Blenheim gun pack – easy to change role?

Graham,

Blenheim bomb bay doors had to be removed for the carriage of SBC’s as these extended too far downwards for the doors to close. 4 x 250lb or 2 x 500lb bombs were carried well within the bomb bay so the doors could properly close. I have a hunch that when a combination of 2 x 250lb and 2 x 250lb SBC’s were carried the SBC’s would be carried either side of the central keel plate with the 250lb bombs in the outside positions and that in that case only the inner sets of doors would need to be removed. Still have to find photographic evidence to confirm that hunch though!

As per AP1530 B, Vol I, the doors also needed removal when carrying 2 x 250lb type “B” bombs, B standing for Buoyant, but I do not know if these were ever used operationally.

As for the wing bays, those existed alright but were very small and mostly used to each carry 2 x 4in training flares or 2 x 4.5in reconnaissance flares. The carrier used inside those cells is a twin light series carriers. The bays were situated at the end of the centre plane roots just in front of the flaps.

Hope this info is of help.

Cheers,

Walter Lindekens

Thanks to the pair of you. I will copy Kigas’s comment, with credit, across to a thread on Britmodeller where this is being discussed. The comment suggests that a role exchange was not an extended process, although I still see it as a bit time-consuming to be a regular daily feature on squadrons. Between days, perhaps, between missions unlikely.

As regards extra carriage, the external LSCs with bombs are seen on bomber Blenheims, anything in the wing bays are obviously not visible. The key parameter would be the maximum take-off weight, but this could be compensated for by reducing the fuel load, as was common on the heavies. Whether this was done on the Blenheim fighters is why the question arises.

On a related question, I have seen bomber Blenheims without at least some of the bombbay doors missing, certainly for SBC and possibly for four conventional bombs. How common was this, and for which weapons?

I believe that the gun pack, fully loaded, was more or less equal in weight to the bomb load so probably unlikely that there was capacity for a mixed load of guns and bombs.

In answer to the original question, the gun pack was rearmed by opening the outer bombs doors, which were still fitted, and then the armorers were able to slide the ammo containers into place within the rack.
If the gun pack required removal it was held in by four large screws with `T` handles that passed through the bomb bay floor, these same screws held the bomb racks in position. the inner doors that had to be removed to fit the gun pack were relatively easy to replace.
With regard to who could wear the BoB bar it was only designated fighter squadrons who could wear it. 53 and 59 squadrons were not part of fighter command during the BoB

Smudge

Congratulations on the fastest hijacking of a thread I’ve seen for a while. Interesting, yes, no argument, but can anyone answer the original questions?

Presumably this just applied to these two squadrons?

This is an old chestnut with regard to awarding the Battle of Britain bar.
Both 53 and 59 Squadrons regularly changed from bombing roles to fighter roles (with the gun pack added) and were involved in air to air combats. Hence, the squadron members were given the authority to wear the bar up to 1960 when the AM then decided the Blenheims were bombers, and they had to remove the Battle of Britain bar from their 1939/45 star ribbon.