The Crew - Navigator
It took a team to fly a bomber in WWII, and one of the most skilled and most vital was the navigator. Because the RAF did not operate large, tight formations in daylight, there was no simple "follow my leader" kind of flying. Instead, each aircraft was expected to reach the target and return on its own. This meant that the success -- and survival -- of RAF bombers depended in no small part upon the skills of the navigator. Harry Lomas, Navigator The RAF learned very early in the war that bombers, even flying in formation, could not defend themselves against fighter attacks. Yet until early 1944, there were no fighters with the range to escort bombers to targets inside Germany. In order to strike at Germany -- as the strategic air offensive must -- the RAF switched to night bombing. When flying in darkness, close formations were a hazard not a benefit, so the RAF evolved the concept of the "bomber stream." This entailed sending large numbers of bombers on roughl...