On 24/02/15 14:27, Tim Streater wrote:
In article , The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 24/02/15 10:34, Tim Streater wrote:
In article , Nightjar
"cpb"@ wrote:

There are claims that we reduced food imports by half, but a
substantial part of that was animal feed, not human food. We simply
reduced the animal population and imported meat and animal products
instead. Meat imports increased by 20% between 1938 and 1944, while
cheese imports increased by nearly 72%. Overall, the tonnage of human
food imports dropped by about a quarter, but changes in what we
imported meant that by the end of the war the calorific value per ton
of imported human food had increased by 25%.

And the U-boats sank 5,000 merchant ships (and 5,000 in WW1, come to
that). Shame that convoy protection from the air was not given higher
priority.

what aircraft had the range? None at that time.

And when you're about to be invaded, the priority is homeland defence.

At the start, perhaps, but surely some Lancs or other could have been
modified for the purpose.

The Lancaster was not then in production.

Wellingtons and Whitleys and Hampdens were used, but the probglem is
less one of range than duration.

You need to be able to stay on patrol around a convoy for a considerable
time, and without radar, night attacks are almost useless.

What changed things were large slow aircraft and millimeter radar - not
available till 43 at the earliest.

And the liberator. That had the range and duration.

Post 43 most submarines were lost to air attack.



Even when the longer range planes became
available, Bomber Command got the nod at the expense of the
anti-submarine work.



--
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the
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