GIANT BOMBER

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22063, 14 June 1943, Page 2

GIANT BOMBER

SPECTATORS THRILLED GLIMPSE OF AIR POWER All eyes in Hamilton after 11 o’clock this morning were focussed on the clear sky which favoured the expected arrival of tj*e Lancaster heavy bomber. after 11 two Kittyhawk fighten the bomber’s approach. ifowever, it ; was not until a quarter of an hour j later that the even, low drone of the j heavier machine was heard. The public soon took up vantage i points and by the time the aircraft j arrived people were to be seen in | the streets and on the roofs of build- , ings. All traffic in Victoria Street j ceased. School pupils were permitted to: leave the classrooms, and in the homes the housework had to wait. Suddenly an increasing roar hit the ears, and, flying majestically steady, the Lancaster shot into view above the rooftops at about 11.26. Its height must have been only about 100 feet as it approached from the south-east j and sped over Hamilton West. Painted black and green with turrets 1 shining in the bright mid-day sun, j the' giant aircraft caused a visible I ripple of excitement among the spec- ; tators. After passing to the western extremity of the town the plane banked sharply to the left and flew ! circling over Frankton. During this time at intervals showers of bright leaflets were released from the underside of the fuselage. Wave from Observer Spectators in Garden Place suddenly saw the machine appear over the school hill. With the propellors of its four engines sparkling, the aircraft bulleted directly ovec Garden Place with a V rifle roar. In response to excited waves the observer in the glassed-in bomb-aimer’s position responded with the wave of a gloved hand. Exhaust flames were visible as the plane, followed by the two escorting fighters, passed over toward Hamilton East. The low altitude at which the machine was flying was illustrated by the fact that it flew level with the top of the Cathedral tower and it was forced to climb to clear the main water tower on Tower Hill. With a final half-circle over Frankton and Whitiora the bomber sped away to the north, headed for Auckland. Despite its long journey the bomber appeared spick and span. Reports from various parts of the borough mention the great view afforded by the low altitude at which the machine flew. The leaflets were dropped over the various schools and over the Government housing site in Hayes Paddock, A leaflet dropped over the Hamilton Technical High School read:— “Lord Burghley and the crew of the Lancaster bomber urge everyone to subscribe to the Third Liberty Loan.” Lord Burghley, Controller of American Supplies and Repairs in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, was a passenger.

The Lancaster, by far the biggest aircraft to come to New Zealand, did the 14,000 miles across the Atlantic, America and the Pacific in 72 flying hours. Seven giant hops were made at an average speed of 194.4 Biles an hour. The Pacific sectima took 42 hours including a six-hour delay when a cyclone turned the plane back. An entirely R.A.A.F. erew flew the Lancaster over. The captain, Flight-Lieutenant P. Isaacson, D.F.C., D.F.M., aged 22, and the navigator, Flight-Lieutenant R. G. Neilson, D.F.M., made their initial operational flight in the 1000-bomber raid on Cologne early last year. Other members of the crew are Flight-Lieuten-ant A. Ritchie, D.F.M., bomb-aimer; Pilot-Officer D. M. Delaney, flight engineer; Pilot Officer A. F. Page, Flight-Sergeant J. Grose, FlightSergeant A. L. Smith and Corporal C. E. Spence, all R.A A.F. The newest of the Royal Air Force trio of bombers, the Lancaster is the fastest and most formidable of its type in the world. The four engines, with a total horsepower of 5120, give a maximum of up to 300 miles an hour at up to 21,000 feet, fully loaded. Hugs Bomb Capacity

The bomber has a wing span of 102 ft. and a length of 70ft. It can carry 18,0001 b. of fuel and bombs, the bomb bay having a capacity in excess of seven tons. There are four power-operated turrets in the nose, in the tail and above and below, housing 10 guns. The Lancaster type made its debut on July 17, 1942, when 12 of them flew to Augsburg and made a brilliant daylight raid on the Maschinensabrik factory, situated 30 miles from Munich. Only five of the 12 returned. Until this raid the Lancaster had been kept a secret. The Lancaster has also contributed to the success of the Eighth Army, flying from England to Milan and back. Its crowning achievement, however, was the spectacular and havoc-making raid on the Ruhr dams. SCENE IN AUCKLAND (By Telegraph—Press Association) AUCKLAND, Monday The giant Lancaster bomber arrived over Auckland just before midday today, against a grey sky. The bomber circled over the city before landing at Whenuapai. Its arrival was witnessed by tens of thousands of Aucklanders from streets, roads, houses and rooftops. Later a procession in celebration of All Nations Day paraded through the city. Included in the 5000 troops taking part were United States forces.