Spraying from the air

[PETERTHEEATER]

An aircraft installation intended for spraying chemicals such as mustard gas and phosgene from the air was the SCI or Smoke Curtain Installation. Naturally, at the time, this was a cover.

I found this image in USA NARA of a Havoc laying a 'smoke screen' probably a practice sortie in the use of SCI for CW.

CAPTION:

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l366/PRACHUAP/SmokeScreencaption.jpg

IMAGE

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l366/PRACHUAP/SmokeScreenMarauder.jpg

[PNK]

I like the wording of the text. Seems like the A-20 was a war winner. We should have used more of them :)

I am also intruiged by the "important weight of bombs". What is an unimportant weight then?

I wonder how effective smoke laying was in practice.

[P Bellamy]

20FG at Kingscliffe did infantry support smokescreen-laying trials with P-51D Mustangs. I'll see if I can find a photo of one whipping along at zero feet.

All the best,
PB

[OneEighthBit]

I think Operation Banquet was the plan to spray the British beaches with chemicals/gas in case of invasion. Most units had a "Banquet Plan" which was a list of personnel who, in the event the plan was put into operation, were to report immediately to certain stations to crew up and undertake the spraying in second-line aircraft.

I learnt all this after finding the plan for Stoke Orchard which had only one hapless chap on the list to report to a bombing station if it all went off! :D

[Carnaby]

I think Operation Banquet was the plan to spray the British beaches with chemicals/gas in case of invasion.

I suspect it was actually the conversion of training aircraft into bombers, e.g.

AIR 14/1126 "Operation "Banquet": scheme to employ all available training aircraft in defence of UK against invasion 1940 May - Nov.
I note relevant records continue into 1943.

Looks interesting will investigate if the TNA opportunity arises.

There were other 'Operation Banquets' later in WWII, and the Navy had: ADM 1/13530 Operation "Banquet Ceiling": disposal of ammunition, bombs, etc 1942-1943

Graham

[PETERTHEEATER]

I like the wording of the text. Seems like the A-20 was a war winner. We should have used more of them :)

I am also intruiged by the "important weight of bombs". What is an unimportant weight then?

I wonder how effective smoke laying was in practice.

You forgot the "capable of extreme speed" :-D