Hurricanes and (long range) fuel tanks

[gingerbob]

Hi all, I'm sure I could eventually answer this for myself, and probably will, but meanwhile...

 

Does anybody have some gen on when those "under the wing" tanks, fixed or droppable, were first used operationally?  The ferry flight from UK to Malta/Egypt/Malta in June 1940 appears to be the first "active" (non-testing) use of the fixed tanks.  What I'm really wondering is:

• Whether any fixed tanks were used to extend range/endurance at home, with the intent to engage in combat
• When droppable tanks began to actually be used on ops
• What those ops were

I've gleaned that the first operational sorties for Hurri-bombers were 30 October 1941 (607 Squadron) and 1 November (402 Squadron).  That's within Fighter Command, anyway- not sure about North Africa.  My guess is that if long-range tanks were used (at home) prior to that time, it was to do something like extend loiter time on "Fighter Night" or Havoc Co-operation patrols.  Night Intruder ops are another likely early use.

 

Were "hooking points" in place for the (droppable) tanks, before the ability to carry (and release) bombs came in?  Or did they come together, as two uses for the same bit of additional hardware?

[Graham Boak]

Hurribombers were used before this in North Africa, but only with Light Store Carriers and 60lb bombs (at best). One of the Hurri units in the Desert were using the fixed long range tanks for intruder-type missions, which would again be in the first half of 1941.  These are described in early volumes of the new Chris Shores et al Mediterranean  Air War (or whatever it is called exactly).

[gingerbob]

Ah, thanks for reminding me.  Though I was thinking of home, I hadn't ignored the fact that things were going on elsewhere- and I really should be more up-to-speed on that, too.  Guess I'll be browsing those books, if I have the right volume(s)!  (A quick slip through the door and voila, I DO have it.)

 

But my question still stands...

 

bob

 

p.s. I'll have to see if I can find it again, but just in the last couple of days I saw a photo of a Hurri with something under the wing (either bomb or tank on bomb pylon, I think) and there was an unused "hook" (double metal fitting) just to the side of it- never noticed that before.  Perhaps the Hurricane Manual would help there, but one thing at a time!