Liberator Mk II AL503 with circular engine cowlings and two Boulton Paul four-gun turrets
History of the B-24 in RAF Service
The B-24 Liberator entered service with the RAF initially as a long-range transport aircraft over the North Atlantic. The RAF also used the B-24 in its early models as a bomber and long-range anti-submarine aircraft in Coastal Command, when it was fitted with air-to-surface radar. This variant was designated Liberator I.
The RAF was closely involved in the configuration of the B-24. In 1940, Britain requested 135 LB-30 Liberators and wanted them equipped with powered turrets, self-sealing tanks, and armor. Because of Britain’s obvious need for the aircraft, the RAF received 26 of the first B-24s that were originally ordered by the Air Corps.
Six YB-24s were given to the RAF as LB-30As. These aircraft were not combat-ready and were assigned to the transatlantic ferry route. These were followed by 20 B-24s designated as Liberator IIs. The Liberator II had a three-foot nose “stretch” to improve the aircraft’s appearance.
The first production B-24s destined for the RAF were built on the first production line in San Diego but were essentially B-24Cs. The US had a pressing need for the B-24C model, so the RAF received LB-30s (essentially the export model of the B-24C) and modified them for their own use. The LB-30 lacked heavy bomb racks, armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks, although these features were installed on models produced for the USAAF.
The first LB-30A for the RAF, serial number AM258, made its first flight on January 17, 1941. The first production models began flying in the Atlantic in March of that year. The six YB-24s originally ordered as LB-30As were diverted to serve as transports on the Trans-Atlantic Return Ferry Service route between Montreal, Newfoundland, and Prestwick, Scotland. These aircraft were identical to the original XB-24 except for the deletion of wing slots and the addition of de-icers. The distance between these locations was 3,000 miles. At first, the LB-30As were flown by BOAC crews and later by RAF Ferry Command pilots.
By December 1941, 65 LB-30s had been delivered to Britain. Six YB-24s and 20 very long-range B-24As were also diverted to the RAF. The B-24As began delivery on March 29, 1941, and were assigned to 120 Squadron in RAF Coastal Command at Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland.
The B-24D in RAF service was designated the Liberator III, and 366 were supplied under direct British contracts. Nineteen B-24Ds were supplied to the Royal Canadian Air Force in September 1943, and 12 went to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1944. The RCAF Liberators were similar to the RAF Mark II, but in the RAF version, the Consolidated tail turret was replaced with a Boulton Paul turret fitted with four .303 in machine guns. The Liberator III A and subsequent versions were supplied under Lend-Lease and delivered to the RAF by the USAAF. A later B-24D was designated the Liberator Mark V, and it was equipped with additional fuel tanks in the wing bays and ASV radar in a retractable radome in the ventral position aft of the bomb bay.
Britain also received eight B-24Gs, 22 B-24Hs designated as Liberator IVs, and, starting in November 1943, B.Mk. VI and GR.Mk. VI Liberators. These were Convair-built B-24Js with American turrets, except for the tail turret, which was a Boulton Paul. The RAF received a total of 1,157 B-24Js. The GR.Mk. VI anti-submarine aircraft later incorporated a radome containing centimetric radar in place of the ball turret. The B.Mk. VI was used by RAF squadrons overseas and by the RCAF for training in the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay. Australia received 145 B-24J models, and Canada acquired 49.
In the Middle East, the Liberator VI was used mainly against enemy shipping in the Mediterranean. Starting in July 1944, 36 Mark VIIIs (B-24Ls) were delivered to the RAF. Britain received 355 Liberator VIIIs, and the RAF used them as heavy bombers in the Middle and Far East, while Coastal Command used them for anti-submarine service. Australia received 83 Liberator VIIIs, and Canada received 16.
By the end of the war, the RAF had 16 Liberator squadrons. The basic operational unit in most RAF, SAAF, and USN squadrons was the squadron. In most cases, a group, comprising four squadrons, was formed for a particular bomber. An RAF squadron was 16 Liberators and remained so until near the end of the war when, because of operational requirements, it was increased to 24. The US bomber complement was 13 for a patrol bomber squadron and remained so throughout the war. A USAAF heavy bomber squadron established a year later, with the addition of four spare aircraft, originally eight, was raised to nine later, but this may have varied in practice.
In RAF service, the B-24 was found to have slow-running engines that were unable to maintain pressure. Pilots opposed the deck plan as after several crashes in the Atlantic, it was discovered that it was impossible to exit through the astrodome. However, despite these drawbacks, the B-24 also possessed superior handling and comfort. Its flying stability (and hence comfort) was superior to the Wellington, and its single-engine performance at both high and low altitudes impressed its designers. It was also vastly superior to two-wheel designs both for visibility and ease of handling. Its range was such that the RAF and USAAF had to consider the whole of Europe as its area of operations.
The configuration of the B-24 was such that only moderate bomb loads could be carried over the vast distances flown by the RAF. For example, a mission to Bangkok meant that only 4,000 lbs of bombs could be carried. Operations involving distances of between 1,000 and 1,100 miles had a maximum bomb load of only 3,000 lbs.
Despite these limitations, the B-24 Liberator played a significant role in RAF and Dominion service. It served in every theater of war as a bomber, supply and VIP transport, gunship, photo-reconnaissance aircraft, flying classroom, and tanker. In Europe, it formed a unique and powerful arm of the US 8th Air Force. It made a vital contribution toward winning the war in the Pacific. Overall, the B-24 was a remarkable aircraft that made a significant contribution to the Allied victory in World War II.