BPB drop from an aircraft

[robinbird]

Does anyone know any thing about the secret trial of dropping a boom patrol boat from an aircraft ? It was at the end of the war and a Lancaster was used.The trial was inconjuntion with the Royal Navy spec ops. AFEE dropped a Wellman one man sub in 1949 using a large cluster of parachutes. The trial was without anyone in the one man sub. I wonder if AFEE also did the BPB drop, it would seem likely

 

[EwenS]

This is a new craft on me so piqued my curiosity. Did a quick Google. Have you come across these pages?

BRITAIN’S EMB: THE BOOM PATROL BOAT

Among the many small craft developed or adapted during World War II for British Commandos and Special Forces, one at least must ...

forlornhopesui.blogspot.com

And scroll down this page for a photo of a 617 squadron (?) Lancaster dropping one.

H I Sutton - Covert Shores

And footage of the 1945 trial itself using 3x96ft parachutes.

LIVE AIR DESCENT OF A BOOM PATROL BOAT [Allocated Title]

Trial of a parachute decent of a manned patrol boat from a Lancaster aircraft.

www.iwm.org.uk

If 617 squadron were involved then I think it was probably in 1943 after the Dams Raid while they were looking for a role, and before Cheshire took over as CO in Nov. In 1945 they were busy dropping Tallboys and Grand Slams and then preparing to go to the Far East. I don’t recall anything in the ORB to suggest anything like this between May and Sept 1945. But if it was hush hush who knows.

 

[robinbird]

Thank you for feedback. Boom Boat drop not AFEE then. Interestingly, MAEE Helensburgh conducted a trial round the same time of a human torpedo drop from a Short Sunderland. This was to do with Tirpitz and RN special ops but such an attack never went ahead

 

[EwenS]

The RN chose Operation Title to transport 2 Chariots to Norway in a fishing boat in Oct 1942 to attack Tirpitz while she had temporarily moved south. The final part of the journey saw them towed underwater by the boat to Trondheim Fjord. Unfortunately they were washed off the bottom in some bad weather and the attack failed.

With the return of Tirpitz north, attention switched to the X craft midget subs. That base would have been beyond the range of the Sunderland.

 

[robinbird]

Cheers Ewen. I know the story about these Sunderlands, i.e. JM714, dad was involved.
Range, and other factors, aborted the trials Out of interest, see model and I have pix of JM 714 at Helensburgh

 

[TsrJoe]

from Robert W. Hobson, Chariots of War, Ulric Publishing, 2004

 

[robinbird]

Cheers. One of the batch of the Sunderlands reserved for this mission, ex JM715, still exists converted as a commercial flying boat at Solent Museum. Its past not obvious, still secret

 

[robinbird]

The Sandringham flying boat, ex JM715, had an eventful life commercially before retirement at the Solent Museum. How interesting it would be if it was converted back to JM715 spec fitted with chariots. If not, an illustration of its secret history