6 May dive bombing practice, 8 May live attack. 452 squadron, 14 April, Dive bombing practice began at Tjioe village 457 squadron, Using US 250 pound GP on 24 June Meantime A58-499 was under test from late December 1944, carrying 300 pound bombs under the wings, including work on a deflector to prevent bomb fusing by spent cannon cases. Then came various tests with a 30 gallon belly tank and two 250 pound bombs.

Canadian Military Aircraft Serials and Photographs by J.A. Griffin. Halifax V, CI = Converted Instructional. DG399, on 17 Jul 44, off 28 Mar 47, instructional A424, CI 17 Jul 44, Not flown. EB127, on 17 Jul 44, off 28 Mar 47, instructional A422, CI 17 Jul 44, Not flown. EB138, on 17 Jul 44, off 28 Mar 47, instructional A423, CI 17 Jul 44, Not flown. EB157, on 17 Jul 44, off 28 Mar 47, instructional A426, CI 17 Jul 44, Instructional - Aylmer Halifax VI RG814, on 5 Dec 45, off 10 Jun 47, to UK, Winter Experimental Establishment Edmonton RAF Notes, DG399, on 14 Mar 43, Canada 8 Jul 44. EB127, on 12 Apr 43, Canada 17 Jun 44 EB138, on 3 May 43, Canada 14 Jun 44 EB157, on 17 May 43, Canada 5 Jul 44. RG814, on 29 Jun 45, Canada on Loan, UK, SOC 5 May 48. Canadian Military Aircraft does not mention any Short Stirlings in Canada, but does have 228 locally built Lancaster X from the FM and KB serials but officially the first to the RCAF was on 10 Jun 45. Also Lancaster EE182 (amusingly listed as a Meteor), on 10 Jan 44, off 4 Mar 48, on loan - Kapuskasing. RAF says EE182 on charge 11 Jun 43, Provisionally Struck off Charge 21 Jun 47, Harry Holmes says with 101 then 103 squadrons, to USA July 53 (yes 53), then Winter tests in Canada 1944/45.

The following is read from hand written documents that were microfilmed then scanned. Any other India Wellingtons noticed on the page while looking up the list of serials are included Med = Mediterranean, ACSEA = Air Command South East Asia. Some of the early dates indicate not all direct exports to India were recorded as such. Also aircraft that moved overseas as parts of units were not officially exported (which is the main reason the serials were checked) Squadron, Mark, Serial, RAF Serial Register information. 99, Ic, DV678, No record of export, Cat E 26 Jun 43, DV620, 660, 670 India mid June 1942 99, Ic, DV875, India 11 October 1942 99, Ic, HD950, Middle East 18 September 1942, HD961 India 14 February 1943, HD973, 975 India 26 and 25 October 1942. 99, Ic, HF900, Middle East 29? Oct 42 99, III, DF678, India 27 March 1943 99, III, HF737, Middle East 14 Mar 43, Also HF797, HF851 99, III, HZ180, India 30 Apr 43 99, X, HE763 T, Med? Air Cmd 5 May 43 99, X, HE946 L, India 26 Jul 43, Also 947, 948 99, X, HF577 R, India 16 Aug 43, Also HF649 99, X, HZ138 J, Middle East, 1 Apr 43, India HZ126, 132, 141, 145, 194, 195 99, X, HZ193 O, Middle East 31 March 1943, Also HZ242, 266?, 302 99, X, HZ553 G, India 10 Aug 43, Also HZ540, 543 99, X, HZ720 G, Med Air Cmd 12 Jul 43, India HXZ14 99, X, HZ946 F, India 7 Sep 43, Also HZ944, 945, 947, 949 99, X, HZ948 O, Med Air Cmd 25 Nov 43 99, X, JA467 U, ACSEA 27 Jan 44 99, X, LN263 O, India 13 Aug 43, Also LN264, 275, 277, 279 99, X, LN465 F, India 28 Oct 43, Also LN463, 464, 468?, 483,491 99, X, LN486 L, India 24 Oct 43 99, X, LN492 O, India 30 Nov 43, Also LN503 99, X, LN666 G, India 20 Jan? 44, Also LN664 203, XIII, HZ589, Med Air Cmd 22 Aug 43 203, XIII, HZ972, 7? Y?.F.C. Med Air Cmd, 14 Nov? 43? 203, XIII, JA106, 7? Y?.F.C. Med Air Cmd, 29 Sep 43?, India JA266, ACSEA JA380 203, XIII, JA411 D, ACSEA 23 Mar 44 203, XIII, JA444 B, ACSEA 6 Feb 44 203, XIII, JA516 O, India 16 Jan 44, Also JA515, 519, 203, XIII, MF210 P, ACSEA 7 Apr 44 203, XIII, MF256 C, ACSEA 14 Apr 44, Also MF290 203, XIII, MF338 G, ACSEA 28 Apr 44, Also MF336, 342 203, XIII, MF489 O, Invalid Serial, ACSEA MF405, 406, 463, 480, 496, 574, 203, XIII, MP740 H., No record of export, PSOC 31 May 1947 215, X, HE302 R, No record of export, Cat E 22 Sep 43 215, X, HE642 G, Med? Air Cmd 5 May 43, Also to India HE641, 650, 651, 661, 663, 665 to 7 215, X, HE791 T, India 28 May 43, Also to India HE706, 709, 714, 790 215, X, HE797 B, India 5 Jun 43 215, X, HE957 V, India, no date, also 958?, 959, 960 215, X, HF576 Q, India 13 Aug 43, Also HF520 to 522, 532, 538, 578, 581 215, X, HZ423 O, India 4 Aug 43, Also HZ400, 401, 422 215, X, LN268H, India 13 Aug 43 215, X, LN276 F, India 13 Aug 43, Also LN320, 321, 328, 330, 331, 369, 381, 382

The export data came from British archives files AIR 19/524, the strength data from AIR 20/1871. The problem with the documents I have is they do not show transfers between theatres, just the direct exports. Chester built 737 mark III between October 1941 and December 1942, Blackpool built 780 June 1941 to February 1943, while direct exports of Wellingtons to India started in February 1943. The squadron record books can be viewed on the British archives web site, admittedly through watermarks, they would be the best bet for serials and/or squadron letters. According to Ewen and Jefford of the 7 squadrons listed by Ewen 8, 36, 99, 203, 215, 244 and 621 only 99 had Wellington III, and that was from April 1943 to August 1944, alongside Wellington X according to Jefford. A quick look through the serial registers says HZ145, 180, 194 and 195 were exported direct to India in April/May 1943, plenty more were sent to the Middle East. I make HD977 a mark Ic, Taken on Charge 16 July 1942, Middle East 18 September 1942, Category E 8 January 1943, mark III serials have a gap between DF743 and HF609.

In February 1943 India reported Wellingtons on strength to be 47 Ic, 14 Ic torpedo, 11 VIII torpedo In June 1944, India (SEAAC) reports on strength 30 Ic, 17 Ic torpedo, 12 III, 8 VIII torpedo, 77 X, 4 XI, 25 XIII, 3 XV, 1 XVI. Looking at some OOB for allied airpower in India from 1942 to 1944, numbers 8, 99, 203, 215, 244, 621 squadrons with Wellingtons, with 8, 203 and 621 being General Reconnaissance. There may be others. Apart from transfers from the Middle East or aircraft that moved with their units Britain reports exporting 245 Wellingtons to India/SEAAC May 1943 to July 1944 and 59 to East Africa August to December 1943.

Tornado, sources agree three prototypes, P5219, P5224 and HG641, the latter fitted with a Centaurus engine. Most sources indicate one or two production versions, however the RAF delivery logs say three, all Taken on Charge on 13 September 1941, R7936 CRD AAEE, R7937 CRD Hawker and R7938 CRD Rolls Royce. There is an RAF history card for R7938 only. It is possible R7937 became HG641. AIR 22/420 Aircraft Stocks and Movements reports three Tornado in possession of the Ministry of Aircraft Production as of 1 July 1942, the last report with Tornado listed is on 28 January 1943, under the Current Operational Types and Marks heading.

This is late in the naval Hurricane story but the Admiralty aircraft stocks report for 26 September 1943 has, Hurricane I, Sea Hurricane, Sea Hurricane Ia, Sea Hurricane Ib, Hurricane IIb (hooked), Hurricane IIc, Hurricane IIc (hooked). The 30 October report adds Hurricane IIb. Note the lack of Ic and the wide variety of official versions. There were only Sea Hurricane I built in Canada, most stayed there and became Sea Hurricane XII, there were 60 Sea Hurricane IIc built in Britain, which seem to have become Hurricane IIc (hooked) in the inventory reports. Apart from these 110 aircraft the RAF thinks 378 Hurricanes were converted to Sea Hurricanes, you would expect all from mark I, there were 479 mark I converted to other marks.

Unfortunately the distinction between the Spitfire 22 and 24 is a little blurred. Using the RAF Contract Cards and Serial Registers there were 78 mark 24 and the Contract Cards include the note, "The designation Spitfire F Mk 24 has been approved for Spitfire F Mk 22 aircraft fitted with a rear tank. Air 2 (a) 23 March 1946, M11592." Which is a month after mark 24 began to be officially produced. Meantime the production reports think only Spitfire 24 were built from February 1946 on, in fact 2 of the February production were mark 22 and the last mark 22 produced was PK515 in November 1946, it was then converted to mark 24. On top of that Serials PK313, VN301 (April 46) and VN314-6 (February 46) can be considered F.22 converted to F.24. PK313 is counted as an F.22 even though it is the final entry in the PK serials F.24 contract card but with a delivery date of 17 March 1945, and its entry in the F.22 contract card is ruled through, it was a conversion. The PK serials contract card has the heading Spitfire 24 (ex 22) There were 24 PK serials, 678, 679, 681 to 683, 685 to 689, 712 to 714, 716 to 726 (24) Produced at South Marsden. Delivered July to November 1946. Note PK680, 684 and 715 are therefore considered built as mark 22. There were 54 VN serials 301 to 334, 477 to 496. Vickers Armstrong. VN301 to 330, 333 and 334 officially produced to February to December 1946, VN331, 332 and 477 on officially produced June 1947 to March 1948, with 2 produced in June 1947. Seafire 47 production began in July 1947 at South Marsden and ended in March 1949, total production 90. So the overlap time wise is with the final group of VN serial mark 24.

To fix an error, when 3,552 was incorrectly transcribed as 3,352. Hurricane production. As of June 1944, well after both mark IIB production and imports from Canada ended, the RAF Aircraft Census says 3,552 IIB ordered, 3,550 delivered, plus 230 IIBB (IIE) ordered and delivered, total 3,782. Then 3,782 - 3,218 = 564 IIB from Canada. This is versus Canadian production of 514 mark II for the RAF plus 30 mark I for the RAF converted to mark II before departure from Canada and 150 ex RCAF mark XII, these 180 are counted in the census as mark II ordered by the RAF, giving a total of 694. It means as far as the RAF is concerned 694 - 564 = 130 Canadian built mark II that arrived in Britain ended up as officially ordered IIC, so under a fifth NOT over a half of CCF mark II production for the RAF as IIC, then come further conversions, the RAF serials registers have around 187 CCF built Hurricanes listed as IIC, which is over a quarter of those sent to the RAF. Mark IIB production ended in Britain in November 1942, while the final 248 CCF built Hurricanes arrived March to June 1943.

https://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/original-docs/ Model Designation of Army Aircraft, 11th ed., January 1945 and 1946. Poking around the site can be informative.

Kittyhawk Mark III FR350 was ex P-40K-1 42-46143, Taken on Charge 18 September 1942, Struck Off Charge 8 March 1944

I have no details on serials and such, only numbers of aircraft. And the monthly reports treat Takoradi and Egypt as the same destination, Middle East. Also the Middle East was not always prompt in reporting arrivals. Mediterranean would mean Gibraltar and Malta. Takoradi Looks like the first Fulmars arrived at Takoradi on the fortnight ending 1 November 1940. With 7 en route, 4 arrivals in the time period, with 6 currently being uncrated. In the next week 5 were sent to the Middle East. The reports change format on 22 November and then become cumulative totals on 6 December, by which time Takoradi had 19 Fulmars shipped to it, 4 of which were en route 2 had been received in the previous week, bringing the received total to 15, 6 were on hand and serviceable, 9 had been sent to the Middle East of which 4 were en route. For week ending 20 December the reports settle into reporting both new and cumulative totals. 24 shipped, 15 arrived, 4 on hand, 11 departed, 4 of which en route to Middle East The 9 arrivals in week ending 10 January 1941 came from HMS Furious. As of 31 January 1941 the totals were 31 shipped, 24 arrived, 1 on hand, 23 departed, 10 en route to Middle East As of 28 February 1941 the totals were 34 shipped, 31 arrived, 11 on hand, 23 departed, 4 en route to Middle East which does not add up, week ending 7 March totals are 8 on hand, rest unchanged. As of 21 March 1941, 48 Fulmars shipped, 34 arrived, 27 departed Takoradi, 19 arrived in Middle East As of 28 March 1941, 48, 46, 31, 24. However by 9 May 1941 the shipped and arrived figures are revised to 36, 31 departed Takoradi, 30 arrived. Week ending 13 June reports 1 Fulmar written off at Takoradi. No more Fulmars arrive to 22 August when the reports end, 2 left Takoradi week ending 6 June, 1 w/e 8 August, 1 w/e 15 August. Arrivals in the Middle East to 32 w/e 13 June and stay that way. The monthly figures. Month \ Mediterranean \ Middle East Oct-40 \ \ 11 Nov-40 \ \ 1 Dec-40 \ \ 9 Jan-41 \ \ 7 Feb-41 \ 4 \ 3 Mar-41 \ \ 26 Apr-41 \ \ 16 May-41 \ 6 \ 12 Jun-41 \ 6 \ 24 Jul-41 \ 6 \ 23 Aug-41 \ 4 \ 10 Sep-41 \ 7 \ 18 Oct-41 \ 4 \ 2 Nov-41 \ 3 \ Dec-41 \ \ Jan-42 \ 10 \ Feb-42 \ 3 \ 1 Mar-42 \ 1 \ Apr-42 \ 2 \ May-42 \ 2 \ 3 Total \ 58 \ 166 So it seems all the early exports went via Takoradi, but then switched to by sea around the cape. With the plan to have a carrier operating around Singapore exports of Fulmars to Ceylon and the Far East began in October 1941, more followed, by end 1942 totals were 27 Ceylon, 12 Far East, 3 India, 15 Kenya, 25 South Africa. Another 9 were exported to Trinidad between August 1943 and February 1944.

Unfortunately no more details, the post was a full copy of all the entries. The RAF did not track FAA aircraft.

The official aircraft import and export reports do not count aircraft moving as part of units, since they are not in the reports it appears all the Buffalo exported from Britain officially moved as part of units. Unlike for example 24 Fulmars sent via Takoradi. Unfortunately some reports treat Takoradi and Egypt as the same destination, Middle East. This carried through on reports to Churchill and provoked a complaint by Middle East command that newly arrived aircraft sitting in crates at at Takoradi should not be counted as front line aircraft in Egypt. Note the individual reports I have do not reconcile well at times. Most short range aircraft exported from the UK to the Middle East were via Takoradi but the route took a while to set up and Hurricanes were being exported from April 1940 on, with gaps in May 1940 and January 1941, with 245 exported by end 1940, of which it looks like 144 were sent to Takoradi. As of 4 July 1941 433 Hurricane exports to Takoradi of which 358 had arrived, Sea/Air via Mediterranean had 273 Hurricanes sent of which 232 arrived Malta of which 164 arrived Middle East, 71 Hurricanes has been sent via the Cape of which 23 had arrived in the Middle East, this became 34 week ending 11 July, 64 week ending 23 August. As of 4 July 1941 113 Blenheims had been sent by air, 4 by sea via the Mediterranean, and 357 by sea to Takoradi. The first Beaufighters arrived in Takoradi in April 1942, nearly a year after exports via Gibraltar commenced, a similar story for Beauforts.

RAF Serial Registers, Brewster Buffalo, 71 Sqn mentions, AS414, 416, 421, 423. AS410, AMAS? 12 Jul 40, AAEE "D" 9 Feb 41 AS411, 37 MU, 4 MU CRE 9 Sep 40, Instructional 2852M? AS412, AMAS? 10 Jul 40, 39 MU 8 Aug 40 then 4MU CRE "B" same day, Cat E 10 Apr 42 AS413, 37 MU 24 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40, Admiralty 20 Oct or Dec 40 AS414, 37 MU 19 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40, 71 Sqn 26 Oct 40, SAS CRU 10 Nov 40, instructional 2855M AS415, 37 MU 19 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40 AS416, 37 MU 19 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40, 71 Sqn 24 Oct 40, 37 MU 20 Nov 40, to FAA 21 Nov? 40 AS417, 18 MU 18 Oct 40, 37 MU 30 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40, 37 MU 1 Sep 40, (Unreadable) 4 Sep 40, SAS CRE (Mods) 1 Dec 40, Instructional A37 AS418, 37 MU 10? Jul 40, (Unreadable) CRE 20 Aug 40 AS419, 37 MU 11 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40, SOC 2 Jul 43 AS420, 37 MU 10 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40 AS421, 8? MU 18 Jul 40, 37 MU 20 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 21 Aug 40, 71 Sqn 26 Oct 40, 37 MU 16 Nov 40, to FAA 21 Nov 40 AS422, 5 MU 18 Jul 40, Hatstone? RNAS 24 Jul 40, (Sundry Units), CAT E 22 Apr 42. AS423, 5 MU 14? Jul 40, 71 Sqn 20 Oct 40, to FAA 21 Nov 40 AS424, 5 MU 16 Jul 40, 37 MU 2 Sep 40, 4 MU CRE 9 Sep 40, 37 MU 13 Sep 40, To FAA 21 Nov 40 AS425, 5 MU 19 Jul 40, AAEE 31 Jul 40, 37 MU 11 Aug 40, 4 MU CRE "B" 21 Aug 40, SOC 1 Jul 43 AS426, 5 MU 19 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 23 Aug 40, To FAA 21 Nov 40, Instructional A39 AS427, 5 MU 23 Jul 40, SAS CRE 12 Nov 40, to FAA 21 Nov 40, Instructional A38 AS428, 5 MU 23 Jul 40, 4 MU CRE 25 Aug 40, To FAA 21 Nov 40, SOC 2 Jun 43 AS429, 5 MU, 4 MU CRE "B" 2 Sep 40, Instructional 2857M AS430, 5 MU 19 Jul 20, 2 MAE? 10 Aug 40, Instructional 2859M AX810 to AX820 All to Admiralty 31 October 1940. BB450 To Admiralty 31 January 1941

Taken Verbatim from UNITED STATES MILITARY AIRCRAFT by Jos Heyman. Air Force F = Fighter (1924 - 1962) Mentions of trainer P-47 The P-47D was similar to the P-47C and 12604 were built with serials 42-7953/8702, 42-22250/23299, 42-25274/27384, 42-27389/29466, 42-74615/76614, 43-25254/25753, 44-19558/21107, 44-32668/33867, 44-89684/90483 and 45-49090/49554. A batch with serials 45-49555/49974 was cancelled. A number of the aircraft were supplied to the RAF, Brazil, USSR and Mexico and some were fitted with the R-2800-59 engine. A number of aircraft were converted as TP-47D trainers. Serials included 42-8028, 42-8035, 42-8084, 42-8141, 42-8166, 42-8197, 42-8245, 42-8270, 42-8283, 42-8287, 42-8301, 42-8334, 42-8531, 42-22315, 42-22320, 42-22333, 42-22360, 42-22415, 42-22440, 42-22615, 42-22621, 42-22711, 42-22864, 42-22877, 42-22878, 42-22993, 42-23121, 42-26172, 42-27606, 42-27805, 42-27814, 42-28708, 42-28711, 42-28725, 42-29065, 42-29107, 42-29218, 42-29221, 42-29389, 42-29391, 42-29408, 42-74838, 42-74861, 42-75467, 42-75469, 42-75477, 42-75481, 42-76377, 43-25270, 43-25273, 44-20207, 44-32680, 44-32699, 44-32798, 44-32802, 44-32804, 44-90126, 44-90258, 44-90264, 44-90270, 44-90373, 44-90468, 45-49219, 45-49250, 42-49295, 45-49386 and 45-49514. Those P-47Ds remaining in service on 11 June 1948 were redesignated as F-47D. The P-47G version was similar to the P-47D and 354 with serials 42-24920/25273 were built by Curtiss-Wright. Four of these, 42-24972, 42-25068, 42-25266 and 42-25267, were converted with a second cockpit as TP-47G. The XP-47N was a P-47D (42-27387) fitted with a different wing, giving it a span of 42'10", 13.06 m, length of 36'2", 11.02 m. It had a R-2800-57 engine. The production version, P-47N had a span of 42'7", 12.98 m, a length of 36'1", 11.00 and a R-2800-77 engine and 1816 were built with serials 44-87784/89450 and 45-49975/50123. Aircraft with serials 44-89451/89683 and 45-50124/53574 were cancelled. Those remaining in service on 11 June 1948 were redesignated as F-47N. A number of P-47Ns were converted as TP-47N. They had serials 44-89107, 44-89322 and 44-89404 and on 11 June 1948 those remaining in service were redesignated as TF-47N.

Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual, Fighter external tanks, US Gallons nominal/actual, drop tanks available to the 8th Air Force 75/84, Steel, US, P-47 and P-51 originally for P-39 108/108, Steel, UK, P-47 108/108, Paper, UK, P-47 and P-51, originally for Hurricanes 110/110, Steel, US P-51, intended for P-47 use. 150/165, Steel, US, P-47, "flat" tank 150/165, Steel, UK, P-47, "flat" tank 165/165, Steel, US, P-38, ferry tank, unpressurised, used up to 20,000 feet. 200/205, Paper, US, P-47, ferry tank, unpressurised. 200/215, Steel, UK, P-47. Francis Dean, America's Hundred Thousand. The P-38 also had 300 gallon ferry tanks. P-47D ranges are given for 300 and 410 gallons of external fuel. P-47N range is given for 440 gallons of external fuel. P-51 ranges are given for 150, 220 and 300 gallons of external fuel. General Kenny reports hanging a pair of 300 gallon drop tanks of P-47D while commissioning 150 gallon external tanks from an Australian supplier. As of January 1944 the British report building (imperial gallons) 90 gallon metal and paper tanks for P-47 and planning to built a 150 gallon metal one. By July the 90 gallon had become 108 US gallon for P-47 and P-51 and the 150 gallon was in fact US gallons for the P-47.

Austin built Lancaster mark VII production began in April 1945, with 10 built, then 12 in May and 34 in June, production finished in December, serials, 38 from NX611 to NX648, 43 from NX661 to NX703, 44 from NX715 to NX758, 25 from NX770 to NX794, 30 from RT670 to RT699, total 180. From a group of mid 1945 memos on aircraft production, extracts from Lancaster section May 1945 (hole punched in page where date is), April Lancasters signalled from Austins are 4 mark I and 10 mark VII with with Merlin 22, 1 mark VII with Merlin 24. 11 June 1945, Amend last month's Austin return to read 10 mark VII with Merlin 24 temperate sets and 5 mark I with Merlin 22. No tropical sets have been fitted. 9 July 1945 of the 34 mark VII signalled from Austins (in June) 28 were fitted with temperate sets and 6 tropical (Merlin 24). All future aircraft will be fitted with Merlin 24 tropical sets 27 August 1945, Austin continuing to fit tropical sets of Merlin 24. So according to the memos, the first 22 mark VII were non tropical as built, and probably the first 50, so to NX672. With Just Jane of course being NX611. The lists in Avro Lancaster by Harry Holmes has all NX serials as delivered to Far East Standard, Merlin 24, their one line histories have some of the early aircraft serving in the Near and Middle East. The list of RT serials has 30 with Merlin 24, no mention of Far East, their one line histories suggest they all stayed in Europe. Some additional engine information. When it comes to transport aircraft production in 1945 some were reported as civil but most as military and there are gaps in the civil production reports I have. It also does not help the first Lancastrian I in February 1945 is reported as a Lancaster Ic. Yorks came in VIP, Passenger, LRF (Long Range Freighter) and PCF (Passenger Cum Freighter) versions. To end May 1945 official military production was 5 VIP, 20 Passenger, 39 LRF, 6 PCF, total 70, plus 1 civil type under a Ministry of Supply contract, by end July the figures were 5, 20, 42, 7 and 3. Lancastrian I production was under civil, 8 by end May 1945, 15 by end July. May 1945, all Lancastrians to date fitted with Merlin 24 temperate. Of total York I delivered to date, 63 were fitted with Merlin 22, 6 with Merlin 24 (5 temperate, 1 tropical). The York PCF signalled had Merlin 24 temperate. 3 BOAC York delivered to AST Hamble have Merlin 24 tropical. June 1945, All military type York to be fitted with temperate Merlin 24, BOAC with tropical Merlin 24. Lancastrians had temperate Merlin 24. July 1945, York Military Temperate Merlin 24, York BOAC Tropical Merlin 24, Lancastrian Temperate Merlin 24. The York contract summary card notes 4 LV serials prototypes, 200 MW serials, 100 PE serials and 150 TJ serials, with the TJ serials having Merlin 22. It looks like the original intention was Merlin XX, then Merlin 24. 92 of the PE and all the TJ serials were cancelled. The summary of the RAF orders is 4 prototypes, 5 VIP, 5 BOAC, 20 FCP (Freighter Cum Passenger), 64 PCF, 114 LRF. So 208 production examples out of 252 production Yorks, 45 of which officially under civil contracts. Of course going through the production reports gives 5 VIP, 20 Passenger, 114 LRF, 68 PCF, 39 MoS Civil, 5 Private Venture Civil and 1 MoS PCF. Shall we say the accounting system was suffering from the return of official civil production and who the aircraft were for? RAF Lancastrians were 2 mark 1 (VH737 ex PD176) and VH742, plus 33 mark 2 and 8 mark 4. There were 21 civil mark 1 and 18 mark 3. Merlin 22 production had ended in October 1944, Tropical Merlin 24 had 8 built in April 1945, then 27 in October and 40 in November and 224 in December, with production continuing into 1946. Not quite a match to reports of T.24 being fitted in mid 1945.

The view from the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Propeller reports start in March 1942. Barracuda Mark I production July 1942 to February 1943 (33 built, 23 Fairey, 4 Blackburn, 5 Westland, 1 Boulton Paul) Barracuda Mark II production October 1942 to November 1945 (2,097 built, 1,107 Fairey, 696 Blackburn, 13 Westland, 281 Boulton Paul) Barracuda Mark III production March 1944 to November 1945 (410 built by Boulton Paul) Merlin 30 production from November 1940 to July 1942, (660 built at Derby) Merlin 32 production from June 1942 to April 1945, (3,500 built at Derby) To March to July 1942, propellers are Rotol Hydraulic 3 blade (50 made in the 5 months), for Barracuda March to June for Barracuda I in July. First entry for Rotol Hydraulic 4 blade for Barracuda (no mark number) in July. August 1942 Rotol Hydraulic 4 blade, Barracuda becomes Barracuda II January 1943 report gives Rotol Hydraulic 4 blade, Barracuda II R4/4, B5/1, Constant Speed Unit Rotol Hydraulic, Barracuda I, II GR/5C. The Hurricane is also Using the GR/5C as well as the GR/2C. April 1943 Constant Speed Unit, Hurricane II, IV, Barracuda I, II GR/5C (no more 2C for the Hurricane) June 1943 Constant Speed Unit, Hurricane II, IV, V, Barracuda I, II GR/5C October 1943 Rotol Hydraulic 4 blade, Barracuda II, III R4/4, B5/1. Rotol Hydraulic Constant Speed Unit presumably under "various" users of GRF and GR. The CSU under repair table lists Fulmar, Hurricane II, Barracuda II, Defiant II, Beaufighter II, Spitfire VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, Seafire III as having GR/5c or GR/8c CSU. (The Spitfire II and V, Seafire IIc having GR/5b or GR/8b) December 1943 Rotol Hydraulic 4 blade, Barracuda II, III R4/4B5/2 February 1944, no Barracuda entry in propeller production, back in March but as Barracuda, no mark information. April 1944 Rotol Hydraulic 4 blade, Barracuda II, T.R.III R4/4B5/2 May 1944 Rotol Hydraulic Constant Speed Unit "various" now GRF and GR/GL January 1945, last entry for Barracuda propeller production.

Beaufighter X RD751 was taken on charge 1 May 1945. 287 squadron as of September 1944, when the first Beaufighter VI arrived, also had Hurricanes, Martinets and Oxfords. Spitfire IX and Tempest V were added in November, the last of the Hurricanes left in March 1945, the Beaufighters in July, the Spitfire IX in September, but Spitfire XVI joined in August. Squadron disbanded in June 1946. Apart from target towing the squadron was also tasked with simulating attacks. No idea whether its Beaufighters did target towing but I suspect not.

As far as the USAAF is concerned all P-38M were conversions of P-38L-5 by revising the fuel system, replacing the standard canopy with a longer and larger one and installation of observer's seat. The prototype 44-25237 was accepted as a P-38L probably in October 1944, one report says first flown as an M on 5 January 1945. The serial numbers of the aircraft involved indicate they were accepted something like, 8 in April, 15 in May and 52 in June 1945, total 75, as L models. Then comes conversion and crew training time. http://joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p38_16.html has 80 serials on page dating from 1999, but the entries for 44-53012 to 16 in his later dated listings do not say P-38M. The fact some of the USAAF night fighter squadrons in the Pacific were operating P-38 day fighters and experimenting with radar equipped P-38 is clearly the source of confusion about whether any P-38M made it before the end of the war. The answer appears to be no. Conquering the Night Army Air Forces Night Fighters at War Stephen L. McFarland. No mention of P-38M. "The AAF had tested its own single-engine and single crew night fighters in 1944 over France, sending two P–51s and two P–38s on twenty-one sorties with a RAF night squadron. Their lack of success, at a cost of one P–38, prematurely ended the AAF’s experiment with single-engine or single-crew night fighters." In the Pacific P-38 day fighters were flown by the 6th NFS over Guadalcanal "This reliance on searchlights limited them to one night kill in May 1943. Later attempts to free the P–38s from this dependence by equipping them with Navy AN/APS–4 airborne radars ultimately failed because of the excessive workload imposed on the lone pilot." "At Wakde, the 421st NFS got its first kill on July 7, 1944, after seven months of fruitless night patrols with P–70s and P–38s, and then scored five more kills on Owi Island, four of them on the night of November 28 alone." "Sixty-three separate raids took place between October 8, 1944, and January 11, 1945. The defenders had P–38s orbit over their airfields at 25,000 feet, while antiaircraft artillery with its shells fused at 20,000 feet fired at the intruders. If searchlights illuminated a target, the ground fire stopped while the P–38s pounced on the now-visible enemy. Meanwhile, the P–61s of the 418th and 419th Squadrons orbited outside the ring of antiaircraft artillery fire, waiting for orders from the ground control radar fighter controller to vector them to a target. The defenders made sixty-one interceptions with their airborne radar, claiming five kills." "The thirteen kills of the 421st NFS and six of the 547th stood in stark contrast to the last U.S. night fighter squadron to arrive in the Pacific, the 550th. It flew in combat for eight months with P–38s by day and P–61s by night, without aerial success." The 550th arrived in December 1944. The US did not form night fighter groups in WWII it did have the 481st Night Fighter Training Group "Saipan was also the site of the United States’ first effort at airborne warning and control. Two B–24s of the 27th Bombardment Group equipped with radar sets were to vector P–38s to intercept Japanese aircraft. Unfortunately, the system was never used in combat."

There is an public domain program "Hathi Download Helper" https://sourceforge.net/projects/hathidownloadhelper/ It will download the individual pages and merge them into a PDF file.

There is an public domain program "Hathi Download Helper" https://sourceforge.net/projects/hathidownloadhelper/ It will download the individual pages and merge them into a PDF file.

PBY-5 Pilot's Handbook https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b497657&view=1up&seq=1&skin=2021