100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
BOMBERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 67Above
An impressive
bomb tally on an 82
Squadron Vengeance.Left
Bombing up an 82
Squadron Vengeance
at Jumchar, India, in
the spring of 1944.
ALL KECLeft
A profi le view of the
wing layout of the
Vengeance, albeit on
a damaged print.VULTEE VENGEANCE
Type: Two-seat dive-bomber
First fl ight: March 1941, entered service August 1942
Powerplant: One 1,700hp (1,268kW) Wright Double Cyclone GR-2600 radial
Dimensions: Span 48ft 0in (14.63m), Length 40ft 0in (12.19m)
Weights: Empty 10,300lb (4,672kg), All-up 16,400lb (7,439kg)
Max speed: 279mph (448km/h) at 14,000ft (4,267m)
Range: 1,200 miles (1,931km)
Armament: Two machine guns in each wing, two in rear position. Up to 2,000lb
(907kg) of bombs
Replaced: In dive-bomber role only: Bristol Blenheim IV from 1942
Taken on charge: 1,205 including 400 built by Northrop
Replaced by: De Havilland Mosquito from 1944VULTEE VENGEANCE I
Supporting Allied troops who were
heavily engaged, all 12 bombs burst
in the centre of the target, causing
considerable damage.
“An unusual task was a precision
strike on a photo-recce Spitfire that
had crashed behind enemy lines.
The Allies did not want its camera
equipment falling into Japanese
hands so 45 Squadron was ordered to
destroy it.”
On October 17, 1943, Flt SgtRichard Harding (23) and his
navigator, W/O John Barnard, of 82
Squadron failed to return. They were
the first combat casualties of any RAF
Vengeance unit.CAB RANK
“As well as frontline objectives,
Vengeance units were also briefed to
support the behind-the-lines activities
of the famed General Orde Wingate
and his ‘Chindit’ special forces.
When the first columns moved off,
84 Squadron, under Sqn Ldr Arthur
Gill, was ready to give cover and was
soon relieved by his counterparts in
45 Squadron.
“Increasingly, the RAF units worked
alongside one another in a pattern
not dissimilar to the ‘cab rank’ system
perfected by Hawker Typhoon
squadrons over Northern Europe.
“Flak remained the greatest danger.
Japanese fighters appeared only
occasionally, but when danger was
expected the dive-bombers flew with
fighter escort – but that was no means
a given. Vengeances mostly had to
fend for themselves.
“With increased liaison with ground
forces, Vengeances could drop down
from the skies to pick off targets
where they were most needed. For
example, on January 17, 1944 two
dozen Vengeances from 45 and
110 Squadrons attacked a Japanese
stronghold at Kyauktaw twice in the
space of less than 20 minutes, with
devastating effect.”“Terminal velocity, with dive brakes
extended and one-third throttle, was
recorded as 320mph at 90°... Pilots were
soon getting the hang of things, some being
able to place their bombs within 15 yards of
the objective.”
AboveAbove
An impressive An impressiveRichard Harding (23) and his