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“The R.A.F. bombed at night using flares dropped by “Pathfinder” planes called MOSQUITOS .to light up the target area for theiir heavy bombers The mosquito was a double engine wooden bomber also called Wooden Wonder.”
“To exploit these newly developed devices, Bomber Command adapted a new technique. A special group of bombers called “Pathfinders”, would precede the main bomber stream; Equipped with all three navigational aids, they would mark the target for the bombers following behind. They would often drop flares indicating the precise target.”
“A small fleet of high-powered aircraft (i.e. Mosquitos) would precede each major bombing raid, dropping coloured flares over the precise target. Initially this tactic proved to be invaluable to the bomber fleet but the Germans soon became aware of this tactic. When flares were dropped the Garmans would light flares some distance from the target confusing the bomb aimers of the precise target. German forces knew a bombing raid was eminent once the flares had been deployed. Consequently the preceding bomber fleet lost any chance of a surprise attack. This countermeasure proved to effective, in that the bomb aimer was forced torely more on the ability of the navigator.”
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The U.S. 8th Air Force bombed at daylight using the so called “dropping on the leader.” concept. When the leader dropped his bombs all the others immediately drop on signal by the bombardiers watching for the bomb release of the Group’s lead plane and dropping their bombs at the same instant.
Assuming every plane’s bombs were released at the same moment, the bomb pattern on the ground would be a very close facsimile of the formation patterne flown by the planes from wich the bombs were dropped.
The formation being in diamond shape, the area covered by the pattern bombing was more than a mile wide and the target was obligatory inside.
Bombing of a target which is in effect a general area rather than a small or pinpoint target.
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