Spraying from the air

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:



IMAGE

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

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!

OneEighthBit;40499 wrote:

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

PNK;40492 wrote:

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"

8AF 1st Bomb Division CWS history:

October 1943

The obtaining of the RAF secret bomb, technically designated as SCI type S/L four hundred (400) lbs. Mk.1A, but commonly known as the "Flying Cow", for use by us as a potential Skymarker, was attempted. It was believed that a filling of our smoke munition, "FS", would produce a readily visible smoke trail at high altitudes and serve as a smoke signal for our formations.
The "Cow" filled with "FS" was satisfactory, even at thirty-one thousand (31,000) ft. and after conclusively proving that it was readily adaptable for our release, it was disapproved by the Air Ministry on the grounds that its construction, etc., was of such a secret nature that it would not be used under any circumstances other than Offensive Gas Warfare.

Thanks Paul. I thought that the USAAF would have been looking at ways to eliminate vapour trails at altitude since thay gave a visible signature to the enemy.

But, it does correct my assumption that the 'plane shown in my Post #1 was using smoke for CW practice.

SCI operation diagrams:











Source: AFHRA via 1AD Archive

OneEighthBit;40499 wrote:

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

Even in the event of invasion that would presumably have been "illegal"?