A bit of Barlick's World War 2 history this week. I was watching a TV programme about the American bombing campaign over Europe in the war. Their big problem was the high losses caused by the fact that their escort of Mustang fighters couldn't match the bomber's altitude and range. Late in 1943 the Mustang was given a new engine which transformed its performance and the fighters went all the way to the target with the bombers saving many losses. Funny thing is, the programme never mentioned how this was achieved.
In 1940 the Air Ministry approached Rolls Royce and asked them for a revised Merlin engine to power high altitude, long-range Wellington bombers which could fly higher than the German fighters and thus bomb successfully. Rolls did the design and experimental work and produced the engine but it was never used as the bombing project was dropped.
Go forward to 1943 and the RAF has some Mustangs which were used as reconnaissance and light bombing aircraft but were not satisfied with the performance of the American Allison engine so they modified the P51 by putting a Merlin engine in it. Rolls realised that at last there was a use for the high altitude engine it had developed in 1940. The engine was fitted and the performance of the plane transformed. It was soon realised by the Americans that this was the answer to providing an escort for the B17 bombers all the way to the target and back. Losses dropped and the B17 crews called the revitalised Mustang 'Little Friend'.
My old friend Bob Jacobsen in Northfield, MN. was a tail gunner on B17s and told me how warmly they welcomed the P51B flying with them all the way. I asked him if he knew how the fighter had been improved and he didn't know. He was very surprised to hear that Rolls Royce, in my home town of Barlick, was a big part of the reason why he was so well protected. The improved engine was manufactured under license by Packard in the States and all subsequent Mustangs were fitted with it becoming widely accepted as the best fighter plane of the war. I have heard old fitters say that the Packard Merlins were made to a very high standard and in some ways were built to finer tolerances than ours.
All this seemed to have escaped the notice of the makers of the TV programme but I suppose that's understandable. The fact remains that the 1940 version of the Merlin was not wasted and saved thousands of lives when it went into service in the P51B. Mind you, I'm still surprised that Bob was never told, perhaps it was deemed better for morale if the improvement was thought to be American. Whatever the reason, the Merlin engine did the job and further enhanced its claim to be the most efficient and successful piston aero engine ever made. Well done Barlick!
The Mustang P51B with the Merlin engine.
