Article 4698 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: Bomber Series--Consolidated B-24 Liberator (10 of ??)
Message-ID: <CyCz5o.7x4@ssbunews.ih.att.com>
Summary: Liberator III, Liberator G.R.V of of RAF 
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Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 01:08:12 GMT
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The British Royal Air Force was provided with 366 B-24Ds as Liberator 
III.  These and all subsequent Liberators were delivered to the RAF 
under Lend-Lease contracts.  They were assigned USAAF serial numbers 
for contractual purposes, but the development of a complete list of 
cross-referenced RAF/USAAF serials of Liberators is extremely 
difficult and unfortunately there are lots of gaps.  

RAF Liberator IIIs were externally similar to USAAF B-24Ds, but they 
were fitted with numerous British equipment items to meet specific RAF 
requirements.  The primary difference was in the armament fitted.  
They were equipped with standard RAF 0.303-inch machine guns in the 
nose, twin 0.303-inch machine guns in each of the waist positions, and 
twin-0.50-inch gun Martin power turrets in the upper dorsal position.  
Although delivered with Consolidated A-6 tail turrets, most RAF 
Liberator IIIs had the Consolidated turret replaced by a four-gun 
Boulton Paul tail turret.  

A few Liberator IIIs were fitted with a special airfoil winglet 
attached to either side of the lower forward fuselage below the 
cockpit.  These removable winglets carried eight 5-inch High Velocity 
Aircraft Rockets (HVAR) for attacking surfaced German submarines.  

Beginning in January of 1944, numerous Liberator IIIs were retrofitted 
with Leigh lights underneath the starboard wing for illuminating 
surfaced submarines at night.  

An additional eleven B-24Ds were delivered directly to RAF Coastal 
Command in 1942.  They retained their standard US armament and were 
designated Liberator IIIA.  They bore the RAF serials LV336/346.  
These planes served with No 86, 224, and 354 Squadrons of RAF Coastal 
Command.  

Liberator IIIs and Liberator IIIAs served with Nos 59, 86, 120, 160, 
224, 354, and 357 Squadrons of RAF Coastal Command and with Nos 159, 
178, and 355 Squadrons of RAF Bomber Command.  Nos 59, 86, 120, and 
224 Squadrons served in the North Atlantic campaign against U-boats, 
during which they turned out to be outstandingly successful and are 
credited with at least nine U-boat kills between October of 1942 and 
October of 1943 with their Liberator III and IIIA aircraft.  No 160 
Squadron flew its Liberator IIIs out of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on 
maritime reconnaissance missions against Japanese shipping in 1943.  
No 354 Squadron flew out of India on maritime reconnaissance missions 
for the patrol of shipping lanes.  No 357 Squadron of Coastal Command 
served in India, their primary mission being the dropping Nos 159 and 
355 Squadrons of Bomber Command flew in the CBI theatre, whereas 178 
was stationed in the Middle East and flew missions against targets in 
North Africa, Sicily, Crete, the Agean Islands, the Balkans, Italy, 
and southern Germany.  

A number of B-24Ds were supplied to RAF Coastal Command with an 
Air-to-Surface- Vessel (ASV) radar mounted in a chin fairing 
underneath the nose glazing.  Alternatively, the radome could be 
installed in a retractable radome underneath the ventral fuselage.  In 
such a configuration, these aircraft were known as Liberator G.R.V.  
Liberator G.R.Vs served exclusively with RAF Coastal Command, and flew 
with Nos 53, 59, 86, 120, 160, 200, 220, 311, 354, and 547 Squadrons.  

A number of Liberator G.R.Vs were converted as unarmed transports 
under the designation Liberator C.V.  

Nineteen Liberator G.R.Vs were delivered to the Royal Canadian Air 
Force.  Fifteen of these planes were diverted from RAF deliveries, 
whereas four were delivered directly to Canada from the USAAF.  The 
Liberator G.R.Vs replaced the obsolescent Douglas Digbys (B-18 Bolo) 
aircraft of No.  10 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron.  They operated out 
of Gander on antisubmarine patrol, and are credited with at least one 
U-boat kill.  

RAF serials of the Liberator IIIs and GR.Vs (and corresponding USAAF 
serials where known) were as follows:  

Liberator Mk.  III:  

BZ833/860, BZ890/909, BZ922/BZ929, BZ932/936, BZ946/959, FK214/245, 
FL906/926,FL928/936, FL939, FL940, FL943, FL945, and FL993/995 

Liberator Mk IIIA:  

LV336 (USAAF 41-1107), LV337 (USAAF 41-1087), LV338 (USAAF 41-1127) 
LV339 (USAAF 41-1096), LV340 (USAAF 41-1122), LV341 (USAAF 41-1097), 
LV342 (USAAF 41-1114), LV343 (USAAF 41-1111), LV344 (41-1093), LV345 
(USAAF 41-1124), LV346 (USAAF 41-1108) 

Liberator G.R.V:  

BZ711/BZ724, BZ725 (USAAF 42-40447), BZ726, BZ727/BZ729 (USAAF 
42-40451/40453), BZ730, BZ731, BZ732 (USAAF 42-40526), BZ733 (USAAF 
42-40460), BZ734 (USAAF 42-40461), BZ735 (USAAF 42-40469), BZ736/BZ737 
(USAAF 42-40470/40471), BZ738 (USAAF 42-40231), BZ739 (USAAF 
42-40450), BZ747 (USAAF 42-40466), BZ755 (USAAF 42-40557), BZ756(USAAF 
42-40560), BZ861/BZ889, FL927, FL941, FL942, FL944, FL946/FL991, 

Liberator C.III:  

FL992. 

The following G.R.Vs were converted to C.V transports:  

BZ723, BZ743, BZ744, BZ760/BZ762, BZ769, BZ773, BZ781, BZ783, BZ786, 
BZ792, BZ793, BZ804, BZ806, BZ869, BZ871, BZ931, BZ941, FL941, FL970, 
FL979.  

RCAF serial numbers of Liberator G.R.Vs were as follows:  

RCAF 	RAF 	USAAF 

586 	BZ732 	42-40526 
587 	BZ729 	42-40543 
588 	BZ733 	42-40460 
589 	BZ725 	42-40447 
590 	BZ728 	42-40452 
591 	BZ727 	42-40451 
592 	BZ737 	42-40471 
593 	BZ736 	42-40470 
594 	BZ739 	42-40450 
595 	BZ735 	42-40469 
596 	BZ747 	42-40466 
597 	BZ738 	42-40231 
598 	BZ756 	42-40560 
599 	BZ734 	42-40461 
600 	BZ755 	42-40557 
3701 		41-24236 
3702 		41-24001 
3703 		41-24281 
3704 		41-24277 

Sources:

    Famous Bombers of the Second World War, William Green, 
    Doubleday, 1959.

    British Military Aircraft Serials, 1912-1969, Bruce Robertson,
    Ian Allen, 1969.

    Liberator: America's Global Bomber, Alwyn T. Lloyd,
    Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc, 1993.

    B-24 Liberator in Action, Larry Davis, Squadron/Signal Publications
    Inc, 1987.

    General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecesssors, John Wegg,
    Naval Institute Press, 1990.

    Consolidated B-24D-M Liberator IN USAAF-RAF-RAAF-MLD-IAF-CzechAF
    and CNAF Service, Ernest R. McDowell, Arco, 1970. 

    United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
    and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

    American Combat Planes, 3rd Enlarged Edition, Ray Wagner,
    Doubleday, 1982.

    Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century,  Michael
    J.H. Taylor, Mallard Press.


Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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