I was stationed on 627 Squadron at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire at war's end, from where we were going to Okinawa on the RAF 'Tiger Force' to mark targets in Japan, but, of course, we weren't needed. I flew AZ-N, AZ-O, AZ-P, AZ-R, AZ-T, AZ-Q, AZ-V, AZ-W and AZ-Y. All of which I have recorded in my logbook here. There is a fair chance that one or two of these appear in this clip. John Beeching
Hello John. My grandfather Harry Willis flew in 627 for a tour after being asked to join following his time in 115 in the Wellingtons and lanc 2's. He spoke infrequently about his experiences but on the rare occasions he did he always spoke most highly of both his pilots (he was a navigator) and the mosquito itself, having crashed 3 times in other aircraft. I travelled with him some years ago to the de Havilland museum when their prototype mosquito was in it's yellow livery. He missed his friends greatly.
A cousin of mine, Wing/Cdr Oats commanded 21 Mosquito Sqdn briefly before sadly being killed (with Flt/Sgt Gubbings) while on a mission in Germany just 2 months before the end of the war. His watch was discovered in a field some 18 years later and repatriated to his brother in 1969.
My father was a very good navigation instructor with the RAAF. He taught Churchill's private navigator, and most of his men went into the Pathfinders. Life expectancy 6 weeks. No ammunition and just enough fuel to get them over the mountains at 500 feet. The matte black night camouflage slowed the Mosquito by 15 mph. The Pathfinders were brave men who did a wonderful job
The finest aircraft made in the Empire. My Grandfather flew DH-98's made in our home town London , Ontario. He did a full tour out over the Arctic Ocean in RCAF BR-10 Squadron Coastal Command out of Gander. He finished up in Fighter Command in Mosquitoes. All Canadian , always very deadly. London , Ontario was at the very center of training most Airmen in the Empire and Allied Air forces. Contrary to what most Americans think. They did not win the war single handed. I'll even through in respect for the Soviets. Their ground campaigns dwarfed all of the Allies. My Grandfather did speak very highly of the American Air force. Many Americans were staitiond in Gander and my Grandfather marvelled at the amount of resources and equipment they brought with them.
wow what an experience he had! And flying in that great plane to do all those things. Yeah the America First comes from some kind of misguided ego thing. I read an interesting book called "The Four Founding Groups of America" i think it was called. It really answered a lot of questions ive had about the national characteristics of the U.S. You have to baby American men when it comes to informing them about things like; for every large battle America fought the Red Army fought six or the fact that all the Common Wealth countries were in it two years before the yanks (i dont think ive ever met an American male that knows our cousins to the north were fighting and dying two years before Pearl Harbour). Anything that isnt "Rah Rah the U.S." is considered criticism even though the comment wasn't even about the states. Anyway, thats for the interesting comments.
It's funny how Americans go on about beating Hitler (it's always reduced to individuals) when, in fact, their greatest achievements were in the Pacific. They might not have won that single-handedly either but they did manage all the island hopping campaigns that got them as far as Okinawa. The logistics of that alone are mind boggling. Their achievements in the Pacific war are nowhere near as widely known but compared with the European war, they played a much bigger hand. They took their lumps early and they learnt from them.
A Mosquito is an emotional plane... we used to operate them with our RNZAF and we have a restored Mosquito that lived in John Smith's shed for many years.. cheers from down under ✈️👍🇳🇿
Eines der besten zweimotorigen Flugzeuge aller Zeiten. Robust, schnell und ordentlich bewaffnet. Ideal für Störangriffe aller Art. Dazu ein elegantes Design.
It didn't need defensive armament. It flew more missions in Europe than any other type of bomber, in large part because it could fly in such bad weather. It had a far better hit rate than any other bomber, nearly all raids were low level precision bombing. To give you an idea, many bombs were dropped, landing inside the mouths of railway tunnels. And it was used a pathfinder/ marker bomber for normal bombing formations following behind. It had FAR lower losses per mission than any other bomber. Not only that it was the first multirole aircraft, with fighter-bomber, fighter, night fighter, anti submarine and high altitude versions. All types were extraordinarily successfull.
The mosquito, though not a glamorous flyer like the spitfire or meteor, was probably the greatest plane of the second world war. Cheap, capable and fast - Goering envied this plane like no other.
A mate of my dad’s was a Mosquito navigator/radar operator in a night fighter squadron. They were also tasked with shooting down V1 flying bombs because they could chase them down fairly easily, and could shoot at them from far enough away that they didn’t have to fly through a cloud of debris if they exploded after being shot at. He told me about the first one they shot down with radar assistance. He had his head down tracking the bomb with his radar. The pilot told him he could see it but keep tracking. He heard the guns firing and finally the pilot told him to look up. He saw the VI shooting straight up in the air, the shots must have damaged the gyros. Don’t know how many more they shot down, but it was apparently at least a few.
My father's all time favourite aircraft [his father was RAF, served out in north Africa] and this was designed and built at the aerodrome just down the road from where he lived as a child [Hatfield}.
I love the fact that this state-of-the-art aircraft was built by carpenters, cabinet makers, instrument makers, jig makers and tool wrights, using their knowledge of the ancient building material and all it's fantastic properties.
At 02:00 I heard the narrator say ' Deelen' in Holland.... so that' s the place I live! And yes here we have a large old German Luftwaffe airstrip and commando bunker .. and lots of more history.. Anyway, Beautiful and devastating airplanes. P.S. thank you for Liberating us🎶💋❤🎶🇱🇺
Chief`s Lief i must let everyone know that if you visit the Netherlands and mention that your father or uncle or any close relative, you are welcomed with warmth and gratitude, in the late 1970,s my father and I worked in Germany close to the Dutch border and met many Hollanders and when they heard my dad was in Holland with the army they treated him like visiting royalty, now dad was with the B E F, who were evacuated from Dunkirk but that didn’t matter he fought against those dirty germans who stole all the bicycles, in joke there as the chap who owned the bar we drank in was Dutch married to a German girl and always let the Germans know that they stole his grandads bike,
One of the greatest British aircraft ever, some people would argue that the Spitfire or Lancaster was better but they couldn't do half of the things the Mosquito did like flying to Berlin and back twice in one night on a regular basis; the bomber versions famously very fast could cruise at 360 m.p.h (just remember that's the top speed of a Battle of Britain Spitfire!)! Spitfires never had the firepower that the Mosquito had. The Spitfire was a beautiful killing machine but the Mosquito did everything better with style and flair.
I have ALWAYS been fascinated by these planes since I was very young-such a great time to be in and the toughest generation to ever walk the planet!!!!
Has anyone heard the story about a retired Polish pilot who was invited to a posh girls school to talk about the war. He mentioned Fockers coming from all directions, and when the teacher interrupted to tell the girls that the FW190 was a very capable German aircraft, he replied "Ja, but these fockers were Messerschmitts"
@@briggsquantum That was actually said and well documented by Sir Douglas Bader, old 'tin legs' he lost them whilst doing solo aerobatics, in 1933, in a biplane, too low and crashed. He had false legs made and learned to walk again, even fly Spitfires. When he was posted to lead a new squadron, he overheard one of the pilots saying that surely someone with tin legs would be shit at flying. He ordered them outside and climbed aboard a Spitfire, flew the most amazing flight and demo, never heard a peep from them after that. He was in Colditz Castle as a P.O.W.
Fastest climb ratio until jets came out I think. Maybe that was the hornet. Definitely in the top 10 for best WW2 aircraft. Used for almost every role. Extremely versatile. Even had the one with the field gun in it. Love them
My Great Uncle was a Beaufighter & Mosquito Pilot ( Rank Sgt P/O A ) - ( also flying for RAAF No 456 Mosquito Squadron on Night Fighters/Intruders out of RAF 10 and 11 Group in late 1943-44 ) - in RAF No 46 Squadron and RAF 108 Sqd in the North African campaign he was one of 4 Australians in a Unit. No 46 & 108 Sqd flew Night Fighter patrols over Egypt, Libya, Malta, Greece and the Aegean generally. His personal file shows the destruction of Ships, Trains, motor vehicles and a Heinkel HE. 111 among other victims. Through 1943-44, flying out of an airfield in Athens - after the HE. 111 was intercepted and destroyed - records state his Beau harassed a German retreat by strafing Railway and Motor Transport following this up with nightly 'Intruder Missions' over the wider Aegean ( Salonika, Crete, Rhodes, Melos, Leros and Cos ) - Night Fighter Pilots were cut from a particular cloth - Gods bless them all!
Your father was a brave man. I'm not a religious person so I won't say god bless them but, I am grateful for their courage and have the utmost respect for them. We owe them so much.
They flew these from Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire down the road from RAF Coningsby where they flew the Lancaster Bombers. The Lancaster boys called them the balsa wood club in fun. I got to see the British Aerospace Mosquito flying at Duxford before it bit the dust in an accident near Manchester. An amazing plane.
An old friend Geoff Brown back in the UK (1985) was a Mosquito pilot(long departed now). He showed me his log books with over 3500 hours flying in WW2 mainly in Mosquitos. He was based around the Mediterranean and Burma where a Zero made the mistake of flying in front of him. He said the cannons cut the Zero in half. He was English from a military family and born in India. He hated the Japanese even when I knew him because of there unnecessary cruelty to the Indian people during WW2. He told me of flying one night from Malta or to Malta and having to hold a constant heading in pitch blackness for over four hours with just the odd outside spark from the engines(possibly Merlins) for company then having to look for a signal fire. He said he was terrified of having to ditch. His son told me of 1970ish when his dad flew him inverted from Wales to Biggin hill because he could.. There you go..
@M Suzuki They were built in small numbers in Australia being made of wood they did not require a massive aircraft manufacturing facility. The engines were UK or US Packard Merlin.
When a type of plane could buzz Goering's and Goebbels's public speechs in Berlin at noon, that plane has bested them all - much love for the de Havilland Mosquito
Surely the most beautiful war machine ever built. My great grandfather owned a furniture factory in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire which produced a lot of the internal spars etc for the Mossie. Until recently, I had one of the smaller pieces with my mum's "REJECT" stamp on it. My dad reckoned they were useless planes. But he was in Burma (now Myanmar) at the time and they were prone to de-lamination due to the high humidity.
From what I can make out from the clip, the gold paint on the nose of the black job at 1:25 survived a huge number of bombing missions. What a brilliant aircraft the Mossie was, the first true multi-role combat aircraft.
Bad ass wooden wonder. A German pilots worst nightmare. The Mosquito could do it all. Speed, ceiling, armour, payload, redundant engine, handling, and range.
GORING THOUGHT SO--HE SAID, TRUST THE BRITISH TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL PLANE , MADE BY PIANO MAKERS. QUITE RIGHT--THE ENGINES WERE LIKE A BEAUTIFUL SONG ON THE WIND---BUT NOT THE OUR ENEMIES.
Wood would be ideal to handle such stress, not metal that vibrates, and has no ability to flex and so cracks and fatigues from the stress causing failure. You should learn more about wood, a product of nature that the mind of man still does not fully appreciate. Wood a product and gift from God. Jesus was a carpenter, no surprise there.
The high speed and high ceiling made it nearly impossible to shoot down. And with only two crew, the loss of an aircraft was far less costly than the 4 engined aircraft. IMO they should have been used far more than they were.
They were used everywhere? Fighter bombers, night fighters, Light bombers, pathfinders, reconnaissance, maritime strike aircraft with torpedoes, rockets 57mm cannon. They were used in nearly every theatre and front line. High speed was one thing for a bomber, but against later fighters like an Fw190 or updated Me109 they could be in trouble and be chased down and the high altitude models were generally the recon models only that were stripped down with no guns. My favourite aircraft, it's just beautiful especially the Mk VI fighter bombers with the 4 cannon + 4 machine-guns in the nose and the Tse Tse MkXVIII with the 57mm Howitzer for hitting subs.
At the end of WW2 so many hundreds of fighter planes and bombers left lying around. Most all scrapped - only a few saved. There are no Typhoons, Tempest, late Lancs or Halifax, Stirlings or B17s to honour those that flew - just photos of brave men...
Whilst there are a good few aircraft that became extinct after the war there are still examples of all those planes you mention (except the Stirling sadly!) on display in museums, granted not many of the British types but there are plenty of B-17's about.
My uncle was an aviator and instructor in ww2. At the end of the war he bought a Mustang, a Bearcat and a Catalina. He told me he paid $1100 for the Mustang. He later sold them in the 60's. He was a character, he ran casino and sports betting in Omaha Ne. before the was. He was a pioneer aviator and had his Stearman aircraft taken by US gov for a trainer. He said he was never given payment. That was WW2
The mosquito concept of the fast bomber was exactly that used by the Germans. Yet this looks sleek, fast and threatening whilst German bombers all look like flying greenhouses.
John Moore, yes the Germans did indeed try to built a fast twin engined wooden bomber, it was built by Focke wulf and designated the TA 154. It turned out to be heavy and underpowered so was a failure.
What the Yank commentator neglects to mention is that the British Designed, Engineered and Built, 2 engined, 2 Crew, unarmed Mosquito could carry a Bomb load heavier than the B17 with FOUR engines, ten crew and more than ten defensive Brownings!
Except the specification from the British Air Purchasing Commission wasn't for the P40 (they were already buying those) - it was for something different, following on from the lessons learned during the BoB: faster, higher altitude performance, longer range and better armed and to be delivered in record time. NAA delivered on most, and as you say, the rest is history...
Hello Jeff.Maybe your father worked on the one my own father saw destroying a train in Lessines . Planes attacked trains loaded with stones going to the Atlantic Wall.
@@herculeletorse7767 No he was just too young to be caught up in the war, it was when it was over and he was serving his national service. Think he was 15 when the war ended. If he was still alive he would be 91 now and 92 at Xmas.
With the Mosquito you should first Thank God, who allowed you to be victorious over the Germans, and then Thank De Havilland for building an aircraft so superior to everything else that it did not need critical resources, like aluminum, and proved so effective against the German Luftwaffe that they gave a German pilot 2 kills for downing just one Mosquito, it was that difficult and foolhearty to attempt.
@@NaYawkr Yes, that is true. Luftwaffe pilots were awarded two kills for their efforts in bagging a "Mossie." German AAA crews went by a point system. 7 points were needed to receive the Iron Cross. Single engine A/C were 1 pt, twin engine A/C 2pts, Bombers and transports 3 pts, Lancasters Halifax, B-17, garnered 4 pts being that these A/C were held in high regards. Mosquito's were the most highly " prized " A/C as they were worth 5 pts.
They were able to fly non stop to Russia by stripping out the weapons and armour.The Bomb bay carrried over 3000lb in fuel and sometimes a passenger in a pressurised compartment.They never lost a plane on the Russian shuttle.
Howard Keith Grover @ frame 1:01 627 Squadron in the leather trench coat and the piss cutter. American who was enrolled at McGill University and joined RCAF with many of his classmates.
Imagine finishing your training and being told you were posted to Mosquitos. Bonus number 1 you get to fly a Mosquito. Bonus 2 your chances of survival massively increased.
I built the 1:24 version a couple of years ago. Each sub-assembly was a project in itself. The detail on the Merlins made it a shame to put the cowlings over them.
I got lucky, my Grand Father gave me an actual wooden model, and it was just great. Wish I still had it now after 55 years. And Airfix models were very good, made heaps when I was young, favourite one was the Lancaster, followed by the Spit. Cheers
A veteran who was 23 years old in '45 (now 99) actually could have been a Mosquito pilot, or in many other specialties. A few of them probably read now about the war, using a computer. Ponder this, before claiming that everybody who said "I was there..." is a liar.
Bases and airfields used by No. 627 Squadron RAF November 1943 to April 1944 RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire April 1944 to September 1945 RAF Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
If what you are saying is true, that would make you at least age 90+ today! I'm sure your country is proud of you if you are forthright about your info. If you are American, we thank you for your service! (With a name like "Babywipe" you make us wonder about you!)
@@hog8035Yes you did say that already! 1946 was 73 years ago, old timer; it's time to let it go, live in the present now. Thank you for your service, we wish you well.
@@tyr844 I'm aware of that! As a GA pilot, I know simulators are very helpful in training and for reviews, BUT, they do NOT take the place of "seat-of-the-pants" flying! (E.g.: a few years ago, an Asiana pilot who crash-landed, on a perfectly clear day, at SFO had never even flown an airline jet or landed one WITHOUT auto-pilot and all the computerized controls! He couldn't even do the approach! Shameful!) It is kind of like a 16-year-old driving a car on the freeway; the mechanics of driving an automobile are easy, but that's the easy part of driving. A teen doesn't have the mentality to fully heed the rules of NO SPEEDING, no drugs/alcohol, paying attention to the front, back and sides of the road, and so on and it's INATTENTION to those things that causes fatal accidents! The human brain is not fully developed until about age 25.
The only flying example of the Mosquito in the world (at the moment) is located at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. I’ve seen her fly there. It was amazing to hear the sound of those twin Merlins. They have quite a collection of aircraft there. Go pay them a visit ! 😃
USNVA Update: The " Mossie " you speak of in Virginia was the " first " to fly since 1996. The second " Mossie " to fly is located at Vancouver, B.C. a third one in N.Z. also takes to the wild blue yonder. There is another currently under construction in N.Z. with at least two more on order, and efforts are under way in G.B. to get another airworthy. At present in Vancouver B.C. efforts have started to restore a Lancaster to airworthy. Currently, it is estimated that it will take 10 yrs to get the Grand old Dame back in trim. Cheers.
graham w Fastest according to my father a Mustang pilot was subjective to some extenct . Dependant on things like height, what they were carrying etc . Galland said in his book that they couldn’t catch Mosquitoes because they came in on the deck, & before they knew they where there the planes were gone. The famous raid on the Copenhagen Gestapo HQ showed what a remarkable plane this was.
They flew a lot of them without any guns for certain tasks such as flare laying, because they were so fast comparatively, that the guns were not needed. Just push on the throttle and youre gone.
The Mosquito was one hell of a plane. It was a twin Merlin engined hot rod for its time. I had a late friend, (RIP) who was in the Luftwaffe AA unit in WWII. He said they admired, hated, feared and envied the aircraft for its speed and versatility. The Mosquitos would fly low at tree-top level at high speed on precision strike runs, scaring the hell out of everyone. The Luftwaffe was very envious of the Mosquito because they had nothing that equals it. 👍
This legendary aircraft entered service in WWII while the USA slept in ignorance. It carried the same bombload as the B17 with two crew and two engines.
The 627 Squadron aircraft look like Mosquito B.Mk.IVs modified with a bulged bomb bay to carry a 4000 lb. "cookie". All B.Mk.IVs in RAF service were modified to have bulged bomb bays after October 1943. Incidentally, a Canadian-built Mosquito B.Mk.IX named "F for Freddie" set the record for the highest number of sorties flown by any allied bomber in WW2 -- 213 missions! The Mosquito B.Mk.IX had bulged bomb bays like the B.Mk.IV, but were fitted with more powerful Packard-built Merlin engines with 2-stage superchargers for even better performance. Sadly "F for Freddie" was lost due to pilot error during a public demonstration in support of a Canadian Victory Loan Bond Drive when it struck a flag pole atop the control tower at Calgary Airport.
Canada has never received the plaudits that they deserved. Their achievements are well out of proportion to the recognition they were afforded and that is the opinion of a grateful Brit..
Giving the Fascists a dose of our medicine . History made by heroes and innovators. Don't let anyone tell you our country is unworthy . Especially France or Germany .
The engines both turned the same way so take-off was “interesting” for new pilots to the type. Bomb load to Berlin was 4000 pounds the same as a US Eighth AF B17. Being smaller, the Mossie was less flexible on what it could carry at that weight but the fact does raise a huge question. Why was the Mosquito not used for daylight raids deep into Germany in place of the B17? That would have put two men at risk instead of ten, used 50% of the engines and being so fast far more likely to get home again.
"During the Normandy campaign, RAF squadrons committed a monthly average of not quite three hundred Mosquitos. From June through August, seventy were shot down and twenty-eight damaged beyond repair-33 percent of the total available." www.historyonthenet.com/british-ww2-aircraft
Just a bit of tape or glue filled in bullet/cannon holes.....! Their aircrews were called "The Plywood Pilots" but their combat record was unmatched.....one went down in the English channel and stayed afloat until the RAF Rescue crew got them out.....!
A lot more than one went down in the English Channel, they were brave men, and we honor and respect all servicemen. The RAF were superb, and saved a lot of lives, and they lost some too. But all are heroes.
I'm a dogs uncle if that's a Mosquito in ACTION!!! Looked more to my poor eyesight as a Mosquito on the tarmac preparing for liftoff followed by some flying in the air. I must need new glasses if I missed the ACTION!!
I'm sure I read that it was originally designed as a bomber, but it ended up being so fast and manoueverable, that it got redesignated for fighter duties too.
@@graememorrison333 De Havilland anticipated that it would be useful as a heavy fighter and designed provisions for mounting machine guns firing forward before the first prototype ever flew.
I know that the Spitfire was the "pin up" of WW2 and it is a beautiful plane, but there was just something about the mosquito that, for me, outshone the Spitfire.
We still have a piece of a mosquito that crashed at the base where my Dad was stationed in England. (Flying B24s) The drill was if a plane was landing in poor light you fired a flare at "The end of the runway where they were to land" Bozo fired it off in the middle and they ran out of runway. Everyone survived.
If it had gone into US production- making another 10, 000 the war ends in 44. All German daylight movement becomes impossible, and all German factories are vulnerable. The B-17 was a great plane and brave crews but the un-escorted bomber especially a slower heavy would not get through in daylight. Two air forces had already found this out the Luftwaffe and the RAF, and the RAF had passed this on to the US, in vain. The fault here lies in a strategic decision at the top not with planes or crews. Thus after Schweinfurt when the attacking force lost 20% of the force in one day, the Eighth USSAF was grounded. Of course they came back in 44 with the Mustang escort, but at least as far as ball bearings were concerned, the moment had passed- the industry dispersed, plain bearings substituted etc. However if large enough numbers of the Mosquito HAD been available, precision daylight bombing would have worked. And plane for plane you are getting the same bomb load per trip, but one could do two trips in the same time. Even in daylight the Mosquito had a loss rate below 2%,.
Oh God Soring Wanker is here Again with his America is great again. The Twat that actually believes the P40 was a better fighter than the Spitfire and Hurricane
Just a pity that so many beautiful machine are implements of destruction and death. Military aircraft are no longer elegant though there are a few exceptions. Concord was very elegant, as is the B1
If they look beautiful, if they look right then they are right for the job, the pilots loved to fly them just like the Spitfire & the amazing P51 Mustang.
Yet ridiculed by the 'Experts before the construction was even completed. There was a Cessna Twin model parked for years on Long Island at a private field in East Moriches, NY and it too was ridiculed by many who knew far less than they thought they did, calling the plane 'The Bamboo Bomber', lots of ignoramus's in the Aircraft expert business, even now.
Some may be unaware. The reason for the loss of Guy Gibson and his Pathfinder Mozzy recently came to light. The recent death bed admission of a Lanc. tail end gunner explains it. Gibson was placing himself behind the returning bomber. The gunner instantly opened fire on seeing a twin engine aircraft through the darkness .... Then realized it was not an enemy aircraft. Mortified on hearing the loss of Gibson, he kept it to himself, haunted for the rest of his days.
That’s a new one to me. I’d read that Gibson and another pilot were flying a mossie that had been built in Canada and he’d not been keen to listen to a run down on the differing controls etc from a member of the ground crew. Part way through the mission, he had to switch over fuel tanks but the tap to do so wasn’t where he expected to find it and as a result they ran out of fuel and crashed - apocryphal story?
I have flown in some vintage aircraft, 1950's Fokker, DC3 and Ju52. But my fondest memory though is the flight in another De Havilland, a Tiger Moth. Now that is flying! Cocooned from the winter elements in a tiny cockpit with cables and controls everywhere. Waving back at the kids down below, the smell of cooking fires and a cacophony of sounds from cattle, tractors and as always damn dogs barking at you. I am still in awe how such a small propeller can keep that plane in the air.
During the starting sequence you can just see an engineer using the priming pump on the inboard side of the left engine. This was needed as there is no way to prime the engine from the cockpit. 3 of these aircraft have been completed to flying condition in New Zealand with another in the UK still in progress but has done taxy runs already. Love to know if there is any more info on the ones Canada sold to Taiwan and if there are any relics left.
Hamish Davidson Oh aye, Hamish. Look for the following video + 1000 Mosquito Hours: George Stewart. George was involved with training the Chinese pilots. He gives a forth right account of the going's on. A proper bloke !
The mossie had the lowest ( crew) casualty rate in all of bomber command .It ( the Mossie ) could fly to Berlin with a heavier bomb load than the B 17 , and be home in time for tea and biscuits ( that's cookies to you yanks )
The Mosquito could and did(!) fly to Berlin and back twice in one night on a regular basis. It flew so fast that by the time the Lancasters, Halifaxes and Stirlings had reached the Dutch German border on the way to Berlin the Mosquito would have got to Berlin, dropped it's bomb load and be on it's way back to base!
It started as an unarmed bomber or recce aircraft, but as soon as the nay sayers saw it move they said "How about we hang some guns on it?" Wink, wink. The rest is history. About the only variant they never tried was a submarine.
Back in the early 60’s when I was a kid, I may have had the pleasure of sitting in the pilot’s seat of a derelict mosquito near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. I can’t be sure because the aircraft was not all there, but the shape of what was there seemed to fit the mosquito.
And carried almost the same bomb load as far slower a/c with 8 crew. Very few losses, despite doing the most challenging work. WHY weren't far more of them built ? That would have meant fewer human losses, more accurate bombing, far less materials and engines needed ......, and the material was more readily available (except maybe, balsa), fewer specialist workers.
@@sbkenn1 I've often wondered the same. I think there was always doubt about an unarmed bomber having enough performance to outrun fighters. The concept had been tried before and a new crop of faster fighters would appear and decimate them. It probably wasn't realized that the very upper end of propeller aircraft performance was being reached, and big gains in speed would be much more difficult. But yes, major raids with hundreds of Mosquitoes you'd think would be very effective and far less costly, especially in terms of aircrew losses. Of course one thing that reduced the availability of the Mosquito for bomber use was it's incredible versatility. It was used in so many different roles, all with great success.
They would have been pretty useless to be honest, the hurricanes and spitfires were so much better at what they did, the Mosquito would have a very limited capacity in air to air combat.
@@bradcohen9372 The Mossie has a very limited record of air to air combat day or night, it was never designed to be a nimble fighter and never was, fantastic multi role aircraft but a fighter No.
Had the chance to interview our last living mosqitoe fighter ace. James Luma. Great man great aircraft. I Have his autographed photo showing his aircraft with more than 1/2 of his vertical stabilizer shot off. He said it flew a litle funny, but nothing to worry about. There was nothing it couldn't do. The most versatile allied aircraft. It could carry a larger bomb load the 4 engined B-17 with a crew of 2 instead of 10. High ceiling, high speed, ease of maintenance. I have a 1/32 die cast model of a PR Mossie. Wish I could have flown one!
The b17 also carried a 4000lb bomb load. The mosquito could only carry one bomb @4000lb. Or two @500lb. Still a better plane for the fact alone that only 2 crewmen were at risk than 10
Last Mosquito coming in there only has port side engine running!... I met a Mosquito pilot maybe 15 years ago who flew with the RCAF. He had a small Mosquito label pin on his blazer, he was astonished that I knew what it was, he told me that they were a blast to fly, and had been up to 400 MPH in a dive! Very Cool. If the Luftwaffe knocked one out, it was considered 2 kills.
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I was stationed on 627 Squadron at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire at war's end, from where we were going to Okinawa on the RAF 'Tiger Force' to mark targets in Japan, but, of course, we weren't needed. I flew AZ-N, AZ-O, AZ-P, AZ-R, AZ-T, AZ-Q, AZ-V, AZ-W and AZ-Y. All of which I have recorded in my logbook here. There is a fair chance that one or two of these appear in this clip. John Beeching
+John Beeching My hat is off to you sir it must have been an experience.
Likewise, hat off to you sir!
You sir are a true Hero I salute you and thank you for what you did.
for your service , as a former serving soldier , we can only thank you.
Hello John. My grandfather Harry Willis flew in 627 for a tour after being asked to join following his time in 115 in the Wellingtons and lanc 2's. He spoke infrequently about his experiences but on the rare occasions he did he always spoke most highly of both his pilots (he was a navigator) and the mosquito itself, having crashed 3 times in other aircraft. I travelled with him some years ago to the de Havilland museum when their prototype mosquito was in it's yellow livery. He missed his friends greatly.
A cousin of mine, Wing/Cdr Oats commanded 21 Mosquito Sqdn briefly before sadly being killed (with Flt/Sgt Gubbings) while on a mission in Germany just 2 months before the end of the war. His watch was discovered in a field some 18 years later and repatriated to his brother in 1969.
My father was a very good navigation instructor with the RAAF. He taught Churchill's private navigator, and most of his men went into the Pathfinders. Life expectancy 6 weeks. No ammunition and just enough fuel to get them over the mountains at 500 feet. The matte black night camouflage slowed the Mosquito by 15 mph.
The Pathfinders were brave men who did a wonderful job
The finest aircraft made in the Empire. My Grandfather flew DH-98's made in our home town London , Ontario. He did a full tour out over the Arctic Ocean in RCAF BR-10 Squadron Coastal Command out of Gander. He finished up in Fighter Command in Mosquitoes. All Canadian , always very deadly. London , Ontario was at the very center of training most Airmen in the Empire and Allied Air forces. Contrary to what most Americans think. They did not win the war single handed. I'll even through in respect for the Soviets. Their ground campaigns dwarfed all of the Allies.
My Grandfather did speak very highly of the American Air force. Many Americans were staitiond in Gander and my Grandfather marvelled at the amount of resources and equipment they brought with them.
wow what an experience he had! And flying in that great plane to do all those things.
Yeah the America First comes from some kind of misguided ego thing. I read an interesting book called "The Four Founding Groups of America" i think it was called. It really answered a lot of questions ive had about the national characteristics of the U.S. You have to baby American men when it comes to informing them about things like; for every large battle America fought the Red Army fought six or the fact that all the Common Wealth countries were in it two years before the yanks (i dont think ive ever met an American male that knows our cousins to the north were fighting and dying two years before Pearl Harbour). Anything that isnt "Rah Rah the U.S." is considered criticism even though the comment wasn't even about the states. Anyway, thats for the interesting comments.
It's funny how Americans go on about beating Hitler (it's always reduced to individuals) when, in fact, their greatest achievements were in the Pacific. They might not have won that single-handedly either but they did manage all the island hopping campaigns that got them as far as Okinawa. The logistics of that alone are mind boggling. Their achievements in the Pacific war are nowhere near as widely known but compared with the European war, they played a much bigger hand. They took their lumps early and they learnt from them.
A Mosquito is an emotional plane... we used to operate them with our RNZAF and we have a restored Mosquito that lived in John Smith's shed for many years.. cheers from down under ✈️👍🇳🇿
Eines der besten zweimotorigen Flugzeuge aller Zeiten. Robust, schnell und ordentlich bewaffnet. Ideal für Störangriffe aller Art. Dazu ein elegantes Design.
It didn't need defensive armament. It flew more missions in Europe than any other type of bomber, in large part because it could fly in such bad weather. It had a far better hit rate than any other bomber, nearly all raids were low level precision bombing. To give you an idea, many bombs were dropped, landing inside the mouths of railway tunnels. And it was used a pathfinder/ marker bomber for normal bombing formations following behind. It had FAR lower losses per mission than any other bomber.
Not only that it was the first multirole aircraft, with fighter-bomber, fighter, night fighter, anti submarine and high altitude versions. All types were extraordinarily successfull.
The mosquito, though not a glamorous flyer like the spitfire or meteor, was probably the greatest plane of the second world war. Cheap, capable and fast - Goering envied this plane like no other.
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A mate of my dad’s was a Mosquito navigator/radar operator in a night fighter squadron. They were also tasked with shooting down V1 flying bombs because they could chase them down fairly easily, and could shoot at them from far enough away that they didn’t have to fly through a cloud of debris if they exploded after being shot at. He told me about the first one they shot down with radar assistance. He had his head down tracking the bomb with his radar. The pilot told him he could see it but keep tracking. He heard the guns firing and finally the pilot told him to look up. He saw the VI shooting straight up in the air, the shots must have damaged the gyros.
Don’t know how many more they shot down, but it was apparently at least a few.
3.09 Home on one engine then finish the trip with a three pointer. Now that's class!
I noticed that with HoGA. Hell of a ship!
Q: What’s better than the sound of a Merlin?
A. The sound of TWO Merlins!
Yes they are Merlin Engines BUT the sound on this video is of Lancaster Bombers not Mosquito's.
I was going to say a Bristol Centaurus but there was never Centaurus-powered Mossie!
@@tonysanger8448 Lancasters and mosquitos have virtually the same engine mate
My father's all time favourite aircraft [his father was RAF, served out in north Africa] and this was designed and built at the aerodrome just down the road from where he lived as a child [Hatfield}.
I love the fact that this state-of-the-art aircraft was built by carpenters, cabinet makers, instrument makers, jig makers and tool wrights, using their knowledge of the ancient building material and all it's fantastic properties.
I know, how interesting that this turned out so well.
At 02:00 I heard the narrator say ' Deelen' in Holland.... so that' s the place I live! And yes here we have a large old German Luftwaffe airstrip and commando bunker .. and lots of more history..
Anyway, Beautiful and devastating airplanes.
P.S. thank you for Liberating us🎶💋❤🎶🇱🇺
Chief`s Lief i must let everyone know that if you visit the Netherlands and mention that your father or uncle or any close relative, you are welcomed with warmth and gratitude, in the late 1970,s my father and I worked in Germany close to the Dutch border and met many Hollanders and when they heard my dad was in Holland with the army they treated him like visiting royalty, now dad was with the B E F, who were evacuated from Dunkirk but that didn’t matter he fought against those dirty germans who stole all the bicycles, in joke there as the chap who owned the bar we drank in was Dutch married to a German girl and always let the Germans know that they stole his grandads bike,
One of the greatest British aircraft ever, some people would argue that the Spitfire or Lancaster was better but they couldn't do half of the things the Mosquito did like flying to Berlin and back twice in one night on a regular basis; the bomber versions famously very fast could cruise at 360 m.p.h (just remember that's the top speed of a Battle of Britain Spitfire!)! Spitfires never had the firepower that the Mosquito had. The Spitfire was a beautiful killing machine but the Mosquito did everything better with style and flair.
I have ALWAYS been fascinated by these planes since I was very young-such a great time to be in and the toughest generation to ever walk the planet!!!!
one of my favorite plane ! a beauty and so fast. The missions during WWII with this plane were incredible !
a 36,000 feet ceiling. Now THAT is amazing for that aircraft! That really was a great aircraft !
the wooden wonder is such a beauty ! 😍 love from 🇩🇪...
Has anyone heard the story about a retired Polish pilot who was invited to a posh girls school to talk about the war. He mentioned Fockers coming from all directions, and when the teacher interrupted to tell the girls that the FW190 was a very capable German aircraft, he replied "Ja, but these fockers were Messerschmitts"
That's a story told by 'comedian' Stan Boardman on Des O'Connor Tonight sometime in the 80s.
@@davebealrugby3882 I am sure it originates much earlier than that.
I heard that joke in the 1960's but the narrator was Dutch ( as was Anthony Fokker ) hence the punchline.
@@briggsquantum That was actually said and well documented by Sir Douglas Bader, old 'tin legs' he lost them whilst doing solo aerobatics, in 1933, in a biplane, too low and crashed. He had false legs made and learned to walk again, even fly Spitfires. When he was posted to lead a new squadron, he overheard one of the pilots saying that surely someone with tin legs would be shit at flying. He ordered them outside and climbed aboard a Spitfire, flew the most amazing flight and demo, never heard a peep from them after that. He was in Colditz Castle as a P.O.W.
Fastest climb ratio until jets came out I think. Maybe that was the hornet. Definitely in the top 10 for best WW2 aircraft. Used for almost every role. Extremely versatile. Even had the one with the field gun in it. Love them
awesome footage, very rare to find original video of this beautiful aircraft type
My Great Uncle was a Beaufighter & Mosquito Pilot ( Rank Sgt P/O A ) - ( also
flying for RAAF No 456 Mosquito Squadron on Night Fighters/Intruders out
of RAF 10 and 11 Group in late 1943-44 ) - in RAF No 46 Squadron and
RAF 108 Sqd in the North African campaign he was one of 4 Australians
in a Unit. No 46 & 108 Sqd flew Night Fighter patrols over Egypt, Libya,
Malta, Greece and the Aegean generally. His personal file shows the
destruction of Ships, Trains, motor vehicles and a Heinkel HE. 111 among
other victims. Through 1943-44, flying out of an airfield in Athens -
after the HE. 111 was intercepted and destroyed - records state his Beau
harassed a German retreat by strafing Railway and Motor Transport
following this up with nightly 'Intruder Missions' over the wider Aegean
( Salonika, Crete, Rhodes, Melos, Leros and Cos ) - Night Fighter Pilots were
cut from a particular cloth - Gods bless them all!
Your father was a brave man. I'm not a religious person so I won't say god bless them but, I am grateful for their courage and have the utmost respect for them. We owe them so much.
They flew these from Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire down the road from RAF Coningsby where they flew the Lancaster Bombers. The Lancaster boys called them the balsa wood club in fun. I got to see the British Aerospace Mosquito flying at Duxford before it bit the dust in an accident near Manchester. An amazing plane.
the best piece of english furniture made during WW11
An old friend Geoff Brown back in the UK (1985) was a Mosquito pilot(long departed now). He showed me his log books with over 3500 hours flying in WW2 mainly in Mosquitos. He was based around the Mediterranean and Burma where a Zero made the mistake of flying in front of him. He said the cannons cut the Zero in half. He was English from a military family and born in India. He hated the Japanese even when I knew him because of there unnecessary cruelty to the Indian people during WW2. He told me of flying one night from Malta or to Malta and having to hold a constant heading in pitch blackness for over four hours with just the odd outside spark from the engines(possibly Merlins) for company then having to look for a signal fire. He said he was terrified of having to ditch. His son told me of 1970ish when his dad flew him inverted from Wales to Biggin hill because he could.. There you go..
@M Suzuki They were built in small numbers in Australia being made of wood they did not require a massive aircraft manufacturing facility. The engines were UK or US Packard Merlin.
When a type of plane could buzz Goering's and Goebbels's public speechs in Berlin at noon, that plane has bested them all - much love for the de Havilland Mosquito
My father during the WWII saw a mosquito destroying a train not far from lessines, Belgium
My Great-Grandmother worked on the mosquito wiring the dashboard during World War II
Maybe she worked on the one who attacked a train as my father was a witness in 44, Belgium
Surely the most beautiful war machine ever built. My great grandfather owned a furniture factory in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire which produced a lot of the internal spars etc for the Mossie. Until recently, I had one of the smaller pieces with my mum's "REJECT" stamp on it. My dad reckoned they were useless planes. But he was in Burma (now Myanmar) at the time and they were prone to de-lamination due to the high humidity.
Interesting. I had heard that they were also prone to damage by wood-eating insects.
From what I can make out from the clip, the gold paint on the nose of the black job at 1:25 survived a huge number of bombing missions.
What a brilliant aircraft the Mossie was, the first true multi-role combat aircraft.
Bad ass wooden wonder. A German pilots worst nightmare. The Mosquito could do it all. Speed, ceiling, armour, payload, redundant engine, handling, and range.
this aircraft is a work of art.
GORING THOUGHT SO--HE SAID, TRUST THE BRITISH TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL PLANE , MADE BY PIANO MAKERS. QUITE RIGHT--THE ENGINES WERE LIKE A BEAUTIFUL SONG ON THE WIND---BUT NOT THE OUR ENEMIES.
And made of wood! Imagine the pounding the air frame withstood firing a 30 mm cannon at one every two seconds.
Wood would be ideal to handle such stress, not metal that vibrates, and has no ability to flex and so cracks and fatigues from the stress causing failure. You should learn more about wood, a product of nature that the mind of man still does not fully appreciate. Wood a product and gift from God. Jesus was a carpenter, no surprise there.
@@OrWell-vb7le 20mm cannon.Also took the pounding of a 57mm cannon.
My father was an R.A.F flight mechanic on mosquitos and beau fighters at West Malling during the war.
The high speed and high ceiling made it nearly impossible to shoot down.
And with only two crew, the loss of an aircraft was far less costly than the 4 engined aircraft.
IMO they should have been used far more than they were.
They were used everywhere? Fighter bombers, night fighters, Light bombers, pathfinders, reconnaissance, maritime strike aircraft with torpedoes, rockets 57mm cannon. They were used in nearly every theatre and front line. High speed was one thing for a bomber, but against later fighters like an Fw190 or updated Me109 they could be in trouble and be chased down and the high altitude models were generally the recon models only that were stripped down with no guns. My favourite aircraft, it's just beautiful especially the Mk VI fighter bombers with the 4 cannon + 4 machine-guns in the nose and the Tse Tse MkXVIII with the 57mm Howitzer for hitting subs.
At the end of WW2 so many hundreds of fighter planes and bombers left lying around. Most all scrapped - only a few saved. There are no Typhoons, Tempest, late Lancs or Halifax, Stirlings or B17s to honour those that flew - just photos of brave men...
Whilst there are a good few aircraft that became extinct after the war there are still examples of all those planes you mention (except the Stirling sadly!) on display in museums, granted not many of the British types but there are plenty of B-17's about.
My uncle was an aviator and instructor in ww2. At the end of the war he bought a Mustang, a Bearcat and a Catalina. He told me he paid $1100 for the Mustang. He later sold them in the 60's. He was a character, he ran casino and sports betting in Omaha Ne. before the was. He was a pioneer aviator and had his Stearman aircraft taken by US gov for a trainer. He said he was never given payment. That was WW2
There is a working (Merlins running), Lancaster in Nanton, Alberta, Canada.
Kermit weeks has 2 tempests and nick graces son is doing 1 as well
The mosquito concept of the fast bomber was exactly that used by the Germans. Yet this looks sleek, fast and threatening whilst German bombers all look like flying greenhouses.
John Moore, yes the Germans did indeed try to built a fast twin engined wooden bomber, it was built by Focke wulf and designated the TA 154. It turned out to be heavy and underpowered so was a failure.
What the Yank commentator neglects to mention is that the British Designed, Engineered and Built, 2 engined, 2 Crew, unarmed Mosquito could carry a Bomb load heavier than the B17 with FOUR engines, ten crew and more than ten defensive Brownings!
Worth remembering that the USAAF chose the Mosquito as their PR aircraft too.
The commentator is a Canadian, I'll wager.
Stop having a go at Wilbur everybody - it's like shooting fish in a barrel!
.... and the Mustang was built from a British Specification.
Except the specification from the British Air Purchasing Commission wasn't for the P40 (they were already buying those) - it was for something different, following on from the lessons learned during the BoB: faster, higher altitude performance, longer range and better armed and to be delivered in record time.
NAA delivered on most, and as you say, the rest is history...
My dad worked on them doing national service as the war ended. Good to see this old film of them in the air.
Hello Jeff.Maybe your father worked on the one my own father saw destroying a train in Lessines . Planes attacked trains loaded with stones going to the Atlantic Wall.
@@herculeletorse7767 No he was just too young to be caught up in the war, it was when it was over and he was serving his national service. Think he was 15 when the war ended. If he was still alive he would be 91 now and 92 at Xmas.
@@jeffholmes8092 ok
So proud of our British servicemen, past and present. They were , and still are , the best in the world. Thank you, be safe.
With the Mosquito you should first Thank God, who allowed you to be victorious over the Germans, and then Thank De Havilland for building an aircraft so superior to everything else that it did not need critical resources, like aluminum, and proved so effective against the German Luftwaffe that they gave a German pilot 2 kills for downing just one Mosquito, it was that difficult and foolhearty to attempt.
@@NaYawkr What no religious fervour?
@@NaYawkr Yes, that is true. Luftwaffe pilots were awarded two kills for their efforts in bagging a "Mossie." German AAA crews went by a point system. 7 points were needed to receive the Iron Cross. Single engine A/C were 1 pt, twin engine A/C 2pts, Bombers and transports 3 pts, Lancasters Halifax, B-17, garnered 4 pts being that these A/C were held in high regards. Mosquito's were the most highly " prized " A/C as they were worth 5 pts.
My father was in Lancasters in WW2 but he got to go up in a Mosquito a couple of times.
He really liked them as they were so fast.
They were able to fly non stop to Russia by stripping out the weapons and armour.The Bomb bay carrried over 3000lb in fuel and sometimes a passenger in a pressurised compartment.They never lost a plane on the Russian shuttle.
Howard Keith Grover @ frame 1:01 627 Squadron in the leather trench coat and the piss cutter. American who was enrolled at McGill University and joined RCAF with many of his classmates.
Imagine finishing your training and being told you were posted to Mosquitos. Bonus number 1 you get to fly a Mosquito. Bonus 2 your chances of survival massively increased.
Not the easiest planes to learn on, but once you learn how to fly them, you're in a plane that gives you a good chance to survive.
I had an Airfix model of this when a kid. Beautiful designed plane.
I built the 1:24 version a couple of years ago. Each sub-assembly was a project in itself. The detail on the Merlins made it a shame to put the cowlings over them.
I got lucky, my Grand Father gave me an actual wooden model, and it was just great. Wish I still had it now after 55 years. And Airfix models were very good, made heaps when I was young, favourite one was the Lancaster, followed by the Spit. Cheers
So did i and ive got one in wardrobe ive had 10 year keep saying im going to build it.
A veteran who was 23 years old in '45 (now 99) actually could have been a Mosquito pilot, or in many other specialties.
A few of them probably read now about the war, using a computer. Ponder this, before claiming that everybody who said "I was there..." is a liar.
Bases and airfields used by No. 627 Squadron RAF
November 1943 to April 1944 RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
April 1944 to September 1945 RAF Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Mossies speed saved my life running from Falaise to Normandy I out ran a FW190, he couldn’t get close. I landed safely at a forward airfield. IL2 1946
If what you are saying is true, that would make you at least age 90+ today! I'm sure your country is proud of you if you are forthright about your info. If you are American, we thank you for your service! (With a name like "Babywipe" you make us wonder about you!)
M.J. Leger like I said IL2 1946
IL2 Sturmovik 1946. Spits v 109’s MP server.
@@hog8035Yes you did say that already! 1946 was 73 years ago, old timer; it's time to let it go, live in the present now. Thank you for your service, we wish you well.
@@MJLeger-tz4so IL2 Sturmovik 1946 is a WWII air fight simulator on PC :)
@@tyr844 I'm aware of that! As a GA pilot, I know simulators are very helpful in training and for reviews, BUT, they do NOT take the place of "seat-of-the-pants" flying!
(E.g.: a few years ago, an Asiana pilot who crash-landed, on a perfectly clear day, at SFO had never even flown an airline jet or landed one WITHOUT auto-pilot and all the computerized controls! He couldn't even do the approach! Shameful!)
It is kind of like a 16-year-old driving a car on the freeway; the mechanics of driving an automobile are easy, but that's the easy part of driving. A teen doesn't have the mentality to fully heed the rules of NO SPEEDING, no drugs/alcohol, paying attention to the front, back and sides of the road, and so on and it's INATTENTION to those things that causes fatal accidents! The human brain is not fully developed until about age 25.
Hey thank you for looking at the mosquito suggestion I sent you
Cheers Phil
The only flying example of the Mosquito in the world (at the moment) is located at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. I’ve seen her fly there. It was amazing to hear the sound of those twin Merlins. They have quite a collection of aircraft there. Go pay them a visit ! 😃
USNVA Update: The " Mossie " you speak of in Virginia was the
" first " to fly since 1996. The second " Mossie " to fly is located
at Vancouver, B.C. a third one in N.Z. also takes to the wild blue
yonder. There is another currently under construction in N.Z. with at least two more on order, and efforts are under way in G.B. to get
another airworthy. At present in Vancouver B.C. efforts have started to restore a Lancaster to airworthy. Currently, it is estimated that it will take 10 yrs to get the Grand old Dame back in trim. Cheers.
Knock, Knock, Hello. There is one flying out of yyj as I type this.
I'll put it in my bucket list. Thx!
Amazing so many being built of this iconic aircraft.
Beautiful looking aircraft.
I believe that when first introduced, they were the fastest combat plane of ANY type.
graham w Fastest according to my father a Mustang pilot was subjective to some extenct . Dependant on things like height, what they were carrying etc . Galland said in his book that they couldn’t catch Mosquitoes because they came in on the deck, & before they knew they where there the planes were gone. The famous raid on the Copenhagen Gestapo HQ showed what a remarkable plane this was.
They flew a lot of them without any guns for certain tasks such as flare laying, because they were so fast comparatively, that the guns were not needed. Just push on the throttle and youre gone.
The Mosquito was one hell of a plane. It was a twin Merlin engined hot rod for its time. I had a late friend, (RIP) who was in the Luftwaffe AA unit in WWII. He said they admired, hated, feared and envied the aircraft for its speed and versatility. The Mosquitos would fly low at tree-top level at high speed on precision strike runs, scaring the hell out of everyone. The Luftwaffe was very envious of the Mosquito because they had nothing that equals it. 👍
This legendary aircraft entered service in WWII while the USA slept in ignorance. It carried the same bombload as the B17 with two crew and two engines.
Stewart Nicol as BILLY CONNOLLY - And it was built in several variants and has fulfilled a multitude of roles. 👍
The 627 Squadron aircraft look like Mosquito B.Mk.IVs modified with a bulged bomb bay to carry a 4000 lb. "cookie". All B.Mk.IVs in RAF service were modified to have bulged bomb bays after October 1943.
Incidentally, a Canadian-built Mosquito B.Mk.IX named "F for Freddie" set the record for the highest number of sorties flown by any allied bomber in WW2 -- 213 missions! The Mosquito B.Mk.IX had bulged bomb bays like the B.Mk.IV, but were fitted with more powerful Packard-built Merlin engines with 2-stage superchargers for even better performance. Sadly "F for Freddie" was lost due to pilot error during a public demonstration in support of a Canadian Victory Loan Bond Drive when it struck a flag pole atop the control tower at Calgary Airport.
Proudly built in Canada with CANADIAN wood.
Right on man, long live Canada
Brettfaverefly: They did build some in Britain you know
Yes, as a Brit, I'm happy to acknowledge (and grateful too) that most of the timber for the plane came from either North or South America.
Some were.
Canada has never received the plaudits that they deserved. Their achievements are well out of proportion to the recognition they were afforded and that is the opinion of a grateful Brit..
Awesome... we flew them as well and I have seem Mosquito warbirds... thanks from NZ 👍🇳🇿
Thanks for sharing ! Great takes ! Caught in the act !!!
I remember herman Goring sad... : i turn green of envy when i see a mosquito over Germany
Giving the Fascists a dose of our medicine . History made by heroes and innovators. Don't let anyone tell you our country is unworthy . Especially France or Germany .
It was not AMERICANS with the courage, brains and Innovation to build The de Havilland Mosquito, it was the Brits.
Best aircraft of WW2 ME262. Revolutionary.
That is a good looking plane with huge V12s, I guess that's what you call a hot rod.
I'm building the Airfix 1/24 Mosquito model at the moment. This was good to see.
A quick 3 1/2 minute intro to the Mosquito. An amazing aircraft. Would love to see one flying now. Would still be useful in a maritime patrol role.
The Airfield shots were from Oakington near Cambridge
Is that near Duxford, which from memory you get to by Cambridge?
The engines both turned the same way so take-off was “interesting” for new pilots to the type.
Bomb load to Berlin was 4000 pounds the same as a US Eighth AF B17. Being smaller, the Mossie was less flexible on what it could carry at that weight but the fact does raise a huge question. Why was the Mosquito not used for daylight raids deep into Germany in place of the B17? That would have put two men at risk instead of ten, used 50% of the engines and being so fast far more likely to get home again.
Good question, same applies to heavy night bombers. Truth is that aircrew were like the 1st WW troops, 'lions led by donkeys'.
Most likely aircraft and aircrew supply, US mass production vs British woodworking craftsmanship. Speed wins out, just a guess.
I always thought, seriously, that the reason was that Britain ran out of carpenters.
@@bobmundy1494 you should study your WW1 history more. That statement is an outdated opinion on the military of the war now.
"During the Normandy campaign, RAF squadrons committed a monthly average of not quite three hundred Mosquitos. From June through August, seventy were shot down and twenty-eight damaged beyond repair-33 percent of the total available."
www.historyonthenet.com/british-ww2-aircraft
Just a bit of tape or glue filled in bullet/cannon holes.....! Their aircrews were called "The Plywood Pilots" but their combat record was unmatched.....one went down in the English channel and stayed afloat until the RAF Rescue crew got them out.....!
Scott Fuller ,,
A lot more than one went down in the English Channel, they were brave men, and we honor and respect all servicemen. The RAF were superb, and saved a lot of lives, and they lost some too. But all are heroes.
I am amazed at the agility of this fighter bomber! wow!
Masterpiece ❤
Best plane of World War II.
AND NO ARGUMENTS ALLOWED
Philip Croft Ahem to that sir!
I'm a dogs uncle if that's a Mosquito in ACTION!!! Looked more to my poor eyesight as a Mosquito on the tarmac preparing for liftoff followed by some flying in the air. I must need new glasses if I missed the ACTION!!
I guess you missed the one returning to land with its starboard prop feathered.
saw one in flight at an air show. What a beautiful airplane and that sound of the Merlins - Wow!
There was one based just north of Warnford when I worked in that area. That was around 1980.
Gaaaaah womford = Watford.
Thankyou for posting this.My father Bill Millership DFC and Bar used to fly in them and both my uncles used to build them x
Absolutely beautiful plane
It was described as a fighter-bomber. A wonderful plane that could never compete in the glamour stakes with the glorious Spitfire.
Is it true that an RAAF pilot named his Spitfire “Naughty Nina,” and in return a Mosquito pilot nicknamed his mount “Knotty Nina???”
I'm sure I read that it was originally designed as a bomber, but it ended up being so fast and manoueverable, that it got redesignated for fighter duties too.
@@graememorrison333 De Havilland anticipated that it would be useful as a heavy fighter and designed provisions for mounting machine guns firing forward before the first prototype ever flew.
I know that the Spitfire was the "pin up" of WW2 and it is a beautiful plane, but there was just something about the mosquito that, for me, outshone the Spitfire.
Difficult to build. The Hurricane was at least as good, quicker to build, just not as pretty.
Twice as much Merlin....
We still have a piece of a mosquito that crashed at the base where my Dad was stationed in England. (Flying B24s)
The drill was if a plane was landing in poor light you fired a flare at "The end of the runway where they were to land" Bozo fired it off in the middle and they ran out of runway. Everyone survived.
If it had gone into US production- making another 10, 000 the war ends in 44.
All German daylight movement becomes impossible, and all German factories are vulnerable.
The B-17 was a great plane and brave crews but the un-escorted bomber especially a slower heavy would not get through in daylight. Two air forces had already found this out the Luftwaffe and the RAF, and the RAF had passed this on to the US, in vain.
The fault here lies in a strategic decision at the top not with planes or crews.
Thus after Schweinfurt when the attacking force lost 20% of the force in one day, the Eighth USSAF was grounded.
Of course they came back in 44 with the Mustang escort, but at least as far as ball bearings were concerned, the moment had passed- the industry dispersed, plain bearings substituted etc.
However if large enough numbers of the Mosquito HAD been available, precision daylight bombing would have worked.
And plane for plane you are getting the same bomb load per trip, but one could do two trips in the same time.
Even in daylight the Mosquito had a loss rate below 2%,.
Oh God Soring Wanker is here Again with his America is great again. The Twat that actually believes the P40 was a better fighter than the Spitfire and Hurricane
The Spitfire and the Mosquito, two truly beautiful aircraft. Sleek and deadly.
Just a pity that so many beautiful machine are implements of destruction and death. Military aircraft are no longer elegant though there are a few exceptions. Concord was very elegant, as is the B1
Beautiful aircraft & very tough
All the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up and I have goosebumps.
If they look beautiful, if they look right then they are right for the job, the pilots loved to fly them just like the Spitfire & the amazing P51 Mustang.
Absolutely classic looking,and sounding,aircraft.
Mosquito. Made of plywood? A magnificent flying machine!
Put what was available and the skills available to best use
@@raymondweaver8526 they had to--even the tyres were made of oak
The world's most dangerous bit of furniture.
dulls
Those were the Germans...
Yet ridiculed by the 'Experts before the construction was even completed. There was a Cessna Twin model parked for years on Long Island at a private field in East Moriches, NY and it too was ridiculed by many who knew far less than they thought they did, calling the plane 'The Bamboo Bomber', lots of ignoramus's in the Aircraft expert business, even now.
You, sir (or madam), win today's LOL award.
Have you _tried_ putting up a deck chair?
Some may be unaware. The reason for the loss of Guy Gibson and his Pathfinder Mozzy recently came to light.
The recent death bed admission of a Lanc. tail end gunner explains it. Gibson was placing himself behind the returning bomber. The gunner instantly opened fire on seeing a twin engine aircraft through the darkness .... Then realized it was not an enemy aircraft.
Mortified on hearing the loss of Gibson, he kept it to himself, haunted for the rest of his days.
That’s a new one to me. I’d read that Gibson and another pilot were flying a mossie that had been built in Canada and he’d not been keen to listen to a run down on the differing controls etc from a member of the ground crew. Part way through the mission, he had to switch over fuel tanks but the tap to do so wasn’t where he expected to find it and as a result they ran out of fuel and crashed - apocryphal story?
@@martinshephard6317 Assumed Martin.
Yeah true.
@@martinshephard6317 There was also an eye witness account of when it crashed - that interior cockpit light was on
@@peterstephens733 Peter, With the interior light on, that would have blinded Gibson and Warwick to the outside world .... would you not think ?
I have flown in some vintage aircraft, 1950's Fokker, DC3 and Ju52. But my fondest memory though is the flight in another De Havilland, a Tiger Moth. Now that is flying! Cocooned from the winter elements in a tiny cockpit with cables and controls everywhere. Waving back at the kids down below, the smell of cooking fires and a cacophony of sounds from cattle, tractors and as always damn dogs barking at you.
I am still in awe how such a small propeller can keep that plane in the air.
During the starting sequence you can just see an engineer using the priming pump on the inboard side of the left engine. This was needed as there is no way to prime the engine from the cockpit.
3 of these aircraft have been completed to flying condition in New Zealand with another in the UK still in progress but has done taxy runs already.
Love to know if there is any more info on the ones Canada sold to Taiwan and if there are any relics left.
Hamish Davidson Oh aye, Hamish. Look for the following
video + 1000 Mosquito Hours: George Stewart. George
was involved with training the Chinese pilots. He gives a
forth right account of the going's on. A proper bloke !
That engine sound drills down to your bomes
The mossie had the lowest ( crew) casualty rate in all of bomber command .It ( the Mossie ) could fly to Berlin with a heavier bomb load than the B 17 , and be home in time for tea and biscuits ( that's cookies to you yanks )
Another YT uploader said only 1 in 100 was lost, hard to believe.
The Mosquito could and did(!) fly to Berlin and back twice in one night on a regular basis. It flew so fast that by the time the Lancasters, Halifaxes and Stirlings had reached the Dutch German border on the way to Berlin the Mosquito would have got to Berlin, dropped it's bomb load and be on it's way back to base!
It started as an unarmed bomber or recce aircraft, but as soon as the nay sayers saw it move they said "How about we hang some guns on it?" Wink, wink. The rest is history. About the only variant they never tried was a submarine.
Yeah, because the parachutes wouldn't work under water.
Back in the early 60’s when I was a kid, I may have had the pleasure of sitting in the pilot’s seat of a derelict mosquito near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. I can’t be sure because the aircraft was not all there, but the shape of what was there seemed to fit the mosquito.
They were faster than Me 109 and Focke-Wulf 190, incredible.
And carried almost the same bomb load as far slower a/c with 8 crew. Very few losses, despite doing the most challenging work. WHY weren't far more of them built ? That would have meant fewer human losses, more accurate bombing, far less materials and engines needed ......, and the material was more readily available (except maybe, balsa), fewer specialist workers.
@@sbkenn1 I've often wondered the same. I think there was always doubt about an unarmed bomber having enough performance to outrun fighters.
The concept had been tried before and a new crop of faster fighters would appear and decimate them.
It probably wasn't realized that the very upper end of propeller aircraft performance was being reached, and big gains in speed would be much more difficult.
But yes, major raids with hundreds of Mosquitoes you'd think would be very effective and far less costly, especially in terms of aircrew losses.
Of course one thing that reduced the availability of the Mosquito for bomber use was it's incredible versatility. It was used in so many different roles, all with great success.
Large scale raids would have lost them the element of surprise.
The 1940's version of the SR-71. Catch me if you can.
Just looking at the ground crew..one without a shirt on ..no safety glasses ,high vis jackets ..in those days ...great plane ...
idiot! missing the cuppa!
And if you died your family got naff all
I can only imagine how the Battle of Britain would have unfolded if Britain had these at that time.
They would have been pretty useless to be honest, the hurricanes and spitfires were so much better at what they did, the Mosquito would have a very limited capacity in air to air combat.
...you couldn't be more wrong there. Have an actual read up on the Mosquito's history, it was also a highly effective night fighter.
@@bradcohen9372 The Mossie has a very limited record of air to air combat day or night, it was never designed to be a nimble fighter and never was, fantastic multi role aircraft but a fighter No.
Had the chance to interview our last living mosqitoe fighter ace. James Luma. Great man great aircraft. I Have his autographed photo showing his aircraft with more than 1/2 of his vertical stabilizer shot off. He said it flew a litle funny, but nothing to worry about. There was nothing it couldn't do. The most versatile allied aircraft. It could carry a larger bomb load the 4 engined B-17 with a crew of 2 instead of 10. High ceiling, high speed, ease of maintenance. I have a 1/32 die cast model of a PR Mossie. Wish I could have flown one!
Jim Oleson Lt. Luma had quite a ride in service with the
RCAF No.418 Sqdn. Earlier this week i heard he passed
away last July. " SIC ITUR AD ASTRA "
The b17 also carried a 4000lb bomb load.
The mosquito could only carry one bomb @4000lb. Or two @500lb. Still a better plane for the fact alone that only 2 crewmen were at risk than 10
Brilliant video, thanks for posting it.
They should have binned the heavys and just built mossies.🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧✌️
What a superb video.
Last Mosquito coming in there only has port side engine running!... I met a Mosquito pilot maybe 15 years ago who flew with the RCAF. He had a small Mosquito label pin on his blazer, he was astonished that I knew what it was, he told me that they were a blast to fly, and had been up to 400 MPH in a dive! Very Cool. If the Luftwaffe knocked one out, it was considered 2 kills.
The best piston aeroplane of the war.
No...a good plane
How about turning off the unrealistic nonsense
@@leeshackelford7517 Germany feared this plane more than the Spitfire
Best plane of the war as a multi functional aircraft but other planes were better in the rolls they were intended for.
@@leeshackelford7517 ...speed, load, versatility, reliability, materials used....it ticks the boxes.
Nice shots of the David Brown and Fordson tractors bombing the aircraft up.