Were any C-47's used as a bomber in WW2? ...

[Mark Allen M]

... sure could have by the looks of these. Or they could be extra fuel tanks.
Photos state: C-47 with external tanks either with Napalm or gas at and over, New Guinea 1944.

[CAPFlyer]

The 30-ish R4D-6S aircraft were equipped with Depth Bombs in their Anti-Submarine role, but other than that, I don't believe any C-47/R4D were ever intentionally armed as conventional bombers. The racks in your photos are in the same position as on the R4D-6S, which were adapted from the ParaPack mount locations, so not surprised at all that they at least tested flying with drop tanks.

[JohnB]

Not exactly a C-47, but Finland used a DC-2 as a bomber, as did someone in the Spanish civil war.

[Archer]

Photo 3 and 4: isn't this the spare wing that was flown out to create the DC-2.5? That was suspended below a DC-3 to get it to the scene of the repair...

Edit: the suspension of that wing below a DC-3 is shown here: https://cnac.org/aircraft02.htm The photos above appear to show a different (slightly smaller) wing suspended in a similar way, using different and more brackets between (spare) wing root and DC-3 fuselage.

[Dana M Bell]

The photos show a 433rd TCG C-47 prior to that unit's transition to C-46s in October 1944. While I've never seen anything on that group's bombing activities, two C-47As (X87 and X89) of the 317th TCG (another Fifth AF transport unit) dropped 12 x 55 gallon drums of napalm each on Carabao Island on 12 April 1945. A second mission dropped another 24 drums later that day. During a third mission on 15 April, X84 dropped another 12 drums.

The drums were carried internally and pushed out the cargo door three at a time. A three-foot arming wire armed a grenade as the bombs fell away.

Many of my old microfilm scans are badly faded, but somewhere there's a note of the crews referring to their aircraft as CB-47s or BC-47s - wish I could find that note!

Cheers,


Dana

[RyanShort1]

The 30-ish R4D-6S aircraft were equipped with Depth Bombs in their Anti-Submarine role, but other than that, I don't believe any C-47/R4D were ever intentionally armed as conventional bombers. The racks in your photos are in the same position as on the R4D-6S, which were adapted from the ParaPack mount locations, so not surprised at all that they at least tested flying with drop tanks.

Yep, and the CAF example at Lancaster is supposed to have sunk a u-boat with those depth charges.

[Steve Birdsall]

The more you look at those photos the more interesting they get. As Dana said, an ex-70th TCS, 433rd TCG plane, judging by the overpainted "379". I'd lean toward those being extra fuel tanks, but I've never seen a 5th Air Force C-47 equipped quite like this before.

[Mark Allen M]

A couple more. Looks to be wings being transported.

[ErrolC]

Lodestar wing being attached under a RNZAF Dakota in 1944 - flaps, who needs them!

https://rnzaf.proboards.com/post/303752/thread

[Dan K]

Yep, and the CAF example at Lancaster is supposed to have sunk a u-boat with those depth charges.

A little history...

http://www.douglasdc3.com/r4d/r4d.htm

[RyanShort1]

Yep, and the CAF example at Lancaster is supposed to have sunk a u-boat with those depth charges.

A little history...

http://www.douglasdc3.com/r4d/r4d.htm

Ok. I'm going to be the bad guy and say it...

Which U-boat was it? What was the date? It seems elusive.

Also, while initially cruising through lost Uboats here: https://uboat.net/fates/losses/1942.htm I'm amazed at the high percentage of the Uboats sunk in 1942 were attributed to being sunk by a Lockheed Hudson!

[CAPFlyer]

The official line is that the squadron that Ready4Duty was assigned to was credited with a U-Boat in Feb. 1945. As the R4D-6S service was highly classified, many of the records relating to day-to-day missions and assignments were either destroyed or just not well kept. As such, which of the 20 aircraft assigned to the squadron actually made the attack credited with the kill was responsible, other records show that BuNo 50783 (now "Ready4Duty") was flying that day, in the same general vicinity (one of 2 aircraft assigned to the patrol area). There are photos in the Smithsonian showing the attack and presumed sinking, however none show which BuNo they were taken from (again due to wartime censorship practices).

The 2003 edition of Texas Warbird Survivors has a little more -

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLE2U ... gs&f=false

[RyanShort1]

The official line is that the squadron that Ready4Duty was assigned to was credited with a U-Boat in Feb. 1945. As the R4D-6S service was highly classified, many of the records relating to day-to-day missions and assignments were either destroyed or just not well kept. As such, which of the 20 aircraft assigned to the squadron actually made the attack credited with the kill was responsible, other records show that BuNo 50783 (now "Ready4Duty") was flying that day, in the same general vicinity (one of 2 aircraft assigned to the patrol area). There are photos in the Smithsonian showing the attack and presumed sinking, however none show which BuNo they were taken from (again due to wartime censorship practices).

The 2003 edition of Texas Warbird Survivors has a little more -

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLE2U ... gs&f=false

That's what I was looking for! Thanks.

[marine air]

They were used as bombers by the Israelis in their fight for independence 1947- 1948.

[H.Finn]

Not exactly a C-47, but Finland used a DC-2 as a bomber, as did someone in the Spanish civil war.

True, but the Finnish use was limited to one mission during the Winter War, on 1st March 1940. On return flight one of the engines had to be shut down due to mechanical failure, no enemy action involved, and the aircraft (the only DC-2 in Finnish AF at the time) was grounded for a longish time. After it was repaired it was used for aerial photo survey/reconnaissance duties, and as a transport aircraft and troop carrier. After the war, Finnish AF bought two ex Aero Oy (now Finnnair) DC-2s, and used them until 1956.

The Soviet AF did use the licence built DC-3, Lisunov Li-2, as bomber. Somebody else may know better how extensive that use was.